FADE: Legacy
by FandomPariah
Summary: 20 years after RWBY a new team takes up the mantle of Remnants' defenders. This is the story of Team FADE as they attend the Halo Academy of New Vale. OC based fic but still features the canon characters. This is a spin-off to my story 'The Downward Spiral'
1. A New Beginning (Vol1)

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 01: A New Beginning**

Arctus Slate, son of Gangrel Slate and Weiss Slate, formerly Schnee made his way through the corridors of his families' home, Schnee Manor. At seventeen years old Arctus stood at six foot three and was commonly described as being 'Built like a tank' broad shouldered and muscular, traits inherited from his father along with his Faunus attribute of a bears' snout for a face and claw like hands; his colouration however was clearly from the Schnee side of the family, pale skin, ivory coloured hair undercut and immaculately styled and blue eyes that seemed to sparkle and demand the attention of those around him. Making his way towards the dining room he took in the large framed photographs and portraits showing his family over the years. he gave a toothy grin as he realised this would actually be the last time he saw them for a long time. Deciding he didn't have enough time this morning to get sentimental he continued moving, eventually reaching the double doors of the dining room and pushing them open

"Morning" Arctus greeted those present with a yawn "Where's Dad?"

"One day you'll get dressed before you come to breakfast" Weiss noted with a bemused sigh as she took in the baggy sweatpants and vest her son was currently wearing. The years had been kind to Weiss, even now as she neared forty only the faintest lines marred her face "And your father had to work late….don't worry he'll be here soon"

"If you say so" Arctus shrugged as he took a seat next to his mother and began piling food onto his plate before turning his attention to the third person present "Morning squirt"

"Still not talking to you, jerk"

"Athena!" Weiss gasped before giving her daughter a stern look, Arctus merely laughed at this sisters' reply. Athena-Jade Slate, named for her fathers' mother and the young Spring Maiden killed in the war against Salem was six years old and most people agreed that she was the spitting image of Weiss at the same age save for the claw like hands she shared with her father and brother and the fact that she refused to wear her hair tied back under any circumstances

"You're really gonna give me the silent treatment? Even if I promise to bring you something cool back from New Vale?" Arctus asked

"I don't want you to bring anything back, I don't want you to go" the child sulked slouching in her chair. Arctus gave Weiss an imploring look, having no idea how to deal with the situation

"Athena, Arctus is going to New Vale to train to be a Huntsman; he's going to be at the academy with some of your cousins. If he goes to Vale you can actually see more of them when he video calls" Athena's eyes lit up as she processed that information

"You'd better call me every day!" she gave her brother her best imitation of Weiss's stern glare causing Arctus to reach across the table and ruffle her hair

"As much as I can" the brief moment between the siblings was interrupted by the door opening revealing two people. Whitley Schnee, slender and bearded made his way to the dining table and took a seat near Weiss while rubbing his bleary eyes. The second person was a six foot eight Bear Faunus clad in the uniform of an Atlesian specialist, dark hair greying slightly, scar running horizontally below his left eye and the entirety of his left arm replaced by a cybernetic limb; old war wounds worn with pride

"DADDY!" Athena leapt from her seat, closing the distance between them in less than a second and leaping into her fathers arms, scrabbling onto the shoulders of the tallest person she knew. Gangrel Slate gave a tired smile before making his way over to Weiss and leaning down to kiss her forehead

"Love you" he turned to Arctus "Morning kid, you ready?" the smile turned into one of pride

"Yeah I'm ready to go, just need to get a shower and grab my bags….what kept you?" at that Gangrel's expression became somewhat guilty

"Something that needed my attention came up last night, nothing I can really talk about. But off the record; two different groups tried to hit the same military shipment at the same time. It's all gone crazy"

"Wait for it" Arctus snorted. He fully understood that his father was one of the highest ranking figures in the Atlesian military, answering only to his Aunt, General Winter Schnee herself and commanding his own warship but that fact had led to several missed birthdays and him generally not being around as much as either of them would have liked

"Yeah, I came home to get a couple hours sleep then I have to report to Winter….I'm not gonna be able to drive you to the docks today, I can make sure you get to Vale in time for your initiation but you might have to give seeing Blake and Yang a miss"

"It's cool" Arctus muttered as he rose from his chair, cutting off his fathers' apologies "No really it's fine. Uncle Whitley would you be able to drive me?"

"I can, I'm not needed in the office for a few hours"

"I'm getting in the shower then" Arctus made to leave, stopping to kiss his mother on the cheek "I'll call you when I get to Patch"

* * *

The two teens prowled through the dense woodland, the summer heat and glaring sunlight countered somewhat by the canopy of trees overhead

"How is it taking this long to find Grimm?" the younger of the two grumbled

"They must know there's a real Hunter here" the older of the pair answered with a cocky smirk. She was Corvid Xiao Long, five foot seven and slim with pale skin stormy grey eyes and long dark hair forming a single braid. She wore a simple shorts and t-shirt outfit with thoroughly worn sneakers and a vivid yellow scarf that had once belonged to one of their mothers that was currently wrapped around her waist as a belt; the only evidence to her claim of being a real Hunter was the hefty band of metal around her left wrist that reached almost to her elbow sporting several mechanical and computerised components

"Yeah yeah, keep it coming Corey. You can only use that line for a couple more days" her brother Felix retorted with a roll of his eyes. Felix stood only two inches taller than his adopted sister, the lion Faunus wore baggy jeans which were faded and torn with armoured knee pads placed over them and a hole cut into them to accommodate his tail which was currently swishing with anticipation, a tight fitting white t-shirt with a harness containing spare ammunition and housing his weapons slung over it; the shirt showing off a physique that he was more than a little proud of and the lions' head tattoo adorning his right arm he'd managed to acquire at fifteen years old to the anger of both of his mothers. His curly dirty blonde hair could only be described as a mane, reaching down to his shoulder blades; bushy brows framed dark blue eyes and his overlong canine teeth jutted from below his lip.

"Suppose I better get some use out of it then" Corvid grinned and stuck her tongue out at her brother "My baby bro is coming to Halo, this is gonna be awesome!"

"Yeah it is" Felix chuckled. He had missed his sister last year while he had still been studying at Signal, though watching Corvid and her team in the Vytal Tournament in Mistral had been a lot of fun. They took a few more steps through the woods before the sound of growling reached their ears. The pair of them shared a brief smirk before Corvid leapt upwards, grabbing a low hanging tree branch and hauling herself upwards while Felix reached over his back and grabbed the hilts of his weapons as the first of the Beowolves came into view

"Gonna lend a hand?" Corvid had positioned herself in the trees and seemed to consider the idea, right hand hovering over the band around her forearm

"Nah….let's see if you're really ready" she teased. Felix cracked a feral smile while deploying _'Hack'_ and _'Slash'_ his twin swords with chainsaw blades that whirred into life with mechanical growls

"Let's see if these mutts can last a whole minute" the Lion Faunus snorted as he twirled the blades, striding towards the small pack of a dozen or so Grimm. With no more warning he shot forwards, blades screaming as they cleaved the first two Beowolves apart; bringing them in front of his face a third Grimm to lunge was blocked and shredded

"Come on! This is too easy!" he backed up his boast by driving one of his blades through the skull of a Grimm, embedding it in the ground below and using his now free hand to catch a leaping Beowolf before dragging a blade along its' underbelly. Rolling away from another Grimm attempting to pounce on him he retrieved the buried sword and shifted both Hack and Slash to the secondary forms; machine pistols with chainsaw bayonets

"Oh 'cos that couldn't possibly attract more Grimm" Corvid noted dryly over the sound of gunfire tearing Grimm asunder

"You're welcome to contribute at any time if it does" her brother snarled as he shifted his weapons back to their sword from and impaled the final Grimm

"For a few Beowolves? Auntie Ruby could take out a few hundred when she was fourteen" Corvid laughed as she dropped down from the tree, landing amidst the still faded mist that was all that remained of the monsters

"Hardly a fair comparison, Auntie Ruby re-wrote the rulebook"

"True" their conversation was halted by the sound of low rumbling growling and heavy thumping footfalls "And there it is" Corvid sighed, moments later a lone Ursa lumbered into view, shattering the trunk of a tree with a single swipe of its' claw as it passed. The monster faced down the pair of would be Hunters, raising itself onto its' rear limbs and letting loose a deafening roar in challenge. Felix merely sighed and replaced his weapons in their harness; seeing his sister raise a quizzical eyebrow he merely grinned

"Throw me a fire Dust crystal" as he spoke he tapped into his Semblance, a faint golden light beginning into envelop his body in preparation. Before Corvid could comply two things happened almost simultaneously; the Ursa charged forward, jaws snapping with murderous intent and a single shot rang out, a flash of light and low bass note that simply unmade the head and forequarters of the Grimm.

"Bear witness to my power!"

The Xiao Long children simply shared a grin at the newcomers' pun before turning and speaking in unison

"Hey Mum"

"Hey, you weren't answering your Scrolls" Yang Xiao Long noted as the plasma cannon attachment fitted to her right arm and gauntlet cooled down and began to collapse before being stored on a back mounted holster. Yang's cybernetic limb whirred faintly as it moved, a sign of the old prosthetic needing to be tuned or updated. Yang herself showed less signs of age than the limb, not a single grey hair could be found in her tied back golden mane though her face bore lines that were more a testament to the stress of teaching than the passage of time.

"We put 'em on silent, didn't want to make coming hunting any tougher on Fluffy" Felix's eyes narrowed at the nickname, only his mothers could call him that

"Well I didn't get chance to watch but it sounds like he did well" she turned her attention to her son "I'll tell you the same thing Grandpa Tai told me though, don't rely on your Semblance that much….even if it's awesome"

"Yeah yeah" he shrugged "I would have taken that Ursa apart and we all know it" Yang merely shook her head

"Come on, I left dinner cooking to come and get you. Your Mum's finished work for the day" Corvid and Felix referred to both of their adopted mothers' as Mum, it very rarely led to complications other than Yang using it to make an endless amount of 'Ask you mother' jokes

"Has she seen-"

"Yep, she stopped off at the airship docks to meet him" Felix's face split into a wide smile

"Awesome"

* * *

Arctus stretched as he made his way off of the ferry, neck and shoulders cracking after the extended amount of time he'd spent confined to seats too small for his stature. The drive to the airship docks, then the flight from Atlas to New Vale and the subsequent ferry to Patch had taken him until early evening even with the advancements in Dust engines that the SDC had made, many of which his mother was responsible for. He was currently wearing what would soon be considered his combat gear as a Huntsman; armour plated black boots that reached his calves, white pants and sleeveless jacket with several pockets intended to evoke a more stylish version of an Atlesian military uniform; a black t-shirt beneath the vest with sturdy armour plates integrated into the chest and shoulders. The look was completed by a pair of black leather gloves and his weapon Gefroren-Erbe slung over his shoulder in its' close combat form, an ornate curved broadsword that most people would struggle to lift; Arctus wielded it one handed. Picking up his suitcases he turned back to the ferry waiting for his companion for the final stretch of the journey to disembark. Eventually Blake Xiao Long, formerly Belladonna came into view depositing her Scroll in her pocket as she walked

"Just told your Aunt Yang to expect us" while Blake Belladonna and Gangrel Slate were not related by blood they had grown up in Sienna Khan's orphanage together and would fiercely argue against any claim that that fact didn't make them family, the fact that Gangrel had gone on to marry one of Blake's former team-mates only reinforced the connection between them.

"Cool, how is everyone? I promised Mum and Athena I'd call when I got here" the younger Faunus asked

"And your Dad?" Blake raised an eyebrow

"Yeah he says 'hi' as well" Arctus's blunt answer earned him a concerned look from his aunt who chose not to press the issue and answered his question

"Everyone's fine, Taiyang is planning on retiring from teaching soon it's pretty clear that Yang's going to get the job of replacing him as head of Signal. Corvid is back on Patch for the Summer even if you wouldn't know it with how much time she spends on the mainland. Felix is managing to keep himself out of trouble for more than a week at a time for a change" Arctus suppressed a laugh at that, sure that if his own rebellious streak was ever as extreme as his cousins' his Aunt Winter would probably conscript him into the army. The two of them fell into an easy silence as they made their way through the streets of Patch, broken by the locals greeting Blake who was obviously a well known figure within the community. Eventually they reached the edge of town, the distance between each house becoming significant though they were not as isolated as Taiyang Xiao Longs' home on the other side of the woods. Those who had lived on Patch long enough to remember would confirm that the retired Hunter had built the house with his own hands almost forty years ago and no Grimm had neared it since

"Oi snout! Why have you come dressed for another Great War?" looking up revealed the source of the jibe, leaning from a first floor window of one of the nearby houses was his cousin Felix; the Lion Faunus promptly leaping from the window nonchalantly and clambering over the fence to greet them

"Coming from a Hue Jackman cosplayer I'll take that as a compliment Chopper-face" Arctus retorted with a grin, the pair both pulled each other into a hug

"I'm surprised you even know what that is, I'm sure you only watch Michael Beige films"

"Now that's just rude" Arctus feigned a hurt expression

"Boys" Blake gave an exasperated sigh at their antics "Felix give Arctus a hand with his cases"

"Sweet Oum how much Dust did you bring?" the blonde laughed as he took one of the cases and noticed the amount of hazard labels that been attached to it by the staff of the airship docks

"Enough for another Great War" Arctus grinned, earning himself a laugh from his favourite cousin

"Halo Academy isn't gonna know what hit it when we get there"

"Just please, please try and stay out of trouble" Blake sighed with a shake of her head

"What like you did?" Felix snorted, Blake's response went unheard as the door to the Xiao Long home opened revealing Yang and Corvid, it was hard to tell which of them wore the brighter smile

"Hey Arctus" Yang smiled before turning her attention to her wife "You'll never guess who I just got off the Scroll with….Ruby, her and Penny are coming round tomorrow night with the kids. She wants to see Felix and Arctus before their initiation"

"Sweet" Felix chuckled, his Aunt Ruby was a living legend among Hunters and his younger cousins were bundles of pure happiness that nobody was immune to. Corvid seemed to be vibrating with excitement, she was quite possibly the biggest fan Ruby and Penny Rose had and had been since her childhood; the fact they had helped her build her weapon had only intensified her idolising

"Have you called your Dad?" Blake asked "Ruby and Penny probably won't stay on Patch for Long. See if he wants to come round, in fact ask your Uncle Qrow as well" Arctus gave a weak smile at the exchange, the closeness between his family in Vale was something he'd always been a little jealous of. He loved his parents, Aunt Winter and Uncle Whitley dearly; he just wished they were around more.

* * *

The sun had long since set over Patch and the inhabitants of the island were blissfully unaware that they were being watched with malicious intent and studied for weaknesses by unseen eyes. A large bird of prey of a species no-one native to Patch would recognise circled overhead before diving and swooping over the waves further out to sea to where a single small vessel was anchored, two figures stood upon its' prow seemingly waiting for the birds' arrival. The shorter of the figures, a young woman held out her left arm, a heavy armour plated gauntlet marked with countless scratches made by sharp talons worn over her taupe coloured skin. The action was seemingly done unconsciously as she continued to gaze straight ahead, pure white eyes unseeing and giving off an ethereal glow until the bird took its' position on her arm. With a sharp intake of breath her eyes returned to their natural colour, a deep jade green and the dragonfly wings protruding from the Faunus's back shuddered as she regained consciousness

"What does your pet see Hellion?" the voice was low and rasping Hellion Eudialyte turned to face the speaker, their form shrouded by a hooded black cloak. Hellion stroked the bird of prey which was now perched on her arm preening itself

"His name is Marauder" Hellion hissed, her gossamer wings fluttering with agitation "They have what we need" her Semblance, known as _'Warg'_ which allowed her to see through the eyes of nearby animals had shown her that the isle of Patch was well suited to their needs

"Good" the hooded figure beside her breathed out, the menace in their voice tinged with relief "When we return home it will be as conquerors. We land tomorrow, tell the others to prepare themselves" Hellion nodded as she turned away from the figure, making her way below deck taking in the damage to the ship as she passed bullets holes and steel warped and burned by laser fire, their plan in Atlas had not gone as intended but they would overcome and tomorrow would be the start of her peoples' dominance.

 **Authors Notes:**

Okay this is a spin off to my story "The Downward Spiral" /s/12133386/1/The-Downward-Spiral read that first if you haven't already.  
My one shot "Our Happy Ever After" actually bridges some of the twenty year gap between the two stories /s/12367693/1/Our-Happy-Ever-After  
This story is currently rated T but knowing my writing it will no doubt become and M-rated story at some point.

Now let's summarise:  
I can't believe how many people loved Weiss x Gangrel in The Downward Spiral and my OCs in general, let's hope you enjoy their son as much.  
Two criminal groups hit the same military shipment at the same time, may as well just write "Foreshadowing" in big neon letters.  
Felix and Corvid Xiao Long; a Lion Faunus and a Human, both of them are adopted.  
Felix's Semblance; I held back on showing it but when you see it you'll love it.  
Same with Corvid's weapon.  
Yang's first line was a pun, because of course it was.  
Hue Jackman and Michael Beige, because references.  
The irony of any of Team RWBY telling their kids to "Stay out of trouble" cannot be overstated.  
Nuts & Dolts next chapter.  
Our first look at some antagonists, I have plans for them.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	2. Family

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 02: Family**

The late summer sun shone down on the streets of Patch, a gentle breeze preventing the heat from becoming stifling. A trio of teens slowly made their way through the streets of the island whose population and infrastructure could now best be described as a small city, having grown exponentially since the war

"Y'know you could just tell our Mums and save me the hassle, they expect me to know everything you're doing. I don't get why you even think they'd mind, they'll just tease" Felix grumbled as he and Arctus walked with Corvid to the docks, slightly annoyed by his sisters' reticence

"Oh my Oum" Corvid huffed "I'm not dating anyone on Team CLIR, I just don't want to go the whole summer without training together and be out of practice when we get back. If one of you two end up as a team leader you'll get it" Felix gave her a glance and cocked his head, he knew there was probably more to the situation than she was telling him and the sudden lack of trust bothered him more than he wanted to admit. Deciding to drop the subject he turned his attention to Arctus, the Bear Faunus wiping sweat from his brow

"You okay over there?"

"Yeah" he panted out "It just never gets this hot back home"

"That's because you live at the top of a frozen mountain like some kind of supervillain" Felix snorted, Corvid merely rolling her eyes at the constant well meaning bickering between her brother and cousin

"So Corey, you gonna tell us how they pick teams at Halo? someone's gotta keep Felix from trying to fight everything with a pulse" Arctus asked suddenly

"Hey I'm not that bad!" Felix insisted indignantly "Why pick a fight with people when I can plough through Grimm" Corvid suppressed a snort, her brother was notorious on Patch for his casual approach to solving disputes via fistfights; an attitude which had admittedly put Yang in a tough position as a teacher on more than one occasion

"I mean I could tell you" she smiled sweetly, voice turning sing-song "But I'm not gonna"

"Figures" Arctus sighed with an amused shake of the head, there were a few moments of quiet before the docks became visible in the distance

"Hey" Felix placed a hand on his sister's shoulder "Try and get home tonight. You don't wanna miss Auntie Ruby, ya never know when we'll see her again"

"I know and I'll try my best" Corvid smiled "If not I'll see you at the Academy….wow it feels weird to be saying that"

"I know" Felix admitted, his natural bravado faltering for a brief moment "This is really happening" Corvid recognising the expression on her brother's face pulled him into a hug before ruffling his hair

"You'll be fine, both of you" she added giving Arctus a smile "Whatever happens you'll be fine"

"Thanks sis" Felix watched as Corvid turned and left. The remaining two teens shared a moment of silence before Felix spoke again

"Wanna head home?" Arctus raised an incredulous eyebrow

"I've been stuck in the Manor since you left, so almost all summer. Let's find something to do" the Lion Faunus cracked a feral grin

"Now you're talking"

* * *

Several hours had passed and Arctus and Felix were meandering through the streets of Patch's centre with admittedly little purpose

"Wanna head into those woods near your place and deal with some Grimm?" Arctus asked as he stretched, soaking up the sun which rarely shone on his native Kingdom

"Nah, did that yesterday" Felix sighed, none of the Patch natives' friends from Signal were currently available to join them. Rounding a corner and seeing a small bar set between buildings that were distinctly more recent additions and seemed to have been built around the establishment brought a small grin to Felix's face and gave him an idea

"Hey, wanna get some drinks in before we leave? I'm pretty sure we can sneak 'em into Halo"

"From there?" Arctus eyed the bar with some suspicion, his cousin rolling his eyes and snorting

"Yes rich boy from there. Junior's is the best place on Patch to get something under the table" Junior's bar was currently owned by Miltia Wukong whose husband Sun Wukong was the islands' chief Hunter and was known for turning a blind eye to things he considered harmless fun; Miltia had apparently inherited the bar from her uncle following Hei Xiong's decision to start a career in politics after the war which many people joked was only a slightly more corrupt line of work. Felix was still not sure if he believed his mother's tales about fighting her way through the original iteration of the establishment on the mainland. Arctus regarded the building for a few more seconds before finally shrugging, before the pair could reach their destination they were halted by something colliding with Arctus and sending him staggering, upon further inspection that something appeared to in fact be someone

"Hey watch where you're going!" the Bear Faunus called, the person who'd barged past him stopped and turned around revealing themselves to be an Axolotl Faunus; standing at an unimpressive five feet tall with pink-tinged caudal fins extending from the sides of his head, watery dark eyes and a broad mouth that seemed to be naturally pulled into a smile the individual was hardly an intimidating sight despite the unusual combination of loose fitting clothes and clearly well used armour he wore, the intricate and serpentine tribal tattoo running down the left side of his face and the oversized sword, double edged and serrated slung over his back

"Excuse me….boy?" the Axolotl Faunus asked, seemingly taken aback by the sheer temerity of anyone challenging him as he began making his way back towards them "I'll walk anywhere on this island I feel like….and right now I feel like stepping on the back of your head, repeatedly" Arctus took a step back, unprepared for the sudden and needless aggression; Felix stepped forwards seemingly in his element as he positioned himself between them and used his fight to face down the unknown newcomer

"Yeah sorry but there's a quota for short bad-asses on the island, I'm currently filling it. Fuck off"

"Ah someone with a little fight, I was getting bored" the Axolotl Faunus laughed as he reached over his shoulder making to grab the hilt of his weapon. Felix instantly responded in kind, Hack and Slash finding their way to his hands

"HEY!" the pair turned towards the sound of the yell as did Arctus, they were greeted by the sight of a dark haired and green eyed Monkey Faunus stomping towards them with a face like thunder whom the crowd that Felix now realised was beginning to form around them parted for without question despite her being fifteen years old; she was Amethyst Wukong

"Felix you know better!" she prodded the Lion Faunus in the chest with enough force to make him physically wince before rounding on his would be aggressor "And you, listen I don't know who you are but you've got until my Dad gets here to be out of sight or you're gonna end up in a cell and he'll probably use your head to open the door" the manic smile plastered across his face only grew wider and more mocking as he bowed theatrically

"Well I am Raffia Dirge and you my dear are quite possibly the feistiest thing on this island" he stepped forward only to find a chainsaw blade pressed under his chin

"Take several steps back" Felix snarled. A giggle escaped Raffia's lips before he relented and turned away

"Some other time perhaps" seeing that the commotion was over the crowd began to disperse, Felix shifted Hack into its' machine gun form and give serious thought to shooting the smaller Faunus in the back before Arctus placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head silently

"Fucking tourists" Felix muttered under his breath before turning to Amethyst and giving her a bright smile

"So, before you spoiled what could have been fun we were actually coming to see you"

"You were?" the younger Faunus expression brightened and Arctus looked between Amethyst and Felix, a small smirk of understanding crossing his features

"Well, we were coming to the bar" Felix continued "I'm heading to Halo Academy tomorrow and I wanted to grab a few bottles before I go"

"Oh" Amethyst's smile faltered slightly "Well the bar's not open yet and both my parents are out….wanna come in, one last game of spin the bottle?" Felix rubbed the back of his neck clearly considering it

"We can come in and chill but I can't start drinking now, I've got family visiting tonight"

"Okay" Amethyst turned and led them towards the bar that was the Wukong family home her tail twitching seemingly nervously, Arctus muttering to Felix as they followed

"She's not even attempting to be subtle with the crush she's got on you"

"She's fifteen" Felix answered almost reflexively, his tone and body language becoming defensive

"Alright man" Arctus raised his hands "I'm just saying" Felix sighed

"Do me a favour….don't"

* * *

Several hours later Felix and Arctus had returned from the Wukong household and were currently helping prepare for a barbecue as the summer sun began to set

"No word from Corey?" Felix asked as he and Yang moved the dining table into the back yard

"She said she's probably gonna be late tonight" she answered with a knowing smile "I think it's CLIR she's seeing someone"

"Mum I swear I will drop this table on purpose" Felix grumbled, the threat becoming moot as the pair of them set the piece of furniture down

"Leave her be Yang, she'll tell us what's going on with her when she's ready" Blake murmured as she and Arctus carried what could only be described as obscene amounts of food out to Taiyang, the older man taking up his traditional role of cook at the family get together. The conversation was brought to an abrupt halt when Blake, Felix and Arctus all cocked their heads as their more sensitive hearing picked up a distinctive sound; the near silent engine of a very specific craft only audible because it was flying low to the ground

"And now the party's started" Felix grinned as 'The Pearl' Penny Rose, formerly Polendina's personal Bull-Head passed overhead, hovering just outside of the limits of Blake and Yang's sizeable back yard before landing in the clearing just beyond it that had been created specifically for such a purpose. The Xiao Long family and Arctus made their way towards the fence marking the edge of their property and opening the gate to meet the newcomers; within seconds of the rear hatch of the craft lowering Felix found himself buffeted by twin streaks, one red and one green

"FELIX!"

"Hey" the Lion Faunus laughed as he crouched down and allowed himself to be pulled into simultaneous hugs from both of the children now in front of him; the six year old twins were both fair-skinned and freckled with unruly copper coloured hair and bright silver eyes, they wore matching outfits in different colours; Tai-Jaune Rose wearing red while Summer-Pyrrha Rose wore green

"Look at how big you are now!" Felix gave them a theatrical gasp "What is Aunt Ruby feeding you?"

"Other kids" Summer answered with a completely straight face

"We'd eat Grimm but they vanish" Tai-Jaune, or TJ as he was usually called to avoid confusion added with a small snigger

"And you've turned into a pair of comedians since I last saw you as well"

"Yep" Summer beamed, popping the P before seemingly catching sight of the rest of the family

"Aunt Yang, Aunt Blake, Grandpa!" the twins darted around giving out hugs and an observer might think that they had inherited the speed of the mother that carried them, in truth they were simply just that energetic.

"Salutations" the speaker stepped out of the rear of the Pearl. Penny Polendina had seemingly barely aged, even though her birth certificate would lead one to believe she was in her late thirties Penny herself appeared to be in her mid twenties as the synthetic skin grafted over her mechanical frame seemed to remain youthful, she was also carrying more food which she handed over to Yang as she entered the back yard

"Domo arigato sister roboto" the blonde grinned "Where's Ruby?" Penny suddenly looked nervous

"She'll be out in a second, Yang….please don't make a scene it looks worse than it is"

"What looks worse than it is?" Taiyang asked having caught part of the conversation

"Mum got hurt at work" Summer informed them from her current position of being wrapped around her grandfathers' leg

"Hey guys" every one turned to face Ruby herself, eyes widening as they took in her appearance. Ruby wasn't currently wearing her signature hooded cape and her tanned skin suggested that her current mission had taken her and her small family away from Vale, her hair had grown out and was currently tied back; but what had drawn their attention and quiet gasps was the still healing diagonal slash running from her left temple across her face to the right corner of her lips and the bruised and reddened skin around it

"Oh my Oum what happened to you?" Yang's voice wavered at the sight of Ruby, whom she would always consider her baby sister so badly injured

"Yang I'm fine" Ruby tried to assure her as she made her way into the yard "Come on you know how fast I heal, it'll be fine in a week" Yang couldn't help the urge to mother her, knowing that a side effect of Ruby's speed was that she could heal broken bones in minutes if she focused wasn't going to change that

"Hey" Taiyang murmured in Yang's ear "Calm down, if you get upset it'll scare the twins" at that she relented

"Okay, so since Uncle Qrow couldn't make it and Corey is still on the mainland….so let's start this party with a Yang!"

* * *

The Xiao Longs and their extended family were still in their backyard long after the sun had set and were chatting animatedly amongst themselves when Felix was surprised by Yang pressing a bottle of beer into his hand

"You're letting me drink"

"If you're old enough to go to Haven Academy then you're old enough for a few beers" she sighed before passing a bottle to Arctus who gratefully accepted "Besides I'd rather you learn to be responsible with alcohol"

"Oh I can tell him so many stories about you and your responsibility with alcohol" Taiyang chuckled

"We've already heard about the bar-fights" the Lion Faunus involved his grandfather

"But did she tell you she drove her bike home afterwards?"

"Seriously?" Felix demanded incredulously "After the earache I got after Arctus's birthday"

"Hey leave me out of it" the Bear Faunus raised his hands defensively "You were the one that decided that the speed limit was a rough guideline" they were referring to the fact that Felix had visited Atlas for Arctus's seventeenth birthday at the start of the Summer, Whitley had taken them to Schnee Manor's underground garage and told them to pick one of his sports cars to borrow for the night; neither of their parents had been happy to learn that Felix had taken the wheel and decided to _'Open it up'_

"Anyway" Ruby interjected "Before this turns into an argument, I got you both a going away present. Arctus, I'm sorry I didn't realise you were gonna be here or I'd have got something for you as well" Arctus merely shrugged indicating he didn't mind as Ruby reached into one of the many ammunition pouches integrated into her outfit and produced a pair of extended magazines, chambered to fit Hack and Slash; Felix's eyes widened as he realised what kind of rounds they were filled with it

"Nano-bomb rounds?" he breathed out "Auntie Ruby these are awesome, thanks!"

"Yeah well, turns out I didn't need 'em while we were in Port Alistair"

"You've been to Menagerie?" Yang asked, expression becoming a bright smile

"Did you see-"

"We went because they asked" Ruby interrupted already knowing who her sister was thinking about, the three members of Team CFVY that had survived the war against Salem had allowed Yang to act as their fourth member for a time after the conflict and had since relocated to Menagerie almost a decade ago as part of the effort to make the former Faunus homeland habitable again; taking up residence in one of the largest of the new settlements, named for their fallen comrade

"How are they?" Yang asked "Last I heard it wasn't just Coco and Velvet dating, all three of them had something going on. I haven't actually heard from them in years though"

"CCT coverage in Menagerie isn't optimal" Penny explained while she and Blake watched the twins, who seemed to have an infinite amount of energy play

"Yeah but they finally got in touch, there were some raiders picking off convoys between settlements….The law doesn't really exist in Menagerie once you're out of a towns' limits. But Penny and I decided to go and give them a hand, it's summer vacation so why not take the kids to see some new sights….speaking of which" the silver eyed Huntress rummaged through her various pockets before finding her Scroll and pulling up a picture for everyone to look at

"OH MY OUM THEY HAVE A KID?" Yang gasped, the image showed Ruby before her injuries and Penny as well as Coco Adel, Velvet Scarlatina and Yatsuhashi Daichi; between them were the twins and a small child with Yatsuhashi's complexion and Velvet's rabbit ears

"Yep" Ruby beamed "Little Fox Scarlatina, he's five"

"Okay this is cute" Blake noted "But why is Summer here sticking her tongue out at him"

"Because he's stupid" the niece in question informed her bluntly while pouting. Ruby leaned forward and said in a stage whisper

"He called Summer pretty" the adults couldn't help but laugh

"That's so cute!" Yang exclaimed

"Is not!" Penny made her way over to the twins and hoisted them both up

"Okay, it's way passed both of your bedtimes" this news was met with assorted noises of frustration from the children until Blake spoke up

"But since you're staying here tonight, you get a bedtime story from Auntie Blake" this immediately changing their opinion of the situation. After hearing the door to the house close Yang turned her attention to Ruby

"So what happened to you out there?" Ruby sighed, a little annoyed that her injured state hadn't been forgotten

"I told you, raiders between the settlements….downside of being a living legend is everyone knows I have 'magic eyes' and there's always someone brave enough to try and take them out. I got sloppy" Felix and Arctus shared a confused look, they both knew that their Auntie Ruby was a war hero and considered a legend on par with Qrow Branwen and possibly even Ozpin himself but they'd never had the references to magic eyes explained to them

"Someone tried to blind you?" Arctus asked aghast

"Don't get soft on me now, we're going to Halo tomorrow" Felix snorted as he swigged his beer

"There's a line between brave and rushing in like an idiot" Taiyang spoke up "Us Xiao Longs have a habit of being on the wrong side of it, try to be careful"

"It'll be fine" Arctus sighed "I'll keep an eye on him" the Bear Faunus was somewhat used to having to be the voice of reason when he visited his family in Vale, if either Felix or Corvid got an idea in their heads they tended to run with it regardless of potential consequences

"You're all so grown up now" Ruby gushed "I remember when you two and Corvid were small enough to sit on my lap and tell me what kind of weapons you wanted to build when you were older"

"I know, hey Felix show her what you've got now" the Lion Faunus shrugged and grumbled as he reached into his pocket

"I mean it's not much use right now"

"You got a driving license?" Ruby's eyes widened "That's awesome!"

"It would be if I had money for a car" the conversation was interrupted by the sound of Yang's Scroll

"Hello, hey Sun" Yang answered "What?….Oum's sake I'll be there in five"

"What's going on" Felix asked, his mother sighed as she rose to her feet and deployed Ember Celica

"Some Faunus tourist apparently started trouble in Miltia's bar, Sun's on the other side of Patch responding to a break in…..This place used to be quiet. I'll probably be back late"  
"I'll tell Blake what happened" Ruby assured her sister

"Want a hand?" Taiyang offered, he'd retired from Hunting Grimm years ago and his teaching career was coming to a close but he was sure he could deal with a few rowdy tourists

"It's fine, nothing I can't handle" those that remained watched as Yang mounted her motorbike, the Bumblebee it's lights fading into the distance as Yang sped off. Arctus watched as Ruby and Taiyang decided to make a start on cleaning up after their barbecue before turning his attention to Felix, the expression on his cousins' face setting off alarm bells in his mind

"I know you're planning something and I can take a guess at what it is"

"Faunus tourist" Felix growled out, eyes narrowing "I think that little weirdo from earlier went back to the bar. I'm going" with that he silently leapt over the fence and began making his way around to the road that would take him to the centre of Patch. Arctus took a deep breath and made a split second decision

"Hang on I'm coming with" with that the pair of them set off.

 **Authors Notes:**

Sorry I've not updated in about a week, I'm usually better than this.  
I was busy all weekend.

Let's summarise:  
A lot of refugees from Vale during the war ended up on Patch so now Patch is more of a port city than a fishing town.  
Team CLIR (Clear) Corvid's team, yes you'll meet them soon.  
If I haven't made it clear enough yet, Felix is a little hell raiser of a kid.  
Junior went into politics, Miltia owns the Patch branch of Junior's….We'll see Melanie later.  
Because Raffia Dirge the creepy Axolotl Faunus couldn't possibly be connected with the antagonists we got a look at last chapter.  
Also a fucking Axolotl Faunus….why has nobody done this already?  
No the fact she's fifteen is not the only reason Felix isn't flirting back with Amethyst Wukong, yes it will become relevant later on.  
Nuts & Dolts kids, how they exist is explained at the end of my one-shot "Our Happy Ever After" which bridges the gap between The Downward Spiral and this story.  
Also, the idea of Ruby and Penny the two innocent little dorks having a pair of smart mouth kids makes me chuckle "Other kids" indeed.  
Imagine Yang trying to be any kind of strict to her kids with Taiyang in the vicinity just giving her a look that exudes "Really now?".  
Nano-bomb rounds….another reference to Our Happy Ever After.  
Cross-hares has become Poly CFVY and they have a kid named Fox, they live in "Port Alistair" am I giving you feels yet?  
Felix with a driving license, because Team FADE when it's formed will need a way t get around since nobody has super speed.  
Faunus tourist at the bar…..it's obvious….or is it.  
Xiao Longs crossing the line between brave and rushing in like an idiot, case in point.

Thank you to Ferrous, Antonio+Beltran, MarianTheLibrarian22 and Fluffyfirefly for their reviews on the last chapter:  
I don't take breaks, sleep is for the weak.  
If you want new Grimm….Oh boy I've got some great news for you.  
If you like Game of Thrones References then just wait.  
Gangrel's response was probably internal screaming at the amount of paperwork.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	3. Go Raiders

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 03: Go Raiders**

Sun Wukong approached the site of the suspected break in, an irritated sigh escaping his lips at the sight of a door torn free of its' hinges; closer inspection revealing that part of the wall had been ripped away along with it. The Simian Faunus's eyes narrowed as he raised his Aura and mentally prepared himself.

"No attempt to bypass the alarms" he mumbled to himself as he leapt into the air and scrambled onto the roof of the small SDC subsidiary company that served the island located near the docks, he had no intention of simply following whoever it was that he was seeking. He privately wished he had Yang to take point, the two of them had worked together countless times over the years and his fellow blonde would have made a great distraction while he crept through the rafters of the building and attacked from above but the issue arising at his wife's bar took precedence in his mind, he knew Miltia could handle herself but after hearing from his daughter about a fight almost breaking out something seemed off about everything happening tonight. Crouching low he made his way across the roof taking care to make as little sound as possible, gradually reaching a door that allowed staff inside the building access to the roof and checking the lock, finding it to be secure

"Piece of cake" he chuckled to himself as he put skills honed over the course of a misspent youth to work, picking the lock within seconds and gently slid the door open before slinking inside, greater than human senses adapting to the dark with ease. He ghosted down a rickety flight of stairs that thankfully didn't rattle or creak onto a gangway that doubled as a balcony from which managers would presumably be able to oversee the somewhat disorganised warehouse floor below. Eyes narrowing hoping to take in every detail he scanned the ground below him, no intruders were visible in the warehouse racking and he didn't now many of the empty shelves were due to business as opposed to theft, his eyes lingered over a pile of dirty rags and tarpaulin near an empty crate as he struggled to decide if it was simple messiness or worth investigating. Deciding that laziness would not be rewarded he leapt over the balcony briefly activating his Semblance, a light clone forming on the balcony and grabbing his ankle to slow his fall, Sun called the technique the _'Monkey Chain'._ Landing with a little more noise on the hard ground than he would have liked Sun bit back a muttered curse and rose to his feet extending his staff. He had little warning, a split second of rustling from the pile of rags before it surged forwards revealing itself to be a figure wearing a hooded cloak; Sun had a momentary glimpse of grey-tinged flesh and a mouth filled with countless, impossibly sharp teeth before he was tackled to the ground. Sun allowed himself to be knocked backwards before using the momentum to haul his attacker over him and springing back to his feet, turning to face his opponent to see them rising

"You're getting brought in, only question is whether or not I have to use excessive force" the only response from his still obscured assailant was a low rasping snarl before the hooded man lunged forward, seemingly aiming to tackle Sun again; the blonde Faunus's decision to block was proven to be a mistake when his opponent simply used his crossed arms as a surface from which to leap onto the railing Sun had descended from and throw something down as he fled. Sun's eyes widened as he saw the poorly refined and purposefully fractured Fire Dust crystal and recognised it instantly as an improvised explosive. Realising what would happen if the crystal interacted with Dust currently stored in the warehouse when it exploded he picked it from the ground and sprinted as fast as his Aura would carry him towards the destroyed doorway had entered through and hurled it moments before it burst into a fleeting supernova. He let out a curse before realising that the decoy had been successful as he would need to contact Patch's fire department before he could resume his search.

* * *

"I'm just saying this was not your most well thought out idea" Arctus wheezed as he kept pace with Felix, the Bear Faunus was relying solely on physical strength as he wanted to save his Aura for whatever havoc his cousin caused; that and Felix was admittedly just fitter than he was

"You're welcome to turn round at any time" the Lion Faunus pointed out as the pair jogged through the streets of Patch, getting nearer to the centre; where Yang would be

"No chance" Arctus countered with a grin "Aunt Yang might kill us both for running into a crime scene, Aunt Blake will definitely kill me if I just left you to it" the reply earned him a derisive snort. After a few moments Felix skidded to a halt and motioned for Arctus to do the same, the larger Faunus was grateful to do so, clutching a stitch in his side a taking several deep breaths while Felix's expression became one of sheer menace

"What?" Arctus gasped out

"Look" he nodded to the right, Arctus followed his gaze; in the distance away from the residential areas of the island stood Signal Academy. Both of them were concerned to see that one of its' lights was currently on

"Wanna go check?" Arctus asked. Felix took a few moments to consider. Before grunting out

"Yeah, if it that freak from earlier at the bar then Mum can handle him….if her and Sun are both on call then someone needs to see who that is"

* * *

Yang climbed off of the Bumblebee, the engine of the motorcycle now old enough to be considered vintage still purring. She gave a low whistle at the sight of the bar, glass from several shattered windows littered the ground and it was unnaturally quiet for a Saturday night, though a few patrons could be heard inside apparently unperturbed by whatever had happened here. Stepping inside Yang saw even more destruction, the bar itself had several prominent cracks running across its' surface and several chairs and tables were overturned. Looking around she found who she sought, Miltia Wukong; the pun she intended to greet her long time friend died on her lips as closer inspection revealed that she was wiping blood away from her daughter's face

"Oh my Oum" Yang gasped out, shock and rage fighting for dominance. This kind of crime simply did not happen on her island "Who did this?" Miltia made no effort to respond immediately, concentrating on gently removing what thankfully appeared to be the last of the shattered glass from the gash in Amethyst's eyebrow

"That's all of it, are you gonna be okay" the girl nodded shakily, Miltia continued "Okay, go on. There's some painkillers upstairs, I'll check on you soon" Yang watched as Amethyst left, heading to the apartment above the bar through a door marked as 'Staff only' before Miltia finally turned her attention to the Huntress

"Some fucking ass-hole came in here looking for trouble, it turned into a brawl. I swear if I ever find out who threw the pint glass that hit Amethyst I'll rip their fucking balls off, I dread to think what Sun's gonna do" a truly cruel smile passed across Miltia's lips at the thought. Not that Yang could blame her at all.

"What did they look like?" I'll have Patch searched from end to end and send word to the mainland"

"Faunus" Miltia breathed out "Some kind of big cat"

"What like a Puma?" Yang asked, Miltia merely nodded before continuing

"Looked like he was in his late teens, I couldn't tell where the whiskers ended and the really bad attempt at a beard started. About six foot six and built like a tank, tribal tats on both forearms….might be a student Hunter?"

"You think?" Yang raised an eyebrow at that

"The double bladed axe he was carrying looked like something a Hunter would use, thank Oum he didn't start swinging that around" Yang winced at the thought, a student Hunter might not be a problem to her specifically but in a bar fall of drunk civilians it could potentially spell disaster, as the state of the establishment was currently a testament to

"Right" Yang massaged her temples thinking how best to tackle the problem "This guy sounds like they'll be easy to find if they stay on the island. Patch's Faunus community isn't that big and Blake knows pretty much everyone by sight at least, new people tend to stand out. I'm assuming most of your patrons are unwilling or unable to give witness statements?"

"They won't talk to you but they'll talk to me when you've left" Miltia nodded as she surveyed her customers, many of them sported bloody knuckles and criminal records of their own. There was an understanding amongst the limited criminal element that existed on Patch; nobody spoke directly to Yang or Sun but in return for the considerable leniancy the two hunters showed Miltia would often find herself _'overhearing'_ things

"Let me know if you hear anything useful. Tell Sun to get in touch, we'll bring 'em in I promise" Yang was distracted by her Scroll vibrating and withdrew it in case it was the Monkey Faunus himself checking in; in reality the call was from Blake

"Hey, what's up?"

"THEY DID WHAT?"

"No they're not here…..Okay tell her to let me know when she finds 'em. They are in so much trouble" Yang ended the call and saw Miltia looking at her expectantly

"I'm sorry Mil but I've gotta go.

* * *

Felix and Arctus had managed to find their way inside Signal Academy with little trouble; Felix having until recently been a student of the school knew of a window that didn't lock properly and could be opened from the outside situated on the ground floor which the pair had managed to climb through

"I still think we should have split up" Arctus murmured as he unslung Gefroren-Erbe from over his shoulder and held the sword at the ready. Felix already had Hack and Slash drawn, the chainsaw blades remained unmoving

"You don't know your way around, it wouldn't really achieve anything" the Lion Faunus countered as they made their way towards the room with its' lights currently on. Eventually they reached their destination opening the door of the classroom only to find that is was completely deserted

"What the…." Felix trailed off

"Well" a vaguely familiar voice cooed behind them. They turned to face the Axolotl Faunus from earlier that day, Raffia Dirge had apparently heard their approach and hidden out of sight until they reached the classroom

"This is going to be entertaining" he chuckled as he drew his sword "But I can't stay long, so we'll make this brief" with no warning the diminutive fighter had launched himself at the wall of the corridor they were situated in and vaulted off of it, thrusting his sword at Felix's gut only to be halted by a glowing white glyph that appeared between them and rolling back to avoid a downwards slash from Arctus

"Such I shame I can't savour this" Raffia cackled as he watched the pale Bear Faunus trigger his Semblance, forming a Glyph on his left forearm like a shield before charging forwards. Raffia readied his own blade, as the swords met with a resounding clang the smaller Faunus relaxed and allowed the momentum to move him aside and send Arctus staggering passed him as he followed his spin through shifting his sword to its' secondary mode when Felix rushed him; the blade of the sword breaking into several smaller sections with serrated hooked tips. The flail shot forwards between the Lion Faunus's crossed blade and striking his face.

"Son of a bitch!" Felix spat as he launched himself back to his feet at the sound of shattering glass, he and Arctus watched as their opponent rolled to a stop on the ground below

"I've got him" Arctus growled shifting Gefroren-Erbe to its' ranged mode, the blade collapsing and making way for the barrel of a restored antique plasma weapon which his Aunt Winter had needed to bend some rules in order for him to acquire. The ground was scorched by the report of the weapon as Raffia leapt aside

"I was hoping he'd take this outside, pass me a Fire Dust crystal" as soon as received the Dust in question the Lion Faunus leapt to the ground

"You've just fucked up, now I've got some room" Raffia positively beamed at the news

"Show me what you're-" he was halted by what appeared to be a crimson comet striking him, the miniscule Faunus was flung from his feet with earth shattering force flying through the air until impacting against a wall three gunshots in rapid succession ensured he stayed down. The source of the attack lowered her hood, revealing herself to be Ruby Rose

"Get away from my nephews" Felix gave an irritated huff, muttering under his breath

"Is nobody gonna let me kick this guys' ass?"

"Aunt Ruby" Arctus sounded concerned "I think you killed him" the trio turned their attention to where Raffia lay slumped against the wall, blood tickling from its' surface where he had impacted, skull misshapen from the force of the veteran Huntresses' attack

"But, he was fighting you" Ruby gasped "Surely he had an unlocked Aura?" in answer the Axolotl gave a wet, hacking and disturbingly crazed laugh

"That's impressive, but not as impressive as _my_ Semblance" his Aura became visible, a pale pink light bubbling to the surface of his flesh; Ruby, Arctus and Felix's eyes widened as the bullets from Crescent Rose were ejected from Raffia's chest and partially collapsed skull reformed itself

"I am unstoppable!"

"Let's test that"

 _SCREEECH!_ They were halted by the sound of a large bird overhead, the sound brought an annoyed expression to Raffia's face; eyes following the bird as it soared away

"It seems this is going to have to be shorter than I expected" hearing this Felix's eyes narrowed and he charged forwards, Hack and Slash roaring into life. The Axolotl Faunus reached within the folds of his clothing and threw a handful of small capsules and tiny fragments of Fire Dust crystals forwards. The capsules were revealed to be smoke bombs when they detonated, the Fire Dust burst into flame a moment later; the combination creating a barrier that Faunus's enhanced senses could not pierce

"He got away!" Felix spat as the flames and smog subsided, revealing that his opponent had vanished

"So" Arctus turned nervously to Ruby "How much trouble are we in?" Ruby merely grinned

"With me? None, I'd have done the same thing at your age….Heh, I'd actually done it when I was younger"

"Well that's something at least"

"As for Yang….well, I'll call her now and let her know I found you"

* * *

Raffia Dirge had followed the bird of prey towards its' destination; this had led him to leaping into the frigid seawater that surrounded Patch; thankfully he was a more than capable swimmer and the cold was home to him. Moving through the water with even greater grace and fluidity than he had on land he eventually found his destination. He was currently climbing up the chain of an anchor, attached to a ship that was not the same one that he and his people had arrived at the island on. Before he could climb onto the deck under his own power he found himself grabbed by strong arms and hauled upwards, landing on his rear he fixed the three figures in front of him with a broad smile

"So I see all went well?" he gestured around to the ship that would be their new home. Before him Hellion stroked Marauder before turning and leaving, wings fluttering in agitation; the eyes and ears of his group had been acting as a scout

"I see you've returned empty handed" a drunken voice snorted, Raffia hissed in response. The speaker was a six foot six Puma Faunus with an unkempt mane of black hair, a less than respectable attempt at a beard and greenish yellow eyes, he was clad in the mix of armour and loose fitting clothing common to their group and sported a double bladed battleaxe slung over his shoulder. The larger Faunus merely snorted as he held out a hand to his long time friend, revealing him to have feline pads on his palms and fingers that had often been referred to by outsiders as 'Toe-beans'. He was Onyx Ursabane, a warrior whose honorifics and titles included _'Lord of Ale' 'Mountain breaker' 'Thunder-fist' 'Speaker to Gods'_ and _'Husband to Grimm'_ as Raffia returned to his feet the final member of their group stepped forwards, a six foot two mass of muscle shrouded in a dark cloak, the hood of which the young man wearing it lowered to reveal a completely hairless skull, pale skin which took on a greyish tinge around the back and sides of the head, countless sharp teeth and eyes that were pools of liquid darkness. The left side of his face bore tribal tattoos similar to Raffia's own though more intricate and stylised to resemble a shark

"You were playing with the locals. I didn't send you to play with the locals" Raffia fidgeted nervously under the ire of the only man or woman he would ever willingly take orders from

"Car come on-"

"Silence" Carcharodon Gore rasped out as he stepped forwards "I don't want your excuses, you were making a spectacle of yourself. I have Onyx for that" the Puma Faunus merely shrugged and grunted drunkenly, unable to argue as his role had indeed been to create a distraction and allow Carcharodon and Raffia to take what they needed

"They had nothing anyway" the Axolotl Faunus muttered "I spent all day trying to find a supply of weapons on that island and even the place they trained their fighters had nothing….It baffles me that they haven't been raided out of existence"

"The Kingdom protects them" Carcharodon explained "They're nothing but vassals to the rulers of the mainland"

"So the mainland will have the power we need?"

"Precisely" the Shark Faunus hissed "I took enough Dust from the island to last us a while; this ship will be noticed missing before too long. We set sail as soon as Onyx is capable" Raffia nodded, a cruel grin spreading across his face at the thought of the havoc he could wreak across the Kingdom of New Vale.

* * *

It was the early hours of the morning and Felix was currently laying awake on his bed. His mothers' anger had been short lived, they both accepted that while taking off after Yang without saying anything had been irresponsible they were Hunters in training who had chosen to respond to a crime, any punishment for that would have been hypocritical; opting instead to give the pair their first official debriefing as Huntsmen and using it as an opportunity to teach

"Hey, you awake?" Felix murmured as he leaned over his bed, looking down at the spare mattress on the floor where Arctus was sleeping

"Unfortunately" came the grumbled reply

"Think it was connected?" Felix asked

"What?"

"The little weirdo who's seemingly immune to a beating. He didn't chase after a bird in the middle of a fight for no reason. You think it's connected to whoever started something at the bar and that fire someone tried to start?"

"Fluffy it's three in the morning, go to sleep. Bother me with conspiracy theories when I wake up" Felix merely shook his head and sighed rolling over. The brief quiet was interrupted by Felix's scroll vibrating followed by Arctus's muttered cursing at the noise

"It's from Corvid" Felix told him as he opened the text message, shielding his eyes from the light of his Scroll's screen in the dark room

' _Hey, I tried to get a late night ferry back but police are saying Patch is locked down until morning. Is everyone okay?'_ He typed out his response

' _Yeah, someone started a bar fight, someone broke into Signal and someone tried to set one of the warehouses on fire but everyone's fine'_ he only had to wait a few moments for a reply

' _Thank Oum for that. I'm with my team right now so I'll probably just crash at Lux's or something. I'm not gonna see you until after your initiation. Good luck'_

"Apparently they're not letting anyone leave Patch until tomorrow morning" Felix told his cousin "So ya never know, we might get another crack at that little ass-hole at the docks tomorrow. Nice little warm up for initiation" Arctus merely groaned with his pillow over his head

"Go to fucking sleep!"

 **Authors Notes:**

So here's Chapter three. I promise we'll meet the other half of Team FADE next Chapter.  
I wish I could update this the way I updated The Downward Spiral when I first started that, I finished the Vol.1 Arc in two weeks, I'm averaging a chapter a week here.  
It's a combination of me being back in regular work now and this story requiring more exposition and world building due to the passage of twenty years changing a lot of what we know whereas Downward Spiral started right at where Vol.1 picked up.

Anyway let's summarise:  
I make no apologies for the title of this chapter.  
Say hello to the main antagonist of this arc of the story, a pile of rags.  
I mean Felix is impulsive and looking for a fight, but he's not actually wrong.  
Bumblebee is vintage now.  
Yeah Yang loves puns but I think that at 37/38 years old she knows there's a time and a place.  
"What like a Puma?" yes, it's exactly what you think it is.  
So Raffia wasn't starting a bar fight.  
Raffia was breaking into the school….Because plot convenience.  
Arctus has the Schnee family Semblance.  
Raffia has a sword/flail  
Yes at this point I'm teasing what Felix's Semblance is with the tip….Don't worry you'll see soon.  
Ruby ex Machina.  
Raffia's Semblance is called 'Unstoppable' he doesn't have an Aura that actively protects him like most people, instead it sits just under his skin and allows him to regenerate from almost anything, because the idea of an Axolotl Faunus who regenerates is cool and it turns him from a five foot dick with a sword into a real problem to deal with.  
Ruby probably encourages all of her nieces and nephews anytime they want to do something heroic (Dumb).  
Onyx Ursabane is a Game of Thrones reference and I'm going to enjoy writing him.  
HE HAS TOEBEANS.  
Here's the real first look at the antagonists of this arc, a Shark Faunus, a Puma Faunus, a Dragonfly Faunus and an Axolotl Faunus who have no direct connection to the White Fang.  
Also note the fact that they have a stolen ship, they think of their ships as home and all of their explosives and weapons are home made.  
Felix is on the right track at least.

Thank you to Ferrous and Shadowalex2000 for their reviews on the last chapter.  
The Feels will never stop (I've got more for ya next chapter actually)  
The dynamics are going to be a lot more fun when we meet some of the other new (And old) characters.  
Yeah the Rose twins are basically test tube babies made with Ruby's egg and the sperm off one of Penny's Fathers' relatives.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	4. Vales' Halo

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 04: Vales' Halo**

Felix and Arctus made their way through the streets of New Vale, the early afternoon sun partially obscured by the gleaming and towering structures and the bridges and walkways criss-crossing between them. The pair had been awoken by their younger cousins at a truly unfair hour considering the way the previous night had ended and had since made the trip from Patch to the mainland without incident alongside Blake who needed to visit a handful of establishments in her capacity as a high ranking member of the Faunus and workers rights group known as 'The Coalition'. Despite the progress that had been in made in the two decades since the end of the war and the reduction of the White Fang to little more than another of the criminal factions within Vaccuo there were still those who wished to take advantage of Faunus labour though they were far less prevelant.

"These aren't the same airship terminals I changed over at" Arctus noted as he and Felix arrived at their destination

"Yeah you would have landed at the Cross-Kingdom terminals, these flights are mostly local" Felix explained as he looked around. Arctus accepted the answer without comment, it explained why the docks he had arrived at were much more modern and well cared for than their current location, most of the airships around him were pre-war models and the terminal itself barely justified being called such, it was closer to a parking lot to accommodate the vessels whose engines were rippling the air around them

"Do we even know which ship is ours?" Felix asked as he rummaged through his pockets for his Scroll, eventually finding the device and opening the digital boarding pass that the Halo Academy of New Vale had sent him "Seriously, it just says to be here, it's got nothing about which flight we're on" Arctus let out a slow sigh, unsure if this was a simple admin mishap or the first stage of the unknown initiation process he tried to approach the situation logically

"Well either look for people who look like they're heading the same way or look for the kind of ship that an Academy would use to bring in new students they obviously want to make an imp-found it!"

"You're sure?" Felix raised an eyebrow as he took in the ship that the larger Faunus was pointing at

"Not one hundred percent" Arctus admitted with a grin "But look at the engines, see how the outlets have got that greenish glow coming from 'em?"

"Yeah?" Felix failed to see the relevance

"Eco-Friendly Dust engine" Arctus explained "My Mum invented them, that ship's been refitted which probably cost more than the construction of this terminal" Felix considered the information

"Well it's worth a look then, come on" the two of them approached the vessel in question. As they approached they saw the flag of New Vale emblazoned on its' hull, a black double bladed axehead with what could be interpreted as a halo above it upon a green background. Several other would be students could be seen milling about, identifiable as trainee Hunters by their unique outfits and the occasional weapon on display. Arctus, seeing that they were seemingly in the right place glanced around until he caught sight of an individual wearing the uniform of a crew member and made his way over to them, gesturing to Felix to indicate his intention

"Excuse me" he started, having proper manners when speaking to the staff of any establishment had been drilled into him from a young age "I'm trying to get to the Halo Academy of New Vale, my digital boarding pass doesn't actually have all the details I need. Can you help me please?"

"Yeah this is the flight you want kid" the crew member nodded towards the craft "You'll be able to board in a few minutes, passes get checked on board before take off"

"Thank you" Arctus replied gratefully, making to head back over to Felix when something caught his eye. Slouched on the ground leaning against a crate and using an overly large rucksack as a makeshift pillow was a teenage girl whom the Bear Faunus assumed was waiting for the flight to Halo Academy, face obscured by the hood of the baggy hoodie pulled low and strands of silvery grey protruding from it. Seeing that they were alone he decided to wake them and ensure they didn't miss the flight, placing a hand on her shoulder and gently shaking

"Hey, sorry for waking you but the ship-" Arctus never got to finish, the young woman moved impossibly fast; body curling up as her leg shot outwards and swept his feet from under him, as Arctus toppled sideways she launched herself upwards completing her spin and her right arm shot outwards to wrap around his throat

"What the hell?" Arctus managed to gasp out as he found himself face down on the dusty ground being choked out from behind. After a brief moment the pressure on his neck subsided and he heard his attacker scramble to their feet

"Dude what the fuck?" a highly irate voice demanded "Who the fuck just shakes someone awake like that?"

"I was trying to let you know that the flight is boarding in a few minutes so you didn't get left here" Arctus shot back "And who sleeps on the floor of an airship terminal?" he turned to face her just in time to catch silvery hair being brushed aside and a cherry red eye rolling

"Whatever dude, you're an idiot" with that she stalked passed him, snatching her rucksack as she went. Sighing Arctus dusted himself and was silently thankful that his mostly white combat gear was exceptionally resistant to stains and damage before realising that he had inadvertently caused a scene, he eventually found Felix who was currently doubled over and roaring with laughter while leaning against a pale haired feline Faunus whom Arctus was sure he recognised from somewhere but couldn't immediately place

"Smooth, real smooth" his cousin snorted as he finally managed to regain his composure and make his way over to him carrying both of their luggage, Felix's friend gave him a nod of acknowledgement as he joined them, the teen stood at roughly five foot eleven with a round somewhat chubby cheeked face coated with freckles, a complexion that would appear pale compared to anything other than Arctus's own, eyes the palest possible shade of green and messy white hair through which feline ears could be seen; his most noticeable features were the pair of mechanised tonfa hanging from his hips and the long tail coated in bushy white fur extending behind him

"You remember Nyanza right?" Felix asked

"Nyanza Angora, was in Felix's class at Signal" the newcomer clarified

"Oh yeah" Arctus grinned, realising he had indeed met the feline a handful of times on previous visits to Patch "How've you been?"

"Yeah not bad thanks" the conversation seemed to naturally fizzle out beyond that point, awkwardness was mercifully prevented as moments later the ramp allowing access to the ship was lowered and the soon-to-be students made their way towards it. Felix stopped Arctus by thrusting his luggage into his hands and resting one of his own now free hands on his larger cousins' shoulder

"However they pick teams at Halo, Nyanza is going to try and get partnered up with me. Please try and stop that happening" Arctus's expression was one of confusion

"I thought he was a friend of yours"

"He is, it's just..." Felix gave an annoyed sigh "Look the guy can't fight for shit, like I'm genuinely surprised he got accepted and he's got a mouth that I got roped into backing up for him way too many times at Signal. This isn't Patch, if I fuck up here I can actually get expelled….I don't wanna feel like a disappointment to my Mums y'know?"

"Yeah I get that" Arctus decided to lighten the suddenly heavy mood "But seriously, you think Aunt Yang wouldn't have expelled you?" the Lion Faunus merely snorted

"Yeah yeah, let's see if we can find some other girls to choke you out; apparently you're into that" with that the pair made their way aboard, bickering good naturedly the whole way.

* * *

The ship was thankfully of a model large enough to have its' own on-board mess hall, the appearance of which was a sign of it clearly being a decommissioned military vessel. Arctus had taken too long in the shower that morning and had missed breakfast, the Bear Faunus was currently finishing off bacon, eggs and a third cup of strong coffee in an attempt to stave off the sleep deprivation induced dizziness while Felix idly fiddled with his Scroll beside him

"Mind if I go see if I can find anyone else from Patch?" the blonde Faunus asked, a small amount of concern creeping into his voice "I can't believe out of my whole class only me and Nyanza are here"

"Yeah that's cool" Arctus mumbled while rubbing his heavy eyelids, I'm gonna go look for somewhere quiet anyway. I promised Athena I'd call her"

"Okay, I'll see you when we land if we don't meet up before then. Tell her I said hi" Felix added with a grin as the pair went their separate ways. Arctus left the mess hall, stifling a yawn as he went; he spent several minutes wandering somewhat aimlessly through the underbelly of the ship before eventually finding a secluded area, a corridor on a lower deck lined with several windows set at an angle that would allow anyone peering through them an impressive view of whatever was currently below. Making himself comfortable on the windowsill Arctus withdrew his Scroll and attempted to contact his sister

" _Please leave a message after the tone"_ Arctus ended the call, grumbling inaudibly under his breath as he did so. Athena had probably left her Scroll lying around somewhere in the manor where she couldn't currently hear it. Arctus decided to show his little sister exactly what her big brother had left Atlas for and made to take a photograph, pausing momentarily to take in the sight below himself. A vast portion of the Kingdom of New Vale was visible beneath him. Vale had leaned heavily on Atlesian technology and expertise in their effort to rebuild after the war, specifically the construction of Atlesian Hive Cities; the difference being that while the cities in his homeland were built into and beneath the hollowed out innards of vast mountains Vale's cityscape was out in the open for all to see, a gargantuan and sprawling masterpiece of gleaming glass and steel. In the distance the perimeter walls could just be glimpsed, monumental structures capable of repelling all but the largest Grimm while several smaller such walls could be seen criss-crossing throughout the districts of the Kingdom; their armoured gates ready to close at a moments' notice. Adjusting the angle of the camera Arctus made sure to get a picture that captured both the Kingdom below and the aerial defences. Following the war Vale, Mistral and even begrudgingly Vaccuo had petitioned the Atlesian Council for the designs to make airships of similar capabilities to those manufactured in the frozen Kingdom; Atlas had eventually acquiesced though had naturally immediately set about the task of producing the next generation of warships to ensure that their aerial supremacy remained unchallenged. The end result of this was the dozen or so heavily armed light cruisers that could be seen, sunlight glinting from their hulls. Then there were the platforms; Arctus's parents had told him that the incident that started the war in earnest was a tragedy at Sky-Reach Stadium during a Vytal Tournament match, the Dust powered anti-gravity platform that the stadium had been built on had since been used to house the array for New Vale's CCT, replacing the tower that was lost in the war; to defend it and the rest of the Kingdom several other anti-gravity platforms had been commissioned, serving as watchtowers, runways for fighters, refuelling points for larger airships and bases from which Hunters could rapidly respond; the highest points of New Vale's skyline being closer to the hovering outposts than the ground they were built on. Arctus smiled to himself as he finally found an angle he was happy with and took the picture; promptly sending the image to Athena, his mother and father with the caption _'The only way is up'_. A few moments later his Scroll buzzed and he was mildly surprised to see that it was his father who had replied first

' _That might actually beat the view from my ship. You'll have to come and see for yourself one day'_

' _Sounds like a plan'_ he sent the hastily typed reply and covered his mouth as he yawned once again; checking the time he realised he had hours before the ship would arrive at the academy and he idly wondered if the pilot had been instructed to fly slow on purpose before deciding to get a little more sleep. As he scrolled through the various albums he had saved to his Scroll and fished his earphones out of one of his various pockets the sound of footsteps reached his ears; soon after the owner of those footsteps made themselves known

"Oh you've gotta be kidding me" Arctus looked up and was faced with a five foot ten young woman with a lithe physique, noticeable curves and light brown skin, she wore black pants and vest with deep green hi-top sneakers and a pale green belt and sleeveless jacket a fingerless glove on her left hand and gleaming armour around the forearm; a red sash was slung over her right shoulder with several bandoleers of ammunition on top of it. Her high cheek bones framed cherry red eyes, a diamond studded nose piercing glinted in the overhead lights and the bangs of her silvery hair reached almost to her shoulders while the rest was tied back. Arctus's teenage mind couldn't help but wander in somewhat inappropriate directions for a split second before he made their connection

"Oh, hi" he gave the individual who had choked him a baleful stare

"Dude, not looking for trouble here. I'm just trying to find somewhere quiet for a few hours….It was a long flight over from Mistral"

"I think we actually had the same idea" Arctus noted with a slight grin, not interested in holding any grudges "Name's Arctus by the way"

"Diamond Sustrai-Black" the newcomer informed him as she dropped the oversized rucksack from her shoulders and made herself comfortable on the windowsill, sitting facing him "And sorry about earlier, kinda reflexive"

"Reflexive?" Arctus was left slack-jawed by that admission

"Yeah" Diamond shrugged "Mum does a lot of charity work around the rough parts of Mistral's inner cities, long hours. Dad's a pilot so he's away a lot. There's always someone desperate enough to burgle an apartment where a student at Sanctum lives and risk the ass-kicking" she gave a bemused snort at this, clearly thinking about a specific time that such a break-in had happened.

"So you came over from Mistral on your own?" Arctus asked with a raised eyebrow "I mean I'm from Atlas originally, but I've got family over here"

"Yeah, I think I'm the only one from my class at Sanctum coming here as well so it's a completely fresh start for me" Diamond admitted with a wide smile that showed pearly white teeth

"Gutsy" he noted before another yawn cut him off and triggered Diamond's own yawn

"Don't start" she grumbled "My flight over was delayed, I had to wander around New Vale until I found the right terminal in the early hours of the morning and climb over the wall to get in" Arctus almost questioned her seemingly casual approach to breaking and entering before thinking better of it and handing her his Scroll

"If this is you asking for my number-"

"It's not" he assured her "If you wanna get some sleep for a couple hours you can borrow that. Try not to kill me if I wake you up" Diamond gave him another bright smile

"Thanks dude" her expression became one of faux disgust as she scrolled through his music collection "Red Sheeran, really?"

"His new album is great" Arctus defended

"Black Parade….haven't heard them since I was fourteen, silver beetles, Yellow Submarine; your taste is trash my friend….Ah Blue October, now that's something I can listen to"

"If you're just gonna take the piss I'll have my Scroll back" Arctus snorted, Diamond merely winked and playfully gave him the finger before the muffled sound of music could be heard from the earphones; Arctus good naturedly returned the gesture before closing eyes that were beginning to sting from tiredness while he removed his sword and allowed himself to get comfortable; his last thoughts before he fell asleep were that he seemed to have made a friend before he even arrived at the academy. He was off to a good start.

* * *

Felix slowly made his way along the ramp; it was early evening when the airship finally docked at Halo Academy itself, though he was sure the journey could have been made quicker if the pilot was so inclined. He hadn't seen Arctus since the two parted ways several hours earlier and his efforts to find a familiar face among the new students had not only proven unsuccessful, he'd somehow lost track of the only other student from Signal he knew was aboard. He knew that class sizes were small at the academies but he had hoped to be among fewer strangers. Forcing the negative thoughts to the back of his mind he readjusted the luggage in his hand stepped off of the ramp making his first step onto the Halo Academy of New Vale. As New Vale had expanded outwards from the remains of its' predecessor it had done so unevenly, leaving the remains of Beacon Academy even further to the edge of the Kingdom than it originally had been. The campus of Halo was housed on another of the aerial platforms, a massive anti-gravity structure positioned almost directly above the remains of Beacon. Felix made his way along path that was paved yellow bricks for reasons he couldn't fathom, eventually making his way beyond the docking area and through a pair of arching gates into the expansive courtyard. He'd seen pictures and videos of the academy since even before it opened but he'd never visited in person. Seeing the various pristine white towers rising upwards, the largest amongst them containing a clock tower whose inner workings were visible from the outside left Felix speechless taking several moments to simply stand and try to take it all in. eventually he realised that several students had passed him and none of them were Arctus, he decided to get moving and wait for his cousin at the agreed upon place. Lining the path towards the steps of the academies' entrance were golden statues, each of them three times the size of a person and set on a raised platform inscribed with the individuals name and heroic acts followed by the words _'We shall not forget'_ , these were the heroes who had fallen in the war, each of them a student of Beacon Academy. Felix came to a stop at a statue that was noticeably smaller than the rest, the man it was in honour of had been a mere five feet tall and portions of it were made of smoked glass rather than golden metal. The man was Perdu Callow, known to most as Squish and the statue was intended to evoke his Semblance of invisibility

"Uncle Gang says hi" Felix patted the platform, Squish had been Arctus's fathers' partner and Felix knew his cousin wanted to see the statue of the uncle he never had the opportunity to meet in person

"Where the fuck is he?" Felix muttered under his breath as the minutes dragged on. Looking around he saw a teen with red hair clad in gleaming golden armour leaving a pair of statues who seemed to be holding hands

"Is that someone your parents knew?" Felix turned at the sound of the abrupt question, the speaker was a young woman who stood at a relatively impressive height of six feet with deep crimson eyes highlighted by the patches of freckles beneath them and blonde hair several shades brighter than his own. She wore a black hoodie and faded jeans that were tucked into a pair of heavy black boots; a sword sheathed on her hip, pristine white armour adorned her chest, shoulders, thighs and left arm; her forearm sporting a bulky and angular shield which if Felix was not mistaken had what appeared to be tank treads adorning its' underside

"Do I know you?" Felix tried his best to keep as much hostility out of his voice as possible, well aware that he had _'one of those faces'_ and tended to come off as belligerent unintentionally, she fidgeted nervously at the question

"No it's just that people don't usually hang around the statues unless its' personal, I was just making conversation because well Grandma always says strangers are just friends you haven't met yet" Felix couldn't help but chuckle at the rapid-fire way words seemed to fall out of her mouth as if her body was struggling to contain her thoughts

"Your Gran sounds cool, that's mine over there….shame I never got to meet her, I heard she was a bad-ass" he indicated to a statue of a woman wielding a Katana before holding a hand out and introducing himself "Felix Xiao Long" she promptly took his hand and shook it

"Eagle Arc, short, sweet, rolls of the tongue. Ladies love it" this elicited another laugh from the Lion Faunus before he decided to answer her original question

"Nah this is more personal to my cousin who I'm waiting for right now" he thought about her comment on students not hanging around the statues "Sounds like you know some people here already?" Eagle fidgeted nervously again

"I don't know any of the students here" she mumbled "That's kinda why I came over to talk to you, you looked lost I thought I'd say hi"

"Well hi" Felix grinned, his attention being diverted away from his new acquaintance as a figure who was in his opinion unreasonably tall lumbered into view

"There you are!" he called to Arctus as the Bear Faunus approached. Felix did a double take upon seeing his companion

"Oh look its' the neck masseuse" Arctus pinched the bridge of his snout like nose at the jibe

"Felix this is Diamond, Diamond this is my ass-hole cousin. Sorry it took so long, we both fell asleep on the ship"

"Really now?" Felix gave them both a wink

"Not like that" Diamond sighed, clearly exasperated with the Lion Faunus in record time; Eagle gave a giggle that sounded somewhat out of place coming from someone her size, Felix frowned as it occurred to him that he was actually the shortest person present. The train of thought was derailed by a high pitched somewhat nasally voice yelling out from the direction of the academies' entrance

"Eagle! There you are!" the four of them turned to see two people that could only be professors, the speaker a miniscule ginger with turquoise eyes; the man beside her wore his black hair tied back, a pink streak matching his partners' outfit clearly visible, reading glasses adorned his face and a long scar could be visible running down his left temple to his jaw. Eagle looked positively giddy at the sight of them, a bright smile spreading across her face before she rushed forwards

"UNCLE REN! AUNT NORA! I'VE MISSED YOU!"

"So" Felix noted "That was thing….Now what?" Arctus stretched and worked a crick out of his neck

"I think we've got an orientation programme this evening before initiation first thing tomorrow"

"Rules and paperwork" Diamond muttered "Joy"

"Y'know what?" Felix smirked as he regarded Diamond "You're not so bad after all"

 **Authors Notes:**

So now we've met all four members of Team FADE at least briefly, let's get this show properly underway shall we?

So to summarise:  
Little insight into what Blake and Weiss are doing with their lives.  
I think Weiss and Gangrel would definitely make sure that their kids talked to customer service/retail staff properly. Gang coming from a working class background and Weiss not wanting her kids to grow up to be bigoted dicks like she remembers being.  
Arctus makes the best first impressions.  
Another new character, Nyanza is a cat Faunus based on a Turkish Angora. he'll probably only be a background character but I do like my fictional worlds to feel lived in.  
New Vale has learned from the destruction of Vale, it's not dystopian the way Atlas was in The Downward Spiral they've just co-opted some of their technology and design choices and defended themselves a lot better.  
Meet Diamond Sustrai-Black, Merc & Em aren't divorced, they just never got married….I can't imagine either of them wanting to leave a paper trail.  
She's also pretty damn street smart. Watching her and Felix interact is gonna be fun.  
It wouldn't be me if there were no references would it.  
Beacons' successor has a yellow brick road….think of it as Goodwitch's personal monument to Ozpin.  
Halo Academy of New Vale, think Beacon crossed with Sky High.  
The redhead in golden armour staring at Jaune and Pyrrha's statues…..wait for it.  
Eagle Arc, niece of the late Jaune Arc. That's all four members of Team FADE.  
"Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet" and "Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue. Ladies love it" I already love this dolt.  
Yes there's a statue of Raven Branwen.  
Ren and Nora are teachers….Brace yourselves.

Thank you to Qtrlbsceci, Ferrous and MarianTheLibrarian22 for their reviews on the last chapter.  
I may surprise you with the villains, I'll say no more than that right now.  
I think Blake's own teenage years in the White Fang mean that there's very little on Patch that Felix could do to surprise her really.  
Toe-beans on a feline Faunus….the fact I haven't seen it done yet baffles me.  
Raffia's Semblance is going to be a nightmare to fight; as is Carcharodon.  
We'll see Felix's Semblance next chapter as well as spend a little more time with Eagle Arc

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	5. Initiate

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 05: Initiate**

Felix was brought unwillingly from his sleep by the feeling of someone shaking him. Shrugging the hand from his shoulder while muttering a slew of barely intelligible curses he pulled himself into a sitting position and rubbed his eyes. It took a few moments for his sleep addled brain to remember exactly where he was and why, however when he did a broad smile formed across his face

"Show time" he chuckled

"Well someone's in a better mood this morning" Arctus noted dryly. Felix had been frankly insufferable throughout the entirety of their orientation, adding snide comments under his breath as the professors gave them a tour of the campus and explained various important rules and procedures to them; eventually being overheard when during an explanation of the protocol in case of a fire on the campus he had muttered _'I was honestly just going to sit in the middle of it and get a tan'_ suffice to say the professors had not been pleased.

"Still think some of the health and safety rules are bullshit considering where we are. And don't get me started on the fact we slept in the hall" the Lion Faunus countered as he tried to work out a crick in his neck from sleeping in an awkward position

"Okay I'll grant you that one" Arctus sighed with a bemused shake of the head; he agreed that giving them a tour that including showing the student dormitories and then not allowing the prospective students to use them until after the initiation process seemed a little like mocking. Putting that thought aside he slung his oversized sword into its' customary place over his shoulder and sat on his suitcase wringing his hands nervously while waiting for Felix to get dressed

"What's up with you?" Felix asked, taking in his cousins apparent discomfort as he fastened the harness that housed his swords

"Like you said" Arctus breathed out "It's show time. All the training we've done for the last few years has led up to this, you can't tell me you're not a little nervous"

"Why?" the blonde snorted "I'm good at fighting Grimm, we both are….I mean we look pretty at home here" he gestured around the hall to the other prospective students who were in various states of preparation; Arctus's eyes roved across the room pausing momentarily on a teen with tied back glossy black hair that had an odd greenish sheen, clad in ripped black jeans and a short sleeved charcoal grey hoodie with armoured padding on his knees and elbows, spiked boots and a sleeveless leather jacket adorned with several patches and insignias, several chains hung from the belt loops of his jeans and Arctus was taken aback slightly when he noticed that the teen was seemingly tuning an electric guitar. The Bear Faunus looked around, spotting Felix's friend Nyanza trying to flirt with a pair of girls who were clearly more interested in each other if the fact they were currently holding hands was anything to go by. He couldn't help but grin at the sight of a truly miniscule would be Huntress situated in a corner, dark skinned and less than five feet tall with a large afro and prominent lavender coloured eyes, she wore a two piece faded green jumpsuit that had seemingly been worn while she maintained her weapon if the amount of stains and burns were any indication, the jacket hung open revealing a white tank top bearing the phrase _'Don't worry, be happy'_ in bold lettering, her right arm was fitted with what appeared to be a rather bulky cybernetic frame, made of components taken from a prosthetic like his fathers' a gleaming steel cylindrical case hung from a strap on her shoulder like a duffel bag and a pair of green tinged goggles adorned her head. His stomach inexplicably dropped when he spotted Diamond chatting animatedly with a gaunt and broad shouldered young man with naturally spiky hair of a deep red colour and somewhat haughty features who was in the process of donning gleaming golden armour which Arctus noticed featured an impressive amount of etched detailing on each individual plate; being a native of the echelons of Upper Atlas Arctus knew quality when he saw it and his potential classmates' armour was exquisite.

"Hey guys" a voice that was far too chirpy and enthusiastic considering the hour greeted them; Felix and Arctus turned and were greeted by the smiling face of Eagle Arc "It's finally happening, by the end of the day we're going to be students at Halo Academy for real. This is awesome"

"See Arctus, she gets it" Felix couldn't help but grin at the other blondes' boundless enthusiasm

"Okay you called the professors your Aunt and Uncle yesterday….surely you know how they pick teams?" Arctus gave her a hopeful look, only to be disappointed when Eagle shook her head

"I wouldn't let 'em tell me, I want this to happen the way it's supposed to. No tricks, just our own abilities"

"I'm from Atlas, having tricks up your sleeve _is_ an ability" the Bear Faunus grumbled, earning himself a wry smile from Eagle

"Yeah my Mum actually lives in Atlas, I get that"

"Wait" the Bear Faunus cocked his head in mild confusion "Arc? And your Mum lives in Atlas….Are you related to-"

"OKAY PEOPLE GET ON YOUR FEET!" he found himself interrupted by a voice that could only be described as menacingly enthusiastic. The trio turned to the source of the noise and were greeted by the small ginger professor from the night before, currently wearing a manic grin as she continued "Follow me outside and you'll receive the details of your initiation. If anyone wants to back out this is your last chance to speak up 'cos THIS! IS! HAPPENING!"

* * *

Eagle Arc followed the other students out of the main entrance of the academy, the bright smile she wore not hiding the way her hands trembled slightly; she put that to rest by clutching tightly on the hilt of her sword and murmuring to her shield

"Okay Sentinel, today you get a real field test"

"Talking to your weapon?" an amused voice that she soon realised belonged to her first possible new friend, Felix the Lion Faunus, his cousin walking silently beside him wearing a tense expression

"Just psyching myself up" she admitted with a nervous chuckle as she rubbed the back of her head "I'm more worried about partnering up. I don't wanna end up stuck with someone I can't work with for the next four years…..how about me and you try and partner up?" she suggested, enthusiastic grin quickly crumpling when she saw Felix's guilty wince

"Sorry, kinda been planning on coming to Halo with Arctus for years" he admitted "If I get any say in who I partner up with it'll be him"

"It's four to a team though" Arctus chimed in, in an attempt to remove the crestfallen expression from Eagle's face. She managed a small smile as the group of students led by her honorary Aunt exited the main gates of the airborne Academy into the docking bay and landing pads that they'd arrived at yesterday where her honorary uncle was waiting for them, alongside an older woman with golden hair that was beginning to grey and a piercing gaze which her vibrant green eyes peering at them from behind her glasses did nothing to detract from. She regarded the group of soon to be initiates, conversation between the teens fizzling out as they noticed her staring at them, then she spoke

"Good morning students. My name is Professor Goodwitch, I am the Headmistress of the Halo Academy of New Vale" she paused seemingly for effect, gauging the responses in her new batch of students' body language before continuing

"For years you have trained to become Hunters and Huntresses, the protectors of the Kingdoms and today your abilities will be put to the test in the ruins of Beacon and Old Vale. Today is the day you will find your partner and team-mates for the next four years" A few nervous and excited murmurs could be heard among those assembled before Goodwitch spoke again "You will be deployed into the ruins below where several sets of four matching items to be retrieved have been placed in various locations, your objective is to retrieve these items and make your way to an extraction point, the location of which you will learn upon finding the items. Your partner, as is tradition will be the first person you make eye contact with. Any questions?"

"Yeah" a white haired feline Faunus whose name Eagle didn't know raised his hand "What if the first person you make eye contact with is a jackass?"

"Then they're stuck with you but I'm sure they'll learn to love you eventually" Felix interjected, earning a few assorted laughs and eye rolls; the professors behind Goodwitch among them

"If there are no serious questions?" the Headmistress asked with a glower

"Um, yeah" the miniscule girl with the duffel bag raised a hand "I don't see any Bull-Heads here? How are we getting down there?" Eagle was more than a little concerned when she saw her Aunt Nora trying to hide a gleeful smile that threatened to devolve into a fit of outright cackling, she was downright terrified when she saw the edges of Goodwitch's mouth curl upwards into the faintest smile

"I assume everyone here is familiar with the concept of a landing strategy?" at her words part of the floor behind her seemed to peel away, mechanical panels sliding back as what appeared to be a gyroscope large enough to fit a person formed and hovered in the centre of the hole, its' rings temporarily locked in place, Goodwitch continued "This device will not be accessible during term time and it would be unwise to attempt to activate it. For the purposes of the initiation however, this will be the means by which you reach the ground and the way of assuring a level of randomisation. Now Miss, what was your name?"

"Olivine" the small teen beamed, revealing a gap toothed smile "Olivine DeGrasse"

"Well miss DeGrasse, care to be the first?" Olivine all but sprinted forwards, clambering into the Gyroscope and finding herself suspended by air currents produced by Gravity Dust. After a few seconds the rings began to rotate, picking up speed before the students eyes widened when they locked again and launched Olivine DeGrasse downwards at a seemingly random angle with a cry of sounded suspiciously like _"Yippee!"_

The initiation process had begun.

* * *

Nyanza Angora hurtled downwards at a speed that would terrify any sane individual. Thankfully as most outside of the Hunter community often noted, the sanity of those volunteering to fight the Grimm was questionable at best. An expression that was equal parts manic glee and derisive smirk crossed his face

"Landing Strategies" he sniggered to himself as he saw the roofs of buildings that had been abandoned for decades rushing up to meet him. Strategy and planning was for lesser people, Nyanza had something they didn't; a perpetual supply of luck. He activated his Semblance, with little outward sign other than a faint white glow emanating seemingly from behind his eyes as he began to cause the flow of probabilities around him began to warp and bend to the felines' needs. He noticed as the already damaged slates on one of the roofs directly below gave way and revealed the rotten wooden beams below. Nyanza flipped one of his tonfa in his hands and curled himself into a ball as he fell at an angle, the handle of his tonfa caught against the rotten roof beam and Nyanza was swung back upwards at an opposite angle allowing him to plant his feet against the chimney of the building and launch himself to the ground. As he rolled the alabaster haired Faunus span his weapons the _'Pharaoh Mafdet'_ in his hands, shifting from their tonfa form into a pair of large pistols with elongated barrels and silencers; without needing to pause and aim he let off a pair of shots through the shattered window of a nearby store front, a dark mist billowing from the building proving that their had indeed been Grimm hiding within.

"Well that was offensively easy" Nyanza muttered as he strolled along the remains of what had been a street, spinning his pistols in his hands "Now I just need to find someone cool to partner up with-" it seemed his Semblance of almost impossibly good fortune had once again provided for him as something fell towards the ground ahead of him, seemingly slowing as it did so. Nyanza squinted as the sunlight being reflected from the falling object nearly blinded his sensitive eyes. As he approached he saw that the object was in fact a fellow initiate who had landed in a crouch, with spiky crimson hair clad in golden armour, Nyanza sauntered over fighting the urge to laugh out loud at how easy his Semblance made things

"Sup?" he extended a hand to his now partner "Name's Nyanza, didn't catch yours during orientation yesterday

"One of the irritants" the teen growled under his breath before taking the felines' hand and pulling himself to his feet, at his full height he was an even six foot tall. The golden armoured Hunter glowered at Nyanza for a moment before realising that they were officially partners and that the matter was settled, then he simply shook the hand he was still clutching and introduced himself

"My name is Helios Nikos"

* * *

Eagle Arc hurtled through the air clutching her shield close to her chest while uttering a mantra that grew more frantic with every repetition

"I wish I knew my Semblance, I wish I knew my Semblance, I wish I knew my Semblance!" raising her shield in front of her face she braced herself, she may not have a flashy Semblance _yet_ but she was an Arc and she had the guts and Aura that went with the name….at least that was what she told herself as she tried to mentally prepare herself

"LOOK OUT!" Eagle barely had to time to rotate herself in the air and catch a glimpse of what appeared to be a small golden comet rushing towards her. Seconds later the fiery object connected with her shield sending her spiralling out of control as it blasted past her; Eagle ploughed through the roof and wall of a nearby building before rolling to a stop in the parking lot of what appeared to have once been a supermarket. Taking a few moments to remain on the ground and assess herself for injury she then sat up, the primary concern in her still reeling mind being _'What in Oum's name just happened?'_

* * *

Felix hit the ground and rolled to his feet, the golden light fading from his body as the flames wreathing him dissipating after a few moments. Looking down he saw that the ground he had impacted against was cracked and scorched and allowed himself a slight wince

"Might have overdone that" he muttered to himself as he brushed the remains of a crushed Fire Dust crystal from his hands. His impromptu landing strategy had relied heavily on the use of his Semblance, dubbed _'Brimstone'_ Felix had the ability to absorb thermal energy from his surrounds and use it to increase his strength and stamina for a limited amount of time as well as making him nigh unstoppable; the late summer sun would most likely have given the Lion Faunus the temporary power boost he needed to land safely but he had opted to be extra safe after seeing a handful of students terrified expressions before they were launched

' _And speaking of terrified expressions'_ he grimaced as he realised he needed to find whoever it was he'd hit on the way down, he had only the briefest of glimpses before the collision the most noticeable feature was a white shield-

"Ah fuck!" the blonde Faunus spat as set off in the direction the individual he now realised was probably Eagle Arc had fallen, he wasn't sure what the academies' protocol was regarding injuries during initiation but he was also fairly sure that if anything happened to her then the professors she had called her Aunt and Uncle would probably hunt down the person responsible. Breaking into a full sprint as the sound of gunfire reached his ears he drew Hack and Slash and brought the chainsaw blades screaming into life, spitting sparks as they began to rotate. No sooner had Felix reached the parking lot that commotion was coming from than he was forced to leap into cover behind a burned out car which rattled and shook under the impact of several bullets

"WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU SHOOTING AT ME?" Felix bellowed furiously, he was instantly answered by Eagle Arc's voice, confirming his suspicions

"Crap, sorry! Sentinel stand down"

"Doot-da-doot!" Felix was left dumbfounded when following the triumphant chirping the hail of gunfire slowed to a stop. Waiting until he was sure he wasn't about to be shot Felix emerged from behind the now thoroughly destroyed car and was baffled at the sight that greeted him. Eagle's shield was missing from her left arm and her sword was drawn. Beside her, surrounded by the fading bodies of defeated Grimm was something that almost defied description, a sturdy looking robot whose boxy construction was offset by the angular white armour plates fitted over its lower body to protect the tank treads it used to move; it's upper body featured a pair of stumpy arms ending in small hydraulic claws, its' head was a long thing rectangle housing a single light that was oddly expressive in the way it blinked and adjusted its' lens while regarding Felix. On the machines' right shoulder, currently angled back was the weapon it had attacked him with, a compact Gatling gun. The things' head reached up to Eagle's waist and Eagle herself gave Felix an impossibly bright smile when she saw his expression

"This is Sentinel, isn't he cool? I made him"

"Why and how?" Felix dead-panned, Eagle's grin somehow managed to widen before words began falling out of her at her usual breakneck pace

"Well I made him because I needed a weapon and I've always wanted a pet and my Grandpa is actually allergic to dogs and why….well, I never had many friends growing up in New-Hope. I just wanted to make sure I had some sort of company in case the whole team situation didn't work out" hearing this Felix's heart went out to young woman in front of him until he picked up on a small detail

"New-Hope? As in kind of local? I thought you said you were from Atlas?" New-Hope was a settlement incorporating several small villages that had existed outside of Old Vale's walls which had formed one of the earliest parts of New Vale to be constructed alongside the renovations to the various extensions to the Kingdom that had been halted after the destruction of Mountain Glenn.

"No my Mum lives in Atlas, I live with my Grandparents in Vale….I've never actually met my Dad. Basically it's because my Mum couldn't realistically raise a child and run Poly-Tech at the same time; but I still see her on holidays, usually" Felix's eyes widened in realisation

"You're Mum is Antonia Arc?"

"Yeah"

"Well that explains the droid" he snorted as gave Sentinel a wary glance and realised that the droid actually formed Eagle's missing shield when not in use. Poly-Tech was what had become of Professor Polendina's life's work following the old mans' passing of old age. His former assistant, a respected genius in her own right had bought out the shares of the company Penny had inherited making her the largest shareholder and going into the robotics industry with their main clients being the Atlesian military and various construction firms, especially those working on the settlements of New Menagerie. Learning that these advancements may have been made at the expense of the childhood of the Huntress in front of him left a taste in Felix's mouth. Eagle shrugged

"So I guess that makes us partners now?"

"Huh?" Felix was taken aback for a moment before realising that in his haste he had forgotten his original plan to land and wait for Arctus, his cousin having still been waiting for his deployment when Felix was launched

"Well you're the first person I made eye contact with, I mean I know you had a plan and someone else you wanted to team up with but-"

"It's cool" Felix cut her off with a soft smile, noticing that her speech was beginning to take on a nervous, borderline frantic edge "Seriously it's cool, we're partners now. Let's go find that idiot cousin of mine and then go look for whatever these items are" with that the two smiling blondes readied their swords and set off into the ruins, Sentinel the droid trundling between them chirping and beeping enthusiastically.

* * *

Arctus was one of the last handful of potential to students to be launched and a confident smirk found its' way across his face as he fell; whatever happened when he reached the ground and whoever he ended up on a team with may have been almost entirely out of his hands, but as the son of Weiss Slate, formerly Schnee and inheriting the Schnee Semblance emergency landings could be considered something of a speciality. A glowing white Glyph manifested beneath the Bear Faunus as he curled himself into a ball and landed on the conjured platform in a crouch before using his momentum to spring forwards to another hastily created Glyph, drawing Gefroren-Erbe as he descended the oversized sword shifted into its' equally oversized plasma pistol form, the barrel glowing with a pale cyan light before snapping off a single shot at a lone Beowolf that had slunk around a nearby corner to investigate the noise, it fell to the ground with a whole bored through its' chest as it faded away.

"Okay, easy part done" Arctus muttered to himself as he swept his surroundings, finger tightening around the trigger of his weapon as he rummaged through his pockets with his free hand for his Scroll. Pulling up his cousins' contact details he dialled and waited, only to be disappointed when the call failed to connect

"Suppose that was too much to ask for" he sighed to himself, communications in the ruins were obviously being jammed to prevent initiates from contacting each other. He replaced his Scroll and took a deep breath before picking a direction at random and setting off sensitive Faunus senses straining to pick out any trace of company, friendly or otherwise.

"HOLY SHIT!" the exclaimed curse reached his ears and he searched for its' source eventually locating a student falling through the air on what appeared to be a collision course with what had once been an apartment block. He was left stunned when the individual, whom he realised with a start was Diamond impacted against the wall and began to simply run vertically down its' surface until a window shattered without warning several stories above her, giving way to the head of a monstrous King-Taijitu

"LOOK OUT!" he called up and he could have sworn Diamond flashed him a grin as she reached behind her back and produced her weapon from its' hidden compartment within the sash on her shoulder and extended _'Lex Talionis'_ into its' a melee form, a double ended glaive with a single blade curving from one end of the shaft to the other. As the second head of the serpent Grimm burst from another part of the tower block, this time below her. Diamonds' inexplicable grip on the sheer surface failed at the exact moment the first head lunged, she plummeted downwards avoiding the attack and used the added momentum to cleave neatly through the second head as she passed it before managing to plant her feet on the wall of the building once again and run down its' surface unhindered by mere trivialities like gravity. Arctus moved instinctively as the remaining head went one the attack once more, casting a Glyph between it and Diamond while simultaneously unloading his plasma pistol; the King-Taijitu began to dissipate as its' remaining skull was immolated in glowing blue flames. Arctus in his brief moment of triumph failed to notice the sound of several pairs of paws approaching

"Dude behind you!" heeding Diamond's yelled warning he span only for her to take matters into her own hands, the pack of half a dozen Beowolves that had almost taken him by surprise were felled in quick succession. Turning his attention back to his fellow initiate he saw that she was crouched in a firing position and had converted her glaive into a sniper rifle, the shaft forming the barrel while the double ended blade had collapsed in on itself and now sat on the underside of the stock

"Well, that went pretty well" Arctus noted dryly as he approached the building Diamond was still clinging to

"Yeah except now I'm stuck with you as a partner" she sighed as she dropped down from the wall

"Ouch"

"I didn't mean it like that" Diamond assured him with a roll of her cherry red eyes "I just saw an old friend that I didn't realise was gonna be here"

"Oh the guy with the gold armour?" Arctus asked

"Yeah….wait, were you watching me?" a silvery eyebrow raised

"You're kinda hard to ignore" the words slipped out of Arctus faster than he could filter them, taking a deep breath he decided to extract the proverbial foot from his mouth and change the subject "So how do you do the whole running on walls thing?"

"Semblance" she shrugged before shifting Lex Talionis back into its' glaive form with a flourish "I call it _'Free Runner'_ basically I can treat the laws of physics like a rough guideline….Not as versatile as the famous Schnee Semblance but its' got its' uses" she finished with a grin that was equal parts proud and teasing that managed to distract the Bear Faunus for a moment

"It's cool" he told her earnestly "So now you're stuck with me, what's the plan?"

"I'm sure I'll manage big guy" Diamond snorted, nudging him playfully "Well we can either look for these items and hopefully find the people we wanted to partner up with on the way or we can look for them directly. Any preference?" Arctus paused and considered for a few moments

"Let's go look for these items, hopefully Professor Goodwitch marked them out clearly because I don't remember her actually saying what they were" Diamond's face dropped

"You're right she didn't….fuck it, come on let's go" she set off in the direction Arctus had approached her from, following the street "By the way, the ruffled and windswept look suits you" she noted with a smirk; Arctus was left confused until he realised that he hadn't had chance to style his hair and complete his usual immaculate look and that the fall had probably not helped matters. He trailed a few steps behind his partner, running his hand through his ivory coloured hair in an attempt to ruffle it further.

 **Authors Notes:**

So Team FADE has partnered up, the teams will be officially formed next chapter.

Now let's summarise:  
' _I was honestly just going to sit in the middle of it and get a tan'_ sounds like a smart-ass comment until you realise what his Semblance is.  
Quick look at some of our secondary and background characters.  
Eagle Arc is a dork an I love her, that is all.  
This is happening, if the idea of being woken up and taken to your initiation by Nora doesn't terrify you then your opinion is wrong.  
I like the idea of making the newbies do their initiation in an annexed off part of Old Vale, just to give them a clear idea of what the cost of failure really is.  
Also this initiation tests students abilities to search and retrieve/rescue (Finding items) and take and hold a position (Get to extraction point and defend it until help arrives)  
Nyanza is going to be a smart-ass, get used to it.  
Launched off a cliff? Ha, peasants. Here at the Halo Academy of New Vale we launch you through the floor of an anti gravity platform using a high powered sci-fi gyro-gun.  
A good luck Semblance would probably make you a cocky little shit as well, let's be honest.  
Helios Nikos, if you read Downward Spiral you may be scratching your head right now. All will be explained.  
Felix's Semblance looks a bit like Yang's (In that he's surrounded by fire) yet actually functions closer to Nora's. He can also crank it up a notch as we'll see next chapter.  
Yes, Eagle Arc's shield is a fucking Gatling gun toting droid that has more attitude than vocabulary.  
Eagle's parentage will be revealed and it will surprise you honestly less than it should.  
Easiest way to explain how Diamond's Semblance works is "Down is a relative concept for her, wherever her feet are touching is the direction gravity works in for her"  
Arctus's instant crush on Diamond is fun to write.

Thank you to Ferrous, Shadowalex2000 and MarianTheLibrarian22 for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Qrow is 100% confirmed for this story.  
I hope Eagle and Diamond didn't disappoint.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	6. FADE In

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 06: FADE In**

Felix and Eagle made their way through the long since abandoned streets of what had once been a fairly well off residential area while Sentinel's weapon system swept across the buildings, the droid letting loose the occasional bleep or chirp as it did so, the lens of its' singular mechanical eye narrowed in concentration impressing Felix with just how expressive it could be without a face. The annexed part of Old Vale was a small fraction of the original Kingdom as much of it had been reclaimed and rebuilt following the war, rather the reinforced walls, countless artillery emplacements and Hunter presence on standby at all times contained what had been the inner city and extended out to the beyond remains of Beacon, this however still left a considerable amount of ground to be covered

"Up ahead" Felix growled as he slowed to a stop, tail swishing in anticipation as he rechecked his weapons

"How can you tell?" Eagle asked with a raised eyebrow "Sentinel didn't spot anything"

"My hearing is probably better than his, they're a few streets away. Wanna walk around or see what's attracted 'em?"

"Well we've been walking around aimlessly for over an hour" she grinned "Let's go make some friends"

"I'm going to hope you were being sarcastic and there is actually a limit to your optimism" the Lion Faunus snorted. The pair sped up slightly, swords drawn as Felix led the way towards the still unseen Grimm; as they drew closer the sound of growling and claws scratching against metal could be heard around the next corner. Felix pressed himself flat against the wall and motioned for Eagle to follow suit before he carefully peered around the corner to assess the situation. The Grimm in question were pawing against a dull gunmetal grey container, six feet tall with rounded edges and made of reinforced Atlesian steel

"Well fuck" he whispered "A couple dozen Beowolves, there's an Alpha leading them"

"We can cut through that" Eagle whispered back, only to receive a shake of the head  
"Slight complication there's a drop pod with Halo's logo painted on it-"

"What like the old rocket lockers?" Eagle interrupted

"They were real? Weird I always thought my Mums were joking about those, they just seem dumb. Anyway I think that's where the items we need to grab are so all guns blazing might not be the best idea" he fixed Sentinel with a disparaging glare. The droid pressed its' clawed hydraulic limbs against the point where its' treads met its' body and cocked its' head sideways while bleeping

"Okay did this little fucker just put his hands on his hips and cuss me out?" Felix demanded

"Don't call him that…..and they heard you" Eagle sighed as the tone of the nearby Grimm's snarling amongst themselves changed; she crouched and extended her left hand out to Sentinel who latched onto her armoured forearm and reverted back to his shield form with a series of loud mechanical sounds. Barely a moment later the first Grimm rounded the corner and found itself struck across the face with Eagles' shield quickly followed by her sword being plunged through its' gut. Felix charged into the horde, the blades of Hack and Slash whirring into life as they ripped through Grimm

"I want the Alpha!" he called over his shoulder as he finally reached the Grimm in question, larger than its' pack-mates with thicker armour that sported long spines along its' back and haunches. The Alpha lunged forwards, claws extended while Felix ducked and span, the blades of his swords cutting through Grimm flesh before his second attack glanced off of the bony carapace in a shower of sparks and Felix had a brief glimpse of twin gouges carved into the beasts' back before it whipped round and lunged at him again, clawed digits closing around Felix's wrists as its' fanged maw shot forwards, Felix ducked under the attempt to bite out his throat before slamming the back of his head into the unguarded part of the Grimm where its' neck met lower jaw and dragging his swords' across its' gut as it staggered back. The Alpha rolled away from his follow up slash and let out a shrieking howl before turning and fleeing, Felix turned his attention to Eagle who had been putting on an admirable display against the rest of the pack and was surprised to see that they had begun to turn tail and retreat. Shifting Hack and Slash to their machine pistol forms he let loose a few shots at the backs of Grimm as they ran

"Since when do Grimm run away?" Felix demanded irritably

"I heard some were actually capable of basic strategy in the war" his partner answered, a concerned expression on her face "But that was only ever the really big ones" there were a few moments of silence while the pair caught their breath. Eventually Felix sheathed his weapons and stepped towards the drop pod from the Academy, finding a release lever and pulling

"This is gonna be so awesome" Eagle muttered excitedly behind him as the smoke billowed from the opening pod

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me" Felix spat, utterly outraged and disgusted

"What?"

"The items, that decide what team we're on for the next four years and that we just fought a pack of Grimm for" he turned around holding up the items in question "Are playing cards"

"What?" Eagle's expression morphed into one of utter confusion as she looked at the King, Queen, Ace and Jack of Spades in her partners' hand eventually a giggle escaped her, slowly giving way to a full blown fit of laughter

"Whatever" Felix grumbled as he pocketed all four cards "We're taking all four, let's go find Arctus"

"Hold on" Eagle reached into the pod and withdrew a small tablet, eyes widening as she examined the device "It's military grade, it can bypass the signal jamming. It's also got directions to the extraction point….That way" Felix looked in the direction she pointed and saw the remains of a broken tower in the distance that looked as though something had crashed into it.

"Of course it'd be there" he breathed out "They want us to go to the ruins of Beacon"

* * *

Diamond and Arctus made their way through ruined streets, Arctus a few steps behind her fighting a losing battle against the urge to allow his eyes to wander downwards. The pair had been dropped into what had been an inner city, high rise tower blocks surrounded them each bearing the wounds battle and time had inflicted on them, several of them partially collapsed. In the time since they'd become partners they hadn't come across anything that could point them in the direction of the items they sought; no other initiates, helpful clues left by Professor Goodwitch or even Grimm

"Hey" Arctus's eyes snapped upwards at the sound of Diamond's voice "I think there was a fight here"

"Uh yeah….the whole 'Battle of Vale' was a thing, my parents were there for it"

"Dude don't be a smart-ass" Diamond rolled her eyes but at the same time gave him a faint smile "I meant recently, there's bullets all over the floor"

"I honestly didn't notice" Arctus admitted, though he refrained from adding what exactly had been distracting him. Inhaling deeply his sensitive sense of smell detected an easily identifiable smell "Yeah, somebody was definitely using Dust rounds here" Diamond picked a handful of expended casings from the ground and examined them

"These are still shiny, no deterioration at all. We're not the first people to come through here, look around" the Bear Faunus nodded silently and drew Gefroren-Erbe, converting it to its' plasma pistol form as he turned down a side street. Eventually his eyes were drawn to an alleyway between a pair of tower blocks, widening when he saw something sitting amidst the wreckage

"DIAMOND I THINK I'VE FOUND IT!" he made his way towards the drop pod which lay on its' side; looking again at the damaged tower blocks it seemed that the pod had crashed through one and into the other, only to be pulled free and excavated. Reaching the pod his stomach plummeted when he made to pull the release lever and found it had already been activated

"A drop pod?" Diamond's breathless voice alerted him to the fact she had sprinted to his position

"Yeah, good news is now we know what we're looking for" the Faunus sighed before stepping aside to reveal the pod had been emptied of its' contents "Bad news is someone beat us to this one"

"Shit!" Diamond hissed out, running her hands though her silvery hair as she slouched against a wall

"Hey, we'll find another one" Arctus tried to assure her

"Hang on, let me think for a sec" she chewed her lip for a few moments while concentrating before activating her Semblance and using it to jog vertically up the wall of the building she had been leaning against, leaving Arctus on the ground wearing a confused expression. A few moments later Diamond returned, dropping to the ground with a determined expression

"Okay I just needed higher ground, I wanted to get a look around. I think I've got an idea"

"Go on"

"I can see where Beacon used to be from up there" Diamond explained, motioning towards the roof she had just returned from "I've got a sneaking suspicion that it's important, I mean they didn't drop is in Old Vale of all places for no reason. We could have done something like this in a forest somewhere"

"So you wanna head to Beacon?" Arctus asked with some scepticism

"Got a better idea dude?" his partner sighed "Look I'm not saying we'll find anything, I'm just saying that we're walking around with no real objective here"

"Agreed" Arctus conceded, pausing for a moment and thinking to himself that it really was the closest thing to a plan they had "Okay, lead the way"

* * *

"So, know any good jokes?" Nyanza asked, the mischievous smirk on his face making it painfully apparent that he knew how much he was annoying his new partner

"Well I'm currently walking with one, I know it more than I'd like to" Helios ground out through clenched teeth while internally weighing up the pros and cons of leaving the imbecile he'd been partnered with for dead in these ruins. Nyanza's only response was a gleeful cackle

"That's actually the funniest of the handful of things you've said. Got any more?" the golden armoured teen gripped his weapon _'Olympus Enforcer'_ which was currently in its' Tommy gun form a little tighter

"I am giving serious consideration to stabbing you through the liver and throwing your body in one of these buildings" when the feline Faunus merely gave another fit of his demented laughter in response and Helios couldn't help but wonder which side of the line between confidence and stupidity his new partner fell on. His musings were halted by a sudden cacophony erupting nearby, the sounds of massed gunfire mingling inexplicably what sounded like a guitar solo assaulted his ears

"We're going to see what that is aren't we?" Nyanza sighed, resigned but unenthusiastic "Of course we are" he muttered to himself as Helios simply sprinted towards the uproar, weapon at the ready. The pair reached the source of the gunfire at the moment it seemed to be ending, both of their attentions being drawn to the pair of initiates stood in the remains of a street that was thoroughly ruined even by the bleak standards of Old Vale; one was Olivine DeGrasse whose weapon had just finished collapsing back into the cylindrical container slung over her shoulder, Helios remembered her due to her being the first to be launched, the second wore spiked boots, torn black jeans, a dark grey hoodie with an insignia covered sleeveless leather jacket and armoured pads adorning his knees and elbows as well as several chains hanging from his hips, his dark green tinged hair was tied back and his narrow eyes were so dark it was difficult to tell where the pupil ended and iris began, an electric guitar currently hung from a strap over his left shoulder. Despite his appearance the teen greeted the newcomers with a smile and indicated to his partner

"Okay, she….she is all kinds of bad ass"

"Did pretty good yourself" Olivine noted with a wink as she removed the green tinted goggles from her face, pushing them back onto her afro

"Okay….what in Oum's name did we miss?" Nyanza demanded, the guitar carrying Hunter answered

"Grimm showed up, Grimm got messed up. Name's Ether by the way, Ether Arashi"

"I'm Olivine" his partner added

"I remember you from your launch, I'm Helios…..and this is going to be the bane of my existence, his name's Nyanza" the crimson haired teen introduced himself and his partner

"Well we were just about to open that up" Olivine gestured to something that neither of the newcomers had paid notice to, a single drop pod that looked as though it had ploughed into the wreckage of a car as it landed. A dark shape was visible for a brief moment behind the remains of the vehicle before Nyanza discreetly triggered his Semblance and raised one of his pistols. The shot ricocheted off of the edge of the cars' chassis sending the Grimm scurrying before the same bullet ricocheted again off of the drop pod, striking the lone Creep in the base of its' spine

"Okay did you seriously just shoot the drop pod?" Olivine demanded incredulously

"Do not attempt to understand this one's thought process, that way lies madness" Helios warned her with a sombre shake of the head "If there are no other Grimm then we open the pod"

"Let me double check" Ether smirked before pulling a single glimmering black crystal from his pocket, Gravity Dust. Using the crystal as a pick he brought it down on the strings of his weapon _'Ghost Reverie'_ the crystal shattered and with a single screeching note a wave of concussive force was sent outwards, shattering any windows that had somehow remained unbroken over the years

"Nope, no Grimm" Ether shrugged after waiting a few seconds to see if his attack caused a reaction. Helios merely nodded and pulled the lever on the pod, waiting until the mist dispersed to reach inside

"Cards? They had us searching for fucking cards!" Nyanza spat as he took the Jack of Diamonds from his partners' hand. Olivine took the Queen and Ace, handing the Ace took Ether before reaching into the pod and withdrawing the tablet from the pod

"You know what this device is?" Helios asked indicating to the tablet "I'm not the greatest with technology"

"It shows us where we need to go and gives us a way to contact Halo Academy when we get there" Olivine answered, surprisingly accepted of the fact that a seventeen year old didn't recognise a tablet when they saw one.

"Then let's-" Helios was cut off by an ear splitting screech

"What was-"

"Nevermore" Nyanza cut Ether off "Giant one, up there" he pointed at a black shape in the sky

"Why isn't it attacking us? They can dive-bomb and they have a ranged attack" Olivia murmured, realisation struck Helios

"It's gathering more Grimm" he snarled as he shifted Olympus Enforcer to its' melee form, the ammo drum of the Tommy gun flattening and expanding outwards into an ornate shield while the barrel collapsed into the butt to be enclosed in the blade of a xiphos sword

"So are we fighting then?" Ether asked as he slung Ghost Reverie from his shoulder, the body of the guitar collapsing and changing shape, curved and serrated blades sliding into place forming a weapon that could best be described with a sword with an axe headed tip

"Are you feeling lucky, punk?" Nyanza grinned as shifted the Pharaoh Mafdet back to their tonfa forms

"No" Helios shook his head "Olivine lead the way, we'll cover you"

"With Grimm on our tails?" Ether asked

"This is the Grimm's territory and we have no supply lines, it would be foolish to get bogged down fighting here. We head to our extraction point and fight them there if we have to. Be willing to sacrifice but not overeager" his new team-mates saw the logic in the statement and collectively carried out his instructions, covering Olivine as she read the map and led them towards safety.

* * *

"I swear if Arctus was on that I will actually lose it" Felix grumbled as he and Eagle came into view of the ruins of Beacon Academy, from the tower of which a single Bull-Head could be seen taking off. Eagle didn't respond, instead crouching and planting her shield on the ground where Sentinel proceeded to unfold itself with a chirp, head tilting sideways in a motion that seemed to mirror cricking ones' neck

"You know that place is gonna be full of Grimm" Eagle snorted "I mean I'd be disappointed if it wasn't" Felix merely chuckled in agreement, twirling his swords in anticipation

"As much as I'm up for a good fight I'm saying we wait. This part of initiation was clearly meant to be a four person job at least for a reason"

"Yeah that makes-LOOK OUT" Felix instinctively leapt to the side at Eagle's voice; the space he had previously occupied being cratered as the forelimbs of a Beringrel impacted against it in a double-fisted punch as it let lose a bestial roar; Felix answered with a snarl of his own before lunging at the gorilla Grimm, the Beringrel reared up to its' full height and beat its' chest in a display of power only for its' back to be riddled with bullets courtesy of Sentinel. Felix pressed the advantage, ducking low and slashing at the Grimm's gut as he weaved behind it burying one sword between its' shoulder-blades and the other in its' hip, leaving the Grimm fading into black mist as it died

"Nicely done" a new voice interrupted, Felix and Eagle turned to see a group of four students one of whom the Lion Faunus recognised

"So someone took you off my hands?" he smirked at Nyanza

"Love you too Fluffy" the pale feline snorted

"You know this ingrate? I pity you" the initiate in golden armour whom Felix assumed was his old friends' new partner huffed

"Yeah I do, I'm Felix that's Eagle"

"I'm Olivine, these are Ether and Helios" the diminutive Huntress introduced

"I don't suppose any of you have seen a Bear Faunus around? Really pale, white hair, stupidly tall?" the group shook their heads

"I don't think we're gonna have time to wait for 'em" Ether pointed out

"We leave no-one behind" Helios growled, Felix found the redhead rising in his estimations

"Why would we not have….oh" Eagle found herself cut off as she saw the lone black shape approaching from the air "I mean Sentinel could take that down"

"Your weapon would be better employed on the ground" Helios countered "That Nevermore is acting as eyes and ears but there is still a small horde coming our way"

"And Eagle and I are pretty sure that as soon as we get inside Beacon we're going to get attacked by something" Felix noted

"Agreed" Helios grimaced "We can hold the line here"

"Okay, tank girl….Eagle right?" Olivine asked

"Yeah, Eagle Arc" she failed to notice Helios perform a sudden double take before Olivine continued

"We're the heavy artillery. Take a side each and we can clear most of 'em out before they get too close" with that she dropped the cylindrical case from her shoulder and as it fell it split open and began to reform itself in a flurry of whirring gears and armatures, connecting itself with the cybernetic augmentation that she had rigged around her right arm. Those present who had not yet seen Olivine's weapon _'Buster Bravo'_ were left in slack jawed silence as the weapons array came online, incorporating a photon cannon being wielded as a pistol which was connected to a mini-gun, a twin barrelled laser battery mounted along the forearm and a targeting system mounted on the shoulder which interfaced with her goggles.

"Told you she's bad-ass" Ether reminded them with a smug grin before returning his attention to the direction the Grimm would soon be approaching from "Okay I can get in and out of their ranks, I'll pick off any that try and get around the sides"

"Nyanza help Ether, Felix and I will cover the four of you from the Nevermore" there were a few tense moments as the six Hunters prepared themselves before the first Grimm came into view; mostly Creeps and Beowolves with a few Ursa lumbering along between them. The Ursa were the first to fall as Olivine's firepower sheared through them, the Beowolves sped forwards jaws snapping as the sought to close the distance only to be cut down by Sentinel's Gatling gun; Eagle stood between the smaller Huntress and her own automaton with her sword at the ready in case any Grimm escaped the killing field.

"Try not to hit me" Ether pleaded before his entire body seemed to disintegrate, a pale grey mist making its' way across the battlefield and reforming at the rear of the horde of Grimm where he swiftly brought his blade around in a wide slash that cleaved through half a dozen monsters with ease before evaporating once more

"GERONIMO MOTHERFUCKERS!" Nyanza's battle cry accompanied him leaping over Sentinel, Semblance in full effect to avoid his Aura and being depleted in seconds by the storm of bullets as he raced towards the Grimm. The large number of enemies presented an equally large number of opportunities for his Semblance of good luck to wreak havoc, Grimm tripped over themselves and were momentarily turned against each other while his twin pistols punched holes through the bodies of multiple Grimm with each shot

SCREECH!  
"Incoming!" Felix warned as the Nevermore spread its' wings wide, countless feathers being flung forwards followed by the monster itself as it tucked its' wings in and dived; Helios being its' clear target. Several feathers embedded themselves in the ground around the golden armoured Hunter as he crouched and took cover beneath his shield, another projectile clattering harmlessly against itself as Felix rushed towards him. Leaping onto the shield and using it as a springboard he brought Hack and Slash to bear as the Nevermore swooped low, talons extended

SKREEEE!

"It's pulling back!" Helios called out. Felix noticed a thin trail of mist billowing from behind the Nevermore and allowed himself a smirk

"I managed to take the claws off its' right foot"

"So it can't grab us as easily….I have an idea, can you block its' feathers on its' next pass?" Helios asked as he readied his weapon once more, Felix nodded silently

"It's coming back around!" Eagle warned then from her position ahead of them, combating the thinning horde of Grimm. The dark shape in the air wheeled around to face them once more, rapidly picking up speed as it dived

"GET DOWN!" a voice familiar to Felix roared and he instinctively leapt aside as a glowing white Glyph soared through the air, what baffled him was the fact that someone seemed to be riding said Glyph, Felix recognised the rider as Diamond as she jumped from her impromptu mount and drew her weapon moments before the Glyph sawed through the right wing of the nevermore, a well placed shot from her sniper rifle shattered the joint of the left a moment later

"Perfect" Helios murmured with a feral smile. Felix turned to see him triggering his Semblance, a rippling darkness seemed to swirl around Helios, sucking light from everything around him as he held his arm out towards the now falling Nevermore

"Bow!" with that the force of gravity was magnified for the Grimm and it crashed to the ground with a boom, writhing in pain, bone armour cracked and shattered in several places. Helios ran forwards letting loose a primal roar as his quarry attempted to struggle to its' feet, his blade found its' mark in the Grimm's eye, sticking for a few brief moments before it began to fade away. Ahead he could see his comrades dispatching the few remaining Grimm with ruthless efficiency

"So" Felix gave Arctus a disbelieving look "You took your time"

The pair resumed their usual good natured bickering as if they hadn't just fought a monster with a wingspan as wide as a street.

* * *

The Eight soon to be Hunters stood at what remained of Beacon Academy's once gleaming main gates; twisted metal set into a crumbling and moss ridden wall; everything ahead of them a nightmarish parody of the Academy above that was to be their home

"So Goodwitch really doesn't do subtle then?" Arctus sighed

"Her outfit's got a titty-window, what do you think?" Nyanza snorted

"Dude!" Diamond looked aghast and disturbed by the comment

"Come on" Felix grunted as he stepped forwards "We're almost done" with the end of their initiation in sight they stepped forwards, each of them casting their eyes around warily

"No empty casings here" Arctus murmured the comment intended for his partner, it was his cousin that answered

"So that other team must have approached from the other side"

"Um, hey guys? Can I ask a favour please?" Eagle turned to Felix with a somewhat embarrassed expression

"'Sup?" the taller blonde blushed before answering

"Okay, so you see that kinda broken looking statue….that guy was an Arc. I know we're busy here but can one of you take a picture of me with the statue? It'd mean a lot to my Grandpa to see that it's still standing"

"Pass me your Scroll" Felix held his hand out with a grin, it was no problem at all for him to accommodate the request

"Thanks, come on Sentinel"

"Do-woot" the droid trundled along after the armoured Huntress as she almost skipped towards the monument to her ancestor. The first sign that something was amiss was when the paving slabs in front of the statue began to crack, followed by a low rumbling

"EAGLE GET BACK!" Felix's worried yell proved to be deserved then several pairs of chitinous limbs burst from beneath the ground, each of them larger than the Hunters and tipped in a jagged point. The moment Eagle turned and began sprinting back towards the group the limbs disappeared below the ground once more and the courtyard began to collapse, pulled downwards into a cavernous crater

"Holy-"

BOOM Felix's curse was drowned out by the sound of what had taken up residence in the basement of the old academy bursting forth. The monstrosity had a bulbous abdomen, roughly four meters long and two meters across, coated in several overlapping plates of bone armour. Connected to it was a skull like head with eight eyes and distended mandibles filled with fangs connected to pulsating venom sacs, the chitinous limbs that had speared through the ground supported the weight of the trapdoor spider Grimm with ease as it scuttled out of its' nest at a speed one would not assume it possessed

"Dungeon-master" Ether hissed dispassionately. Without warning the Grimm raised itself up on and slung its' abdomen forward beneath its head and limbs, firing a stream of a black webbing like substance that struck Eagle in the lower back; the Grimm's fangs visibly twitched in anticipation as it began to drag her back towards its' lair

"Nope, nope, nope nope" Eagle's constant stream of panicked muttering ended when sentinel reached her. Rather than open fire the droid reverted to its' shield form around her arm before its' hydraulic claws deployed and fired on cables, burying themselves into the ground allowing Eagle to pull back with all of her Aura enhanced strength

"I've got ya!" Felix had rushed into action the moment the Dungeon-master had shot its' webbing, reaching his partner he brought his swords down against the substance, whirring blades screaming as they tore through it. The Dungeon-master let loose an ear-splitting scream of equal parts pain and rage before bringing one of its' monstrous limbs down in a stabbing motion. Felix crossed his blades in front of himself and braced for the attack which never came, parried instead by Ether who had used his Semblance to appear between the Grimm and the two blondes, Felix was further surprised when he taken to the ground by a slide tackle from behind courtesy of Nyanza which allowed another of the jagged limbs to pass over him harmlessly. The four of them readied their weapons and leapt into the fray once more.

* * *

"I can't get a clear shot, if I start shooting I'm gonna hit one of them" Olivine informed her allies nervously as she watched Eagle, Felix and her own partner Ether occupy the limbs of the Dungeon-master while Nyanza flitted around, weapons firing ceaselessly; his Semblance allowing him to make some truly spectacular shots and dodges.

"Neither can I, the damn thing's too fast" Diamond spat as she lowered the scope of Lex Talionis from her eye. The four Hunters not actively taking part in the fight looked on in horror when one of the many jointed chitinous limbs lashed out and struck Felix across the chest and hurling him back, the Dungeon-master instantly followed up by launching a stream of webbing at the Lion Faunus's chest. Eagle responded by deploying Sentinel, the automaton rolling into place between the downed Hunter and the Grimm as it opened fire; only to be swept aside

"I'm going in!" Arctus snapped as he sprinted forward, charging the plasma cell of Gefroren-Erbe before shifting the weapon into its' sword mode. At the same time he cast a series of ascending Glyphs ahead of himself forming a makeshift stairway. Diamond watched as he reached the final Glyph and leapt into the air, the blade of his weapon glowing with a pale blue light as he buried it into the abdomen of the Dungeon-master, eliciting a horrific shriek from the monster.

"It can't shoot webbing any more" Helios deduced as the beast thrashed in agony, trying to throw Arctus free

"I still can't risk hitting them though" Olivia informed them. Diamond's eyes widened as an idea struck her, she knew Helios's Semblance having met him before the initiation

"Can you use your Semblance on the Grimm?" the Crimson haired fighter stared at her, expression cautious

"What are you planning?"

"Got an idea for a combo, no time to explain" with that she set off, sprinting around the edge of the remains of the courtyard in an attempt to catch the Dungeon-master from the side

"Get clear!" her yelled instruction was apparently heard as Ether, Nyanza and Eagle began to pull back and Arctus leapt from the Grimm's carapace. Felix had dropped his swords and was unable to pull himself free

"NOW!" on her mark Helios activated his Semblance and increased the effects of Gravity on the Dungeon-master to crushing levels, bringing it to the ground. Diamond rushed forward and leapt into the air while activating her own Semblance, her feet connected with the Grimm and the manipulation of physics she used to walk along vertical surfaces came into effect, the Dungeon-master reached terminal velocity almost instantly as it fell sideways rather than downwards. From the outside it appeared as if Diamond had simply drop-kicked the monster directly into the perimeter wall of Beacon's courtyard.

"Sweet Oum you are needlessly bad-ass" Arctus gushed as he reached her

"Needlessly?" Felix demanded as he returned to his feet, the webbing attached to his chest having been snapped in the attack "I'd say there was a need!"

"IT'A NOT DOWN!" Olivine's voice warned them moments before Buster Bravo was unleashed on the Dungeon-master as it rushed from the wreckage of the wall, screeching in defiance, the onslaught removed two legs but still the thing fought on

"That's it" Felix growled as he stalked over to where he'd dropped Hack and Slash "I'm done" without explanation he shifted one of the chainsaw bladed swords into its' machine pistol form and removed the clip, replacing it with one of the magazines Aunt Ruby had given to him and triggering his Semblance while emptying the Nanobot rounds into the floor in a circle around himself

"Helios!" he called out "You seem to know what you're doing, if this doesn't work then you're in charge!"

"What are you-"

BOOM!

The ground was shattered as each of the Nanobots unleashed their explosive payload, a wave of heat and flames surged outwards from the blast only to inexplicably fizzle out; followed by the sound of snarling. When the smoke cleared what was stood in Felix's place drew a serious of stunned gasps, it looked like Felix except for his mane of hair and the fur of his tail seemingly being comprised of golden fire, golden light shining from his eyes and that his skin had taken of the appearance of molten rock, complete with veins of glowing lava criss crossing its' surface. Felix had entered his Balrog form. The Dungeon-master screeched at the seemingly new threat and Felix let loose a primal roar in retaliation before bursting forwards, the ground glowing where he tread and planting both hands on either side of the Grimm's skull. The fangs of the Dungeon-master shattered against the temporarily invulnerable Faunus and its' hissing and shrieking took on a terrified note before it was silenced. With a roar of exertion Felix turned and tore the head of the Dungeon-master free, hurling it across the courtyard where it lay for a brief moment before the severed parts of the Grimm began to fade away. Felix dropped to his knees as his body reverted to his natural state, sweat dripping from his skin and breathing heavily

"It's almost a shame they fade when they die" Felix looked up to see who had made the observation, Helios gave a wry smile "That head would have made a good trophy for you to return to Halo with" Felix looked at the armoured Hunter for a moment before a weak chuckle escaped his lips, slowly becoming a full blown fit of laughter

"So we did it then?" Arctus asked, weapon still drawn as he looked around "Surely they can't have another test for us after that?"

"If they have I'm flunking it" Felix snorted "I'm not even climbing the stairs on that tower, they can pick me up from here….Hey Eagle"

"Yeah?" Felix devolved into another laughing fit

"The statue is still standing, make sure you tell your Granddad how much ass we had to kick to get this photo for him"

* * *

They had done it, the Bull-Head from the Academy had picked the eight Hunters up from the remains of Beacon and after long showers and well earned meals they stood upon the stage of an auditorium, surrounded by the returning students who had arrived during their initiation. Felix scanned the crowd, hoping to make out his sisters' face. Eventually he found her, wearing a proud smile that his own face slowly mirrored.

"The third team this year" Goodwitch's voice dragged his attention back to the ceremony, Teams' AQUA and PSTL had already been named "Retrieved the Diamond cards. Nyanza Angora, Olivia DeGrasse, Ether Arashi you will form Team NEON, led by Helios Nikos" the crowd cheered as did the other students, Felix noted that Diamond was one of the loudest by far. Eventually the applause died down and he was part of the only as-yet unnamed team; then Goodwitch spoke again

"And the fourth and final team to complete this years' imitation process, retrieving the spade cards are Eagle Arc, Diamond Sustrai-Black, Arctus Slate" Felix's head was buzzing with excitement, surely that couldn't mean- "You will form Team FADE, led by Felix Xiao Long" the crowd erupted for the fourth time that night and Felix found himself being congratulated by his new team-mates, Eagle pulling him into a hug while Arctus ruffled his hair in a gesture few outside of his immediate family could get away with. He was too absorbed in the moment to notice the way Helios's eyes had narrowed when he had learned the Lion Faunus's full name.

 **Authors Notes:**

AND THERE WE GO, Team FADE is up and running. Let's get this show started properly

Sorry about slow updates, overtime at work is eating my life.

Now let's summarise:  
Felix was wrong, Eagle's optimism has no limit.  
Rocket Lockers - so stupid they've passed into myth.  
Sentinel is 200% sass.  
If you don't that the Alpha that knew to call a retreat will be a plot point later then you don't know how I do things.  
Playing Cards: Even more of a fuck you than Chess Pieces.  
Arctus totall wasn't checking out his...Okay yeah he was checking out her ass.  
Diamond Sustrai Black - So smart she can almost break the fourth wall.  
Nyanza Angora is an unrepentant dick.  
Helios's weapon 'Olympus Enforcer' is a sword shield combo that resembled Milo & Akuo that combine into a Tommy Gun.  
Ether Arashi and Olive DeGrasse are both equally bad-ass (I've said that Olivine is black, I imagine Ether as Japanese)  
Nyanza as Felix said isn't great in a straight fight, but having a Semblance of good luck means he can pull some cool stuff off when he needs to; like trick-shots without aiming.  
Ether's weapon 'Ghost Reverie' named after an Opeth album, it's Sword mode is based on Megatron's weapon in Transformers: The Last Knight (Do not spend your money on watching that atrocity) it doesn't have a ranged mode Per Se, but it can be used as an area of effect attack in guitar mode; doing so uses up a full Dust crystal with every attack.  
Helios's double take.  
Olivine's weapon 'Buster Bravo' is roughly based on Sqweeks's weapon from Transformers: The Last Knight.  
Ether's Semblance isn't exactly teleportation, it's closer to what the Death Eaters' did in the Harry Potter films.  
And the award for best entrance goes to Arctus and Diamond.  
Helios's Semblance is Gravity Manipulation, primarily increasing it. He can lower gravity around himself for a limited time though (Which is actually his landing strategy).  
Goodwitch's titty-window is eternal.  
A Trapdoor Spider Grimm called a Dungeon-master; not even in my top three for "Most fucked up ideas I've had"….Botfly Grimm anyone?  
Nyanza performed the Full Metal Alchemist "Slide tackle save".  
Arctus's weapon is a sword/antique plasma weapon; he can also use it as a plasma sword for a limited time.  
Diamond + Helios Semblance combo = 'Vertigo Sidewinder'.  
Nanobot rounds, they weren't for no reason. Felix still has another magazine.  
Balrog form, imagine Blake picking a bedtime story for her kids and going with Lord of the Rings.  
Also Felix's Semblance as I've said is basically being able to channel heat the way Nora channel electricity; when he absorbs a certain amount he can enter his Balrog form for a limited time, he's stronger, faster, invulnerable but also berserk. It also drains him to use.  
And now our teams are officially formed.  
Helios's expression will be explained (Spoiler warning its' something that will make more sense if you've read Downward Spiral.

Thank you to Shadowalex2000, ferrous and MarianTheLibrarian22 for their reviews on the last chapter.  
There's actually only one pairing that I'm planning on pursuing being followed up.  
Long live Arctus's crush; it's perfectly understandable.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	7. Day One

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 07: Day One**

"Oum's sake, we're gonna be unpacking all night aren't we" Diamond's somewhat husky voice grumbled as she took in the sight of their dorm while simultaneously rubbing sleep from her eyes. The dorm Team FADE had been assigned was currently sorely lacking in any touch of the teams' personalities and the four beds simply took up too much space

"Well we can make a start now but we'd probably have to skip our first lesson so it's up to you?" Felix shrugged as he shrugged in attempt to make the jacket of his school uniform fit more comfortably, he had been told that the Halo Academy of New Vale had emulated the uniform of Beacon Academy for the sake of tradition

"NO!" Eagle gasped, immediately covering her mouth when she realised that it had come out much more forcefully than she intended "I mean we can't skip our first lesson as Halo students, especially not when we've got a history class"

"You're excited for history?" Diamond asked with a raised eyebrow

"Yes because my Uncle Lie teaches it and he is amazing when he tells stories, I can't wait to hear him talk about some of the major battles of the war, Uncle Lie and Aunt Nora were actually _AT_ the battle of Vale, the assault on Mistrals' capital, the White Fang attack on Atlas's food production facilities, the battle of Eisenstadt Siebte in Lower Atlas, the terrorist attacks on Vaccuo and the Battle of Menagerie"

"Well I'm sold" Felix couldn't help but grin at his partners' excited rambling "My Mums and Arctus's parents were at a few of those, they never talk about it much….I mean I get why but still, it's gonna be cool to here about it from an actual veteran of the Salem Campaign"

"Hey Diamond what about your parents?" Eagle asked brightly, Diamond shrugged and quickly looked away

"They were around for some of it. Anyway I'm gonna go and get some breakfast" Felix wondered what her sudden caginess was about for a moment before dismissing it, deciding that it wasn't his business

"Hey Eagle, go catch up with Diamond. I'll be down in a few minutes I just need to get him out of the shower and make sure he doesn't get lost" the Lion Faunus nodded towards the bathroom which the final member of Team FADE was currently occupying

"You got it" with that the taller blonde turned and made to leave before heading over to the corner of the room where Sentinel sat in its' droid from, slumped over and dormant while plugged into a wall socket

"See you later" with that she patted the machines' gleaming cranium and almost skipped out of the dorm leaving her team leader alone. Felix waited for a few seconds before banging on the bathroom door

"YO! STOP JACKING OFF AND HURRY UP!" that got the desired result, moments later the door was opened by a thoroughly disgruntled looking Arctus Slate

"You're a dick" he huffed

"What?" Felix shrugged with a smirk "You took one look at Diamond's short skirt and vanished into the bathroom never to be seen again"

"I wasn't jacking off, I just wanna look good on our first day" the Bear Faunus muttered, ignoring the way his cheeks coloured at the accusation

"Yeah yeah" Felix waved the retort aside "Look I don't suppose you've got any moisturiser I can borrow?"

"The sheer hypocrisy" Arctus dead-panned

"Dumb ass" Felix snorted "It's for my skin, it always dries out and flakes off for a couple day after I go Balrog" his cousin merely pulled his suitcase from under his bed and rummaged around before throwing a bottle of moisturiser to Felix, who deftly caught it

"Thanks" Felix cocked his head, something seemed off about Arctus. A moment later he realised what it was "You skipping out on doing your hair? You usually spend ages on it" the Bear Faunus fidgeted uncomfortably in a gesture that seemed out of place from someone of his stature

"Thought I'd give it a miss, Diamond mentioned that it looks good like this" the attempt at nonchalance fooled no-one and Felix merely shook his head while chuckling to himself as he made to leave the dorm

"What?" Arctus demanded, arms outstretched before following "What?"

* * *

Eagle had caught up with Diamond in the corridor and the pair had made it to the academies' cafeteria without incident, simply following the older students converging on the source of free food. The silver haired Huntress kept her eyes open for any of the acquaintances she'd made in the previous days' initiation. Eventually a crop of spiky red hair became visible in the crowd, beside it a pair of white furred feline ears

"Helios!" Diamond called, waiting for her fellow Mistrali to locate the source of the noise before continuing "There's room for Team NEON if you wanna join us?" Nyanza began making his way over to their table before the leader of Team NEON's hand clamped down on the Faunus's shoulder

"I assume your team leader will be joining you?"

"Um yeah?"

"Then we'll find our own seats" without another word Helios turned and walked away, silently demanding his team to follow

"Dude, the fuck?" Diamond mouthed to herself as a crushed expression crossed her face

"What's up with him?" Eagle asked as she swallowed a mouth full of scrambled egg "He seemed cool yesterday"

"I spent a whole summer hanging out with him" Diamond mumbled, eyes following Team NEON "He is cool. I don't get what his problem is"

"What whose problem is?" the girls attention was drawn to the sound of Felix's voice as he and Arctus arrived, taking up seat opposite them

"Helios was being weird" Diamond shrugged

"I've known his partner for years, I'll talk to him if I get chance" the Lion Faunus assured her before turning his attention to the well stacked plate of food before him

"Is he gonna eat all that?" Eagle whispered in a tone somewhere between mortified and begrundgingly impressed

"Eating implies that he's gonna chew" Arctus sighed "He's gonna inhale that" before the conversation could go any further they were interrupted by a deafening shout

"FLUFFY!" before Felix could turn around a pair of arms wrapped his shoulders and squeezed him in a vice-like grip. The Lion Faunus knew without a shadow of a doubt who was behind him when he caught sight of Arctus trying his best not to laugh

"Hey Corey. This is my sister" he explained to his team-mates before shaking her free and turning in his chair. Corvid was currently clad in her combat gear which resembled an all black flight suit with a fur lined collar and leather boots and gloves, hair tied back and her computerised gauntlet firmly attached to her left forearm

"My baby bro made team lead" she gushed as she ruffled his shaggy hair "I'd be Lion if I said I wasn't impressed"

"And sadly yes, that was the best pun she had" Felix added in a stage whisper while rolling his eyes

"You Pun-derestimate my Pun-derstanding of the Pun-damentals" Eagle broke down in a fit of giggles at this

"Don't encourage her" Felix and Arctus groaned in unison which only added to the taller blondes' hysterics

"Okay, lemme see your timetable" Corvid held out her hand, Arctus fished his own copy out faster and handed it to his cousin then watched a grin form across her face

"Double history, break then double combat before lunch and Grimm studies after….not a bad Monday at all….Grimm studies with professor Bronzewing drags sometimes though"

"How come you're not in uniform?" Felix asked, his brain suddenly making the connection

"Second years are all getting sent out on minor mission, Goodwitch wants to make sure we're all up to standard since we spent so much of our first year away" Corvid let out a soft sigh "We're getting lumbered with Team CAMO….really regretting that pity date I went on with their leader right now"

"Wait" Felix looked thoroughly appalled "Pity date?"

"Yeah" his sister shrugged casually "Both our teams went out in the same round and I'd been giving him shit about the fact he's a rabbit Faunus named Carat for months…..seriously, I like puns but that's just cruel" Felix still wore the same affronted expression

"Okay but, pity date? Really sis?"

"Wait….Team CAMO?" Eagle asked with a curious expression "I'm sure I've heard of them"

"Oh yeah, their heavy hitter Maroon made one hell of an impression" Corvid sniggered, Felix joining in as she began quoting the line that had become infamous among the competing students

"THE NAME'S MAROON!

"IT RHYMES WITH DOOM!"

"AND YOU'RE GONNA BE HURTING!

"ALL!

"TOO!"

"SOON!"

"And then he proceeded to get knocked out of the ring in the first ninety seconds" Corvid managed to gasp out while tears of laughter streamed down her face

"COREY! TIME TO GO!" a voice called from the entrance of the cafeteria, the students turned to see a young man in a particularly sharp tuxedo with a gleaming rapier hanging from each hip, stood on either side of him was a dark skinned young woman with flowing white hair whose entire left arm had been replaced with a cybernetic limb and a young man carrying a high calibre revolver and wearing a Stetson hat low over his face

"I give the orders Lux!" Corvid called back before ruffling her brothers' head again "Anyway I've got asses to kick. Bye Fur-licia" with that she sauntered off, leaving Felix grumbling under his breath at the parting shot

"So, you're sister seems pretty chill" Diamond noted before giving Team CLIR a second glance as they retreated from view "Pretty sure you don't dual wield rapiers though"

"You don't" Arctus confirmed having actually trained with the Schnee family sword, Myrtenaster before finally deciding to make his own weapon

"The girl with the white hair is really pretty" Eagle breathed out from behind hands that were currently covering her mouth. Felix gave his team-mates a disgusted look

"So we're all wilfully ignoring the actual fucking cowboy with BAMF written on his belt-buckle then?" hearing this the other members of Team FADE broke down in hysterics

"We were trying to" Diamond managed to inform him. Felix merely snorted and rose from his seat, taking his plate which was still stacked with enough breakfast to feed several teams

"Come on, we still need to actually find our classroom. Let's see if Eagles' uncle is as cool as she says he is"

* * *

"Nah but that was all kinds of bad-ass though" Felix gushed "I mean, how did he even get footage from the helmet cameras of an Atlesian tanks' gunner?" break had almost ended and the Lion Faunus was still espousing Professor Ren's awesomeness, much to Eagle's delight. Arctus and Diamond merely listened with bemused smiles, they could hardly disagree and Felix was far from the only first year student whom the raven haired professor had left an impression on, Diamond was sure he'd heard a passing student utter something that sounded suspiciously like _'Rensexual'_

"He told me once he saved the gunners' life in the battle of Menagerie and asked for it as a favour when he started teaching" Eagle informed them, her smile broadening to comical proportions as they reached their destination, the entrance to the combat classroom

"This is going to be so awesome" she almost squeaked with enthusiasm as Team FADE entered, taking in the several rows of gradually raising seats arranged in a semicircle to face what appeared to be a small arena on a raised platform. The whole thing put them in mind of a colosseum and they promptly made their way towards seats that would afford them a good view of the lesson; so far only Team AQUA had already arrived and their professor was yet to make an appearance. Teams PSTL and NEON filed into the classroom soon after, three members of the latter silently greeting them while Helios merely glowered as soon as he caught sight of Felix

"The fuck is your problem?" the Lion Faunus mouthed silently, receiving no reply.

"Knock it off man" Arctus muttered as he nudged his cousin and gave him a warning glare

"Okay so is nobody concerned that our teacher isn't-"

 _BOOM!_

Diamond found herself interrupted by the cacophony of several mid-air explosions which filled the entirety of the raised platform with clouds of thick smoke, vibrant pink in colour. As the smoke began to clear a mischievous laughter could be heard and a single figure could be seen striding towards the front of the stage. The figure stepped through the smoke and the students realised that they had seen this woman before during their initiation, roughly five feet tall, curvaceous with ginger hair a broad smile and bright turquoise eyes that seemed to shine with glee as she twirled the grenade launcher she wielded in one hand, transforming it into an oversized hammer which she handled with equal ease as she did so

"Holy shit" Arctus gasped in realisation "She was in the recovered footage Professor Ren showed us….she can turn a Beringrel into smoke with one hit from that thing"

"She just shot grenades at as!" Felix hissed with a combination of outrage and sheer awed disbelief, the woman before them finally decided to speak

"I'm Professor Nora. It says Professor Ren on your timetable but professor Ren is my husband, welcome to combat class. Legs will be broken, meat will be grindered? Grinded? Ground? Grundled?….one of those. Either way you will learn and it will be an awesome mess of explosions, knowledge and pain….also pancakes if I get hungry"

"Eagle" Diamond whispered "Be honest with us, we're all gonna die here aren't we?"

"We'll be fine, she's just enthusiastic" the blonde Huntress assured her team-mates

"So for our first lesson" Nora continued brightly, her grin turning feral "You're gonna fight to the death!….Or at least until your Aura is in the red"

" _Really_ enthusiastic" Eagle added without missing a beat

"Also it is my sincerely held belief that homework is a sin against Oum" the Professor, whose class was beginning to understand that this may not have been what they signed up for added

"Sweet" Felix grinned, sharing Nora's sentiment

"Now I've only ever met one person in my life who made it this far into their education without knowing what Aura is and how it works" Nora's smile flickered for a moment, a sad and distant expression taking its' place for a split second before she continued "The various hidden cameras scattered in the initiation area let me see a little of how you function as teams, today I'm going to get a feel for some of you as individual fighters and adjust my lesson plans based on that. Tournament rules, weapons and Semblances are allowed the match goes on until one person is either knocked into the red or forfeits. Ring-outs will not be possible due to the protective shielding around the ring….So, you and you team leaders first" the professor pointed at a Frog and Skunk Faunus whose names Felix learned as they made their way down towards the stage-cum-arena were Aqua Tsuyu and Pepe Le Puce, leaders of Teams AQUA and PSTL respectively. Felix began to tune out as Nora signalled the beginning of the sparring match, he quickly surmised after the initial exchanges of blows that the Frog Faunus would mostly likely take the victory in the long run due to her superior manoeuvrability but that the bout overall would be uneventful.

"So I'm thinking" he murmured to Eagle who was currently sat to his immediate left "Our dorm. Bunk-beds, give ourselves some space….also dibs on top bunk"

"Dibs on the other top bunk" Diamond answered with a shrug

"Oum Damn it" Arctus sighed

"You're clearly too big for the top bunk" Felix snorted

"Shut up Fluffy"

"Oh my Oum you're missing the fight, her Semblance is cool it's like she can leech power from the force field" Eagle informed her friends while watching the match with rapt attention

"Twenty Lien says she takes it" Felix added with a bored shrug as he turned to face her "I'm not seeing any guns on Pepe and she's dodged every punch he's thrown so-"

"And Aqua Tsuyu is the winner!" Nora's voice informed them, sounding as though she were about to burst out laughing

"Okay what did I miss?" Felix asked looking down at the arena below where the professor was helping the beaten Skunk Faunus to his feet

"One of her Faunus attributes is an extendable tongue" Eagle informed him "She hit him in the throat with it and pulled him into a drop kick….so cool" the other members of Team FADE shared bemused smiles, they may not have known each other long but they could all sense that Eagle being utterly overwhelmed by her female classmates was going to be a running theme

"OKAY" Nora bellowed, demanding the attention of students who had begun gossiping about the first match amongst themselves "NEXT TWO TEAM LEADERS GET DOWN HERE….FELIX XIAO LONG VERSUS HELIOS NIKOS"

* * *

Felix set his jaw and drew hack and slash while trying to gauge just how difficult of a time he was going to have, standing across from him Helios drew Olympus Enforcer and shifted it into its' sword and shield form

"Today is the day that the Xiao Long family learns to show respect" the crimson haired teen growled

"Talk shit about my family with no teeth jackass!"

"Hey!" Nora gave them both a stern glare "No trash-talk….okay maybe a little, but keep it civil and fair. Begin!" as soon as the instruction was given Helios rushed forwards, vibrant green eyes almost shining with malevolence. Felix rushed to meet him and was forced to cross his swords and block as Helios leapt into the air and stabbed downwards, failing to notice the faint darkness that seemed to coalesced around his opponent signifying the use of his Semblance; gravity was amplified to an obscene degree as Helios fell, forcing Felix to one knee as their blades clashed

"Not bad-" the Lion Faunus found himself silenced as Helios swung the edge of his shield into Felix's ribs before delivering a punishing knee strike to his face that sent him rolling back. Felix leapt back to his feet and rushed forwards once more, shifting Hack and Slash into their machine pistol form and opening fire as he did so. As Helios took cover behind his shield Felix returned his weapons to their place on his back, anticipating his opponents' next move. As he drew close Helios stabbed at his chest, turning at the waist and moving his shield enough for Felix to barrel into his chest and grab his arm, using his momentum to hurl the armoured fighter to the ground

"GO FELIX!" the blonde grinned at the sound of his partners' cheer only for the grin to be removed by Helios's legs wrapping around his right arm. Felix hastily brought one of his swords to bare in an overhand slash which Helios easily blocked with his own

"You're nothing without your Semblance" the golden armoured Hunter taunted before striking Felix in the knee with the edge of his shield and hurling him to the ground. Felix's hurried attempt to return to his his feet was ended prematurely by a crushing pressure holding him in place while simultaneously forcing his breathing to nothing more than short laboured gasps; he'd fallen play to Helios's manipulation of gravity and was currently helpless. A fact that Helios capitalised moments later when Felix felt the barrage of bullets from Olympus Enforcers' Tommy-Gun form impact against his Aura

"And Helios Nikos is the winner!" Nora announced, Felix took a deep gulp of air as the pressure on his body subsided. Before he could stand the armoured feet of his opponent came into view

"Consider this feud settled" before Felix could demand an explanation he was rendered unconscious by Helios Nikos stamping his face into the floor.

* * *

"Helios get out here we need to talk!" Diamond demanded as her fist thundered against the door of Team NEON's dormitory, Team FADE had taken Felix to the campus's medical facilities and the last she'd seen of her fellow Mistrali was him being dragged out of the arena and into a back room which she supposed contained Professor Nora's office by the combat instructor who had looked utterly livid at the time

"Come on dude" she added in a pleading whisper, seemingly in answer the door swung open revealing not Helios but rather his partner Nyanza

"How is he?" the Feline Faunus asked without preamble

"He's fine. He's already back in Team FADE's dorm" Diamond assured him as she ran a hand through her silvery hair in stress "Broken nose is all, his Aura's healed that but they kept him out of lessons for the rest of the day"

"Yeah probably they know he's gonna kick your friends ass next time he sees him" Nyanza snorted

"Look I don't want trouble with you, with anyone really….Is Helios here? I'm just trying figure out what the hell that was earlier" Nyanza shook his head

"Nah, Ether and Olivine asked around. The Professors decided to put him in isolation for the rest of the day and he's got detentions for the whole damn week….Oh sweet Oum Corey's gonna find out, this is not gonna end well for anyone"

"His sister? But she seemed cool?" Diamond's questioning tone earned her a derisive laugh

"Yeah she's cool, she's also a total psycho. Seriously, first rule at Signal is do not piss off the Xiao Longs" Diamond inwardly groaned

"Great….Look if he's not here then tell him to talk to me when he gets back, I'm heading back to my dorm" with that she turned and made her way along the corridor eventually reaching her destination and entering the dorm just in time to see Arctus and Eagle hurling her bed on top of Arctus's

"So you want me on top of you?" she asked, allowing herself a small smirk at the way her partner sputtered and struggled to find words. She'd seen the furtive glances he'd been giving her when he thought she wouldn't notice and while not currently looking for any sort of relationship the Bear Faunus seemed nice enough, besides it was fun to tease sometimes. Seeing Arctus blush scarlet she turned her attention to Felix who was currently surreptitiously hiding what appeared to be a bottle of liquor and large bag of weed in his pillowcase

"That's not gonna help the headache, you okay though?"

"Yeah I'm good" the Lion Faunus turned to face her his face almost fully healed, the only sign of the early incident being some bruising that reached from the bridge of his nose under both eyes "Not the worst beating I've taken" an irritated huff from Eagle caught everyone's attention. The taller blonde had already unpacked her belongings in a display of efficiency that seemed an odd contrast to the collection of stuffed Grimm adorning her bed and the attentive almost loving way she was polishing Sentinel while the droid chirped happily

"I think your friend is a total jerk, how do you do even know that guy?" Diamond allowed a small sigh to escape her as she snatched her rucksack from the floor and began transferring her belongings to their new places

"I'm originally from Doupeng-He Bishou, one of the nastiest cities in Mistral….well on Remnant actually but when I was fourteen my parents moved to the capital Anquan-Jia so I could go to Sanctum and still live with them. Travel in Mistral is tricky because there aren't many roads between cities and it's not exactly safe. The Nikos tribe are one of the more powerful tribes on Anima and they rent their services out as guides and security for people making the journey. I spent most of that summer with Helios, he was cool….it's a shame he's changed, it would have been nice to have had a friend here"

"You still have got friends here" Felix answered with a snort "Nobody's blaming you for his attitude problem"

"Exactly" Arctus gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze

"Thanks dude" Diamond beamed as she opened her top drawer, the Bear Faunus instinctively looking away as he realised that she was about to unpack her underwear

"Holy Oum why do you have that many condoms?" Eagle gasped as she caught sight of the myriad small packages Diamond was stuffing into the drawer.

"From my Mum, in case I start dating anyone" Diamond's expression remained neutral despite the way her face coloured as she fished a butterfly knife out of her rucksack and threw it into the drawer "From my Dad, in case I start dating anyone"

"….Okay then" Arctus gave an audible gulp before his Scroll vibrated in his pocket. Pulling the device out he saw he had a message from his mother

' _She fell asleep waiting for her brother to call'_ the brief pang of guilt he felt was immediately overshadowed by the urge to _'Awww'_ at the attached image, that of his sister Athena-Jade asleep with her arms wrapped loosely around the neck of an ageing mastiff that was larger than herself

"Oh my Oum that is the cutest thing I've ever seen, is that your sister?" Diamond gushed as she caught sight of the picture

"Yeah it is" Arctus paused for a moment "Okay selfie time, I'm gonna send my sister a pic of our team"

"Sweet, I'll send it to my Mums as well" Felix sidled over, Eagle joining them. The picture was taken and the four of them gave it a brief glance, Felix letting out an annoyed huff

"Oum's sake why am I so short?"

* * *

Yang made her way from the kitchen of the Xiao Long family home into the living room where Blake was currently curled up on the sofa reading. Making her way over to her wife Yang wrapped her arms around Blake's shoulders and kissed the top of her head at the point where her feline ears met her skull

"How was work?" she murmured, drawing a muted groan from Blake

"Some idiot foreman at the docks thinks employing Faunus with prehensile tails is an excuse to cheap out on safety harnesses for people working on cranes….It's like we're always gonna be dealing with this- sorry" Blake trailed off realising she was getting irate, Yang merely kissed her neck

"Don't worry, you know I love it when your feisty….besides it's quiet here anyway without the kids" Blake placed her book on the coffee table and turned to face Yang, cupping her cheeks and pulling her into a slow kiss and taking the blondes' lower lip between her teeth. As she pulled away she gave Yang a sultry smile and whispered

"Well since we're alone we could-" she was interrupted by the sound of her scroll

"Please ignore that" Yang murmured

"It's Felix" Blake answered as she opened the message "He sent a picture of his team, Team FADE" Yang's mood instantly changed

"Oh my gosh let me see….Oh my Oum our baby boy is leading his own team, just like his sister" Blake simply wrapped an arm around Yang and smiled as she leaned into her; her partners' maternal instincts were always fun to watch, taking another look at the photograph her eyes widened

"Hey the girl stood next to Arctus….is it just me or does she look a lot like Emerald Sustrai"

"With Merc's hair" Yang added with a nod "I haven't seen either of them in years; we'll have to tell the kids to bring their teams over sometime….That blonde girl looks really familiar for some reason" Blake examined the photograph closely

"Blonde hair and if you look in the background you can see some pieces of white armour; she might be one of the Arcs"

"Maybe" Yang conceded though she sounded unconvinced, her eyes widened in shock as she looked at the Huntresses crimson eyes and the bone structure of her face; her stomach lurched as the realisation hit her.

* * *

In a secluded yet otherwise unremarkable suburb of New Vale, a single house sat between others that appeared identical from the outside. The locals knew who the sole occupant of the house was and greeted him cheerfully on the rare occasions they saw him whilst at the same time warning their children that this particular house should never be pranked in any way; not that those children ever needed such lectures after seeing the monstrous scythe that the man used as a cane.

The inside of the house seemed ordinary enough, a well stocked liquor cabinet, pictures of old friends and family lining the walls and spare bedrooms always prepared for the not infrequent times that a particular niece and nephew were left in his care while their parents attended to a mission. It was when one entered the basement that the illusion of normalcy shattered.

No such basement appeared in the houses plans, it had been added covertly and contained a gargantuan computer system with several screens displaying different points of interest around Remnant. On one a Faunus woman whose eyes and palms glowed with icy blue light could be seen using the powers of the Winter Maiden to create popsicles for children in Vaccuo, on another the current deployment of Hunters and military forces around New Vale was visible to him, on another a young woman could be seen growing crops from ground that could only be described as a wasteland. Qrow Branwen swigged his drink as he watched over those he had sworn to protect.

The Spring Maiden, the remaining members of Team CFVY had contacted him and informed him of their suspicions that they may have inadvertently located a Maiden when dispatching a group of raiders on Menagerie; he had sent one of his most trusted confidants and his most reliable agent in the field to handle the situation personally, Ruby Rose. She had returned with a bloody gash torn in her face that her Aura, Semblance and additional powers would no doubt heal in days and assured him that their was nothing to worry about, yet he worried nevertheless. Any opponent that could score such a grievous injury on Ruby was no simple raider, there was something else going on here

"I'd ask how you did it Oz" the now grey haired and bearded Qrow murmured to himself "But we both know what the answer is" the self appointed guardian of Maidens often grumbled that he needed to find the new Wizard and teach them to harness their mastery of time, if for no reason than to give himself enough hours in his day; alas he had to make do with the best surveillance system Poly-Tech and the Atlesian military could collaborate on. Eventually he was brought from his musings by the sound of his Scroll, looking at the device and seeing that it was a video call from his eldest niece he answered it

"Hey firecracker"

"Don't _'Hey firecracker'_ me old man" Yang near-roared, eyes flashing red as she held up a second scroll on showed him an image of a team of students "WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE?"

 **Authors Notes:**

Sorry about how long it takes me to update lately, granted the chapters feel a bit longer on average than they were in The Downward Spiral but a lot of it is just due to me feeling drained right now.

Anyway, no morbid shit. Let's summarise:  
"Well we can make a start now but we'd probably have to skip our first lesson so it's up to you?" Team FADE has learned from the mistakes of Team RWBY.  
Imagine 'Uncle Lie' telling bedtime stories to a younger Eagle and any of the other honorary nieces and nephews he has via the Arc family; is it not adorable?  
"They were around for some of it" I think Merc and Em probably told their daughter the truth about their involvement in the war and the fact that they started on the wrong side of it.  
Arctus wasn't jacking off, let's just clear that up now shall we.  
Also, Arctus changing his hairstyle just because Diamond made an off-hand comment about liking it messy….yeah he's crushing hard.  
More Corvid, yes she makes puns….she is Yang's daughter. Also a quick look at Team CLIR _(More of them next chapter)  
_ Maroon from Team CAMO is a reference to Dragon-ball Z Abridged.  
"Bye Fur-licia" may be the single greatest thing I've ever written.  
Yes one of Team CLIR is basically Mc Cree.  
Rensexuality will never die.  
I had fun writing Nora, a lot of fun.  
Pepe Le Puce needs no explanation, surely?  
Aqua Tsuyu, a Frog Faunus….She's Froppy.  
Eagle is the most useless of useless lesbians; her internal monologue consists of a the mantra "Why is everyone here perfect?" and a lot of internal screaming.  
Yeah, scumbag move from Helios there….we'll get into what his problem is next chapter.  
Just how bad ass is Corvid Xiao Long….stay tuned.  
The condoms and butterfly knife, Merc and Em as parents everyone.  
I will sell my….Someone's soul for fan art of that Team FADE photo.  
Yang taking one look at Eagle and trying to figure out why she recognises her….I imagine her as looking like a young Gwendoline Christie but Yang basically saw Qrow's eyes and blonde hair; who else has blonde hair and sometimes has red eyes….  
Qrow's taken up Ozpins job of watching after the Maidens while Goodwitch runs the Academy.  
Qrow now has a Bat-Cave.  
Also that mission that Ruby came back from, not as unimportant as she was saying.  
So yeah, that's who Eagle's Dad is. She doesn't know yet.

Thank you to Shadowalex2000, Ferrous, MarianTheLibrarian22 and FleetOfWarships for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Eagle is Jaune's niece; Helios's Mum was Pyrrha's cousin on her Dads' side.  
Also they're not gonna bang, 'cos well neither of them is straight.  
Oh no I have at least three ships planned for this story, I mean there's only one I'm actively doing things with _at this point.  
_ Yeah the RWBY JNPR initiation team up homage was intentional, especially Felix decapitating the Grimm; it's tradition.  
Bad-ass and Nerdy….yes.  
Oh yeah, Yang most likely gushed for a week the first time Felix went Balrog, funnily enough it was actually Blake that helped him name that trick.  
The Botfly Grimm won't show up for a long time….but sweet fuck when it does it'll be nasty.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	8. CLIR Things Up

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 08: CLIR Things Up**

Corvid Xiao Long wore a determined scowl as she kept a watchful eye on her teams' Aura levels which were shown on the HUD of her helmet

"Iris! Take some of the pressure off Rusty so he can reload!"

"I've got it!" Lux assured her, Corvid merely rolled her eyes at her partners predictability in the situation

"Iris has it, I need you to light the place up for a sec so- OUM DAMN IT!" her orders were interrupted by a Beowolf leaping at her from the darkness only to be deftly caught and blasted to shreds by her weapons; fading away in a flash of turquoise light and several streams of nano-bots rather than black smoke which gave it the appearance of melting like mercury at room temperature. In her peripheral vision she could make out the indistinct shape of what may have been an Ursa fly through the air, hurled by Iris and shattering into streams of miniature machines in much the same way as the Beowolf had; around them countless pinpricks of bloody red light filled the darkness

"I can never get a solid grip on these simulations" Corvid's team-mate lamented

"Okay little lady I'm ready to go" Rusty informed her

"One day you'll stop calling me that" Corvid growled "Okay Lux, get ready to give me a clear shot on the objective and-"

"SIMULATION CANCELLED. ADMIN ACCESS AUTHORISED" Corvid's eye visibly twitched in frustration as she removed her helmet; the protective domed forcefield around the training area dissipating, the tint that she'd programmed into it that had left Team CLIR fighting in near total darkness being replaced by the fading light of the setting sun

"Wow, we must have been out here for hours" Iris noted. Corvid's team approached her stowing their weapons, they had elected to use the arena situated on the rear of the hovering platform that Halo Academy occupied rather than one of the combat classrooms due to it's hard-light projectors allowing for a vast array of simulations to be run, including one that suited their needs

"Yeah you were" a new but not unfamiliar voice noted with a snort "That's why I turned that mission off early, I need this in working order for tomorrow"

"Professor Nora" Corvid's tense expression faded, replaced with a bright smile for her favourite teacher

"Are you okay Corey?" Nora asked giving her student a concerned once over, seeing nothing immediately wrong but still a little uneasy at the extremes that Corvid was apparently pushing her team to

"She's been working us like damned pack mules" Rusty drawled in his distinctive accent as he stretched and draped an arm around Lux's shoulder

"Team CLIR can't fight in the dark" Corvid answered simply "It's something that was picked up on in our assessment, spending so much time in Mistral last year means we never had any practice night fighting and we don't have any Faunus on the team so we don't have enhanced senses to fall back on. I'm just trying to remedy that"

"I understand that" the red-headed professor sighed "But you've had Team CLIR training after hours every day this week. You need rest to function" Rusty merely snorted at the gentle rebuke

"If I had my way we'd be doing that right now but Corey's ornery…..trying to change her mind once it's made up is like herding cats" Lux and Iris gave chuckles that indicated that they shared the sentiment, Corvid merely shrugged

"You'll thank me when it saves your damn lives one day" Nora watched the interaction between the team for a moment with a grin before giving them the information that she'd interrupted the training session to deliver in the first place

"Team CLIR is excused from all lessons tomorrow so you can catch up on some rest, report to my office at lunch break" this caught the teens attention

"We've got a mission?" Corvid asked eagerly, stormy grey eyes lighting up with enthusiasm

"Not exactly" Nora replied with a mischievous smile and a wink "Tomorrow is the first Friday of the semester….there are legs to be broken for the sake of tradition" with that she turned on her heel and skipped merrily away leaving the confused team of students in her wake; each of their eyes widening when they realised what they professor meant.

* * *

Team FADE had been the first to reach the combat classroom, they had the lesson on Mondays, Wednesdays and a double period last thing on a Friday and all four members would happily admit that the lessons taught by Professors Lie and Nora Ren were tied for position as their favourite. Being the first students present they were the ones to discover the locked door with a note affixed to it written in Professor Nora's messy scrawl

"There's an outside arena?" Felix asked with a confused expression "Did any of you three know that?"

"Uh….yeah" Eagle admitted

"Dude seriously?" Diamond shook her head "I know our dorm is facing the other way but how do you miss a big arena in the back yard?" the question was met with a derisive snort that caused Team FADE to turn and see Team NEON leading the rest of their classmates to the usual classroom, the snort having come from Helios

"Got something to say?" Felix snarled, volume increasing with each word as he rounded on the Mistrali; tail raising in agitation. Helios merely cocked his head and stepped forwards

"Suppose I did?"

"Oh for Oum's sake. No" Diamond stepped between them "You two are not butting heads every few days. Nyanza help me out here" she implored the feline Faunus who slung an arm around his partner and leaders' shoulder gently pulling him back while giving his old friend an apologetic smile

"Come on guys, it'd be fun if I wasn't in the middle of it….but I am" the assembled crowd shared a collective laugh at the pale Faunus's comment, Ether and Olivine put themselves between the would be combatants as Arctus placed a firm hand on his cousins' shoulder; all earning themselves a silently mouthed _'Thank you'_ from Diamond. The class of first year students began the relatively short journey from their usual classroom to the rear of the campus, Team FADE trailing behind.

"Damn, how _did_ I miss this?" Felix wondered aloud as he entered the miniature colosseum where Professor was already waiting with them, wearing a bright smile and holding what appeared to be an absurdly oversized tub of popcorn; a sight which caused more than a few nervous glances between the class

"Come on, come on….we've got an interesting lesson planned for today. That everybody? Good" Nora's eyes glinted with barely contained anticipation and glee as the sixteen students took seats, congregating in one section of the stands looking down at the arena which was far larger than the one in their usual classroom and had several more advanced looking banks of machines and computer terminals rigged around it. Seeing that her students were ready Nora rocked back on her heels and began

"Congratulations on completing your first week at Halo Academy, you've done well so far but now it's time for a lesson that's something of a tradition. This is where any cockiness you've developed gets knocked out of you and you get an idea of how far you've got to go and how fast you need to get there" turquoise eyes scanned the small crowd, surveying students that seemed equal parts nervous and excited "Today a class of first year students will be facing off one on one, one at a time against a team of second years so that you can understand what's expected of you….I pick Team FADE!"  
"Go time!" Felix could be seen in the crowd, seemingly raring to go. That would change, looking over her shoulder to she continued "Their opponents will be Team CLIR!"

* * *

Arctus's heart leapt into his throat and stomach plummeted as the four older students emerged from behind pillars at the opposite end of the faux colosseum. Turning to face Felix revealed that the blood had rushed from the Lion Faunus's face

"Fuck" the single word escaping Felix's lips utterly failed to capture the dread that had consumed the pair of them

"So we're up against your sisters' team, that's cool. Any tips on how to fight 'em?" Eagle's bright tone fizzled out as she caught sight of the harrowed expression her partner wore. Felix responded with a grim laugh

"You don't fight Corvid, you run from Corvid"

"Oh come on dude" Diamond snorted "She can't be that-"

"She is" Arctus assured her, expression slowly becoming as bleak as his cousins', it was at that point that Corvid herself decided to remind the first years of her presence

"Come on Fluffy, let's not make this any more painful than it has to be" the sweet smile on her face utterly failed to match that sentiment as she continued "I'm gonna count to five and if one of your team isn't down here I start telling your whole class embarrassing childhood stories"

"Okay I might just stay here then" Diamond laughed

"One" Team FADE shared looks, each silently willing someone else to go first

"Two" Arctus seemed to half rise from his seat before his nerve failed him

"Three"

"Oh for Oum's sake we look like a bunch of idiots here" Diamond snapped, her patience finally running out, she leapt to her feet and withdrew Lex Talionis from its' usual resting place on her back and made her way towards the arena.

Diamond and Corvid faced each other, the formers' face a mask of grim determination while the latter wore a confident smile. Between them Nora was preparing the shielding to prevent any stray shots inuring bystanders, as the transparent domed forcefield began to form Corvid tapped a series of commands into the touch screen of the hefty band of metal around her left forearm; in response a highly synthetic and toneless voice sounded

"Omega Wing inbound" within seconds a low thrumming sound could be heard as Corvid Xiao Long's weapon came into view. The Omega Wing was an an unmanned drone hovering in the air supported by a pair of broad wings housing turbines and thrusters that suggested it was capable of vertical take off. The whole thing was a mix of glinting silver and glossy black

"Combat mode" Corvid ordered calmly, at the sound of her voice the Omega Wing flew behind her and Diamond was left slack jawed as it began to unfold and form what could best be described as an exoskeleton or battle-suit. A glossy black armoured plate slid over her chest, leaving the fur collar of her flight suit and bright yellow scarf around her neck visible. The wings of the drone split into two pairs, the first mounted on her back and incorporating the jet turbines; the second, larger pair were positioned over her shoulders on mobile armatures and housed the directional thrusters. Exoskeletal armour, glinting in the sunlight encased her limbs while the disproportionately long barrels of a pair of rail-guns hung from the underside of her arms connected the rear of the battle-suit by thick cables and ammo feeds. The suit was finished by a black helmet, the dark glossy surface reflective enough that the visor set into the faceless mask was hard to locate, a gap in its' rear allowed Corvid's single braid of hair to trail down her back. The forcefield around them muted the sounds outside but not enough to hide the uproarious cheers from Diamonds' classmates at the sight of her opponents' weapon, as she watched Corvid kick off of the ground and began to hover a few feet in the air she admitted that it was a fair reaction

"Ready?" Nora helped herself to a mouthful of popcorn as she gave both fighters a moment, Diamond unfolded Lex Talionis in its' sniper rifle form and nodded, at which point Nora stepped back towards the edge of the arena; her admin clearance allowing her to create a gap in the forcefield and speak into an intercom

"Begin!"

Diamond was forced onto the defensive the moment the match began, the opening salvo from Corvid's twin rail guns impacting against the ground less than a foot away. In response she leapt to the side and activated her Semblance, wincing as her feet began to burn almost instantly from running along the surface of the protective dome while firing her rifle from the hip and weaving between blasts from her opponents' weapons

"Not bad newbie" Corvid called, voice distorted somewhat by her helmet "Quick question, is my cousins' blatant crush on you mutual?"

"What the-" Diamond found herself cut off as she was an explosive Dust round detonated against the forcefield scant inches away and hurled her to the floor. Gritting her teeth as she rose to her feet she realised she'd been played; rolling away from yet another round of gunfire her cherry red eyes narrowed as she decided how she planned to retaliate

"So you're just gonna stay up there? Scared to fight up close?" Diamond blew a strand of silvery hair from her face and, stood arms wide as she shifted her weapon to its' glaive mode

"You'll have to Sus-try harder than that" Corvid replied with a soft chuckle before firing again

"Okay how about this" Diamond, managed to deflect the shells before they could explode with the flat of her blade "The fact your brother is that scared to fight you isn't healthy; I think-"

"Yeah that'll do it" Corvid almost snarled at the implication before using the propulsion system of the Omega wing to hurtle downwards and deliver a punishing kick to Diamonds' chest; Diamond staggered back attempting to counter with a wide slash, only for Corvid to use the barrel of the rail-gun on her left arm to block before pressing the right directly under the younger Huntresses chin

"Okay just to clarify-" Diamond started

"Don't worry, I know you didn't mean anything by it" Corvid snorted "But still" with that she opened fire.

* * *

Arctus watched as his cousin utterly dominated his partner with ruthless efficiency, the match drawing to a close when Corvid dropped to the ground, countered Diamonds' attempt at forcing her into close quarter combat and simply corralled her into position from which she couldn't escape while unleashing an endless barrage of explosive rounds. He wasn't consciously aware of jumping to his feet and making his way towards the arena, only becoming aware of the fact he was moving when he heard Eagle calling to him

"Aunt Nora will break it up, she's not going to get hurt!" that was not a chance the Bear Faunus was willing to take. He broke into a full sprint as Diamond dropped to the ground, smoke rising from her defeated form; only partially aware of the shielding powering down and Nora announcing Corvid as the winner in an enthusiastic tone that would have assured him that everything had gone as expected. Diamond managed to roll over and pull herself into a sitting position as Arctus reached the arena, clambering onto it and crouching down next to her

"You okay?"

"Relative concept" Diamond managed a laugh which was cut off by a wince of pain "Pretty bad for an average Friday, pretty good considering I just got shot that many times" the two shared a brief smile as Arctus helped her to her feet. The soft hiss of decompressing air caught both of their attention, they turned and saw Corvid removing her helmet wearing a grin of her own

"She's fine Arctus, she's pretty tough….pretty damn fast as well. But since you rushed down here that makes you next" Arctus froze, he hadn't intended to nominate himself

"Go get 'em big guy" Diamond playfully nudged him before limping out of the arena

"Lux you're up!" Corvid called as she began removing the rest of her exoskeletal armour, the Omega Wing returning to its' aerial drone form and hovering above Team CLIR, as she left the arena she turned and silently mouthed _'Good luck'_ to her cousin before placing a hand on her partners' shoulder and murmuring something. A human wouldn't have been able to hear the exchange, Arctus's Faunus senses picked up on Corvid's order not to _'Light him up'_ though he wasn't sure what it meant.

"Okay then" Nora announced enthusiastically "Arctus Slate of Team FADE against Lux Lumière of Team CLIR. Begin!" the two fighters merely circled each other cautiously, Arctus drawing his great-sword while Lux unsheathed his twin rapiers with a flourish and a slight bow. Lux had a slender body and stood at five foot nine with a somewhat waxy complexion pale lilac hair and vivid orange eyes which stood out in contrast against the black of his tuxedo and the muted pale gold colour of the shirt he wore beneath it

"You know you're not supposed to use two of those right? it's been bothering me is all" Arctus noted conversationally as he indicated to his opponents paired blades, trying to convey a confidence he didn't feel

"Oh you're going to show everyone here what swordplay should look like?" Lux noted with a raised eyebrow as he twirled his weapons. Arctus watched his body language intently, seeing the way he redistributed his weight and braced himself

"I might just have to" Lux merely smirked

"Be our guest" he lunged forward, swords aiming to skewer through Arctus's chest. Having anticipated the attack the Faunus threw a glyph in front of himself blocking the attack and robbing Lux of his momentum before swinging Gefroren-Erbe at the older students' neck in an overhand slash. Lux sidestepped gracefully, the blade of the sword in his left hand grazing Arctus's cheek and connecting with his Aura before he thrust forward with the right. Arctus responded with a firm kick to the chest and a backhand slash of his sword which Lux parried with both of his own, a confident smile passed across Arctus's face and he decided to press the advantage and hurled a Glyph forward, catching Lux in the stomach and sending him skidding across the ground. As the older student rose to his feet he connected his swords at the pommels causing to shift into a mechanical bow which was fired without hesitation. Arctus merely shifted his blade into its' plasma pistol mode and blasted the Dust tipped arrow out of the air

"So one all then?" Lux looked affronted at the mere suggestion

"Highly unlikely" returning his weapon to its' sword form once more he charged, Arctus rushing to meet him as Lux prepared to unleash his Semblance. Arctus saw a flash and heard a high pitched scream before his entire world erupted into pain.

* * *

His eyes burned as he opened them and his ears were filled with a dull ringing

"Hey" Arctus struggled to make out the word over the sound in his ears and his vision was blurry, colours muted to the point of being almost indistinguishable. It was Diamond who had spoken, sitting in a chair beside a bed that was not his own. Eventually he realised that he was in the medical wing of the academy

"My eyes and ears-" he started

"I know" Diamond's voice was barely perceptible "The nurse said that you should be okay in a few hours with your Aura….how're you feeling?"

"Relative concept...not great" he admitted "What even happened, all I can remember is a flash"

"Corvid's partner, Lux. His Semblance basically makes him a living signal flare of flash-bang grenade. Apparently he didn't realise just how much more sensitive Faunus senses are. When you hit the ground screaming and Professor Nora had to anaesthetise you Corvid dragged him out of the arena….you're sure you're okay? 'cos that hurt to watch dude"

"I'll be okay, thanks" Arctus couldn't help but smile slightly at her evident concern "Where are Felix and Eagle"

"They had their own matches" Eagle informed him with a sigh and a shake of the head "Eagle got demolished by Iris, her Semblance is telekinesis. She just picked Sentinel up and turned him around to fire on Eagle when she deployed him"

"Ouch" Arctus said simply

"Yeah, that left Felix with Rusty….the guy dressed as a cowboy. Turns out Lux and Rusty are a thing so their fight got really up close and personal" that left an uneasy feeling in Arctus's stomach even if couldn't see his cousin in the medical wing he was doubtful that the leader of Team FADE had fared any better than the rest of the members

"How bad was it?"

"Split lip and eyebrow is all actually. Rusty went for choke holds and submission instead of straight up damage" Diamond explained with a shrug "Felix got a few good hits in as well. They're both at the dorm now, I think Eagle might be trying to keep Felix from going and restarting the fight. If you're feeling okay you wanna head back to the dorm?" Arctus considered it for a moment

"How're you feeling?"

"Pretty good" she rose from the chair and stretched "I mean it doesn't hurt to move"

"Pretty sure you're right about Felix and I'm also pretty sure that his temper won't help my headache….wanna hang out?" Diamond considered it for a moment

"The view from the roof is cool, you can see almost all of New Vale" with that they set off.

* * *

The sound of someone pounding against the door of Team FADE's dormitory caught Felix's attention, causing him to slide from his bunk where he'd been silently seething after his initial plan to track down Lux Lumière had been halted by Eagle imploring him to stay calm with an expression that could best be described as 'kicked puppy' Eagle herself was currently in the shower having claimed that the hot water would do her sore muscles some good. Opening the door and seeing the people on the other side elicited an instant reaction from the Lion Faunus, he lunged forwards attempting to deliver haymaker to the jaw of the tuxedo clad second year before he was forcibly restrained

"Fluffy calm down, he came to apologise, we both did" Corvid released him

"What the fuck was that out there?" he demanded "That wasn't a sparring match that was a beating!"

"And how hard are you going to train now?" Corvid asked bluntly

"What?"

"How much harder are you going to train" she repeated "I'm willing to bet you're gonna be in the gym first thing tomorrow" Felix remained silent. The fact his sister knew him so well was no surprise to him, they'd been inseparable since before their adoption

"What's your point Corey?"

"That's what's supposed to happen. Happens every year, a first year team gets dragged up and given a beating" Corvid sighed "Thing is, that wasn't us being extra harsh on you that's just the level Team CLIR fight at and it's the level you'll be at next year. It's literally just a really simple way of making sure first years don't complacent before they get sent into the field"

"Okay I get it" Felix admitted through clenched teeth before turning his furious gaze back to Lux "But you though-"  
"I already gave him a piece of my mind so save it" Corvid interrupted

"I'm sorry about that" Lux seemed to fold in on himself "I didn't realise my Semblance would affect him that badly, I only meant to stun him for long enough to get around those Glyphs"

"Even though I _specifically_ said not to use your Semblance" Corvid muttered. A low growl escaped Felix's lips before he shook his head and relented

"Y'know what fuck it. I've lost both of my sparring matches this week, I just wanna get my shit together. I don't have the time for grudges"

"Smart choice" Corvid beamed as she ruffled his mane of hair "We'll have to work out a schedule so that your team can train with Team CLIR" Felix was about to enthusiastically agree to the idea, wanting both the time with his sister and the advantage training with second years would give his team, however he was interrupted by another knock on the door

"For Oum's sake what now" he grumbled, opening it revealed Nyanza, the feline Faunus's choice of clothes clearly implying that he was going out

"First Friday night living in New Vale" his pale green eyes sparkled with mischief "I'm heading out into the city to find some clubs. No bouncers ever ask me for I.D….I'm just lucky like that" Felix rolled his eyes knowing full well that his old friend used his Semblance whenever he entered nightclubs and had been doing so since he was fourteen, Nyanza cast a brief glance over his shoulder before continuing

"All of Team NEON are heading out….except Ether, he said he's got band practice. You coming with?"

"No he's not" Corvid answered for him "We're training tomorrow morning" she added sensing Felix was about to object; then something caught her eye and she felt both her brother and partner move to restrain her as she stepped through the doorway and began stalking towards Helios Nikos

"Let go, I just want a quiet word….with his kneecaps, the word in question being hammer"

"Corey come on, let's just head back to our dorm" Lux implored her

"Yeah yeah in a minute, hey ass hole, heard you had a problem? Heard you took a shot at my baby brother after the match was called? How about you try that shit with me?" Corvid continued to advance despite several people attempting to hold her back

"Corvid just go, it's fine" Felix insisted, eventually she stopped with an annoyed huff

"Whatever" she made to leave, squaring up to the six foot tall Mistrali as best someone of her stature could as she passed him. Helios's usual haughty attitude had abandoned him, having seen Team CLIR fight earlier he knew better than to answer. As Felix watched Lux lead Corvid away he turned his attention to Helios

"So you wanna tell what your problem with my family is?" he demanded, Helios took a deep breath

"Your mother killed the warlord Tyrian"

"Who?" Helios raised an eyebrow, honestly surprised that the Lion Faunus was unaware

"He was the one who united dozens of tribes to attack Mistrals' capital during the war, he sided with the ones who killed Pyrrha Nikos"

"Right?" Felix was utterly baffled at this point

"Your mother cheated us" a hostile note crept into Helios's tone "Tyrian wasn't hers to kill, the Nikos tribe had justice stolen from them-"  
"Are you being fucking serious right now?" Felix demanded incredulously "You're problem is that somebody whose official job title was warlord ended up getting killed in battle by my family instead of yours?"

"I-it's"

"Nyanza" Felix turned to his old friend "Get your partner out of here before I actually let Corvid kick his ass" with that he turned and went back to his dorm, silently wondering to himself if he would have been better off just staying on Patch where people were at least somewhat sane.

 **Authors Notes:**

Okay this Chapter was actually intended as an homage to Chapter 08 of The Downward Spiral, where Team GRAP met Team RWBY and before anyone asks why I didn't have Corvid and Felix face off against each other….I plan to play that card, just not here.

Chapter 09 will have some team bonding, a little fluff and a catch up with our antagonists.

Now let's summarise:  
Twenty years of technological advancements being shown again, Halo Academy has a secondary training area that can be used to run simulations, a good way for Professors to make sure their students are ready before being taken into potentially life threatening situations.  
Rusty of Team CLIR is based on McCree from Overwatch and will be speaking in as much of a country/red-neck dialect as I can without it becoming a caricature.  
Night fighting training seems like it'd be essential for dealing with Grimm considering that they're pretty much made of darkness.  
Ren and Nora are everyone's favourite teachers (There are other canon characters working at Halo, Dove Bronzewing has Port's old job as there's one other person….)  
I can't imagine Felix just letting what Helios did to him slide, even if he is trying to stay out of trouble.  
If Nora brings popcorn to a combat class you know someone is getting fucked up.  
Corvid's weapon, the Omega Wing. I hope it's worth how long I've been holding off on showing it; In my mind it sort of looks like Vulture in Spiderman homecoming with a cleaner and sleeker aesthetic.  
Literally everyone knows Arctus has a crush.  
Lux Lumière….I was so tempted to make Rusty a Cogsworth analogue.  
"Be our guest" I sincerely hope somebody reading this started singing.  
Lux's Semblance is called Flash-bang, it's basically a burst of intense light and sound that works either as a stun grenade, signal flare or a distraction.  
I was originally going to have all four fights in this chapter but the other two wouldn't really have added anything, we know Iris has a telekinesis Semblance now but this allows me to hold off on Rusty's Semblance until it can be used for dramatic effect.  
"Turns out Lux and Rusty are a thing" that's literally how easy it is to confirm a character as LGBT _Cough_ RT _cough_.  
Seriously I realised writing that scene that the roof of New Vale would have an amazing view.  
Corvid Xiao Long is every bit as protective of her younger sibling as Yang was.  
Helios's reason for having a grudge against the Xiao Long family; it's a sign of him coming from a very different culture to the rest of his classmates, it will be a source of contention but Helios isn't an antagonist in this story by any means.

Thank you to Shadowalex2000, FleetOfWarships and Ferrous for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Helios now knows better than to fuck with Corvid.  
Arctus's crush is adorable and you know it.  
I've got a couple of LGBT ships in mind for this story already….I also have like four different ship-names (When you find yourself tempted to make a shipping spreadsheet for your OCs you've gone too far down the rabbit hole)

I will obviously write the Qrow/Eagle reveal, though I'm thinking of making it towards the end of the first year.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	9. Downtime

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 09: Downtime**

"Okay that's me done for the day" Diamond informed her team-mates who were currently the only students occupying the academies' gym.

"Yeah I'm out as well" Arctus added as he extricated himself from the leg press and wiped sweat from his brow. Felix watched the Bear Faunus from his position by the weight bench where he was currently spotting for his own partner and forced himself not to snort or roll his eyes. Arctus had only been exercising those particular muscles since Felix had made a joking comment about him skipping leg day and now he was trying his hardest not to stare at a yoga pants clad Diamond while she stretched, a task he was failing abysmally at

"See you back at the dorm then?" He asked, quickly returning his focus to Eagle as she gave a grunt of exertion

"Erm….not sure dude" Diamond shrugged as she brushed several stray strands of silvery hair from her eyes "Arctus and I aren't from New Vale, we kinda wanted to spend our first weekend here just exploring the place" at this point Felix couldn't prevent the amused snort that escaped him

"Arctus has been visiting every summer since we were kids" Diamond shot her partner a confused look which he fidgeted guiltily under

"I've spent more time on Patch than I have in New Vale" he defended "And when we were kids it was always your Mums taking us places, I've never had chance to just go exploring" Felix remained utterly unconvinced, shaking his head as a grin that exposed his overlarge canine teeth formed on his face

"Okay cool. We'll see you two later then"

"See you guys later" Arctus nodded as he followed Diamond out of the gym in a manner that reminded his cousin of a lost puppy, something that Felix found comically out of place from someone of Arctus's stature. Waiting for their retreating backs to leave his field of vision he turned to Eagle and promptly burst out laughing

"Oh my Oum does he really think nobody can tell?"

"Come on you've gotta admit it's kinda sweet" Eagle's voice was gruffer than normal as she strained with the weights she was currently lifting. It was currently early afternoon, Team FADE had spent the majority of the morning training with Team CLIR and Felix was currently nursing a shoulder that ached from where his sister had almost dislocated it when she turned his own momentum against him; Corvid's Omega Wing may have been highly advanced but the wings, armour and arm mounted rail guns still took a considerable amount of strength to manipulate with as much skill as she did. On the subject of muscle, Eagle had surprised everyone when she removed the black hoodie she wore under her armour and revealed a truly impressive physique beneath it, complemented by a form fitting tank top

"Ninety nine" Eagle forced out through clenched teeth, face reddening with effort even further, small breasts heaving and well defined biceps and shoulder muscles straining as she finished her workout

"One hundred….and I'm done" with that she replaced the bar and simply lay on the bench for a few moments catching her breath before rolling off and stretching out, revealing sculpted back muscles

"Holy fuck she's buff" someone gasped, followed by an impressed whistle. Felix and Eagle turned to the source of the comment, a familiar white furred feline Faunus, Eagle quickly grabbing her hoodie from the floor and pulling it over her head. Felix's face morphed into a grimace as he looked passed Nyanza to Helios who had accompanied him

"I see your sister isn't here" the crimson haired Mistrali noted as he stepped forward. Team CLIR had indeed left over an hour earlier

"So are we making a scene then?" Felix growled eagerly, rolling his shoulders back and rearing up to his full height; a sight which would have been more impressive if Helios were not three inches taller or Felix wasn't the shortest person present

"No, no we are not" Helios sighed, raising his hands in a gesture that conveyed that he wasn't looking for trouble "I came to apologise" that caught Felix by surprise, the Lion Faunus cocked his head and gestured for Helios to continue; giving a sigh that made it clear just how unused to these circumstances he was and gesturing to Nyanza who, now Felix looked more closely was clearly suffering from a hangover, he spoke again

"This one took me to an….establishment in the city last night"

"It was a rave Heely, say it, say rave" Nyanza muttered, earning himself a glare that held the promise of being forcibly silenced

"We were discussing things, admittedly we were both drunk….your friend holds his liquor well" Helios gave another sigh, clearly becoming aware of how much he was talking around the subject "I am the heir to the Nikos tribe, one of the largest remaining tribes on Anima, I've been raised from birth to retaliate to any threat or challenge to my peoples' position, I know every unpaid debt and unsettled grudge owed to the tribe. At the same time my mother, the leader of our people sent me to this academy to lean skills like diplomacy to prepare for when I succeed her. I've been failing in that, assuming that your family had the same approach to retribution as my people was a mistake on my part, please forgive me" Felix remained silent for a few moments processing what he had just been told, eyes remaining narrowed until Eagle gently nudged him

"Okay" he murmured slowly, secretly considering sucker punching Helios in the face and calling them even "We don't have a problem. We're not friends by any stretch but I'll tell Corey not to fuck you up in the hallways every time she sees you"

"Oh thank Oum for that" Nyanza breathed out, a faint smile tugged at Helios's lips

"Your family seems to produce capable warriors at the same rate as my own….your sister would fit in well among the Nikos tribe if yesterday was any indication"

"Anyway we'll leave you two to train" Eagle chimed in, her usual cheery demeanour seemingly back in place. Helios nodded silently and made his way over to the weight bench that she had recently vacated, removing his shirt as he did so, treating those present to a view of muscular arms and chest covered in intertwined tribal tattoos of intricacy and quality that made Felix's own tattoo seem tacky in comparison as well as countless scars ranging from small discolourations of his flesh to jagged and looping slashes

"Holy shit" Felix whispered out almost silently, Eagle being the only one that heard due to her proximity to him; the taller blonde struggling to suppress a giggling fit at her suddenly flustered team leader as they both the gym.

* * *

"This is place is amazing" Diamond whispered, her usual nonchalant attitude falling away for a few moments as she stood beside Arctus on a bridge joining two gargantuan buildings each almost as wide as a city block that extended into the sky, the bridge being situated over twenty stories in the air and being large enough to accommodate four lanes of traffic

"Yeah" Arctus agreed as he leaned against the railings "I mean the Hive Cities in Atlas are actually each about three times the size of New Vales' capital but they're underground, so there's no views like this. My Dad lived in Eisenstadt Dritte before the war, he says it was a hellhole but he loved it" Diamond didn't reply, clearly too absorbed in the view, the pair had showered and changed then boarded the first available flight from Halo Academy to the city itself, wandering aimlessly through its' multi storied commercial districts and admittedly acting like tourists before stopping at their current location when Diamond had caught sight of the way the gleaming towers reflected the late afternoon sun, bathing New Vale in a golden glow. Arctus's attention was directed elsewhere, namely at Diamond herself and the way her cherry red eyes seemed to light up when she smiled. She was in a word breathtaking. Catching himself staring he looked away before an idea struck him and he pulled his scroll from his pocket

"Selfie?" he asked "I did tell my sister that I'd keep sending 'em"

"Sure" Diamond flashed him a bright grin and Arctus groaned internally at the affect his partner had on him before daring to wrap his free arm around her shoulders and taking the photo, Diamond used his distractedness to poke her tongue out at the camera and raise two fingers behind Arctus's head. They both shared a smile at the image before he did send it to Athena-Jade's scroll. Diamond cast her eyes around before giving a soft huff

"One problem with this place though, it must take ages to get anywhere with the size of it, Mistral's cities are all pretty small in comparison" Arctus raised an eyebrow

"Really I thought you'd have loved it, a three dimensional city like this was practically made for a Semblance like yours" vibrant eyes widened and Diamond immediately turned her attention back to the sprawling metropolis around her suddenly seeing its' vastness as a wealth of opportunities, and they hadn't even explored any of the other anti-gravity platforms yet.

"Dude you're a genius" Diamond laughed before promptly hauling herself over the railings of the bridge and making her way towards the nearest building, shuffling along the outside edge

"Diamond what are you-" and then she leapt. Arctus was left open mouthed with his heart racing as he watched his partner fall four stories before her feet connected with the surface of the building

"Come on dude, catch up!" she called over her shoulder as she began walking along the circumference of the gigantic structure, unhindered by gravity

"I….I mean" the Bear Faunus struggled to form a coherent sentence before finally shrugging "Y'know what fine" with that he leapt over the railings, casting a Glyph large enough to support himself in the air and directed himself to where Diamond stood

"So" she gave him a wink "Where're we going?"

"Pretty sure this was your idea" he pointed out, torn between exasperation and sheer adoration for his partner and how awesome she was

"Well I'm not sure, but let's find out" with that she set off, Arctus trailing behind her shaking his head in disbelief. As they traversed the exterior of the building both of them found their attention caught by something, albeit different things

"Oh, there's actually a mall in here by the looks of it" Diamond motioned to a sign displaying the names and logos of several chain stores jutting out of the wall ahead and several floors above, though it appeared to be to her right due to her current position

"Yeah but we might have a problem" the Faunus indicated into the distance where the sun was striking something in the air which his superior senses could more easily distinguish "There's a police Bull-Head coming this way. I'm not completely sure but we're probably breaking some kind of law right now"

"Damn it" she hissed out as her eyes narrowed, straining to pick out the craft "Come on" with that she reached out and grabbed Arctus's hand and increased her pace to a brisk jog pulling her partner along behind him, still balancing on his hovering Glyph; a soft giggle escaping her lips as she did so.

"Where are we going?" Arctus asked, unable to stop his own laugh

"Right there" Diamond pointed to an open window and ran towards it, promptly leaping through it, Arctus, naturally followed.

"Where the-"

"We're in a store room" Arctus answered, pre-empting Diamond's question

"Dude, your eyes are something else"

"Yours are pretty….um, yeah" the Bear Faunus trailed off. His partner merely pulled him along searching for the exit to the storeroom, letting out a sigh of relief as they found it was open and shushing her Bear Faunus she was still leading by the hand as they ducked behind the shelves of what they now realised was a small, rather dusty showroom for countless musical instruments, speakers and microphones. Every inch of wall space that was not dedicated to shelves and display cases was covered in countless posters and fliers

"Dude, this place is awesome" Diamond whispered giddily "I wish I brought my bass with me"

"You play bass?" Arctus asked, heart still pounding from the physical contact his partner had initiated

"Yeah, I've got a Coal-Metalman Z at home….I mean I wasn't great but I still wish I had room to pack it" cherry eyes scanned through the multitude of posters before a gasp escaped her

"Dude Raphael Lake were playing in New Vale like a month ago….And we missed it"

"You listen to Raphael Lake?" Arctus raised an eyebrow, their music was more laid back than the music he associated with his partner

"Oh my Oum they're may favourite band. The 'Black lightning' album is a classic"

"Agreed"

"Well damn dude, we might just be able to salvage a half decent playlist out of your collection after all" she stuck her tongue out before turning back to the fliers, her eye caught by a vividly coloured advert for a concert taking place on one of the anti-gravity platforms that very evening. Eyes twinkling with mischief she gave Arctus a far too innocent smile

"Hey big guy….ever been in a mosh pit before?"

* * *

Eagle was perched on her bunk, an oil soaked rag wrapped around her hands and a spare screwdriver clenched between her teeth as she finished up her work

"Da-doot, doot doot" the droid positioned between her knees chirped happily as she completed the task of reattaching the side panel of Sentinel's cranium

"Yeah you too buddy" Eagle beamed as she deposited the rag and tools in a maintenance kit she kept stashed under her bed. Sentinel looked as good as new, the various scuffs, dents and scratches that his armoured exterior had acquired over the course of the first week of term removed and his metallic and pristine white surfaces gleaming in the light, all that remained was to reload the mini-gun he carried. She'd been working on her weapon carrying companion since leaving the shower after training, Felix had spent his Saturday catching up with the lesson he'd missed out on while in the medical wing earlier in the week, laughing at the simplicity of the assignment on Beowolf anatomy Professor Bronzewing had given the class while smoking something Eagle was almost certain was not a cigarette judging by the pungent smell that still hung in the air despite her opening a window. Her partner was currently using the shower having finished the assignment. A grin formed on her face as she watched Sentinel trundle around the room, bleeping and chirping animatedly while she absent-mindedly pondered what to do with the remainder of her first Saturday at Halo Academy, checking the wall mounted clock revealed that late afternoon had begun to blur into early evening

"Wonder what Uncle Lie and Aunt Nora are doing" she murmured to herself, barely aware that she'd spoken the words aloud while she considered searching for their personal quarters considering she doubted that they'd be in the staff room on a weekend; her train of though was derailed by a knock on the door

"Can you get that, I'll be out in a sec" Felix called from the bathroom

"Okay" she replied as she was already making her way to the door, opening it revealing a now familiar pair of second years

"Hey, Eagle right?" Corvid asked "Is Fluffy around?"

"Felix yeah he's in the shower, he'll be out in a sec"

"Cool, mind if we come in?"

"Sure" Eagle almost squeaked, nearly tripping over her feet as she moved to allow Corvid and her team-mate into the room. The team-mate in question being the source of Eagle's current nervousness. Iris Ramal stood at five feet nine inches with dark skin and eyes of the palest possible shade of blue with flowing white hair pushed to one side framed by a golden headband set with purple stones. She was clad in knee high armoured boots, baggy pants and a sleeveless, high collared jacket with twin tails that descended to her knees all in various shades of brown and tan with a light armoured vest beneath it and the edges of a pale purple tank top below that. Her right arm was adorned with an armoured gauntlet and her left had been amputated at the shoulder, replaced by a cybernetic limb with a burnished gold finish. She was as Eagle had noted previously, exceptionally pretty and was currently wearing a bright smile as she watched Sentinel roam around Team FADE's dorm

"That is so cool" Eagle's freckled cheeks flushed so red that they seemed to glow with the compliment

"Hey sis, what's up" Felix greeted Corvid as he left the bathroom clad in a pair of baggy sweatpants and t-shirt, seemingly to rescue Eagle from her own inability to function

"Not much, Iris and I gave Lux and Rusty the dorm for the night so we're looking for something to do….and for reasons that escape me I do miss hanging out with my baby brother" Corvid paused and inhaled deeply "But apparently you decided to get high, Oum's sake Felix are you still leading that Wukong girl on to get free weed and drink?"

"I'm not leading her on!" Felix insisted "And I paid for this….Just not the full price"

"You're a fucking scumbag bro" Corvid retorted, the insult less severe due to the fact his sister couldn't restrain herself from laughing when she said it

"So what are you two planning on doing tonight?" Iris asked

"We didn't actually have anything planned, you can stay if you like" Eagle answered quickly, expression hopeful

"Cool" Corvid looked thoughtful for a moment before turning to her brother "Y'know what, we haven't had a movie night in ages"

"I didn't bring any DVDs with me" Felix lamented

"I am not going back to our dorm Corey" Iris told her bluntly "Some things I never want to see again"

"I have a few with me, I….I'm just not sure if It's anything you'd like" Eagle spoke up, indicating to a shelf on the bookshelf in the corner of the room which was filled with DVD cases, Corvid made her way over and browsed through the titles before a noise that she would deny vehemently was a squeal escaped her

"Oh my Oum this is perfect, Felix she's got all the Volt Disney classics here" Eagle's disbelief only intensified when her partner beamed

"Sweet, got Lion King?"

"Wait" Iris's eyes narrowed "Isn't that the one with some really blatant Neo-Mantle imagery in one of the-"

"No" Felix cut her off "The main character is a Lion Faunus. You are not ruining this for me" Corvid's face morphed into an evil grin as she added in a stage whisper

"He still gets emotional over the 'long live the king' part" Felix merely turned to Corvid and spoke slowly

"Land before Remnant. Little foots' mother" Corvid gasped

"Anyone who doesn't cry at that is a monster" at this point Eagle was wiping silent tears of laughter from her eyes due to their banter

"Okay, so we know what we're watching" she managed to gasp out eventually "I don't think we have room for four of us on one bed though, so….blanket fort?"

"Sounds like a plan" Iris grinned "Mind if I sit near you, these two are gonna be bickering all night by the looks of it"

"Oh….Okay sure" Eagle forced herself not to stammer as she removed her bedsheets and set them on the floor of the dorm

"See any more of that Helios guy" Corvid asked randomly

"Uh yeah, actually ran into him in the gym" Felix answered with a shrug as he removed his own sheets "Do me a favour and just let that whole thing go"

"Fine, fine" Corvid sighed "Although I guess why" she added with a sly smile that made Felix look away in embarrassment

"Oh my Oum Corey shut up"

"What, we both that if he wasn't such a dick he'd be kinda cute"

"Corey, come on you know I'm not…." he trailed off

"Hey what's up?" Eagle asked as she saw his expression darken

"I'm gay, I'm just not out to everyone" Felix answered with an annoyed sigh "Corey knows, our mums' know, but she just keeps trying to push it" he jerked his thumb in his sisters' direction

"Hey, I'm just saying-"

"Corey don't" Felix growled "I know you were comfortable letting everyone know you're pan, just let me do things on my own terms"

"Okay fine….I just think you're dumb, literally only our Great Uncle Qrow is straight in our family" the Xiao Long siblings sat in silence for a few moments as the DVD started, Eagle eventually speaking

"Hey so, this might seem like a stupid question but; how are you two related? You say Mums' as in plural all the time so are you just step-siblings" Corvid and Felix both shared identical feral grins at the question, it was one they'd been asked countless times over the years and developed a stock answer for. Pointing at each other they spoke at the same time

"He's adopted"

"She's adopted"

* * *

Arctus managed to drag himself free of the insanely hectic crowd, soaked in sweat and panting for breath as the sound of a deafening guitar solo filled his ears while multicoloured lights and smoke filled the dimly lit venue. He'd paid for both his and Diamond's entry to the concert upon seeing his partner clearly looking for a way to sneak inside, though she'd joked that sneaking in was half the fun. Since then Diamond has pushed him into the centre of a crowd forming near the front of the stage as the band and their audience both reached a fever pitch and Arctus had learned exactly what a moshpit entailed. After staggering to the bar and purchasing two drinks he searched for Diamond around the edge of the crowd where they both originally been positioned, breath catching in his throat as he caught sight of her. Her hair had been let down and the silvery locks shimmered when the light caught them as she moved in time to the music, dancing like there was no-one there to watch her

"Wow" Arctus breathed the word out slowly, simply watching her utterly mesmerised until the band finished the song they were currently playing which turned out to be the closing song of their set. Making his way over to her as the music died down, only to be replaced by the cheers of the fans he managed to get Diamond's attention

"Hey, you looked like you were having fun"

"Oh I was" Diamond panted out with a grin, clearly exhausted "You look like your first pit went as well as anyone's"

"Could have given me a little warning" Arctus laughed as he handed one of the drinks over, Diamond accepting gratefully. Moments later the crowd began to become more animated, peering over the heads of the rest of the crowd Arctus saw the source of their enthusiasm; a group of four musicians in their late teens and early twenties each wearing a black t-shirt with their bands logo emblazoned across the chest, a white circle depicting a smiling face with fanged teeth and four red eyes, one of which was winking. Below the logo the shirts bore the name of the band, _'Creatures of Grin'_

"Okay so the next band is up" Arctus informed Diamond as she tried to peer over heads, the lead vocalist grabbed her microphone "I can already tell these guys are gonna be….Oh shit that's Ether"

"Damn it I can't see" Diamond griped, Arctus's response was something he would not have dared had he not had a few drinks over the course of the night; he placed his hands on her waist and simply hoisted her into the air where she manoeuvred herself onto his shoulders and saw that Ether Arashi of Team NEON was indeed the bands' guitarist before letting loose a huge cheer for their classmate. The lead singer, a young woman with dyed green hair and several piercing who bore more than a passing resemblance to Ether pulled her microphone free from its' stand and addressed the audience

"Welcome to the Heritage Concert Hall! We are Creatures of Grin and we hope you're having a good time tonight!" the thunderous applause and cacophony of cheers assured her that they indeed were, waiting a few moments for the din to fade she continued "Tonight's a special gig for us, this is officially our last show before we go on hiatus due to our guitarist, my baby brother starting his training at the Halo Academy of New Vale! GIVE IT UP FOR ETHER EVERYBODY!" The crowd erupted once more, Arctus and Diamond being some of the most enthusiastic among them

"That being said" the vocalist's face split into a feral smile "We're opening up with something different tonight, we're dedicating this one to another famous musician who went on to become a famous Hunter!" with that the Creatures of Grin began to play. Arctus's eyes widened after the first few notes, it was a faster tempo and the instrumentation was vastly different but this was a tune he would know anywhere

"MIRROR! TELL ME SOMETHING…." Ether's sister whose name they hadn't learned began her rendition of the song in a voice that could best be described as beautifully haunting

"Oh my Oum, my Mum wrote this song!" Arctus laughed, Diamond held onto him a little tighter and leaned

"Dude, you should totally send her some of these guys' merch"

"….That….would be hilarious" with no more to be said the pair simply enjoyed the concert together, neither of them having any plans to leave until it ended.

* * *

An Atlesian Knight, its' chassis repainted in the colours of the company who had bought that particular unit of automatons aimed to fire at one of the group of attackers was torn cleanly in half as an axehead split its' armoured cranium, it fell to the floor sparking with limbs twitching as Onyx Ursabane ripped his axe free and followed up with a wide arcing slash that relieved another machine of its' head

"THIS IS WHAT I LIVE FOR YOU SHINY BASTARDS!" another robot took a knee and prepared to shoot the Puma Faunus in the back, it's chest was punctured from behind leaving its' visored faceplate flickering before fading to black as it was hurled backwards by the bladed flail buried in its' back, a flail which soon collapsed into a serrated sword and was plunged through the leg of another Knight, the machine being off-lined as Onyx shifted his battle axe _'_ _Jotun_ _Fang'_ into its' ranged form, which could best be described as an artillery piece with its' double blade folded and slung under the barrel, Steel exploded outwards with the booming report

"Nothing! They have nothing that can withstand us!" Raffia bellowed to the sky as he sheathed his blade _'Hydra Macabre'_ in its' place on his back. The pair of raiders cast their eyes around the otherwise deserted road on the outskirts of New Vale; the night illuminated by flames engulfing one of the pair of trucks that they had ambushed, Onyx's Semblance easily flipping the vehicles onto their sides. Atop the truck which was relatively unscathed sat Hellion, eyes glowing pure white as she saw from the perspective of Marauder, the bird of prey circling overhead. The chassis of the truck seemed to ripple faintly as a dark form oozed through its' upturned surface, he liquid darkness coalescing and solidifying into the form of Carcharodon Gore, his cloak had been shed revealing roughly made black armour covering his chest and upper arms and his signature weapons _'The Red Waves'_ adorning his forearms; cruelly curved and serrated double ended blades mounted in a way that allowed them to move to accommodate their wielders needs. In his hands the Shark Faunus held several sacks filled to the brim with Dust crystals stolen from the truck he had emerged from. Hurling the sacks to Onyx and Raffia he regarded the remaining members of his cadre while nonchalantly skewering an Atlesian Knight which still functioned with an extending blade before speaking

"Take the weapons Onyx will head into that steel hive these people call a city and barter for resources and information. leave their metal men, I have no idea of their value and we don't have the time for dead weight"

"I assume they cost enough to by the pride of New Vale's fighters" Raffia spat venomously "They insult us with these toys, I need an opponent that actually bleeds"

"The time will come" Carcharodon assured the Axolotl Faunus "But not yet"

"We could stay" Onyx suggested, voice gruff and expression hopeful. Seeing the baleful glances of his comrades he explained "If this is the resistance they mount against us then why return home? We have a ship to call home, people to trade our spoils with and a steady supply of ale and women-"

"Have you so readily forgotten?" Carcharodon rasped out "Sol, Aka, Garnet, Clay….Mizu" Onyx's head lowered, the towering Faunus looking more and more ashamed of himself with every name his oldest friend listed

"This is a means to an end" Carcharodon whispered, every syllable dripping with malice "We take the strongest weapons we can from Vale. Unite our people and then our exodus….no, our crusade begins" a sharp intake of breath drew the attention the trio of raiders towards the truck which their fourth member was still perched upon; her eyes returning to their natural jade green and the dragonfly wings adorning her back shuddered as her consciousness returned to her body

"We need to leave" she warned

"What does Marauder see?" Carcharodon hissed

"A streak of golden lightning heading this way, too fast to be anything other than a Semblance" hearing her words the rest of her group shared vicious grins

"Finally" Raffia made to unsheathe his sword, only to be halted by Carcharodon

"Another time, we can't risk this now. Back to the ship, Hellion you know what to do" the Dragonfly Faunus nodded silently and withdrew roughly half a dozen of the countless throwing knives secreted on her person and hurled them at the ground before following her allies. The hilt of each blade was fitted with a smoke bomb with detonated filling the area with a thick and acrid gas whose stench was powerful enough to confuse even Faunus senses; leaving veteran Huntsman Rover Tan thoroughly stumped as he arrived on the scene, unable to discern anything other than the glow of flames from within the impenetrable cloud. Sighing he activated the comm integrated into the mask he wore

"Hey Missy, really wish you could've joined me tonight"

 **Authors Notes:**

This one was a lot of fun to write, even if overtime at work is slowly killing me.  
Also, holy shit the Weiss Trailer OH FUCK YES THE HYPE IS REAL

Now let's summarise:  
Arctus is a lovesick puppy, water is wet.  
Eagle is buff, seriously she wears full armour and carries around a shield that's also a tank. Eagle Arc is a buff useless lesbian, who is also self conscious of her body.  
As someone who is five foot nine I can confirm that we have Napoleon complexes, it's not just Felix, we will bite your ankles.  
That apology probably took a lot from Helios, let's be honest most people can only really see from their own world-view.  
Also, Helios and Felix are both worried about being a disappointment to their Mum.  
Seriously the Atlesian Hive Cities as portrayed in The Downward Spiral were bleak hellholes because they were situated inside of mountains and the government gave no shits about the population, the Hive City that forms the capital of New Vale is the Kingdom's pride and joy and they make it look the part.  
Mirrors Edge has nothing on Diamond Sustrai-Black.  
" _Yours are pretty….um, yeah"_ He is so much like Gangrel in that moment it's not even funny (Seriously Chapter 16 of The Downward Spiral)  
A Coal-Metalman….Flynt Coal retired from Hunting and started manufacturing instruments after the war.  
Raphael Lake and the Black Lightning Album, IRL Raphael Lake's song Vertigo is in the trailer for the show Black Lightning and has been on repeat on my iPod for a few days now.  
Oh my god Eagle you useless fucking lesbian.  
Yes Felix gets his weed and drinks at a lot less than retail value due to Amethyst Wukong having a crush on him, no he isn't interested in her, yes he's kinda scummy for letting her do it.  
"Volt Disney" that is all.  
" _The one with some really blatant Neo-Mantle imagery"_ You know what that's about. You know _exactly_ what that's about.  
"Land before Remnant. Little foots' mother" No seriously, if you don't cry at that scene in Land Before Time, you probably torture animals.  
"What, we both that if he wasn't such a dick he'd totally be your type" and yet again I prove just how easy it is to confirm an LGBT character, any response from RT? what's that? Silence….thought so.  
The (S)He's adopted line; you know damn well they've made that joke a few times.  
She shoved him into a Moshpit without warning.  
Ether of Team NEON, I mentioned last chapter that he had band practice.  
I have no excuses or explanation for the named "Creatures of Grin"  
Death Metal cover of Mirror Mirror. You know you want it.  
Here's our antagonists.  
For Onyx's weapon, think Dreadwing's gun from Transformers Prime with an axehead bayonet.  
Carcharodon Gore has a Semblance that lets him walk through walls, the only one of their Semblances we haven't seen is Onyx's and believe me when I say he earns his position as their tank.  
Ominous shit indeed from Carcharodon.  
Hellion has plenty of throwing knives for every occasion.  
Rover and Artemis 'Missy' Tan, for the people that read The Downward Spiral.

Thank you to FleetOfWarships, ShadowAlex2000, Ferrous and Qtrlbsceci for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Thank you, I do try and make my dialogue as natural as possible. Nothing ruins a good idea like the characters having to act and speak like a badly translated shounen dub to move the plot forward.  
Okay I googled the game Anthem and….nah, although admittedly that is closer to what the original idea for the Omega Wing looked like.  
No puns from Corvid this chapter, but she is probably still the best and most infuriating big sister Felix could ask for.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	10. Forever Fall

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 10: Forever Fall**

It was the Thursday of Team FADE's sixth week at Halo Academy of New Vale. Classes had ended for the day leaving the first year students to work on their assignments or find other ways to occupy their free time; many first year students taking to complaining about the way some of their teachers, Nora Ren and Dove Bronzewing specifically had been almost impossibly demanding over the last two weeks. Others excited about the following day, more specifically that lessons were cancelled and the reasoning behind it. The door to Team FADE's door burst open revealing eagle and Sentinel, both the blonde Huntress and her mechanical companion carrying what appeared to be several packed lunches

"Eagle, in the nicest way possible….what the fuck?" Felix sighed from his position on the top bunk where he was eyeing an assignment from Professor Peach with an expression that implied it had grievously offended him

"We have a field trip tomorrow" Eagle beamed, her enthusiasm unhindered by her team-mates inability to reciprocate it "I thought I'd make sure we didn't go hungry while we're out….They didn't have a lot of snacks but I made sandwiches" Eagle's words came out in their usual energetic rambling way

"Thanks for that, it was nice of you" Diamond smiled from her position next to Arctus on his bunk where they were sharing a textbook and a pair of earphones; Arctus for his part was managing to keep his attention firmly on the task at hand despite the fact Diamond had already changed for the night, clad in a drastically oversized T-shirt that left her toned legs on display. Returning her attention to the textbook while leaning against her partner she skimmed through several paragraphs discussing the tactics employed in the retaking of Vale after it was overrun by Grimm; the assignment had been made more difficult by Professor Ren telling his students that they were forbidden from asking Professor Bronzewing about the subject. With an annoyed huff Diamond rose from the bed and stretched in a way that left Arctus utterly unable to concentrate on anything other than his partner, before climbing onto her own bunk

"Okay dudes, you three can do what you want but I'm calling it a night" her team mates bid her goodnight as she fished her own earphones out of her pillowcase where she left them and began playing the same album she and Arctus had been listening to on her Scroll.

"I'm gonna finish up this paragraph and call it a night as well" Arctus added, stifling a yawn as he jotted down a few notes. Eventually giving up and pulling his Scroll out to snap a quick photo of Eagle and Felix on their respective bunks, sending the picture of the studying blondes to Athena-Jade with the caption _'Field-trip tomorrow and nobody's smiling. Never grow up'_ He knew it was passed his sisters' bed time, he also knew that she used her own Faunus senses to simply stay up and play in the dark. Moments later he was rewarded with a reply from his sisters' Scroll

' _That's so sad. where's the really pretty girl that Mum thinks is your girlfriend? The one in all your pictures'_ Arctus managed to choke on thin air while reading the message, feeling his face redden with embarrassment. A creaking above him alerted him to Diamond leaning over to see what the noise was about

"Oh my Oum" she mouthed out as she read the message from her position above Arctus "Seriously oh my Oum…." she trailed off and shook her head, hands covering her mouth

"I mean…..at least she thinks you're pretty, right?" Arctus tried to sound hopeful

"Dude; I'm gonna go to sleep and wake up in a world where this didn't happen" with that Diamond rolled back onto her bunk leaving Arctus to stare at Felix and Eagle whose faces were hidden behind textbooks and though they hadn't seen the offending message they'd managed to surmise enough to be struggling to disguise their laughter.

"I'll be back in a bit" Arctus grumbled as he rose from his bunk and made his way out of the dorm, slouching as he meandered through the corridors until he found somewhere he wouldn't be interrupted and bringing up his mothers' contact details. After a few rings the call was answered

"Hey" the low, gravelly voice that greeted him was not his mother but still brought a faint smile to his face

"Hey Dad, not working?"

"Don't even get me started" Gangrel Slate grunted "I'm still chasing after those two groups that hit the military shipment. No leads, nothing….Even the Oum-damned White Fang weren't this good at keeping a low profile….Anyway what's up, not that me and your Mum don't appreciate you calling but we were asleep"

"Sorry" Arctus winced, knowing just how little time his parents actually got to spend together due to their lines of work "Just that I only ever get chance to talk to Athena, just wanted to see how you're doing without her spin on it" he waited a few moments while his father processed things, his voice having an unmistakably amused edge to it when he next spoke

"Right, so I assume she's up passed her bedtime again-"

"A good brother never tells" Arctus answered instantly

"Of course not" Gangrel chuckled "So what's she said that's got you calling your Mum?" and there it was, now he was going to have to discuss his relationship or lack thereof with Diamond to his father

"I was just mentioning the field trip that Professor Bronzewing is taking first years on tomorrow, apparently Mum thinks I'm dating my partner?" his voice seemed to shrink and words blur together as he ended the sentence

"Right….and you just had to call to confirm or deny that?" Gangrel made no effort to hide the teasing note in his voice and Arctus was almost sure he could hear his mother giggling in the background

"It's not like that" Arctus sighed "We're just friends"

"And you sound positively thrilled with that" his father snorted before his tone turned serious "Wait….Professor Bronzewing? As in Dove Bronzewing is leading your field trip?"

"Uh yeah, why?" some unintelligible muttering between his parents could be heard before another voice spoke

"Hello sweetie" Weiss's voice greeted him "Your Father is having a hard time being objective about things, we both knew Professor Bronzewing and his team while we were students…..Suffice to say they were not pleasant or accepting individuals"

"What, you mean they were racists?" Arctus asked as he picked up her meaning

"Indeed" Arctus rarely heard his mothers' tone as icy as it currently was "I don't want to colour your opinions of your teachers and I certainly don't want you to cause problems in their lessons unless they do something egregious. Just be careful on this field trip tomorrow, if something happens you may have to rely on your team first and foremost rather than any member of Team CRDL" Arctus couldn't suppress a confident smirk at that

"It's a good thing Team FADE are all Bad-ass then"

"Language!"

"Sorry Mum"

* * *

The students milled about in a loose group after alighting from the pair of Bull-Heads that they had arrived on, Professor Bronzewing occupying the first alongside Teams AQUA and PSTL, Professor Nora had elected to join the Grimm studies teacher and had been aboard the second transport with Teams FADE and NEON. Professor Bronzewing surveyed the sixteen trainee Hunters with his customary squint which had only intensified over the years, a facial injury acquired after the war leaving his right eye almost unable to open. The angular dull bronze armour which reflected very little of the late morning light currently shining on it was of a more heavy duty variety than the suit he'd worn as a student though his black scarf and customary combed over sand coloured hair remained in place. Something that stood out was the left shoulder of his armour which while the same colour as the rest seemed to be of a completely different design, rounded with three spikes protruding from it; those that knew him well recognised it as a tribute to one of the many fallen Hunters whose statues lined the entrance to the academy, Russell Thrush.

"Students" His voice was quiet, but he didn't need to shout his stern glare was enough to demand the attention of those under his tutelage "We aren't here to sightsee. You're here to harvest the sap that the trees within the forest produce for Deputy Headmistress Peach and her ongoing research project"

"What she couldn't come and get it herself?" a teenage voice demanded

"Probably" Nora snorted from her position next to Dove "But then you'd be in lesson right now. Filling your jars should take you just over half the time allotted to you, factoring in for possible Grimm encounters….'cos let's be honest we're bringing you out here to give you a little real world experience before your first official mission; you should have a couple of hours before we head back. Then you can sightsee, now get to it!" with that the students, who were not technically her students at that moment in time set off, disappearing into the perpetually autumnal foliage of forever fall

"I would complain about you taking over" Dove murmured "But honestly this isn't a job for one teacher"

"It would be if the teacher was capable" Nora growled out. It seemed that there was no amount of time that could pass that would lesson her animosity for Team CRDL "I remember our first year, you're a coward, a racist and a bully Bronzewing, always have been. Only reason your friend Winchester is still alive is because Jaune and Pyrrha saved his ass"

"And now they're gone….just like Russ. It's a shame, really it is" Dove could hear Nora's knuckles cracking beside him and almost taste the ozone in the air as her Aura began to flare into life "I've spent the best part of my adult life trying to make amends for who I was as a teenager. We'll never be friends Nora but don't for one second think I'd let anything happen to my students"

"Good" Nora forced out through clenched teeth "Because Jaune's and Pyrrha's family are both in that class. If anything happens to them I'll break more than your legs"

"I wouldn't have it any other way"

* * *

Felix had instructed team FADE to split up, arguing that they would probably find more usable trees if they searched in separate parts of the forest, at least that was the reason he gave his team-mates before taking Arctus and heading deeper into the tress

"So I can't help but notice the amount of sap collecting that isn't happening right now" Arctus pointed out conversationally upon catching sight of the bleak expression on his cousins face and the way his tail swished in agitation

"Yeah yeah, just keep walking" Felix grumbled as he trudged through the fallen leaves, cracking his knuckles nervously and Arctus could tell there was something seriously wrong

"Okay seriously, what's up?" Felix remained silent, pushing on a little more until they reached a clearing, a gap in the crimson leaves with a single moss covered boulder in its' centre; the clearing sat almost at the edge of a small cliff and overlooked train tracks that looked as though they hadn't seen any use or maintenance in several years

"Fuck it, this is as good a place as any" Felix muttered seemingly to himself before to turning to Arctus and gesturing to the boulder "Sit down man" the Bear Faunus shrugged and did as he was bid

"Alright, not gonna lie you're weirding me out a little here"

"Look" Felix gave a slow sigh, seemingly steeling himself before continuing "I wanted to tell you something in private because it's important-"

"Dude are you thinking of dropping out? I mean I know you're sitting at just over fifty fifty in sparring matches but-"

"Okay seriously" Felix snapped as he held a hand up to silence his cousin, mildly affronted at the suggestion that he was considering quitting his training "Firstly shut up. Secondly no I'm not dropping out. Thirdly since when do you say dude?….you've picked it up from Diamond haven't you?"

"I mean I might have but-"

"Oh for fuck sake I'm gay!" the Lion Faunus stood silently for a few moments, watching nervously as his cousin processed his admission. Inwardly Felix admitted that though it wasn't exactly how he had planned this conversation happening it was still a relief to tell him

"You're what?"

"I'm gay….I like men, I know you're sheltered up there on that frozen mountain you live on but-"

"Yeah fuck you too" Arctus snorted "Okay so two questions, first off that's why you didn't do anything about Amethyst throwing herself at you?"

"That and the fact she's fifteen….I'm concerned by how easily everyone seems to overlook that" Arctus shrugged and held his hands out in an expression that seemed to say _'fair point'_ before continuing

"And secondly, is that really what you had us hike out into the middle of nowhere like little red scything-hood to tell me?" Felix was left momentarily silenced before finally responding in the way that came easiest to him

"Fuck off man" Arctus merely rolled his eyes

"Seriously Felix, I think you're more sheltered than me living on Patch in some ways. I mean I know you've got two Mums and Aunt Ruby and Penny are married but my Aunt Winter who, let's be serious, is one of the most powerful people on Remnant is pansexual. I've had conversations about this kinda stuff since being a kid….I'm honestly a little pissed off that you thought this would change anything" there was a hurt expression that flashed across Arctus's expression for a brief moment before vanishing to be replaced by his customary toothy grin

"Patch is kinda backwards I'll give you that" Felix gave a frustrated sound halfway between a sigh and a growl "They say it's accepting and to an extent it's true. It doesn't matter who you are, if you're from Patch then people from Patch will defend you against any accusations from anybody out of town; doesn't mean they won't chat shit about you behind your back the second they're in a room fall of locals though"

"The joys of backstabbing ass-holes, trust me I'm familiar with those" Arctus lamented, his smile turning bitter

"Yeah I learned pretty young that not everybody appreciates the work that Blake does, plenty of people on Patch have got opinions about a foreign Faunus moving to the island and changing the way things are run, they don't mind teaching those opinions to their kids either. I'm always up for a fight but honestly I'm just tired of it all man, I don't need another reason to stand out and be different"

"Wait" Arctus looked disbelieving for a moment "You, Felix Xiao Long who's only five nine because they can't stack bad-ass any higher….got bullied?" Felix laughed, the tension vanishing almost immediately; things felt normal and he was happier for it than he could put into words

"Bullied? Are you nuts? A few people said some things and regretted it, do you know who I am?" Arctus merely snorted

"Yeah….Corvid's baby brother. It's not you they're scared of" Felix opened his mouth, closed it again as struggled to think of a comeback before simply shrugging

"Y'know what I'll let you have that one, let's get this assignment done and go find the others"

* * *

"So are you and Arctus dating?" Eagle's innocent but seemingly random question caused Diamond to cough and spray the soda she was drinking everywhere. Eagle, seemingly prepared for every eventuality on a field trip handed over a napkin before continuing as though the interruption hadn't happened "Because you two are almost always together, like every weekend. I'm only asking because if you wanted the dorm to yourselves I could take Felix for a few sparring matches-"  
"Okay randomly" Diamond interrupted wearing a mildly scandalised expression "Have you ever heard of a Bechdel test?"

"No" Eagle admitted slowly, unsure if there was a punchline she was missing

"Didn't think so" Diamond muttered to herself before turning her attention back to her team-mate "And no, I'm not dating Arctus he's my partner and we're good friends"

"That's cool, I mean I never had many close friends in my home town it must be nice having someone you're super close to that quickly" the blonde rambled before pausing, a nervous look finding its' way to her eyes for a second "But you know he has a crush on you right? I mean everyone can see the way he looks at you" Diamond groaned and slouched over on the tree stump she was sat on, watching Sentinel for a moment before answering. The droid was actually doing most of the grunt work of the assignment, all Diamond and Eagle had needed to do was gash the trees enough for sap to leak out

"Yeah I know he does" she admitted "I just want some time by myself for a while….kinda broke up with my ex at the start of the summer"

"Oh, messy breakup?" Eagle enquired, eager to help despite her total inexperience. Diamond merely shrugged with a slight grin

"Not really, he was the year above me in Sanctum so he was at Haven last year. We never saw much of each other and he got a little clingy when I said I'd been accepted at Halo Academy so I let him go….my Dad hated him anyway" she finished with a soft chuckle she brushed her silvery hair aside before deciding to turn the conversation away from herself "But if we're talking about adorable crushes, when are you going to talk to some of the girls that you're clearly head over heels for?" Eagle mumbled something unintelligible and the six foot tall Huntress seemed to shrink in on herself, pulling her hood over her head to hide her face before repeating herself in order to be heard

"I can't, I don't know what to say….I'll just trip over my feet or something"

"You'll be fine" Diamond assured her "I mean I know the girls on Team AQUA are dating each other….what about Iris from Team CLIR, you turn red whenever she's in the room?"

"Oh my Oum I would literally implode" Eagle squeaked, drawing a genuine laugh from the Huntress beside her "Besides I don't even know if she likes girls"

"Wow….with our luck and inability to function Felix is our last best hope" Diamond thought out loud "That's a mildly scary thought" Eagle couldn't bring herself to disagree.

* * *

Helios Nikos and Nyanza Angora prowled through the discoloured woodland of Forever Falls, the golden armoured Hunters' relief at being back on solid ground and better yet in as close to wilderness as he would find in this Kingdom was almost enough that he could ignore his partners' musings. Almost

"I'm just saying, you know they're fucking right now right?" Nyanza was referring to the missing members of Team NEON who had elected to follow Team FADE's lead and split up. Helios was more than aware of the fact that the pair had 'Hooked up' as Olivine had phrased it

"There are some things I honestly don't need to think about" the pale feline cocked his head to the side while twirling one of his tonfa, seemingly considering a reply

"Fair….I mean she's so small and dorky, who'd have thought she was that kinky" Nyanza attempted to mimic Olivine's voice "Choke me harder-"

"Nyanza nobody will ever find your body" Helios silenced him, vibrant green eye visibly twitching "Let me have today….please, it's like being home"

"Oh, sorry man. I didn't realise it meant that much to you" Helios gave him an unusually soft glance, wistful. The usually stoic and somewhat irate Mistrali looked at peace

"The Nikos clan control a swathe of the space between Mistral's cities a few days travel from the capital and the south coast. We keep travellers that pass through our territory safe and occasionally sell our services to the Kingdom to track down other tribes that have attacked settlements….The only things missing are my hounds Milo and Akuo and the sound of my younger sister pestering me, though I suppose I have you for that" Nyanza was left dumbfounded for a moment before his usual attitude reasserted itself

"Did you just attempt to make a joke?….wait, sister? Sweet Oum there's more of you?" a genuine smile split Helios's face, Nyanza saw it and felt it looked out of place, as if the smile had gotten lost on its' way to a more suitable destination

"Syneffo Nikos" Helios beamed with more than a touch of proud "Thirteen years old and she already has thirty Grimm kills to her name, from a single battle" Nyanza's impressed low whistle was cut short as he heard something, judging by his body language he assumed Helios had failed to notice the sound. A slight smirk turning the corners of the felines' lips upwards as it seemed Helios's absurd training regimen still didn't match Faunus senses, even if his partners' reflexes were far above what he expected from humans.

"Heely"

"Don't call me that"

"Heely, shut up. I hear something" with that he stopped twirling his tonfa, shifting the Pharaoh Mafdet to their pistol modes as Helios drew Olympus Enforcer in its' sword and shield form and the pair stalked towards the source of the disturbance, an unspoken agreement to investigate passing between them. As they drew nearer Nyanza raised a hand to halt his partner and strained his ears, the sound becoming more distinct as he did so. Voices, moreover voices he recognised. Listening for a few moments longer he realised two things; firstly that the speakers were Felix Xiao Long and Arctus Slate and secondly that the conversation was something not intended for his ears.

"Come on" without waiting Nyanza made his way towards the pair, all notions of stealth forgotten as he stepped into the clearing where half of Team FADE was working on their assignment

"Don't look so guilty" he grinned as the pair jumped up "Okay fuck it, full disclosure I heard….enough" Felix's expression darken

"Enough?"

"Yeah enough"

"And?" the tension was written on the Lion Faunus's face for all to see. His old friend simply shrugged

"I already knew to be honest"

"You what? How?" Felix demanded

"Seriously how many times have you lent me your Scroll when I forgot to charge mine? Close all the apps next time. I just thought you'd tell me when you wanted to" Felix seemed to slump, the instinctive urge to fight leaving him in the form of a single long sigh

"So we're good?" he gave Nyanza a hopeful look, the pale feline merely nodded in response before Helios decided to make his presence known

"What are we talking about" Felix's natural bravado returned in an instant

"I came out the closet. I'm gay, problem?" Helios merely chuckled

"Hardly. My people have one motto 'Live free or die in the pursuit' almost everyone in my tribe has experimented with their sexuality at some point. What makes you happy is nobodies' business but your own"

"That's pretty cool" Arctus's murmured admittance reminding the others that he was still there until the sound of rustling and clicking began to make itself known

"Although" Helios growled "You may have made a mistake making your announcement and stand here….you were nervous weren't you"

"Fucking terrified, why?" Felix growled out as he drew Hack and Slash, then realisation hit him "Oh. Oh shit" then the first of the swarm of countless Deathstalkers that his trepidation had attracted came scuttling into the clearing.

* * *

Eagle panted as she sprinted through the forest as fast as her Aura fuelled muscles could carry her. Silently thankful that Sentinel's weight in shield form was offset by stabilisers and extra components hidden within her own armour. Ahead of her Diamond could be seen leaping between trees to save the time it would take to navigate between them on the ground. The girls had received a text message from Felix comprised of a single word _'Help'_ and used the tracking system in their Scrolls to locate their team-mates.

"Sounds like we're heading the right way" she called to her team-mate as the sounds of combat reached their ears, hissing and screeching Grimm, steel clanging against armoured carapaces, countless gunshots and impossibly yet somehow unsurprisingly; bickering. Eagle and Diamond burst to a clearing that had seemingly been forcibly enlarged if the uprooted trees in the vicinity were any indication to find Felix, Arctus, Nyanza and Helios weaving between scores of Deathstalkers

"Xiao Long!" Helios barked as his Semblance rooted an arachnid monstrosity to the ground "Finish it!"

"And steal a kill from you, wouldn't dream of it" Felix cackled while shearing off the pincers of the Grimm he was currently battling with Hack and Slash, their chainsaw blades screaming as they tore through the obsidian substance

"Did you just-"

"Yes he did" Arctus sighed as he charged the still pinned Deathstalker, an over-handed slash carving it apart. Nyanza was occupying himself by diving from Grimm to Grimm, deftly avoiding claws and stingers while threading bullets through eye sockets and between armoured joints the way only somebody with a Semblance of good fortune could

"A little heads up next time!" Felix called to Arctus as he shifted his swords to their machine pistol forms and emptied a magazine point blank into a Grimm's face "I'm not that short for Oum's sake!"

"Have a complex about it later dude!" Diamond called down, announcing her presence from the tree she'd taken a sniping position in before punctuating her comment with an armour piercing round through the skull of one of the still numerous swarm.

"You might wanna get clear!" Eagle bellowed as she took a knee and planted her shield in the ground, allowing Sentinel to unfold. As the droids' shoulder mounted weapon primed and took aim she drew her sword in anticipation of the coming attack. The heavy weapon began firing and within seconds the air was filled with the smog of dying Grimm from which several Deathstalkers burst forth in an attempt to tear Sentinel apart. The first met its' end as Eagle's sword was buried between its' eyes. The stinger of the next was left dangling limp before it could be brought to bare by a shot from Nyanza moments before Helios landed on its' back, his manipulation of Gravity causing the monster to shatter

"Xiao Long, why are you holding back?" he demanded furiously

"What?"

"Do the thing!" Nyanza cackled maniacally "Y'know, the thing….where you're on fire"

"Balrog" the Lion Faunus nodded in understanding, handing instinctively moving towards the ammunition pouch that contained his only remaining Nano-bot rounds before deciding against it "Who's got fire Dust?"

"Here" Helios paused his onslaught against the Deathstalkers, having made his way beside Eagle. He hurled a roughly hewn crystal of the deepest shades of red larger than his own hand

"Arctus cover me, I need to focus" the moment his cousin was in position, Gefroren-Erbe it's plasma gun mode leaving burning holes in any Grimm to draw close Felix crushed the crystal between his palms and activated his Semblance. Flames that would have consumed the trees around them flickered and faded as they were absorbed, within moments Felix's breathing became a series of laboured snarls as his flesh began to char and blacken, eyes, hair and fur glowing with golden flames while a web of lava formed between the cracks in his now stony exterior. Eagle found herself distracted by a mist forming around her ankles that was not the result of exterminated Deathstalkers

"Sorry we took so long, we grabbed the Professors and damn that's still cool" Ether gasped out as his form solidified, Ghost Reverie in its' blade form at the ready though he paused seemingly in awe as Felix shrugged off several attacks from one of the largest Grimm before casually ripping one of its' pincers free and burying it in its' skull

"TAKE COVER!" Olivine announced her arrival as she aimed and fired Buster Bravo, the multiple guns rending almost a dozen Grimm asunder in a single salvo, though at the expense of a great deal of their surroundings

"DIAMOND!" Arctus dropped his weapon and rushed forwards to catch his partner as she fell, cradling her as he set her down and throwing a shield Glyph over his shoulder

"Okay big guy, that was sweet but really dumb" she chided him as she aimed and snapped off a trio of shots at the Deathstalker currently assaulting his shield Glyph. A primal roar and a crash alerted them to Felix grabbing the Grimm by its' tail and hurling it through a tree that had managed to remain standing until that point, pained gasps for breath informed them that he had reached the limit of his stamina

"Felix is-"

BOOM!  
The sound that cut Eagle off was a shock wave of such force that it hurled every student in the clearing several feet away from its' epicentre. Arctus made to shield Diamond with his body as much as possible until his team-mate spoke again, her voice its' usual chirpy tone

"Hey Aunt Nora, glad you showed up, I mean we totally had that under control but-"

"Y'know" Diamond chuckled as she pulled herself to her feet, helping Arctus up as she did so "Now I can hear Eagle and Nora talking to each other, I can see where she got the whole rambling thing from" the Professor picked Gefroren-Erbe from the ground and hurled it over to the Bear Faunus as she collapsed her own weapon and helped Felix to his feet.

"Okay let's see. Felix only break out the super weapon if you know it'll be enough, it's not worth the risk to yourself. Helios you have ranged weapons for a reason, there's no shame in ended a fight from a distance. Eagle you don't need to be right next to a gun emplacement to defend it, you're too stationary, Arctus you dropped the ball and your weapon and Olivine, never fire a weapon that big without properly lining up a shot" Teams FADE and NEON were left wearing utterly dejected expressions for a brief moment before Nora broke down, laughing with manic glee "But other than that keep it up! That was cool, there was only a few Ursas here when I was a student….you're doing fine, better than fine to be honest, you're doing great" with that she turned and left, Diamond watching the way she skipped as she walked and nudging Arctus as she realised it was yet another mannerism that Eagle had, mostly likely, subconsciously adopted.

"Okay" Felix groaned out "Anyone feel like helping me collect that sap….my arms feel like I just towed a train"

"Ether, Olivine. Since you showed up late you can help out" Nyanza laughed before pausing and regarding his team-mates for a moment, eyes bulging and then narrowing as he looked at Ether "Your belt is still unbuckled"

 **Authors Notes:**

This story now has over 10K views, what the fuck lol.  
This one was kind of a filler chapter and a fight scene at the end because we haven't had a Grimm purge for a few chapters.  
Next chapter will feature more plot.  
Also I'll say this here, as a straight person I want any of my LGBT readers to tell me if you think I mishandled the scene with Felix coming out in any way.

Now let's summarise:  
Time-skip of about a month, because they're not doing epic stuff every day.  
Eagle is the friend that makes everyone a packed lunch….everyone needs an Eagle Arc.  
If you read Downward Spiral then you know Ren forbidding the students from asking Dove Bronzewing about the retaking of Vale is actually a reference, it was where Russell Thrush died.  
Arctus Slate: The cool big brother.  
Athena-Jade Slate: Hell child of a little sister that can and will embarrass you in front of everyone you like.  
The two groups that hit the military shipment in Atlas, pretty sure you can all figure out who the first one was. As for the second group, well to quote Bane "Now is not the time for fear, that comes later".  
" _My team are Bad-Ass"_ followed by _"Sorry Mum"_ because it doesn't matter how tough they are, the children of Weiss Schnee will not speak like reprobates in front of her.  
Deputy Headmistress Peach, and she's still never been seen.  
Nora and Dove, character development because as much as I love Nora I honestly think she would hold a grudge. Especially in this timeline where Jaune and Pyrrha are gone.  
Yes the clearing Felix and Arctus's conversation took place in was the clearing from the Black Trailer.  
The coming out scene, once again it's my first time writing something like this and I have no first hand experience to draw from so I did what I could and I hope it works.  
" _I'm concerned by how easily everyone seems to overlook that"_ if you want to take that as my critique of certain segments of the fandom, I won't stop you.  
I imagine Arctus has actually a lot of conversations about social issues, considering his position as the son of the head of R&D at/Former heir to the SDC and one of Winter Schnee's most trusted officers who is a) Probably one of the three most influential Faunus on Remnant & b) an ex White Fang officer. I don't think Weiss or Gangrel would allow him to be ignorant enough to become bigoted in any way.  
Patch is, in my mind basically an insular community. It's not that bigotry doesn't exist there, it's just that the bigots will give you a 'pass' if you have the right surname, I'm sure most of my readers can relate to that in some way.  
Felix isn't completely made of 'Fight me'  
Also, brief note the Xiao Long kids call both Blake and Yang 'Mum' if they need to specify which they use first names.  
" _Have you ever heard of a Bechdel test?"_ another instance of Diamond -Almost- breaking the fourth wall.  
I may have Diamond's ex show up in Second year just for dramas' sake.  
Eagle you useless lesbian.  
Nyanza needs an irritant label tattooing on his forehead, he's one of those people that are so much more fun as other peoples' friend.  
Also yeah Olivine and Ether hooked up off-screen. Because they're background characters and I don't have story arcs planned for them it's an easy way to explain where they are when not on screen. Also the ship-name _"Gunmetal"_ is too good to pass up on.  
Helios isn't a total hard-ass, only ninety percent. The other ten percent is homesick.  
Syneffo or 'Cloud' Nikos, as in the cloud that blocks out the Sun. Yes I'm doing that level of foreshadowing….Also, she 'Red trailered' a pack of Beowolves by age thirteen. She's a Grimm killing prodigy.  
Nyanza may be a walking shit-post but he's still accepting of pretty much anything that gets thrown his way.  
Helios has the right idea, side-note how long before Felix gets' the Nikos tribe motto _'Live free or die in the pursuit'_ tattooed on himself somewhere.  
Yeah, going into Grimm infested woods to say something you're nervous about is pretty dumb when you think about it.  
" _And steal a kill from you, wouldn't dream of it"_ yes Felix is that petty.  
A note on Nyanza: Helios said he can't fight, that's actually true. notice in his fight scenes he never gets up close. His Semblance is good luck, as soon as his luck runs out he's fucked.  
Roughly hewn, bad quality Dust crystal….who else uses those.  
Yes Arctus dropped his weapon and run to catch Diamond, even though her Semblance makes it pretty much impossible for her to actually fall….utterly hopeless I tell ya.  
Yeah, Nora just wiped out all the remaining Grimm with one area of effect attack.  
Eagle is 100% a mini Nora, we'll be seeing at least one of her other family members before the end of this Arc. Downward Spiral readers will know who it is when I say _'They can't stay out of trouble'_.  
Nora as a teacher is….an experience.  
That ending.

Thank you to JollyTheImmortal, FleetOfWarships, Ferrous, ShadowAlex2000 and Svette117 for their reviews on the last chapter.  
A _'Noticing Ren-Pai'_ T-shirt is an amazing idea and something Yang would 100% give Nora as a wedding present.  
Would it be strange if I told you I have never built a blanket fort.  
Do not get me started on my opinions of RT and their handling of LGBT characters, my salt is endless.  
We can expect to see all of Team GRA_ I actually have plans for Rover and Artemis to be important to the Year 3 storyline.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	11. Scavenger Hunters

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 11: Scavenger Hunters**

A week had passed since the trip to Forever Fall and Team FADE were spending their Friday evening enjoying the warm weather while it lasted, relaxing on the roof of the Academy; having moved away from the usual spot above their dormitory that Arctus and Diamond had taken to hanging out on, to no small amount of teasing from their friends despite the fact that nothing had happened between them. Currently the four of them were overlooking the outdoors training area where a team of fourth years were training and putting on a frankly impressive show

"I'm not even sure I want to know where you keep getting drinks from, but I needed that after today" Diamond noted as she stretched out and made herself comfortable laying on a blanket spread on the roof, empty containers that originally been filled with food from a Mistrali take-out discarded alongside bottles of beer

"Me too" Felix grunted from his position laying on his chest, studying the technique of the older students below while soaking up the heat from the last rays of the setting sun. The Lion Faunus had been noticeably less irritable since coming out to his team "I don't know how Team NEON can go out on a Friday night straight after combat class"

"I wonder if that's why Aunt Nora pushes us so hard on a Friday, just to stop underage students from going drinking?" Eagle mused between sips of her orange juice, the taller blonde apparently didn't drink alcohol

"Shame it doesn't do anything to Ether and Olivine's unlimited stamina" Arctus grumbled bitterly causing Eagle to spray her juice everywhere and Diamond to give him an astonished look while Felix cackled in a way that could best be described as maniacal

"What? I know I have better hearing but surely you can hear that...Performance?"

"Yeah I just wasn't expecting you to be the one to say it" Diamond laughed, playfully punching her partner on the shoulder. A few moment's later Felix's scroll began to audibly vibrate, the Lion Faunus dug the device from his pocket and saw that the caller was Corvid, answering the call led to his ears being assaulted by the sound of music playing in whatever bar or club she was currently at

"Hey Fluffy"

"One day you'll call me that and I'll hang up" he growled, the only answer he received was an amused snort and the sound of his sister moving to a quieter location, presumably a smoking area outside

"Right now I can actually hear your whinging, I might have an um….unofficial mission if you want to tag along tomorrow?" they way Felix's eyes seemed to light up should have concerned his team-mates a lot more than it did

"I'm listening"

"There's a company Team CLIR did some work for while we were in Mistral last year, call themselves the Scavenger Guild. The New Vale branch got in touch, said they've got a basic tag for recovery job….two hundred Lien each if we split eight ways, you in?"

"Why does this sound like it's probably a lot less legal than you're making it sound?" Felix chuckled, positively beaming at the idea of going on a mission with his sister

"Well they're the sort of people that have business meetings in the shadiest bars on ground level so if you can hear our Mums' voices screaming _'NO'_ that's probably why" Felix suppressed a snort and cast a glance at his team-mates, all of whom looked intrigued despite not being able to hear half of the conversation

"We'll meet you at breakfast tomorrow"

"Smart choice, see ya Fluffy" with that the call ended. Diamond raised an eyebrow

"What did you just sign us up for?"

"Two hundred Lien each….Ever heard of the Scavenger Guild?"

"Oh those grave robbers" Diamond gave an unusually distasteful look at the mention of them, before realising that Felix and Eagle seemingly knew less about the organisation than she did "They pick through old battlegrounds for anything they can sell on"

"What like arms dealers?" Eagle gasped, utterly appalled, Diamond shook her head

"Nah, I remember seeing one of them in Anquan-Jia selling the dog-tags of Mistrali soldiers who died at the battle of Menagerie for twenty Lien a piece, if you die with a weapon in your hand the Scavenger Guild will come and prise it out at some point"

"They have a branch in Atlas" Arctus added "I mean obviously they would, the siege of Lower Atlas, the battle at the Bio-Domes, the destruction of Eisenstadt Siebte, plus all the stuff the Freelancers tend to use….anyway. They sell a lot of stuff back to the military or to museums and private collectors, I actually think it might be where Aunt Winter got the plasma cell for my weapon considering it's practically antique….I've heard they recovered the tanks on display at the Atlas Institute of Warfare and Defence as well, it's a little bleak but not criminal"

"They sold a weapons grade plasma cell?" Diamond's eyebrows shot into her hairline "That's definitely criminal, that's some gangland shit dude"

"Not if you're selling it back to an officer in the Military and there's no firing mechanism attached" Arctus countered, knowing several generous handfuls of random regulations and the corresponding loopholes through his various relatives lines of work

"Did Corvid say exactly what the job is?" Eagle asked, her hesitation written plainly on her face. Felix shook his head

"She didn't say much, just that it's a basic tag for recovery job….Come on it's Corey, it can't be anything stupidly bad" his friends took a few moments to process the information. Diamond was the first to speak up

"You know this is going to involve breaking into the Old Vale exclusion zone right? It's literally the only place there's gonna be anything that's so big it needs to be tagged for recovery instead of just picked up" Felix honestly hadn't considered the where and how of the matter, but he supposed that he should have. He wasn't thrilled about the idea of returning to the site of his initiation but pushed his concerns aside

"So are we going?"

"You're going with or without us aren't you?" Diamond sighed, seeing Felix nod she gave her answer "Fine someone has to be the voice of reason here, I'll come"

"If you're going then I'm going" Eagle informed her partner bluntly

"Fuck it, if I wanted an easy life I'd have stayed in Atlas and worked for the SDC" Arctus chuckled before clinking his bottle against Diamond's "Here's to drunk decisions"

* * *

A Boarbatusk exploded, leaving nothing but wisps of darkness behind it as a revolver fitted for high calibre rounds discharged.

"Nice gun, it got a name?" Felix enquired as Rusty Blackwatch blew smoke from the barrel of the weapon before spinning it on his finger and holstering it

"It's High-Noon" Rusty answered, Iris's partner and the fourth member of Team CLIR stood at just over six feet tall and had broad shoulders and weather-beaten skin that appeared leathery before its' time. His chestnut hair was a tangled mess beneath the Stetson he wore, matched by his scraggly attempt at a beard. He wore faded black pants tucked into boots with ornate spurs affixed to the heel and held up by a belt with _'BAMF'_ inscribed onto it, body armour of an older Atlesian model covering his chest was obscured by a ragged poncho; the hand not currently resting on the holster was clasping the hand of Lux Lumière as teams' FADE and CLIR made their way through the ruined and deserted streets of Old Vale's exclusion zone, Sentinel trundling along beside Eagle as usual while the blonde in question cast furtive glances at Iris. They had arrived at one of the heavily armoured gates set into the perimeter wall, intended to allow Hunters and medics to intervene if a student of Halo Academy was ever injured in the field. The guards at that particular gate had been bribed by the Scavenger Guild, giving the teens entry and a time to return by followed by a warning that failure to do so would result in them being greeted by the next shift who had not been encouraged to be discreet.

"Okay Corey, what are we here for?" Iris asked, her tone implying that this foray into a highly restricted area irked her. Corvid gave a grin and indicated to a duffel bag dangling from the Omega Wing which was currently in its' aerial drone form, hovering beside its' owner

"The Guild have managed to get a hold of some pretty clear aerial photos of this part of Old Vale, a few miles that way there's a downed Atlesian ship that no organised group has picked clean yet, doesn't mean nobody beat us to it but there should still be something"

"So what are we tagging?" Felix asked "If they've given you a bag of transponders they must have something in particular they want" Corvid had the decency to look sheepish for a brief moment before answering

"They've got a buyer, a museum who wants us to tag any salvageable weapons batteries"

"Oh my Oum" Arctus's already pale complexion lost what little colour it had "I'm gonna get shot for treason"

"It'll be fine" Corvid shrugged "It's been here for twenty years, if the Atlesian military wanted it back they'd have come and picked it up"

"Oh but that's not all is Corey" Iris sighed, rolling her eyes as she turned to Team FADE "She wants to raid the ship for some restricted parts, that's why she brought you along; so it gives her more time"

"Hey come on they're getting two hundred Lien a piece!" Corvid insisted

"Dude, what is wrong with Patch?" Diamond demanded

"Really lax law enforcement and not much to do, we tend to get creative when we're bored" Felix answered without missing a beat before turning to his sister "What are you looking for?" he silently hoped the answer wasn't as damning as it was seeming it might be

"The wings and weapons on the Omega Wing actually stretch further than I can project my Aura, the Atlesian ships that took part in the battle of Vale had forcefield generators"

"You're going to steal a full forcefield generator?" Eagle asked in something akin to awe as Sentinel trundled alongside her, Mini-gun performing wide sweeps of their surroundings

"No, way too big" Corvid replied with a shake of the head "I need a few specific parts out of the control panel and probably a couple of the coils, it should be on the engineering deck….hopefully the engine won't have leaked" Diamond let loose a wordless groan of frustration

"Oum I sneak into concerts for fun, this is just ridiculous"

"Sorry for this" Arctus mumbled

"Is it dis-concert-ing?" Corvid asked with a snort, drawing a groan from everyone present

"And on that note" Felix breathed out, shaking his head disparagingly at his sisters' pun "Let's go and loot a warship"

* * *

The eight students stared at the sight before them, the ruined ship was gigantic. After twenty years of abandonment even Atlesian Steel had begun to rust and the occasional birds' nest could be seen built into the various wounds in its' armoured hull. The ship rested at an angle at the end of a deep gouge that had been torn into the now cracked and moss-covered tarmac, destroyed buildings that it had crashed through marking the trajectory of its' fall, as they looked at it they noticed that the greatest visible damage, other than the collapsed prow and missing rear nacelles were a series of wide tears in the hull that resembled claw marks

"Uncle Lie told me stories when I was a kid about a Dragon that attacked Vale and how Ruby Rose stopped it….you think that's what got this?"

"Probably" Arctus shrugged "My uncle Rover was injured fighting that Dragon….looks like he wasn't exaggerating how big it was" Felix and Corvid were silent, both studying the warship intently

"Those missile pods are empty and rusted through, won't even be worth the time to disconnect 'em" Felix noted dispassionately

"The main Photon accelerator would have been under the prow as well, even if we could get under this wreck it probably got ripped off in the crash" Corvid added, pursing her lips "Still, those laser batteries are pretty much exactly what we're looking for if we can get 'em loose" the Lion Faunus nodded in agreement as he examined the weapons in question before turning to his team-mates

"Diamond, Arctus you two are probably best suited to it; see if you can pull those guns off, we'll separate the ones worth taking and tag 'em. Me and Eagle can keep watch while Corey loots-"

"Recovers-"

"Loots" Felix reasserted over his sisters' objections. Arctus and Diamond shared a look

"Okay so how're we doing this then?" the Bear Faunus asked his partner

"I'll get up there and disconnect 'em, use your Glyphs to lower 'em safely. No point breaking the stuff we broke in here for"

"Um, Corvid….how are you getting in?" Eagle asked "Those claw marks are pretty big but I don't think you'll be able to slip through"

"Oh don't worry, Rusty's got a way around that" she nodded to her team-mate who stepped forwards, hands gliding over the surface of the hull. Stopping when he found a small crease between two armoured plates

"Momma always said I'm rotten bastard just like my Daddy" he noted with a bitter laugh that the more astute members of Team FADE noticed caused the rest of Team CLIR to wince before activating his Semblance, known as _'Degradation'_ a pestilent green-brown mist formed around his hands and rust spread from the point of contact across the metal like roots burrowing into soil. Moments later the Vaccuan hunter ripped the panel free, the metal shattering against the ground as it was cast aside

"You got the touch, you got the power. After all is said and-"

"Okay no" Iris huffed, cutting off Corvid before her murmuring could evolve into full blown singing "Rusty's Semblance is not an excuse for you to sing the soundtrack from that movie with the robots"

"Power Metal needs no excuses" Corvid countered

"Smartest thing I've heard all day" Diamond smirked. Lux shook his head at his partners' antics

"Please Iris, just check for targets before Corvid's singing actually attracts the Grimm" Iris chuckled softly as she drew her weapon a hefty morning-star named _'Venus Rising'_ as she activated her own Semblance, a subtle blue glow pulsing from her palms and eyes, the spiked head of the weapon detached and was carried forwards into the breach by Iris's telekinesis; the shaft of the weapon extending into a Bo Staff.

"See anything?" Corvid asked, Iris fished for her Scroll and annoyed look crossing her features

"The jamming in here….it's isn't just during initiations. I can't get a signal" seeing the confused expressions Team FADE wore Corvid explained

"Iris has a camera mounted in the head of her weapon, we send that in as a cheaper and easier to repair alternative to the Omega Wing"

"And now we're fighting blind" Iris grumbled

"Ah well, let's go" with that said Team CLIR made their way into the remains of the ship, Corvid throwing the bag of transponders to be attached to the weapons to Arctus while her team-mates were drawing their weapons and taking care to cover each other; leaving Team FADE outside.

"I can't help but feel like we've been left to do all the actual work" Diamond pointed out

"Yeah, perks of being the older sibling I suppose" Felix shrugged as he began to make his way up the steep incline of the angled hull

"As an oldest child I can confirm" Arctus sniggered, Felix tuned them out and turned to give Eagle a hand, his partner collapsing Sentinel onto her arm and following him in his search for a better vantage point. A few minutes later the pair were perched atop the ruined vessel scanning the burned out buildings for any trace of Grimm while Arctus and Diamond worked below, the Mistrali using her Semblance to hang upside-down and remove their prize from its' position on the ship and lower them onto waiting Glyphs while Arctus stole glances at his partner whenever he thought she wasn't looking.

"Not gonna lie, this place gives me the creeps" Felix murmured "Me and Corey have borrowed stuff from scrapyards before and used to hunt Grimm down in the forest but this is different somehow"

"Wish I had a cool older like sister like Corvid" Eagle sighed "I mean I've got cousins, all my Aunts and uncles and then all the honorary Aunts and Uncles, the Arcs are a big family but it's not the same"

"Still sounds nice though" Felix noted with a soft smile "Corey is awesome, scarily awesome and we'd never been apart until last year when she came to the Academy but I don't really see any of my extended family, I only used to see Arctus a couple times a year. Most of the time it was just me Corey and our Mums"

"It was just me and my Grandparents that actually lived in the house" Eagle explained "Everybody else just used to visit. My Mum sent me to live with them when I was three, said it'd be better for me….kinda wish I knew my parents mo- Oh my Oum I am so sorry!" Eagle's hands flew to her mouth as she realised she was complaining about her relationship with her parents to someone who had been given up at birth

"Don't worry about it" Felix muttered with a shake of his head, nudging his partner gently when he saw her mortified expression "Seriously, it's fine. I might be adopted but Yang and Blake Xiao Long are my parents, how we came into each others' lives doesn't change that" the Lion Faunus's voice became slightly choked as he repeated something that Blake had once said to him. Discreetly wiping his eyes Felix returned to scanning the ground below; his superior vision spotting something that Eagle missed, a dark shape moving through the shadows.

* * *

"Almost got it?" Lux asked as he twirled his twin rapiers in his hands, glancing over his shoulder he saw Corvid still carefully disassembling machinery that he made no claims to understand. Team CLIR had split up once inside the ship; Rusty and Iris departing for the ships' bridge, making a stop at the armoury on the way while Corvid and Lux were planning on heading to the hangar after they were done in engineering.

"Al-" Corvid removed the spare screwdriver clenched between her teeth "Almost" a few moments filled with tense muttered cursing passed before she rose to her feet with a victorious smirk on her face and the last of the components she needed in her hand

"I don't know why I bothered hoping for a quiet year" Lux sighed "I thought with no Vytal Tournament this year and the Centenary celebration at the end of the school year it might be less hectic this year"

"You don't have to be here Lux" Corvid sighed

"I kinda do, you're my partner….impulsive dumb-ass that you are-"

"Okay two things" Corvid interrupted, knowing Lux was only joking but at the same time having dealt with more than enough of his attitude since the team was formed "One I'm a Xiao Long we don't do the safe easy option, we do the stuff that gets talked about in history lessons afterwards. Two, you're making a couple hundred off of this so don't act like you're doing me a favour Lux" the slender teen raised his hands in an apologetic gesture

"Okay, okay. You're my team leader and partner, just 'cos I think you rush in sometimes doesn't mean I don't trust you Corey….Hell you proved it last year"

"Thanks, means a lot to actually hear one of you say it" Corvid admitted with a laugh "And let's be honest two hundred is probably nothing to you, you're not Schnee rich but still….damn" this drew a laugh and shrug from Lux. The Lumière family were new money, the already reputable construction firm owned by Lux's father and uncle having apparently been located far enough from the centre of Vale to avoid the worst of the fighting, leaving them in prime position to be chief among those helping to rebuild the Kingdom and make fortunes in the process. Corvid had been blown away at the sight of the penthouse suites Lux lived in

"I never did thank you for spending so much of the summer at my place….it meant a lot to Rusty, I mean it Corey you didn't see what he was like when he thought he was gonna have to go back to Vaccuo" Corvid's expression darkened at the memory. Corvid didn't know the specifics of Rusty's home life and if Lux knew he wasn't telling, what she did know was that the titbits of information Rusty had dropped over their first year painted a bleak picture of the situation. Lux had told her that he was open about his sexuality to his family, they had no problem with it but they may have taken issue with him inviting his boyfriend to stay for the entire summer. Corvid had simply said she and Iris would spend as much time with them as possible and give them an excuse in the form of training.

"It's nothing Lux, seriously I'd have done it for any of you"

"And that's why you're team leader" Lux smiled, his expression becoming one of concentration as he listened intently "Hey can you hear something" Corvid focused, eventually hearing what her partner had, muted by the hull of the ship-

"Gunfire. Outside, go now!"

* * *

Felix emptied his clips and reloaded at inhuman speed before continuing to fire on the obscenely large pack of Beowolves that had poured from seemingly every doorway and dark place in the vicinity, easily countered trickles at first before a wave of living darkness broken only by bone armour and vivid eyes descended upon their position. Beside him Eagle had deployed Sentinel and drawn her sword, the droid unleashing a maelstrom of fire into the mass of Grimm while Diamond reached their position and readied Lex Talionis in its' rifle form

"Dude don't be stupid! Just get up here!" she called down to Arctus, her voice panicked. The Bear Faunus was currently balancing atop one of his Glyphs, which flickered precariously as he focused his energy and attention on a second, larger Glyph which was supporting the weapons he and Diamond had managed to detach from the ship.

"Don't worry, I've got this" he tried to assure her, sweat dripping from his brow as he cast his eyes around, searching for a safe place to deposit the laser batteries, eventually settling for a nearby roof and using the Glyph he was riding to reach his team-mates

"Was it worth it?" Diamond demanded before pulling him into a brief hug "Don't worry me like that big guy" Arctus managed to catch his breath and draw Gefroren-Erbe, firing burning plasma into the horde

"I just wanna make sure we at least get what we came for"

"He's got the right idea"

"Darn tootin'" the voices announced the arrival of Iris and Rusty, High-Noon dispensing death in the form of high explosive rounds into the Grimm while Iris launched the detached head of Venus Rising into the beasts, the dense spiked metal ploughing through bone armour with ease in a wide arc before returning to her. The pair sprinted across the hull towards Team FADE, the air being pierced by the screeching of an airborne Grimm

"Because of course it attracted more!" Iris spat furiously "We didn't find anything either, total bust!"

"Now I wouldn't say total!" Rusty roared, his Vaccuan twang becoming more pronounced "I got a hankering fer some dead Grimm and would ya lookie here!" the source of the screeching above made itself known, a single Nevermore which Sentinel opened fire on

"Have Sentinel focus on the Grimm on the Ground!" Felix ordered Eagle "Arctus, box it in with your Glyphs so Diamond can pick it off!" his team acted on his instructions and within moments the Nevermore was being riddled with holes. Over the cacophony of gunfire another sound could be heard, metal screeching against metal below them. Felix stopped firing and peered down to see Lux and Corvid forcing open a hangar door before clambering out and scrabbling towards them

"Nice of you to join us sis" Felix noted dryly as he returned to firing, faltering slightly as the nervous expression on Corvid's face

"The Omega Wing can't transform down here, I didn't realise the signal jamming was that strong. Stay here I need to get something out of the bridge" with that she sprinted in the direction that her team-mates had arrived from before Felix could warn her that it would be fruitless.

"Where in the Sam Hill is she….and what in tarnation is that!" Rusty indicated to a form perched atop one of the roofs

"That's another Beowolf" Felix snarled before firing a quick volley at the monster which is surprisingly rolled to avoid, the Lion Faunus's eyes widened as he managed to pick out gouges in the Grimm's flesh and bone from their previous encounter

"It's an Alpha!" he roared "The Beowolf pack is following it, everything else is following them!"

"Well something followed them that can make the floor shake!" Eagle pointed out frantically. Felix realised the truth of her words, stomach plummeting as only one kind of Grimm capable of such a feat immediately came to mind

"Everybody run, get on the other side of the ship! Put some distance between us and the Grimm!"

"What about you?" Eagle demanded

"I'm waiting for Corey….Go, I'll be right behind you" Eagle reluctantly followed the orders, she, Diamond, Rusty, Lux and Iris making their way over the highest part of the crashed vessel and disappearing from view

"That means you too Arctus!"

"Not a chance" his cousin answered firmly "She's my cousin" the argument was rendered moot as Corvid's form could be seen clambering free of the destroyed bridge of the ship and sprinting towards them holding something aloft

"I got it! let's-" she was cut off as the Grimm causing the tremors made itself known, a monstrous Goliath shattered nearby buildings as it charged through them on a collision course for the ship.

"GO!" Corey screamed, Arctus crushed a Gravity Dust crystal in his palm and created the strongest Glyph he could muster, it shifted from glowing ethereal white to pure obsidian as it interacted with the Dust and launched the trio forwards, moments before the monstrous behemoth stampeded through the ship.

* * *

The eight of them had run, as fast as their Aura enhanced muscles would carry them in an attempt to get clear of the Beowolf pack attempting to drag them down through sheer weight of numbers, the Goliath had seemingly sealed its' own fate as something within the ship exploded, consuming it in fire. After what had seemed like an eternity but had in reality been mere minutes they had managed to find somewhere to take refuge, a building with broken upper windows and reinforced ground floor doors. Upon making their way inside they had realised their makeshift hideout was an abandoned police station, much to Corvid's excitement

"So are you gonna tell us what you're planning?" Felix grumbled as he watched his sister worked on whatever it was she had pulled from the bridge of the warship as well as a disparate collection of items she'd managed to find in the evidence store-room.

"We can't go back the way we came, we won't make it in time so we need another way out" before Felix could ask how that related to the various components she was busying herself she continued "Military comms can get through the jamming, I managed to get one from the bridge but it needed a few new parts"

"And the giant claws?" Felix raised a disbelieving eyebrow

"Surprisingly yeah I managed to get something from those, I'm still keeping 'em though" Corvid snorted, she had no idea who Malkavia Pitch was or why the mechanical talons dubbed _'The Nightbringers'_ had found their way into the police's possession but seeing them Corvid decided that maybe the Omega Wing did need a melee weapon after all. Felix watched his sister work for a while longer before leaving her to it and heading into the atrium of the station and swiftly up the stairs to join the others who had taken firing positions in the windows

"Any sign of the Beowolves?" he asked as he approached

"We've seen a few prowling around" Diamond answered, Arctus sat to her left with his eyes closed. The amount and size of Glyphs he'd been throwing had taxed him "Not sure if they're still looking for us, doing whatever Grimm do when we're not fighting 'em or they know we're here and they're just waiting us out….No sign of that Alpha" Felix nodded at her assessment of the situation

"Well the building we left the laser batteries on should still be there, Corvid got the parts she was looking for and she's found enough parts here to cobble together a comm that can actually get through the jamming. Sit tight, we're getting out of here" hearing the conversation Lux made his way over

"Knew we could count on Corey, she's something else that sister of yours….still, Grimm might be the least of our worries" every member of Team FADE fixed him with a stare that was equal parts curiosity and dread

"Dude what else could possibly go wrong?" Diamond demanded, Lux gave them a lopsided smirk

"If we call for evac then we've gotta explain to Goodwitch what we were doing in the exclusion zone….I might actually prefer our chances with the Grimm" a soft chuckle from Arctus got everyone's attention, the Bear Faunus sat forward, opening his eyes

"Not necessarily….Eagle isn't the only one with some cool honorary Aunts and Uncles"

* * *

The various aerial platforms hovering over New Vale had detected the explosion within the Old Vale exclusion zone and word had gone out to all available Hunters in and around the city, determining which of them would be able to assist a rapid response team. Rover and Artemis Tan had been amongst the first to answer the call, the veteran protectors of Vale were now currently sat side by side surrounded by men and women in tactical armour, forming the scouts and should it be deemed necessary the vanguard, the Bull-Head they were passengers in speeding towards the remains of their former home. Rover was running countless scenarios in his mind, determining the best course of action; as one of the very few individuals capable of competing with Ruby Rose in terms of speed, arguably the only living thing faster than the Red Reaper his train of thought travelled a good deal faster than most, however it was disrupted when he felt the slow motion vibration of his Scroll in his pocket and slowed his perception down to normal levels

"Hello who's this….Arctus, hey kid haven't heard from-" Artemis watched as her husband of twenty years' face was robbed of all expression, his tone shifting from jovial to one she almost never heard him use with family, businesslike and efficient "I know where that is, what's the situation on the ground? I need numbers, wounded? Civilians? Type and number of Grimm?….okay, don't worry I'm already on the way" with that he ended the call and found his wife's mismatched eyes boring into his questioningly

"So apparently Arctus takes after Gang so much he just couldn't help but find a Grimm infested city to stuck in" he explained, his Faunus attribute the tail of a Husky standing erect behind him as he rose to his feet "Eight students, Corvid and Felix are with him and her weapon doesn't work because of the jamming, it's only Beowolves down there but it's a lot of 'em by the sounds of it"

"Oum damn it" Artemis hissed through clenched teeth "Okay how are we doing this?" Rover considered for a moment

"They're at the Vale Central police station, pretty easy place to hold. I'm gonna drop down and make my way there as soon as we're inside the exclusion zone. Use your Semblance to guide the pilot to us….or do you wanna come with, been a while since we stomped out an entire pack together" Artemis allowed herself a laugh

"I doubt it'll match the battle of Menagerie somehow….besides, honestly I feel ill, not sure I'd be able to stomach the ride" Rover shrugged and planted a brief kiss on her lips before drawing his weapon, Malis-Canis in its' short handled axe form, the weapon had served him well since his time as a student. The next thing he deployed however was relatively new, steel bands around his wrists, knees and shoulders expanded outwards forming gleaming, chrome coloured light armour plates; the Aura regulator integrated into his chest glowing a more vibrant shade of green as a featureless mask formed around his face, an homage to the scorched and otherwise damaged mask that Rover still kept at home

"Gonna wish me luck babe?" he asked, Artemis grinned and help up her hand revealing that she had already been applying the lipstick for their pre battle ritual, finishing she pulled Rover down and kissed the armour covering his left cheek, her lipstick leaving a clearly visible mark

"Go get 'em"

* * *

Teams FADE and CLIR had made their way onto the roof of the police station, after contacting Rover Tan, a former member of Team GRAP, Arctus's fathers' team, they had learned that there were already transports inbound. The Grimm were massing below them, their ranks replenished by more of the monsters filling the exclusion zone

"Any sign of the Alpha?" Diamond asked "If I can put a round through its' skull this would be a lot less stressful" indeed the lack of airborne Grimm was discomforting, there should have been Nevermore present. It almost seemed as if the Grimm, despite their bestial nature had a plan.

"Nothing" Arctus lamented "It's probably here somewhere, just hiding in one of the buildings….To be honest I'm just keeping an eye out for my uncle-" a dull booming sound echoed through the streets

"Dude what was that?" Diamond demanded, Arctus merely smirked

"That would be my uncle breaking the sound barrier, keep an eye out for gold lighting"

"Blink and you'll miss it" Felix snorted, Diamond and Eagle shared disbelieving looks while the Lion Faunus turned to Corvid "Sis, Arctus's uncle is on the way"

"You heard him team, lock and load. Prepare for evac" Corvid hauled the bag containing various devices she'd acquired over the course of their excursion over her shoulder while giving the Omega Wing, which hovered beside her a dirty look and Felix was sure she would start planning improvements to the drone at the first opportunity. Lux, Iris and Rusty readied their weapons around her

"I can see gold lightning a few streets-" Diamond found herself cut short as Rover Tan arrived before she could finish speaking, leaving a trail of dissolving Grimm in his wake as he slung his axe back onto his shoulder mounted holster. Arctus beamed at him

"Hey Uncle-"

"So which one of your dumb-ass friends thought this was clever" the Canine Faunus's irritation was readily apparent despite his face being hidden "Just so you know if Weiss hears about this then you're on your own"

"Yeah I kinda figured" Arctus sighed

"We have Bull-Heads heading our way" Rover explained to those unfamiliar "My partners' Semblance allows her to see peoples' Aura, considering we're the only people here and I made an entrance we shouldn't have to wait long. But if there's an Alpha here then this lot will go on the offensive as soon as the Bull-Heads show up" Rover indicated to the admittedly diminished pack of Grimm below.

"We're ready for 'em" Felix assured the older Huntsman

"Let's find out" Rover chuckled as the sound of approaching aircraft reached the more sensitive ears of the Faunus present, the Grimm clearly heard it as well as their snarling took on a much more intense edge and the pack rushed at the police station, leaping at the walls and struggling to scrabble up the vertical surface only to meet violent ends in the form of the various blades and firearms levelled against them

"Is it just more or does it feel a lot easier now?" Eagle asked as she skewered a Beowolves' skull, the tip of her sword bursting from its' lower jaw while Sentinel unloaded into the rapidly declining mass of beasts

"Perks of having an actually qualified Hunter on the job" Rover answered as he paused in his own onslaught

"Well that and they don't have air support and a living battering ram this time" Felix noted as he shifted Hack and Slash to their sword forms and brought the blades screaming into life. He tore through the next trio of Grimm to draw near before a voice from above sounded out

"Everybody on the Bull-Heads!" Artemis bellowed before aiming her own weapon Hakai Suru in its' sniper rifle at a Beowolf and firing

"I had that" Rover noted as the monsters' skull exploded

"I know"

"Corey go, get on first Arctus's Glyphs can cover everyone else me and Eagle can cover him" Felix pointed to the Bull-Head that Artemis was firing from, Corvid looked ready to argue for a moment before seeming to realise that she wasn't actually adding anything to the fight and begrudgingly launching herself into the rear of the craft with one Aura fuelled leap, her Team-mates and the Omega Wing behind her, closely followed by Diamond who took up a firing position alongside Artemis.

"Not bad kids, you're pretty well organ-"

"Look out!" Diamond yelled down to them, cutting Rover off. The three members of Team FADE still on the roof turned and saw what she was warning them about, the Alpha had joined the fray; leaping from the window of a nearby building onto the roof of the station and rearing up to its' full height

"I've got it" Felix murmured, twirling his swords

"We've got it" Eagle corrected him, Sentinel collapsing back into shield mode on her arm while Arctus positioned himself on his other side and prepared to create a Glyph. With a shrieking howl of defiance and feral rage the Alpha Beowolf lunged forwards, barrelling into a Glyph which sent it skidding along the surface of the roof. Eagle charged forward, sword drawn with Felix right behind her. The Alpha struggled to its' feet, attempting to raise itself from all fours to its' hindquarters; halted by Eagle's blade piercing through its' left shoulder as she stabbed downwards

"Felix now!" the Lion Faunus rushed forwards and swung his blades in a wide arc, tearing the Grimm's skewered limb away and eviscerating the end of its' muzzle before kicking it off of the roof, into the remains of its' pack. They were amazed to see that the thing still didn't dissipate, merely howling in agony as it attempted to stand

"That is one tough mother fucker….I'm almost impressed" Felix begrudgingly admitted before making to leap onto the waiting Bull-Head.

* * *

The Bear, a bar situated in one of the seedier parts of the ground level of New Vale, an area already considered disreputable was as usual filled with individuals of varying degrees of notoriety; all of them attracted by the allure of cheap drinks, a meeting place that law enforcement knew to stay away from and the iron fist of Melanie Malachite keeping things peaceful. In one dimly lit corner of the bar Corvid and Felix Xiao Long sat at at a table with one other individual, Mousey Clip an individual who was physically unremarkable in every way which was how he liked it, easily identifiable people tended to get caught after all

"Here's the money as promised, though next time don't bring your hanger on Xiao Long" he drawled to Corvid, while giving Felix a pointed glare as he handed over a brown envelope

"This big cat is my brother, he helped me pur-loin that Atlesian tech we've left lying around for you" neither Felix or Mousey could help the small groans that escaped them as they caught the pun

"And caused one hell of a scene, whatever it was you did is gonna have patrols over and around the exclusion zone doubled-"

"For a couple of weeks at most" Corvid waved him off, knocking back her drink before continuing "Besides I brought Fluffy along because Team CLIR are gonna be on our first mission of the year soon. If you need something finding or securing, well his first car won't buy itself" Felix's eyes widened at that and he couldn't help but puff up his chest slightly with pride at the fact his sister was treating him as enough of an equal to take over her 'unofficial missions' while she was away. Mousey regarded him once more before nodding

"Alright, I'll talk to head office. Tell 'em that the beacons were planted but hold off on recovery for a couple weeks and that your brother is on our list of subcontractors" the Xiao Long siblings clinked their glasses with the Scavenger Guilds' chosen representative in a toast to their arrangement, unaware that they were being watched the entire time by a pair of Faunus; one slender with Dragonfly wings gracing her back, the other a gargantuan mass of muscle who carried an axe. The pair turned to each other

"Carcharodon will want to hear about this"

* * *

Rover Tan was sprawled across the sofa of the home he and Artemis had made for themselves in one a decidedly middle class area of New Vale; Scarlet David-Vasilias had offered to cover his patrol for the night and it was not as if the Canine Faunus needed money desperately any more. Absent-mindedly he adjusted his position and made himself more comfortable, the Aura Regulator whose light shone through his flesh and clothing was still a constant source of discomfort for him, though much better than the alternative. The living room door creaking open got his attention and the expression on his wife's face caused him to sit bolt upright. So many emotions played across Artemis's face it was impossible to discern them all but the way her hands trembled made him more than a little uneasy

"Babe?" he croaked out, slowly a small smile crept across her face before growing into a look of pure joy as she held up the small item in her hands, Rover's heart leapt into his throat as he dared to hope for the briefest of moments before Artemis confirmed the news that the pair had waited over a decade to hear

"It's worked, Antonia Arc's people actually did it" tears spilled from the feline Faunus's eyes "Rover I'm pregnant"

* * *

The Alpha dragged its' ruined body through the streets of the Old Vale exclusion zone, its' snarls reduced to agonised whimpers as thin wisps of obsidian smoke leaked from its' wounds. The dimming light in its' blood red eyes seemed to flicker back into life as it reached its' destination; a bubbling pool that spread across one of the countless blasted streets, one of the countless small spawning pits that had manifested in Old Vale. The Alpha, intelligent compared to its' brethren knew that it would die soon if it didn't reach the pool and forced itself forwards step by agonising step until it collapsed face first into the viscous liquid, body convulsing for a few moments before finally laying still; anyone who knew nothing about the nature of Grimm would have thought that the Alpha had drowned, they would have been terribly mistaken. Pinpricks of crimson filled the night as the Beowolves that had followed the Alpha watched, some unknown instinct compelling them to stay and witness what followed. The surface of the spawning pit being broken as the Alpha leapt onto its' hindquarters screaming in victory as its' body began to heal and change. Its' arm and snout regrew in moments, causing indescribable pain. Armour plates grew thicker and more jagged, spreading over the Alpha's chest and the uppermost portions of its' digitigrade rear limbs in a cruel and twisted parody of an ancient paladin. The Grimm grew taller and more muscular, fangs and claws extending even further as front paws reshaped, developing opposable thumbs. As the jutting spines adorning its' back extended the Alpha seemed to sag, panting as the transformation ended. It cast its' malevolent gaze around its' pack mates before howling to them, as the Grimm neared the Alpha did something that would have terrified anyone who saw it more than the transformation had. It spoke

"I….I Phobos! I Alpha! I LEAD GRIMM!"

 **Authors Notes:**

This chapter, was an absolute slog to write.  
Also planning out the story one School Year at a time was proving to big of an endeavour, I know what the overall arc for each year is going to be but breaking it down chapter by chapter I'm going to handle it the same way Vol.1-3 did, three arcs for one school year.  
I think I'll have the three 'Arcs' of year one coincide with the three missions Team FADE are sent on.  
TigersAndRoses has sent me some fan art of Team FADE (And Sentinel) and oh my god it's amazing.

Let's summarise:  
Slight hint that people outside of the friend group are actually starting to think Arctus and Diamond are already dating due to them being pretty much inseparable.  
Nora would 100% run her underage students into the ground so they're too tired to go and sneak into clubs, she's Chaotic Good like that.  
Eagle Arc, six foot tall, sword lesbian drinking an orange juice….In my head it was a Capri-sun.  
Think of the Scavenger Guild like Hannibal Chow in Pacific Rim.  
Felix doesn't consider the specifics because he has an idealised version of his big sister in his head. Seriously look at the way her team talk to her then compare it to the almost reverence he, and to a lesser extent Arctus has.  
" _It's High-Noon"_ that is all.  
Xiao Long puns are back, also Diamond's inner city kid street-smarts meeting the insanity that is Corvid on the search for something shiny and explosive could provide me with hours of entertainment.  
Ruby has become so bad-ass she's passed into myth before she's reached forty.  
This is why I didn't show Felix and Rusty's sparring match, I was saving Rusty's Semblance for this.  
Yes that was a reference to the 1986 Transformers Movie.  
If you're telekinetic you don't actually need a dedicated ranged weapon, you can just throw anything nearby at your target. Which is why Venus Rising breaks apart.  
I had feelings when I wrote that scene with Felix and Eagle.  
Centenary celebration….casual bit of foreshadowing.  
And that's why Corvid was away for most of the Summer. She was taking care of her Team.  
"Darn tootin'" Yes Rusty turns into a walking cliché sometimes and even though he's obviously based on McCree I hear his lines in Yondu from Guardians of the Galaxy's voice...And sometimes Android 13 from Dragonball Z Abridged  
Corvid would have deployed Omega Wing while still in the air during her initiation so she didn't realise that she wouldn't be able to use it in armour mode.  
Malkavia Pitch and her weapons the Nightbringers, now that's a reference to Downward Spiral you didn't expect to see.  
I think I'm going to make a theme of Corvid upgrading the Omega Wing more and more over the course of being a student.  
Would you want to explain that situation to Goodwitch?  
" _So apparently Arctus takes after Gang so much he just couldn't help but find a Grimm infested city to stuck in"_ Where is the lie?  
"I had that" "I know" come on, it wouldn't be Rover and Missy without that line.  
That Alpha will not fucking die.  
Melanie Malachite owns her own bar, Miltia inherited the Patch branch of Juniors' when he went into politics but Melanie inherited the Syndicate.  
Team CLIR going on their first mission soon, means Team FADE will be going on there's not long after.  
Yes that was Onyx and Hellion in the bar, they were looking for weapons, they just found them.  
Scarlet David-Vasilias….Yeah you read that right.  
If that made you squeal good. Antonia Arc, Eagle's Mum actually managed to find a way for Rover to be able to have kids, something that was supposed to be impossible after the Aura regulator was built into his chest….What Rover gave in return will also serve as a plot point around year three.  
Bet you weren't expecting THAT ending.

Thank you to TigersAndRoses, FleetOfWarships, Ferrous, MariamTheLibrarian22, ShadowAlex2000, Svette117, FluffyFirefly and ShadowWolf for their reviews on the last chapter.  
I'm glad the general consensus is that I didn't butcher the coming out scene, I seriously didn't want to mishandle that. Yeah Diamond would have been 100% chill with it as well, she's chill about pretty much everything.  
Older Students? HA! Nora cackling sends Goodwitch running in terror.  
Eagle was originally almost a filler character, then she took on a life all of her own.  
I think most people have forgiven Team CRDL for being ass hats, but Nora as someone who knew Jaune isn't willing to forgive his old bullies.  
I am actually struggling not to make Corvid OP, that's why we haven't seen her Semblance yet.  
DO IT! Write your own story, you only get better through practice.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	12. Gifts

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 12: Gifts**

Sunlight peeked through the curtains of Team FADE's dormitory, curtains that remained closed despite the fact it was late morning, already nearing midday. The only sign of life was Felix fidgeting in his sleep, his subconscious trying to bring him closer to the source of the heat. It was a Saturday morning, three relatively uneventful weeks having passed since their trip into the Old Vale exclusion zone. The reason for the teams' apparent exhaustion was due in part to their classmates Team AQUA whom had discovered through trial and error that one of the myriad settings that the outdoor training area and it's hard-light, nanobot construct generators boasted was simply dubbed _'Paintball mode'_ and challenged them after lessons the night before to a friendly competition. The peaceful silence, disturbed only by the sound of soft breathing was shattered by the sound of a Scroll blaring out an obnoxiously jarring ringtone

"If someone doesn't answer that I swear I will throw it out the window" Diamond groaned, her voice croaky

"It's Felix's" Eagle mumbled, pulling the quilt over her head

"I left it charging overnight, can't reach" Felix dangled an arm over the side of his bunk, flailing it feebly to demonstrate his point "Answer it for me Eagle, it's probably Corey" the taller blonde groaned wordlessly before emerging from her cocoon of bedsheets and grabbing her partners' Scroll to find that it was indeed Corvid calling

"Hey"

"Hey Eagle" Corvid's voice greeted her, seemingly suppressing a fit of laughter for reasons that Eagle's sleep addled brain couldn't fathom "Do me a favour and put me on loudspeaker"

"Okay" as soon as she did so the dormitory was assaulted by the sound of the other three members of Team CLIR singing

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday Xiao Long kids! Happy birthday to you"

"Okay, now you can pass Fluffy the scroll" Corvid managed to gasp out, having finally succumbed to laughter. Eagle, smiling brightly herself passed the device up mouthing 'Happy birthday' as she did so.

"Sis, I love you but you're an ass-hole" the Lion Faunus grumbled "How's the mission?"

"Don't be a downer, it's our birthday. Yeah the mission is going well, just covering a maintenance crew working on the train line between New Vale and Vaccuo. We ran into a big nest of Disembowellers yesterday, the Hunter we're with; Scarlet David-Vasilias is a total bad-ass….Seriously I don't think I've ever seen anyone use swords like that besides Aunt Penny" Felix gave a low whistle, Corvid was and always had been one of the greatest fans Penny Rose had, being said to be of a comparable skill to the android was probably one of the highest compliments Corvid Xiao Long could pay.

"Stay safe Corey….and happy birthday" Felix added as he gradually gained more of his faculties

"Ah, I wish I could be there for my baby brothers' eighteenth birthday….mainly 'cos I know what some of your presents are, by the way Arctus has mine" Felix could vividly imagine his sister sticking her tongue out at her Scroll despite the fact it wasn't a video call "Anyway I've gotta go, you don't get weekends off on missions"

"See ya soon sis" with that the call ended leaving Fox to scramble down from the top bunk and work out a crick in his neck, eventually becoming aware of Diamond and Eagle staring at him wearing expressions of confusion and slight hurt respectively

"It's your birthday and you didn't tell us?" Eagle demanded

"What are the odds of you and Corvid sharing a birthday?" Diamond added, Felix grinned and explained

"I don't actually know when my birthday is, neither does Corey. We both just celebrate it on the day we were adopted….it's kinda why I didn't tell anyone, it's weird without Corey here"

"Aww that's actually sweet" Eagle admitted, her previous feelings pushed aside. Felix made his way across the room to the other set of bunk beds and shook Arctus who had somehow managed to remain asleep

"Wake up"

"Fuck off chopper face" the slurred growl drew an amused snort from Diamond who swung herself down from her own bed above him and ruffled the still half asleep Bear Faunus's hair

"Come on big guy, it's almost noon" she pushed her silvery hair which had fallen in front of her eyes away and rolled her shoulders back, silently thankful that her Aura had healed the bruise between her shoulder blades she acquired during the previous nights' paintballing when one of Team AQUA decide to _'snipe the sniper'_

"Fine" Arctus sighed, slowly dragging himself into a sitting position. Felix, using the rare opportunity to appear taller than his cousin loomed over him

"Presents, give them" he was treated to a pair of icy blue eyes being rolled in his general direction before the larger teen reached under the bed and fished out a plastic bag containing several gift wrapped packages which Felix gratefully accepted. As he did so Arctus turned to Diamond, a notion striking him

"Hey when is your birthday? I can't believe I've never asked, we'll have to do something….you're the only one who doesn't have any family nearby" Diamond flashed him a bright smile, touched by the consideration

"It's actually towards the end of the summer, so unless you wanna fly out to Mistral…." she trailed off

"Mine is actually at the start of summer vacation. Felix flew out to Atlas for a few days this year, we can always try and organise something….Eagle what about you?" the idea gained traction in Arctus's mind, he would admit that he had initially thought of it as a way to do something nice for the partner he still couldn't tear his eyes away from half of the time; but he didn't want someone he was coming to consider one of his best friends to feel left out

"In a few months, we'll still be here" Eagle answered

"We're definitely throwing you a party" Diamond grinned before turning to Felix "Get anything nice?" The Lion Faunus held up a large bottle of brandy of one of the more expensive variety

"That has to be from my Dad" Arctus noted recognising his fathers' preferred brand

"Yeah, I'll have to message him and say thanks. Oh and thanks for the Dust shells"

"No problem, saw you were running low. May as well put my family discount to good use" Arctus shrugged. Before Felix could turn his attention to Corvid's gift his Scroll rang once again, the Lion Faunus saw one of his mothers' caller ID and answered immediately

"Hey Mum"

"Happy birthday Fluffy….My baby boy is eighteen, where did the time go" Yang's voice gushed

"I am so glad this isn't on loudspeaker" Felix took the opportunity to give Arctus the finger, the only other Faunus in the room having heard what was said and was currently making no effort to hide his silent laughter

"I only get to do this once, let me have this" Yang faux-pouted "I hope you haven't got too much planned for today, me and Blake wanted to give you your present in person and we still haven't met your team yet" Felix turned to his team-mates

"Everyone up for a trip to Patch?" receiving affirmative answers from all three of them he returned his attention to the call "We overslept, we'll probably be a few hours at least"

"Can't you Mufasa than that?" Felix groaned at his mothers' pun

"See you soon Fluffy, if you see Ren or Nora around tell 'em I said hi"

"Will do" as the call ended he let out a small sigh as a broad smile formed across his face, highlighting his prominent canines even further than usual before picking up where he'd left off and unwrapping the gift from his sister, unfolding what appeared to be a T-shirt and leaving baffling his friends with his exclamation

"Oum damn it Corey" turning the offending garment around and holding it up to be seen. It was white with the word 'Pride' written across it in the colours of the rainbow flag

"It's a Gay Pride shirt?" Eagle was nonplussed. Felix grimaced and explained

"Pride….'cos I'm a Lion Faunus, she managed to work a pun into it"

* * *

It was mid-afternoon when Team FADE disembarked from the ferry and left the docks on the island of Patch

"How the hell do you get used to that smell?" Diamond demanded

"What smell?" Felix was genuinely confused for a moment before realisation hit him "Oh the fish, that's just how I know I'm home. Come on it's this way" with that he set off towards his house, his team close behind him. They made it through several streets before there was any sort of incident

"Um, Diamond….you're from a big city right? Just gonna put it out that there's a gang of teenagers in hoodies following us, that's not a good sign is it?" Eagle asked, speaking in her usual rapid fire way

"I mean it's broad daylight so they'd have to be pretty brave" Diamond shrugged before gesturing towards Felix "These Patch kids _are_ a bit crazy though" the Lion Faunus merely shook his head disdainfully before turning around to confront the supposed gang, doing so he saw a group of less than a dozen teens whose age he was unable to discern beneath their hoods; though a simian tail covered in black fur belonged to a feminine form helped him easily identify one of the teens

"Hey Ammi"

"Hey Felix, thought it was you….nobody else is as tall as Arctus" Amethyst Wukong greeted him as she lowered her hood, revealing a small scar above her eyebrow

"Is that from what happened at the bar?" Amethyst nodded in response

"Yeah, Dad thinks the whole bar fight was a distraction for those guys breaking into Signal and that warehouse….still hasn't managed to find any leads besides a really beaten up boat boat that was registered to someone in Atlas"

"Damn….tell him to let me know if he hears anything, I still want a rematch with that little freak-show from before" in truth Felix had almost forgotten Raffia Dirge the Axolotl Faunus in the months he'd been attending Halo Academy. A slapping sound behind him alerted him to Arctus bringing his palm to his face in an over dramatic display

"Oh right, you're a big bad Hunter now" one of the other teens behind Amethyst noted "Come on they let Nyanza in, they must be desperate for warm bodies" Felix didn't bother disputing that, before unlocking his Semblance Nyanza's abilities had been laughable

"Well he does have a hot body" Amethyst's hands shot to her mouth as she realised that she'd said those words allowed before quickly trying to recover "Anyway, I'm assuming these are the rest of your team?"

"Yeah, Eagle's my partner and Diamond is Arctus's" the monkey Faunus's eyes narrowed at the sight of the taller blonde

"Cool" she drawled out icily. At which point Diamond burst out laughing, drawing the attention of everyone present

"Okay dude I'm sorry but I can't deal with this high-school drama any more" Amethyst looked thoroughly ruffled by the silver haired snipers' attitude

"What-" Diamond waved him off

"Look, you like Felix. Fair enough but he introduces a girl as his partner while he's wearing a pride shirt and you get defensive….they could not be less attracted to each other if they tried" Amethyst blushed and sputtered for a moment

"I….well, I" she then seemed to see the word emblazoned on Felix's T-shirt for the first time and make the connection "Oh….okay, yeah. Okay fine. Come on guys" with that she pulled her hood over her face once more and left, tail flexing and uncurling behind her. Her group of friends and cohorts following her, several of them turning and giving Team FADE withering glares as they left

"Diamond" Arctus murmured "You're honestly my best friend….You have no concept of letting people down gently do you?"

"Think I overdid it?" she winced, her cherry red eyes concerned "I didn't mean to upset the kid but Felix clearly wasn't enjoying the attention"

"Thanks" the Faunus in question sighed "Honestly that went about as well as it was ever gonna go. Still it gets the only thing about being home I wasn't looking forward to out of the way"

"Are you sure you're okay?" Eagle asked, she'd never had enough close friends at home for her coming out to ruin friendships

"Yeah it's fine" he forced his smile back into place "Come on, let's go. You guys haven't lived until you've tried my Mum's cooking"

* * *

It took them a while to reach the Xiao Long household, Diamond's good natured griping about how far everything was out in the sticks amusing her team-mates to no end. Eventually, however the fence around Felix's childhood home became visible

"Nice bikes" Diamond noted as they reached the path towards the front door

"Yeah, weird that Blake's is out here though. Usually she keeps it in the garage" the Bumblebee was parked in its' customary place near the gate, from where Yang could hop on it at a moments' notice if called upon in her capacity as a Huntress. The vehicle currently beside it was _'Fairy Blue'_ a wedding present from Yang to Blake, a superbike whose custom glossy black paint had swirling undertones of various shades of indigo and deep midnight blue; contrasted by highly chromed wheels and exhausts. Making his way passed them Felix led his team-mates to the door and knocked before entering

"Mum I'm home"

"SURPRISE!" Several voices shouted in response as party poppers were ejected of their contents in Team FADE's general direction. Before Felix could react he was buffeted by a pair of small bodies latching onto his legs

"Happy birthday Felix" two childish voices spoke in unison and the Lion Faunus gave a theatrical gasp as he crouched down to Summer-Pyrrha and Tai-Jaune's eye level

"You're even bigger than last time! Are you still eating other kids?"

"School won't let us" Summer informed him with an exaggerated pout

"My teachers are cooler than yours, they bring grenade launchers to class" Felix chuckled as he ruffled the twins hair and took in their wide-eyed stares of disbelief before seeing that his mothers were in the room alongside his Grandfather, Aunt Penny and Great Uncle Qrow. Felix pulled both of his mothers into a crushing hug

"Happy birthday Felix" Yang murmured "And nice shirt, I'm proud of you….it's a shame to see someone hiding part of themselves"

"Anyway" Blake gave Yang a look that Felix didn't know what to make of before continuing "Gonna introduce us to your friends?"

"Well this guy we won, he was a consolation on quiz night" Felix indicated to Arctus who merely rolled his eyes. Blake nudged her son, conveying the message to stop tormenting his cousin

"These are Diamond Sustrai-Black and Eagle Arc" Felix turned to Summer-Pyrrha and Tai-Jaune "Even Corvid thinks Eagle's weapon is cool" matching pairs of silver eyes widened, Felix indicated to his family for Diamond and Eagle's benefit "My Mums, Blake and Yang. This is my Granddad-"

"Call me Tai"

"Uncle Qrow, Aunt Penny-"

"Sensational to meet you"

"And my cousins, Summer and TJ" Tai-Jaune looked at at Eagle suspiciously

"Do you really have a cool weapon like Corvid?" Eagle merely smiled and withdrew her shield before crouching and deploying Sentinel

"Doot doot da doot!" the automaton was almost the same size as the six year old children and they sized each other up for a few moments before Tai-Jaune turned to Yang and Blake

"Can she just be part of the family please? she's blonde like Aunt Yang and Felix-"

"I don't think Antonia Arc would like it if we just adopted Eagle" Penny explained to her son amidst laughter from everyone else present, with the exception of Qrow

"I'm sure she wouldn't mind too much" Eagle laughed, albeit with a slight bitter edge "I don't see much of her anyway. She still lives in Atlas running Poly-Tech" Penny hearing this made a mental note to speak to the woman she considered her older sister at the first available opportunity. Felix caught sight of Summer making her way over to where Arctus and Diamond were stood, wearing a questioning expression

"Are you Arctus's girlfriend?"

"No, no she's my partner at Halo Academy" Arctus answered hastily as a blush crept across his face

"But she's pretty" Diamond looked utterly helpless until Yang took pity and made her way over

"So how's Merc? Haven't seen him in….Oum It's been twenty years since the war"

"You knew my parents?" Yang nodded, choosing her next words carefully as she was unsure of exactly which parts of Mercury Black and Emerald Sustrai's past their daughter knew

"Met 'em at Beacon, faced off against Merc in the Vytal tournament. Was on a couple of missions with 'em during the war. Tell him 'Knuckles' says not to be a stranger"

"Will do Miss Xiao Long"

"None of that" Yang shook her head "My students call me that. It makes me feel old, call me Yang" Arctus made his way over to where Blake, Felix and Taiyang were speaking; Penny being engrossed in conversation with Eagle while Tai-Jaune attempted to ride Sentinel

"That's going to be a regular thing isn't it?" he motioned over his shoulder to Diamond

"It is if you can't stop your face from going red at the thought of it kid" Taiyang snorted

"Leave him be Tai, it's adorable" Blake grinned

"Does it remind you of Ninjas of Love?" Felix asked with a cocky smirk and a raised eyebrow. Arctus jokingly nudged him "By the way, where's Aunt Ruby?"

"Penny said she had a mission, she should only be gone a few days. Still, without her and Corey it seems a little empty"

"Yeah it does" Felix nodded "I spoke to her earlier though, sounds like she's enjoying her mission" Blake smiled

"She called us first thing this morning, sounds like Scar's glad to be away from New Vale itself for a while; Sun mentioned that there's been no leads on all those attacks on trucks on the mainland" Felix made to comment on the fact he'd been largely unaware of the attacks, however before he spoke he noticed Qrow watching Eagle with what could only be described as longing written across his face

"Uncle Qrow, I know what you're thinking and come on man! I know you have the whole 'Silver Fox' thing going on but have some respect" his Great Uncle had always been one of the people he could be as brutal and sarcastic with his put downs as possible, the old man had more than enough wits to match the Lion Faunus; something seemed vastly different this time however as Qrow turned to him and gave him a murderous glare until he and Taiyang shared a series of looks that Felix couldn't fathom the meanings behind. Sensing the tension in the room Blake placed a hand on Felix's shoulder, Yang made her way back over to them and whispered conspiratorially in her son's ear

"Come outside, you still haven't had your birthday present from us yet" Felix allowed himself to be led through the house and out of the back door, towards the garage in the corner of the back yard where Blake's bike was usually stored; thoughts of what could be inside said garage running through his mind and causing him to dare to hope.

"Happy birthday Fluffy" Yang beamed as she opened the garage door and Blake pressed something into his palm, he looked down and his eyes nearly bulged from their sockets at the sight of the car key in his hand. In front of him a tarpaulin sheet covered something that was clearly a vehicle of some kind

"I'm not much of a car person but I hope you like it. Yang did most of the restoration work" Blake murmured as the Lion Faunus pulled the sheet away revealing his new car; a vintage Carmine. The car was pure Vaccuan muscle and had clearly been modified, a supercharger protruded from the hood, the chassis boxy and angular chassis sat slightly with a front bumper that could almost double as a shovel, the wheels were larger and sported thicker tires accommodated by enlarged wheel arches, the windows were heavily tinted and a spoiler adorned the rear of the car. The paint was a shade of black so glossy that the Lion Faunus could see his reflection in its' surface with the exception of the twin yellow stripes running along the length of the vehicle

"It's perfect" he managed to breathe out before turning and pulling both Yang and Blake into another crushing embrace "Thank you"

"Just be careful" Blake sighed "I still haven't forgotten you taking one of Whitley Schnee's cars for a ride" Felix couldn't even manage to look ashamed at that point, he was too busy smiling from ear to ear and struggling to take in the fact that he had a car now, a _very_ cool car

"Please do be careful with it….it's on my insurance policy" Yang added ruffling his curly locks "Halo Academy has on site parking, it's in the….well underground isn't the right word. The basement levels, I've already got it sorted with Nora. Keeping it fuelled up and maintained is your responsibility though" this only served to add pride to the mix of emotions Felix was feeling. His Mothers trusted him, which considering the amount of times he felt he'd let them down over the years, meant a lot

"So" Yang nodded to car "It's your baby, you've gotta give it a name" Felix paused and considered a moment before his dark blue eyes met Yang's amethyst ones as he gave his answer

"The Killer Bee"

* * *

Qrow downed the glass of water in his trembling hands in a single gulp before running his hands through his grey hair. He hadn't been able to stay at the small gathering at his nieces' home long, seeing Eagle Arc in person for the first time had unleashed a maelstrom of emotions, each of them vying for dominance. He never wanted or expected to be a father and would freely admit it he was woefully unprepared for it, there was also the seventeen years of absence which, if the poorly hidden resentment towards her mother was any indication, she would not be quick to forgive. All of those doubts were simply swept aside when he thought about her face, she had his eyes. Qrow had returned to his home on the edge of New Vale, specifically his basement, the rest of the house felt less like a home and more like a facade except for the times his nieces and their children were present. A report from Ruby detailing her progress on searching for the latest incarnation of the Wizard remained unopened while Qrow first drank, then struggled to sober himself up as he made a call he was unsure if he wanted answered

"Good evening Qrow, it's been a while"

"About eighteen years" Qrow growled, forcing his temper under control as he took in the woman who answered the video call. Antonia Arc, eldest of her eight siblings, successor to Geppetto Polendina, head of Poly-Tech, undisputed genius and still as beautiful as ever. Her blonde hair was cut short, practical and easy to keep out of the way; she wore a lab coat over a clearly expensive suit and her blue eyes were currently framed by a pair of safety goggles. Some things never changed it seemed, she looked much like she had when Qrow had provided cover to her and her assistants as they rebuilt parts of Lower Atlas's infrastructure and later when she'd built the room Qrow now sat in at Winter Schnee's behest and had decided to stay the night, several nights.

"So is this about tech support? Because it's been a long day….Or is this you calling all of your previous partners with bad news?" under normal circumstances Qrow would have cracked a smile and returned with some teasing of his own. As it was his eyes narrowed

"You never told me"

"Never told me what?" Qrow had to admit he was impressed at the sheer gall of the woman, but he caught the momentary faltering of her expression

"We have a daughter" he paused for a moment to see if Antonia would deny it, when she remained silent he continued "Yang, my Niece; her son is Eagle's Team Leader at Halo Academy"

"I've seen pictures, my parents sent me them" Antonia admitted

"Why?" Qrow demanded in a tone that could only be described as agonised "You never told me that you were pregnant or-"

"Qrow, this is going to be hard for you to hear" Antonia took a deep breath to steady herself "What happened between us….I was reeling after the war. My brother was dead, Victoria was never the same after Menagerie. I was throwing myself into anything that could serve as a distraction. I didn't tell you because I wasn't sure if I was going to keep the baby and….and I thought you'd be a terrible father" Qrow's mouth opened and closed several times, words utterly failing him leaving silence to reign for several tense moments before Antonia decided to justify the accusation

"You're a great huntsman Qrow, one of the best. But you never really retired, even if that's what you told Yang, while at the same time sending Ruby and Penny on missions all over Remnant. You can't be a father when you're watching over the whole world from the shadows, lying to your family about it and routinely trying to drink yourself to death"

"I don't-"

"You're drunk now Qrow!"

"AT LEAST I WOULD HAVE TRIED!" Qrow roared, flying from his seat "At least I would have tried and not just sent her to live with Ivory and Craven when it became inconvenient to have a child!"

"I sent her there because I didn't want to leave her in the hands of a stranger while I worked! I'm trying to make a better world for my daughter!"

"SHE'D PREFER ONE WITH HER MOTHER IN IT, SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHO I AM AND SHE RESENTS YOU TONI!" Qrow halted at that, stunned by the venom in his own voice "Toni I-"

"I deserved that" Antonia admitted, eyes scrunching shut as she blinked tears away

"So what happens now?" Qrow croaked out

"Please don't tell her" Antonia pleaded in a terrified whisper

"She deserves to know-"

"She does" Antonia agreed "But please let me be the one to explain, over the summer I'll have her come to Atlas-"

"You're giving yourself almost a year to find a way to spin this"

"I'm trying to find a way to still have a relationship with my daughter after this….I see pictures of her and I don't know her" Qrow's fists clenched as he exhaled through his nose. He would probably never be able to stand in the same room as Antonia Arc without losing his temper after this but he forced himself to nod

"Fine, I'll let her hear it from you. Understand that if you don't tell her then I will….And she definitely has something of you in her, that weapon of hers is the exact kind of genius that got you where you are"

"Goodbye Qrow" the screen faded to black and Qrow sunk back into his seat, eyes honing in on the remainder of the bottle of whiskey he'd been drinking. He pushed it aside and pulled a photograph from his desk close to him, staring at the picture of Team STRQ when they were all his daughters' age he murmured to himself

"Well Raven, you always said my lifestyle would catch up with me one day….If you were here I'm sure you'd have something to say about us being alike" his crimson eyes closed, he'd keep his word to Antonia and he wouldn't interfere directly unless it was strictly needed but what his one time lover had said about him rang true, Qrow Branwen knew how to watch over people and protect them from the shadows.

* * *

The car, newly dubbed 'The Killer Bee' came screeching to a halt, smoke billowing from its' tires as Felix brought it skidding sideways at an obscene speed into a vacant space in Halo Academy's car park which was sandwiched between what could be called the ground level, despite the fact it was situated on an enormous anti-gravity platform, which housed the academy itself, the grounds and the docking bays and the gargantuan generators which kept the structure airborne alongside their attendant facilities.

"Oh my Oum this thing is amazing" Felix gasped out, wearing a manic smile. Upon leaving Patch he and his Team-mates had taken the car to an abandoned shopping district with an expansive car park of its' own and several miles of unused road leading up to it that Eagle hold told them about, having heard about the place from one of her seemingly infinite amount of aunts and uncles who used to use it as a weapons testing ground. Team FADE had all agreed that before they take the car to the Academy, thus bringing Felix's ownership of it to Headmistress Goodwitch's attention, it needed to be thoroughly put through its' paces. They had not been disappointed.

"If by amazing you mean you can kill someone with it by making them throw up their own lungs then yeah sure" Arctus grumbled as he staggered out of the rear of the vehicle on shaky legs

"Diamond's Semblance helps, should have just grabbed her hand or something" Felix noted as he stepped out of what was now his most prized possession, a title previously held by his swords. Eagle exited the passenger side giggling softly as she realised that there was more to Felix's suggestion and his earlier insistence that his partner had reserved shotgun just on principle than initially thought.

"I was busy holding the cake" Diamond snorted, upon receiving a home made birthday cake from his mothers, both of whom insisted that one was never too old Felix had pushed the confectionery into her hands and told her to ensure nothing happened to it on the trip as if it were the most precious cargo imaginable

"Actually, yeah keep doing that. Arctus's innards staying in can be left to chance" Felix joked as he passed the evidently still dizzy Bear Faunus, patting him on the back as he went. A series of bleeps behind him informed him that sentinel had been deployed and the four students and their mechanical companion made their way out of the car park via a stairway that brought them to the gates of the academy and the yellow brick road that led to the entrance

"Looks like someone's been locked out" Diamond noted with a snort as she caught sight of an individual sat facing towards one of the statues lining the path

"So are you pretending you didn't sleep in an airship terminal that time, then choke me out for waking you up?" Arctus asked

"Still think you're a dumb-ass for that" Diamond teased while winking at her partner. As the drew closer the identity of the student outside at such a late hour became readily apparent, the golden armour that gleamed as the lights positioned around the grounds caught it could only belong to one person

"Hey Helios, what're you doing out here dude?" Diamond asked, a concerned note to her voice. The armoured teen rose to his feet, giving one last look at the statue that they now realised portrayed Pyrrha Nikos

"Ether and Olivine have the dorm. Nyanza is out gambling….I dislike cheats and liars-"

"He uses his Semblance and cleans people out" Felix explained to his team-mates, being more than aware of the felines' tendencies

"So I decided to train, I found my way here….My Aunt Pyrrha, it's a shame I'll never meet her" he turned to Eagle "Jaune Arc was your uncle yes? They had something I'll never have"

"They saw Professor Ren with a bedhead?" Felix asked with a smirk, shrugging at Eagle's affronted gasp and Diamond's disparaging sigh "What? We're all a little Rensexual aren't we?"

"Oh my Oum" Eagle placed her hands over her ears to block out the filth pouring from her team-leaders' mouth

"They had friends here" Helios's admission caught them all by surprise "My team tolerate me at best. I'm trying to lead them, I've been taught to lead my people for years but I don't understand them"

"You need to get out more" Diamond answered bluntly "You don't understand each other because you never spend any time together as a team unless it's Nyanza dragging you to a club to be his wingman….It doesn't make you less of a Nikos to open yourself up to new experiences" Helios visibly bristled before seeming to remember who was speaking and that Diamond usually made good points

"Fair….it's just hard to see them as anything other than people who need to be protected" he admitted slowly "I've spent my whole life protecting people from outside of the tribes moving through our territory-"

"And what you think we're all less than you?" Felix growled

"Less competent, definitely. Less as people, no" Before the Lion Faunus could retort Diamond stepped in once again

"Well you can hang out with us tonight instead of sitting out in the cold. Seeing as you weren't properly socialised as a kid you can get it now….if everyone's okay with that?" Eagle nodded happily

"Yeah sure" Arctus shrugged, he liked seeing Diamond happy even if his current expression would lead an onlooker to think of a kicked puppy

"Fine, five way split on this cake it is" Felix grumbled. He'd agreed to be civil with the crimson haired Hunter after all

"It's your birthday?" Helios asked before reaching between two of the plates of his armour and withdrawing a small flask "Many happy returns"

"Wait" Felix eyed the proffered drink with some incredulity "Do you just have that on you at all times?"

"I'm sure I've seen you drinking out of that in lessons" Arctus noted. Helios merely grimaced

"I have two of my team-mates seemingly determined to see where uncomfortable ends and public indecency begins sitting on one side and my partner on the other recounting his….exploits, usually while hungover. I earn it" Team FADE broke down laughing at the deadpan response, Felix eventually taking the flask and gulping down a few mouthfuls of its' contents

"Holy Oum what is this stuff?" he gasped out as he choked and sputtered, his throat and chest burning from the alcohol

"Old Nikosi brew" Helios informed him with a smirk "I don't know what ethanol is exactly but from what I've heard it seems like a fair comparison" Felix turned to Diamond, a look of faux horror on his face

"No don't give him people skills, nobody else can ever be subjected to that drink" the mocking plea was punctuated by Felix doubling over and succumbing to another coughing fit

"Come on Fluffy" Helios slapped a hand down on the Lion Faunus's back and the five of them made their way out of the cold night air, nobody seeming to realise that the Mistrali had just referred to Felix by the nickname reserved for family without incident.

 **Authors Notes:**

I don't think I've got anything to add to this one, still wish I was getting more than one chapter out a week.

So let's summarise:  
Teenagers don't wake up in the mornings on a weekend.  
You know that _'Paintball mode'_ was something Nora thought of  
Team CLIR have gone on their first mission, that means that the First Years including Team FADE will be going on theirs soon.  
This two chapters in a row Scarlet's been mentioned, the question is where's Neptune. We'll see him in around five chapters time, roughly.  
The reason Corvid and Felix share a birthday, anyone catch feels from that?  
Arctus is head over heels and I love writing it.  
YANG PUNS, You will never escape them.  
Followed by Corvid puns.  
You ever lived in or around a fishing town? My cousin used to, the smell hit me like a wall of fish every time I went to visit.  
Eagle is about as street smart as a random woodland critter from a random Disney movie.  
A boat from Atlas, Carcharodon and his group switched boats at Patch, the conversation served to bring the group back into Felix and Arctus's minds, before they meet again.  
Does that High school drama comment count as another 'Almost fourth wall break from Diamond?'  
Yeah Amethyst took Felix's sexual orientation badly, but I wouldn't say she's homophobic, she just got her hopes crushed in the bluntest of terms.  
Blake's bike _"Fairy Blue"_ is a Soul Eater reference because the lyrics in the song _'Paper Moon' "It is only for you, that I would smash the stars. And put them on display, to guide you home"_ is the most Bumblebee thing ever.  
The twins are too fun to not bring back.  
"It's a shame to see someone hiding part of themselves" you know exactly what that was about.  
"Can she just be part of the family please?" Oh if only you knew kid, if only you knew.  
The trend of kids just assuming Arctus and Diamond are a thing continues.  
"Attacks on the mainland" Oh whoever could be behind those….  
Come on you've gotta admit, Qrow's reputation precedes him.  
I said in chapter 02 that Felix had a driving license.  
I know I called the Killer Bee a 'Vintage' Carmine, but think of it as close to one of the newer Camaros. I'll add a picture on Tumblr of what I had in mind for it.  
The whole Antonia and Qrow scene, I take no sides….family lives and parenthood are hard things to navigate.  
Qrow has become Raven.  
"Should have just grabbed her hand or something" Felix is the slickest wingman.  
Nyanza abuses his Semblance in almost every way you can think of.  
Rensexual is the only sexual.  
Detached, ruthless bad-ass Helios has been getting shit-faced in class to help deal with his team-mates the whole time.

Thank you to JollyTheImmortal, TigersAndRoses, ShadowAlex2000, Ferrous, Fluffyfirefly, ShadowWolf, ThePrimeWolf and FleetOfWarships for their reviews on the last chapter….eight reviews on a single chapter, does that mean I have an actual fan-base now?  
I mean I wasn't planning on building a karaoke machine into the Omega Wing, but since you said it….  
Rover and Artemis deserve it.  
Okay Sentinel is partly inspired by Bastion and the original concept for Rusty was McCree, also Iris of Team CLIR was originally based on Zenyatta. Her Morning star was originally a collection of solid iron orbs that she hurled at Grimm via her telekinesis, I don't have any other Overwatch characters planned but even if I do they'll either be throwaway characters or expand into more than just nods to other franchises.  
Also is it weird that I've never played Overwatch, I just have a Tumblr account.  
The Omega Wing needing a single was a much needed Nerf for Corvid in the last chapter, the way I'm going to hand wave it is that the tracking systems in the helmet of the armour mode still work in drone mode, it could follow Corvid because it could see her but because it isn't autonomous like Sentinel it won't transform until Corvid activates it, which is done by the touchscreen she wears on her left arm.  
That ending was Phobos, a quirk of a lobotomised Grimm Hive Mind.  
Yes, listen to metal while reading all subsequent chapters; even the fluffy ones.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	13. Freelancer

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 13: Freelancer**

In the week following Felix's birthday the weather had finally seemingly decided that it was done with the pretence of summer, a cool chill settling into the air and grey clouds blocking out the sun. Not that this had affected Felix Xiao Long, the Lion Faunus had started the week still bubbling with enthusiasm about his new car; even taking Eagle to the village outside of New Vale itself where the Arc family resided to visit her Grandparents as she'd been getting homesick while Arctus and Diamond were out somewhere together. His mood had taken a turn for the worse as the week progressed, Eagle's original hypothesis that it was a side effect of the lack of sunlight affecting his Semblance being proven incorrect when Arctus informed her that Felix was fine in Atlas; the source of their friend and leaders' increasingly irritable demeanour made soon itself clear however, the first of the second year students returned from their missions with no sign of Team CLIR.

"Come on, come on" Felix growled as he sat perched atop one of the benches lining Halo Academy's airship terminal. It was Friday night, classes having long since ended and the sun long since set leaving the four students among a scarce handful of others waiting, though most of the people around them were clearly waiting for a Bull-head into New Vale itself to begin a weekend of partying

"She'll be here, she'll be fine. They'll all be fine" Arctus assured him, breath misting in front of his face as he spoke, though truthfully Arctus was beginning to become concerned himself. Team CAMO the first of the second years to return had done so late Tuesday night and while Corvid had allegedly warned her brother that she may not have chance to recharge her scroll the utter lack of communication allowed countless unwelcome ideas to take root

"She should already be here" Felix's reply was tense, a low snarl as he fidgeted and his tail swished nervously behind him. He was brought from his brooding by Eagle nudging his shoulder gently, as he turned to face her she thrust something into his hand

"It won't help but hey it won't hurt either. It's home made" Felix looked down and saw that it was a slice that could better be described as a slab of home-made fruitcake "Everyone just assumes Gran makes 'em but nope, Granddad was the one to stay home and raise most of my Aunts after he was injured in the line of duty, so he learned how to cook and bake" the shorter blonde gave her a warm smile in return, beside him opposite Eagle sat Diamond who wore a baggy hoodie to protect herself from the milder than she was used to weather, though she'd been unable to hide a small smile when Arctus had offered to lend her his jacket. Her cherry red eyes alternated between scanning the air for any incoming craft and rereading the timetable to check off any scheduled flights, currently her eyes were focused on something drawing closer, Felix followed her gaze and picked out the blinking lights, the kind mounted on the wings of Bull-heads

"Is that-" he trailed off, refusing to allow himself to relax until he knew for sure

"It's not on the timetable" Diamond breathed out. Felix's heart hammered in his chest as the craft drew near, his stomach plummeting as he saw the countless gouges in its' hull, evidently made by sharp claws. Eventually the Bull-head landed and moments' later the side hatches mounted beneath its' wings opened allowing five individuals to disembark. First among them was an older man that Team FADE didn't recognise, though Felix if he had to guess would have said he was roughly his parents' age. The slender red haired and tattooed man walked briskly passed them into the waiting arms of a man that the students in their distraction had failed to notice behind them, fashionably dressed with vibrant blue hair

"It's good to be home" Scarlet David-Vasilias murmured into the crook of his husbands' neck though none of Team Fade seemed to notice, they were all preoccupied by the arrival of the other four people who had been aboard, Team CLIR was home

"Hey sis" Felix attempted to sound nonchalant, failing miserably as after less than five seconds of silence between them he pulled Corvid into a crushing hug

"Hey Fluffy" she managed to stifle a yawn "Hey, I'm fine….Just so tired"

"Where's the Omega Wing?" Eagle asked, noticing the drones' absence from its' customary place beside its' maker

"On the Bull-head, right thruster got crushed, time to work on those upgrades I had in mind" Corvid answered as she finally extricated herself from her brothers' hug before turning to her team-mates "Right after I take this idiot to a medic"

"I'm fine, it's a few scuffs and dents" Rusty drawled, his exhausted tone holding the faintest traces of laughter. Team FADE realised that the Vaccuan gunslinger was being held up by Lux and Iris, the former having an arm around his waist, the latter having Rusty's right arm slung across her shoulders

"It's a cracked skull, two broken ribs and a shattered wrist" Iris pointed out, causing Lux to give his boyfriend an indignant huff

"I still don't know why you thought that was a good idea, fighting an Oum damned Juggernoceros on your own!" Rusty merely treated them to a grin that displayed blood stained teeth

"Hell I've been punching above my weight since the day I met you darlin'. Didn't think one more time could hurt too bad" the cheesy line, most probably the product of a concussion addled mind drew a variety of reactions, Lux merely rolled his eyes and tightened his grip around Rusty's waist. Iris rolled her eyes, Diamond gave an 'Awww' that sounded almost out of place coming from her while Arctus hearing her reaction silently vowed to remember that line. Corvid merely sighed and pointed to Rusty

"You. Medic. Now." Iris and Lux helped the battered and bruised second year towards the Academy itself, before she could continue her conversation with her brother Felix managed to actually get a good look at her, noticing for the first time her split lip and the dried blood matting her hair

"You need to join them" he insisted, Corvid waved his concerns aside

"It's fine, happened a couple days ago and it's already healing" Felix gave her a disbelieving look before echoing her own words back to her

"You. Medic Now." Corvid merely laughed

"I'm going, I'm going. I just wanted to wish you guys good luck….it's tomorrow isn't it?" Team FADE shared nervous glances before silently nodding. Corvid placed a hand on Felix's shoulder though she addressed the whole team

"I'm not gonna lie, the first one is tough. It's supposed to be-"

"Really filling us with hope" Diamond muttered

"BUT" Corvid steam-rolled over the interruption "I've seen you work, you'll be okay. Just follow your Hunters' orders and stick to the plan and you'll be home safe soon with a real mission to your name….now go get some sleep"

"….You're aware that you're not my babysitter any more right?" Felix snorted

"She's probably right though" Eagle yawned. Felix shrugged deciding that he may as well follow his team to bed, Corvid was home safe and that was all that mattered to him right now, that and the fact tomorrow marked the start of his career as a Huntsman rather than just his training.

* * *

Late the following morning Team FADE where among the group gathered in the atrium of Halo Academy, Professor Goodwitch gazing down at each of the first year students with her typical stern expression; silently assessing each of them.

"It's normal to be this nervous right? I mean it's our first mission so of course it's normal, but I am really, really, really nervous right now….what if our Hunter just got roped into this and doesn't really-"

"Eagle" Felix cut off his partner with a gentle hand on her shoulder "It's fine. We're all nervous but we're gonna go out there and kill some Grimm. It'll be awesome" the team had managed to get a respectable amount of sleep the night before after all, this had however left Eagle buzzing with frantic energy, almost tripping over her own feet three times so far. Taking a deep breath she steadied herself and turned to Arctus and Diamond who were stood side by side behind them, the pair gave her reassuring smiles; managing to suppress their own anxiety about the upcoming mission

"Thanks guys" she sighed, patting Sentinel which was mounted on her left arm in shield mode for luck. Almost immediately after she spoke the screeching crackling sound of microphone feedback could be heard as the PA system was brought into life, Goodwitch clearing her throat before beginning what was evidently a pre-prepared speech

"First years, over the last few months you have begun your training to become the sword and shield that protects the Kingdoms. Each of you have made considerable progress and the professors have deemed you ready to face your first real test. An official mission" Team Fade shared nervous looks, the way she'd said the word 'official' made them a little uneasy, they would all swear that she was glaring directly at them when she said it. Goodwitch straightened her back and cleared her throat once more before continuing

"Over the course of the school year first year teams will each be sent on three missions of different natures to both assess your growth and capabilities and give you experience in a variety of situations so that you can make informed decisions about whether or not you wish to become specialised later on in your careers. As you are all no doubt aware this year will mark one hundred years since the end of the Great War, twenty years since the end of the war against Salem and ten years since Halo Academy's founding, as such all First Year teams will be spending their final assignment of the year assisting with security around the festival….yes this will still allow you time to participate" an excited murmur passed through the students at this, quickly silenced by the Headmistress "This however means that your first missions will be leading you into direct contact with the Grimm outside of a controlled environment. While it spares you the emotional trauma that may follow an engagement against other living people the danger will be real and I cannot overstate that fact; you will follow your respective Hunters orders without hesitation and conduct yourselves in a manner befitting students of Halo Academy" the doors of atrium opened automatically behind them, the students taking this as a dismissal turned and made to leave. Weapons and supplies had already been packed, they were heading to the terminal attached to the gargantuan anti-gravity platform the academy was situated on to meet the seasoned Hunters that they would be accompanying

"Team FADE. Please stay behind and see me" Goodwitch's voice cut through the excited chatter like a blade, identical feelings of dread forming in each of the specified students stomachs like cold dead weights

"What did you do?" Diamond demanded of Felix in a furious hiss

"Me? I've been polishing the car all week, where did you break into this time?" he countered indignantly

"Guys let's just go see what the problem is" Arctus suggested, unease creeping into his tone. The four of them turned and made their way towards to stage and podium that Goodwitch stood on, painfully aware of the eyes of their classmates upon them. They reached the headmistress only for her to remain stoic and silent until the last of the other first years had left

"Now we can speak openly" Goodwitch breathed out "As I said, today is the first official mission for first year students, though Team FADE's predisposition towards seeking out unofficial missions has been noted, yes I know about your excursion into the exclusion zone Mister Xiao Long. Rest assured there is no bribe sufficient to make the men and women guarding the walls lie to me" Felix's jaw snapped shut, his hasty justification of his teams actions fizzling out before it could begin

"That being said" Goodwitch continued "Though ill advised your actions highlighted that you are not completely without common sense and act well both as a team and in conjunction with other Hunters. As such your mission will be one normally deemed unsuitable for a first outing"

"Dude I think Goodwitch is gonna let the Grimm kill us and make it look like an accident" Diamond noted in a stage whisper which drew a furious glare from the Headmistress herself, a giggle from Eagle which she quickly struggled to mask behind a cough and a deep belly laugh from someone behind them. Team FADE span around to see who had managed to enter the atrium without alerting even sensitive Faunus hearing and were greeted by a tall man with a physique that was muscular though not to the extent of being bulky, similar to that of a sprinter. Standing at just over six feet tall, the already respectable height added to by the brown furred rabbit ears protruding from a mass of curly hair of the same shade. He wore brown combats that had clearly been torn and stitched back together several times with various ammunition pouches and unidentifiable gadgets adorning them and a matching sleeveless jacket with a black t-shirt beneath it, tight enough to display his musculature. Golden armoured ridged plates adorned his shoulders, elbows and wrists while a black leather glove covered his left hand. The man's right cheek was blemished by a thin scar tracing the bone from the edge of his nose to his eyebrow. Goodwitch gave him a nod of greeting

"Team FADE meet the Huntsman you will be assisting in the line of duty-" unable to contain herself any long Eagle surged forwards throwing her arms around the man with a squeal and exclamation of pure joy

"UNCLE FLAX!"

* * *

Felix was far from afraid of flying but nevertheless he couldn't help the waves of dread that washed over him with each unexpected jerk and rattle of the Bull-head he was situated in the rear compartment of. It was a pre-war model manufactured in Vale, typically somewhat boxier and heavier than their Atlesian counterparts though it had apparently been heavily modified, Eagle had explained that her Uncle Flax was a former Atlesian Freelancer much like his own Aunt Ruby and Aunt Penny and the Freelancers were known for their unconventional tactics, the craft had been adapted to suit such purposes. Felix had long since given up wondering just how many of those modifications were legal, safe or sane and was currently giving a baffled stare to Diamond who rested casually with her hands behind her head, seemingly half asleep before realised that her father was a pilot and she had probably flown countless times before. Casting his eyes around the minimalist interior of the craft his eyes landed on his partner and he found himself unable to ignore a question that had been in his mind for the entire time they had been flying any longer

"Hey Eagle, how many aunts and uncles do you actually have?" her freckled cheeks darkened slightly before she answered

"The Arcs are a big family and sort of adopt people as well so quite a few" She paused for a moment seemingly counting her relatives off in her head "Aunt Nora and Uncle Lie are pretty much adopted into the family. My Mum's oldest sister is my Aunt Vicky, Aunt Citrus is super cool but she lives in Mistral so I hardly ever see her. Uncle Flax is married to my Aunt Daisy, her twin Aunt Buttercup is married to Uncle Xiangya they were partners at Haven Academy. Aunt Poppy and her girlfriend Hana are travelling all over Remnant, then there's Aunt Hell"

"Aunt Hell?" Felix raised an eyebrow, almost sure that Eagle was making that one up to mess with him  
"Hellebores Arc, the Hell-child, Aunt Hell….a fucking pyromaniac with emphasis on the maniac part" Flax Scarlatina grumbled as he stepped into the rear compartment on his craft, the divide separating it from the cockpit slid back into place behind him with a muted hiss "And that's not factoring in that every Arc who trained as a Hunter brought their team home and they're all Arcs by association now"

"And then there's the cousins" Eagle beamed

"Oh yeah, between marrying into the Arcs and joining the Freelancers I went from having two sisters to being related to pretty much everyone somehow….by the way how're Ruby and Penny? haven't seen 'em since the wedding, last job we did together was the night they got engaged" the question startled Felix and it took him a moment to answer

"Uh yeah, Aunt Penny's good. I saw her and the twins a few weeks back, Aunt Ruby was away I haven't actually seen her since the summer"

"So what's the mission?" Diamond asked suddenly, clearly not as tuned out as she had appeared. Beside Arctus gave her a concerned look, her tone had seemed a little harsher than normal. Flax merely gave them an evil smirk

"I'm so glad you asked, because it's gonna be fun-"

"If that sounds concerning good, because we should all probably be concerned" Eagle interrupted, though she wore an ear to ear grin that gave away her excitement. Flax merely rolled his eyes

"We're heading North. Out of New Vale and over the jagged mountains"

"There's nothing there" Arctus noted with a confused expression "Airships from Atlas pass over them but there's no settlements north of the mountains at all"

"Correct" Flax nodded "The mountains were part of Vale's natural defences when the Kingdom was first founded. I mean centuries ago, nearly impossible to climb. Downside is Hunters very rarely sweep the place so the wildlife of the tall dark and spiky variety gets a little out of hand"

"So we're gonna clean it out?" Felix surmised, earning himself a bout of laughter from the older Huntsman"

"A first year team 'clean out' what's over the mountains? Fuck no kid" he managed to gasp out before straightening himself up and wiping tears of amusement from his eyes "There's a specific Grimm that we're looking for. Atlesian ships have noticed a trail of destruction that seems to have a cohesive direction, it looks like something's heading towards the mountains. Our job isn't to directly engage" at this point the Rabbit Faunus reached into one of his myriad pockets and withdrew a series of vaguely familiar items

"Are those homing beacons?" Arctus asked, noticing the similarities between the items in the older Hunters' hands and the items Teams FADE and CLIR had used in Old Vale

"Yeah, some toys from my time in the Freelancers. Double the range of normal ones and their collapsible. Our mission is to get behind the target and deal with the packs of smaller nasties that are most likely following it, I already have a location set up for that. Then we catch up with the target, plant trackers on it and send word to Vale so they can send a couple of warships"

"Sounds pretty simple" Felix nodded "Team FADE can handle it"

"Course you can, you've got Eagle on your team" Felix watched his partner seemingly unconsciously puff up her chest at the praise "But don't get complacent, simple just means there's a broad spectrum of what can got wrong" the students shared grins at Flax's almost resigned tone, Felix, Arctus and Diamond were sure the man had some stories to tell whereas Eagle already knew several of them

"Anyway I'm gonna go switch the autopilot off. We can't all get our transports specially designed by the founder of Poly-Tech like Penny and Ruby and the Jackrabbit is in need of a serious tune up" as soon as Flax returned to the cockpit Eagle leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially

"He's being over dramatic. The Jackrabbit is fine, Uncle Flax and Aunt Daisy service it before and after every mission"

"So like Felix with the Killer Bee then?" Diamond noted with a playful smirk

"Exactly"

"You're just jealous" Felix grunted, shrugging dismissively. The four of them gradually returned to their customary good natured joking and teasing peppered with speculation about the mission. It was several hours since their departure, the sun having passed its' zenith and the Hunters having already made their way over the mountains, which Arctus naturally took pictures of before Flax's warnings about the broad spectrum of things going wrong rang true. The lighting of the rear compartment switched to an angry red as an alarm blared and the partition between the cockpit and the passengers slid aside allowing Flax to communicate with the students in his care

"Grimm swarm detected up ahead, we're not far from our landing area but it looks like we're gonna have to plough through 'em"

"You're sure it's Grimm?" Arctus asked, despite the glances it earned it him the question wasn't unwarranted given that the creatures of Grimm emitted no heat or electronic signals and were as such notoriously difficult to track digitally

"Yeah I'm sure" Flax assured them "Radar picked 'em up. Judging by the size and number of targets and the way they're moving I'm gonna take a guess and say Tormentors….this is gonna be a shit-show kids"

"I don't think Professor Bronzewing has covered Tormentors yet" Diamond pointed out nervously

"Oum damn it" Flax spat "Dove's an idiot I've telling him for years to stop babying you kids. Any dumb-ass with a stick can skewer a Boarbatusk….right Tormentors, dragonfly Grimm, not the smartest but their fast and manoeuvrable; they've got balded tails and a lot of reach. I'm gonna open up the side hatches and I want you to shoot down any that get behind us while I man the Jackrabbits' guns"

"Got it" Felix nodded as he motioned to his team, each of them drawing their weapons and partnering up before positioning themselves in front of the hatches and waiting. The roaring of the wind filled the craft as the hatches opened yet another sound could still be distinctly heard over it, a low droning buzz and Arctus chanced a look ahead. The Grimm had seen them and were closing in rapidly, several of them being reduced to nothing but wisps of fading darkness and burning husks as the weapons of the Jackrabbit opened fire

"Ready?" Arctus breathed out as he shifted Gefroren-Erbe to its' ranged mode

"Dude, watch this" Diamond grinned as she drew Lex Talions and promptly somersaulted out of the hatch. Arctus's heart leapt into his throat but before he could react his partners' feet had connected with the wing of their craft and her Semblance took hold, allowing her to balance upside down with her sniper rifle at the ready, picking off Grimm almost casually

"You keep forgetting I can do that don't ya?" she called to him, a soft chuckle in her voice

"Well sorry if I repress every memory I have of you jumping out of windows or off of roofs and bridges!" Arctus shot back over the report of his weapon and the shrieking hiss of the Tormentor that found itself spattered in burning plasma, falling towards the treeline as its' wings were burned away

"Aww, you're adorable big guy!" Diamond laughed and Arctus couldn't help but smile. Even if Diamond would deny to the end that she snorted when she laughed, she did and he loved it; he quickly returned his attention to the task at hand and resumed firing bursts of glowing blue death across the skyline

"They're still getting behind us!" Flax called back, before adding in a low mutter "If we had Ruby with us this'd already be over" behind Arctus, manning the other hatch Eagle and Felix were felling Tormentors by the score with ease, their rapid firing weapons more suited to the task

"How far out are we?" Felix demanded as he paused to reload

"Not far!" hearing the answer Felix returned to gunning down monsters before issuing an order

"Eagle switch sides with Arctus! The don't have any machine guns!"

"Right!" Eagle and Sentinel turned and made to relieve the Bear Faunus, Sentinel securing itself by locking one if its' claw mounted grappling hooks to the interior of the Bull-Head. Arctus prepared to line up one last shot before switching, a Tormentor had managed to weave around Diamond's assault and was now doubling back around

"Got ya" Arctus squeezed the trigger and the rear half of the Grimm disintegrated. His confident smirk was short lived as the dying monster continued to travel forwards until it connected with the wing mounted thruster keeping them airborne; the impact sending Diamond staggering, thus sending her falling as her feet lost contact with the underside of the wing

"DIAMOND!" reality seemed to slow to a torturous crawl as Sentinels' other claw shot forwards, grabbing the falling Huntress as she slipped out of view. A thud confirming that she'd connected with the outside of the hull. The seconds dragged on for Arctus until his partner pulled herself inside the confines of their transport, shaking slightly and glistening with sweat

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry I shouldn't have-" Arctus pulled her into a tight embrace, the Grimm outside forgotten, Diamond punched his shoulder playfully and ruffled his hair

"Dude, it's okay" she murmured before briefly returning the hug

"Glad to see everyone's still breathing and all" Felix growled over the sound of Hack and Slash tearing through Grimm "But we're still being swarmed. Fuck this Nanobot time, I'm going Balrog!" as he prepared to load the highly explosive rounds given to him by Penny Flax entered the rear compartment

"Don't waste your ammo kid, you'll need it later" he ruffled Eagle's hair before cracking a broad smile "Autopilot's set, we're almost at our landing zone. Close the hatches behind me and don't do anything stupid….see ya" with that the Rabbit Faunus winked and threw himself backwards out of the hatch. Dozens of Grimm following him down. Eagle let out an alarmed gasp and instantly made to follow him, her sword finding its' way to her palm

"WHAT DID HE JUST SAY?" Felix demanded as he performed the considerable feat of holding his partner in place while Arctus and Diamond sealed the hatches

"We have to go after him, we have to-"

"We have to follow orders!" Felix cut across her, expression softening "We'll take out the rest of these Grimm when we land and then look for him once we're secure" Eagle looked close to tears and silently shook but eventually nodded

"Fine" the single word was forced out with more malice than her team-mates had ever heard from her "But if he's hurt I'm holding you responsible" there were a few moments of tense silence before Diamond noticed something and spoke up

"We're losing altitude, if we're going on the offensive when we land then reload now" Team FADE silently readied themselves; Felix regarding the Nanobot rounds before finally deciding that the situation didn't warrant them. The craft landed with a thud, automatically deployed landing gear bringing them rolling to a stop

"Ready?" Felix glanced around, the moment he saw his team-mates nods of confirmation he pulled the hatch open and launched himself into action, Team FADE behind him. The remaining Tormentors made to dive-bomb them and found themselves utterly outmatched by the combination of Sentinel's artillery, Arctus's Glyphs, Felix's screaming chain-swords and Diamond's unparalleled marksmanship. Within two minutes it was done, the students needed a moment to catch their breath and allow themselves their first real look at where they had landed. It seemed to be a military airfield of some description, the architecture of the buildings not all of which were complete suggested that the place was old. Eagle's patience was limited however

"Okay let's go" without waiting for an answer she began marching towards the treeline only to be brought to a halt as a Beowolf came barrelling towards them, fangs snapping

"I've got it!" a voice called from the trees and several gunshots rang out, one of the Grimm's hind legs shattering. Flax Scarlatina made his way into the clearing that the airfield occupied with an unmistakable swagger, gripping the still struggling Beowolf by the back of the head and twisting with enough force to turn its' skull one hundred and eighty degrees. Team FADE looked on in stunned silence until the older Hunter merely shook his head with an amused sigh

"Don't tell me you're getting jumpy already? That was a warm up"

* * *

The run down exterior of the abandoned airstrips' building, Team FADE had learned, was a ruse. After helping Flax secure his personal transport in a hangar they made their way into the adjacent structure and found that it had been modernised. The students stared in disbelief at the minimalist decoration interspersed with mismatched posters and notice boards haphazardly affixed to the walls. Flax couldn't hide a derisive snort as he saw their expressions. Pulling down a poster displaying a Mistrali tournament fighter that he'd taken issue with the Rabbit Faunus explained himself

"Yeah I know it looks like a wreck from the outside but the Freelancers fixed it up. Mantle built it during the great war to raid Vale, ended up abandoning it when they realised a base on this side of the mountains wasn't worth the upkeep. The Atlesian Freelancers found out about it in some old records and took it….We debated giving it to Ruby and Penny as a leaving present to be honest" the last part was directed at Felix. The older Huntsman looked around for a second seemingly considering some unknown options before continuing "Okay, there's bunks and a bathroom up there and a kitchen full of tinned crap that lasts forever that way. I'm just gonna go check and see if this place is stocked up for the easiest way to go about the mission" without waiting for an answer he set off vanishing through a doorway and turning down a dimly lit corridor; Team FADE shared a few glances that ranged from impressed to slightly concerned before their assigned Hunter returned wearing a victorious smile and a carrying what looked like an oil drum over his shoulder

"We're in business, which means it's gonna be a long night. If I were you I'd get a few hours sleep and something to eat. Then we start rigging the place"

"Wait, wait, wait….what's the plan?" Felix asked with a raised eyebrow. Flax's smile broadened

"This" he patted the oil drum with his free hand "Is a liquid pheromone that can convince Grimm that there's a battlefield nearby. Crop-dust everything nearby with this stuff and play a lot of pre-recorded screams….don't ask where from, and we draw the Grimm into a killing field. It won't be enough for the big one but it'll stop the smaller packs from falling into line behind it. Any questions?"

"Where are the screams from?" Arctus couldn't help himself. Diamond nudged him before adding her own question

"If this stuff can direct Grimm away then why doesn't everyone use it? Sounds like it'd be cheaper than Hunters?"

"It isn't. What we use tonight is gonna be worth a small fortune" Flax sighed "Besides it only works in places like this where there's no settlements nearby. You can't use it to draw Grimm away from a city, once they've smelled the real thing they go after it"

"Well that sucks" Felix noted "We could just dump it in the middle of the forest on Patch and let the Grimm chase their own tails"

"Still good for recon jobs" Flax agreed "I give my Dad a couple of bottles whenever his engineering firm are working in Grimm country….Anyway, as I said; either get some food or get some sleep while I see what else we've got to work with" with that Flax left once again, a noticeable spring in his step and the thought of the possibilities that operating from a Freelancer outpost again may present

"Okay I'm gonna grab some food, I will eat anything right now" Felix's stomach chose that moment to growl, as if to highlight his point

"I'll come too, I can't sleep right now I mean look at this place, we're in a secret base….and admit it, my Uncle Flax is cool, like super cool" Eagle chattered happily as she followed her partner, Felix's agreement could be heard as the blondes left what could be considered the living room or communal area

"You getting some sleep?" Diamond asked

"May as well try" Arctus shrugged before pausing "Hey are you okay? You seemed off earlier….when Eagle was talking about her family, wanna talk about it?"

"You wanna talk about that frown you're always wearing whenever Helios hangs out with us now?" she countered as she let her hair down, brushing silvery strands from her eyes

"I mean not really" he grumbled "I know you two knew each other before coming to Vale so I'm being dumb"

"Yeah you are" she sighed "Helios is cool, I can chill with him. You're my partner, you're the person I trust the most" Arctus could feel the blood rushing to his face at her words, his own attempt at an admission seemed laughably childish to him now

"As for the thing earlier" Diamond exhaled slowly "Honestly I was just a little jealous….You guy's all have these really big families full of cool aunts and uncles and adorable cousins. I've just got my parents and they work a lot. I always thought it'd be nice to have a bigger family"

"Well you can take my sister off of my hands, I'll pay you" Arctus snorted

"You'd miss her" Diamond countered

"Yeah you're right….well welcome to the Slate's then, my Dad will probably love you" Arctus's mouth clicked shut as he realised the possible connotations his joke could have, nervously he risked a look at his partner who seemed to have picked up on the way the comment could have been taken as well

"Dude….you are such a dork" she whispered as she tried to hide a smile and a slight blush "Come on let's get some sleep" Arctus finally allowed himself to breathe as he watched her leave, forcing his attention away from the way her hips swayed her suppressed a groan; silently accepting the fact that his crush may be a little outside of his ability to control.

* * *

It was already dark when Flax decided to wake the sleeping students up with a flash-bang grenade, thankfully toned down to not blind or deafen any Faunus subjected to it. Flax had justified himself by saying he needed to see how well they reacted when caught off guard, finding the plethora of weapons pointed at him satisfactory. Eagle freely admitted that her uncle while cool, was also a bit of a jerk when it came to pranks. That was several hours ago and Team FADE were currently planting numerous devices whose purposes could best be described as underhanded, a task Flax had given them thorough instructions on how to inform as well as strict orders to stay within sight of each other before climbing into the cockpit of the Jackrabbit and flying off into the night.

"Shouldn't he be back by now?" Diamond asked as she finalised the preparations on something that served a purpose that could only be defined as horrific when used on anything other than a creature of Grimm; growing up in Doupeng-He Bishou before moving to Mistral's capital of Anquan-Jia she had heard stories of such things happening. Shivering slightly from both the mental image and the night air which was far cooler than that of her native Kingdom she pulled Arctus's jacket around herself, it was sleeveless and far too baggy to offer her any real warmth but the sentiment had been nice

"I doubt he'll be much longer" Felix answered her, checking the time on a Scroll which had no signal before returning to his own trap

"Don't worry, uncle Flax knows what he's doing" Eagle interjected as she and Sentinel stretched a trip wire out between them, Arctus spoke up to defend her sentiment

"He's an Atlesian Freelancer. They're some of the best" he snorted "Second to Specialists obviously but I've heard stories from my Dad about some of the things Freelancers do….he says they're the shocking half of shock and awe"

"And there he is" Felix indicated to the night sky where in the distance, currently visible only to Faunus eyesight but rapidly drawing nearer was a Bull-head with a stream of pressurised liquid spraying from it. Team FADE dutifully completed their assigned task before congregating outside of the hangar which would house the Jackrabbit for the night, only a little time passed before the craft landed; a little less smoothly than its' pilot would have liked but the repairs to the damaged wing and thruster had thankfully held, the remote outpost was apparently prepared for a variety of eventualities, lending to the mystique of the Freelancers.

"Okay team, pheromones are set. What about the traps?"

"Ready to go" Felix informed him

"Good, everyone on the roof of the main building. Getting in the thick of it is fun but there's a time and a place" Team FADE followed the instruction without hesitation, scrambling up a ladder that was retracted after them. Eagle deploying Sentinel as they positioned themselves on the roof. Within minutes Flax appeared amongst them clambering through a hatch leading into the building itself.

"Okay, I hope nobody is of a nervous or overly squeamish disposition. False audio starts in three, two, one NOW!" the noise that began spewing from hidden speakers was terrible, there was the promised screams, amplified to a horrific intensity; punctuated by the sounds of gunfire, children crying, explosions and terrible snarling and snapping. Felix gave the older Huntsman a disgusted look

"This isn't fake is it? This is a recording of an actual fucking slaughter!" Flax's rabbit ears drooped at the accusation

"Yeah it is" Eagle's hands shot to her mouth as she regarded her uncle in her whole new light, he explained "A settlement outside of Atlas's Hive Cities, they had a shield generator so they were pretty well protected. It broke down during the winter and word got around the residents; all that panic in a snowstorm….they didn't even see the Grimm coming until it was too late, they were inside before the Freelancers were even called. This is a recording we managed to pull from a damaged Scroll"

"Well thankfully no snow tonight" Arctus whispered, nodding downwards where the first pairs of glowing red eyes filled with menace could be seen, shadowy forms that seemed to blend into the night slinking from the treeline. Flax quickly regained his composure and took control

"Eagle I want Sentinel scouring the sky. Slate, Glyphs over the entrances to stop any Grimm that slip through. Sustrai, pick off anything that stands out in a crowd; Alphas, bigger species you name it. Xiao Long you're with me. We're doing the legwork, once those traps are empty they're gonna rush us" Felix gave a low growl, lips peeling away from sharp teeth as his swords shifted into their machine gun forms. Flax readied his own weapons, the armour around his shoulders, elbows and forearms sliding and rotating as countless panels and components shifted into place, forming a pair of bulky armoured golden gauntlets, with an extra reinforced plate across the knuckles and machine guns slung under the wrists

"Yang and Coco helped me build 'em" Flax noted conversationally when he caught Flax staring at the design that clearly took cues from his mothers' own weapons. Any further discussion was halted by a piercing screech

"Nevermore" Eagle confirmed, Sentinel opening fire served as the catalyst for the Grimm currently stalking towards their base to abandon all hesitation and surge forwards, directly into waiting traps. Felix was left open mouthed by the fruits of his teams labours, the first Beowolf died as it stepped into a bear trapped which had had electric Dust placed in its' workings in a way that caused the crystal to shatter as the trap snapped shut; lightning coursed over the body of the howling Grimm as it was burned away by the voltage. Another stumbled over a tripwire and landed directly on something akin to a landmine, though rather than explode and potentially damage the landing strip it shot six inch long spikes made of Atlesian steel directly upwards; skewering the unfortunate beast and grievously wounding several others as they fell back towards the ground. The whole time the Hunters on the roof emptied a constant stream of bullets, Dust and plasma into the Grimm below

"Are we even making a difference?" Felix called out as he reloaded

"Of course-" Flax found himself interrupted by the roar of an Ursa that lumbered into view, only for Diamond to thread an armour piercing Gravity Dust round through its' eye "Of course we are, it's just gonna be a really long night" he chuckled before unloading twin streams of death from his weapons.

* * *

Flax's assertion had proved correct, it had been a long night. The Rabbit Faunus had allowed the students in his care a few hours sleep following their utter decimation of the various packs, flocks and swarms of Grimm that had assaulted their position; how much sleep the teens actually got was questionable considering the adrenaline fuelling them and the haunting sounds of a massacre ringing in their ears. Regardless they had been woken with breakfast and congratulations on a job well done, proof that Flax Scarlatina may have enjoyed the occasional prank but he was not cruel; currently Team FADE were in the final stages of checking the spent traps littering the scorched and bullet-riddled ground and ensuring that none remained active, it wouldn't do for the next Freelancer to use the outpost to be greeted by a pressure sensitive explosive with a payload of corrosive gas after all.

"Look alive" Flax barked as he strode over to them, having completed pre-flight checks on the Jackrabbit; paying close attention the slapdash repairs made the night before.

"Only look, not actually function….I can do that" Arctus managed to get out before yawning. Flax merely rolled his eyes

"Last night we killed over a thousand Grimm….each" Team FADE shared surprised looks amongst themselves, they knew there were a lot of Grimm but having a number was something different. Flax allowed them all, specifically his niece their moment of pride before dropping the twisted punchline "So now that the easy part's done today we're going to do the real work"

 **Authors Notes:**

Another long chapter and it's a two parter (Technically a three parter with the way the mission leads into what follows but I digress)

I still wish I could get these out more regularly but it is what it is, the regularity of The Downward Spiral updates was the product of me being out of work for a lot of the time I was writing it. I'm making good money right now so sacrifices have to be made.

So I officially have a Fan base? Do you have a name? I wasn't aware….there needs to be a name.  
Also TigersAndRoses and FleetOfWarships seriously you need to send me ALL of this Fan Art, I'll use it as a cover for the story (And obviously credit you)  
Congrats to ShadowAlex2000 for being the 50th reviewer, you win virtual headpats.

Anyway, let's summarise:  
Eagle 100% gets homesick, sharing a dorm is no substitute for having a family as big as the Arcs around, also Felix is a great partner.  
Corvid and Felix's sibling relationship is great.  
Scarlet David cameo (Also Neptune, though he wasn't explicitly name dropped….he will show up later though).  
Omega Wing V2.0 is coming.  
" _Hell I've been punching above my weight since the day I met you darlin'. Didn't think one more time could hurt too bad"_ I can write characters like that but I wish I was that fucking smooth in real life.  
Also Arctus taking notes on cute lines is priceless.  
A little explanation and logic on how test missions work, also the centenary….you know damn well it's gonna be important.  
Goodwitch knows all.  
Flax Scarlatina, Velvet's baby brother….there's a Downward Spiral callback you didn't expect right?  
I did mention Flax briefly at the end of "Our Happy Ever After" and stated that he was a Freelancer.  
Diamond can sleep anywhere.  
The Arc family….yes I had to go back and reread some of Downward Spiral to remember all of Jaune's sisters names.  
I imagined Eagle and Flax as a double act kinda like Ruby and Qrow….which is hilarious considering.  
Diamond is going to give Arctus a heart attack and several nosebleeds before she's done.  
Felix going Balrog: He can do it whenever he has enough heat to fuel it, but I prefer to hold it in reserve or he's OP.  
Eagle is a cinnamon roll….but she will also kick a mountain of ass.  
Pheromones that attract Grimm and pre-recorded screams, that is the level of twisted shit the Freelancers use….they're like Hunter Anti-Heroes.  
That cute little Diamond Dust moment (I'm calling Arctus x Diamond Diamond Dust, deal with it)  
"The shocking half of shock and awe" Is probably the most backhanded compliment given to the Freelancers.  
In the Epilogue of Downward Spiral Yang worked with Team CFVY as their fourth member, filling in for Fox Alistair. Flax's weapon being essentially a way to try and combine Ember Celica with Coco's Mini-gun makes sense.  
Yeah they're going after the big Grimm next chapter….so remember the Gojirex from Downward Spiral; this is cooler.

Thank you to Ferrous, FleetOfWarships, ShadowWolf, ShadowAlex2000, Svette115 and JollyTheImmortal for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Heart warming is good, I don't _JUST_ break people emotionally.  
You love the Battle-Cat ship don't ya (Felix x Helios).  
Diamond doesn't do gentle….As Arctus may or may not find out (Bow chika wow wow).  
The Killer Bee will indeed get upgraded over time.  
Nothing is as dense as Jaune was, his density was thicker than plot armour.  
I've actually never paint-balled so I had no frame of reference….why the fuck would you do something that makes you piss blood for fun, is this one of those "Humans are weird" posts from Tumblr?

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	14. Boss Fight

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 14: Boss Fight**

The Jackrabbit flew low, its' underside barely avoiding the treetops with its' thrusters at less than the optimum in an effort to lessen the noise while it followed a trail of destruction that would no doubt lead to the monster those within were searching for.

"How far out do you think we are?" Felix murmured. He alongside the rest of Team FADE were in the cockpit of Flax Scarlatina's personal transport while the older Huntsman piloted, the result was crowded and less than comfortable but the students all wanted to get a good look at their quarry before facing it battle if possible.

"Oh you'll know when we're near it" Flax assured him, his tone betrayed a hint of his own anxiousness "It can't have been quiet when it moved these trees out of the way. That being said if we can't hear it by now then I need to make a call" with that he flipped a series of switches that engaged the autopilot and turned his attention to the comm, hoping to contact one of the small fleet of warships that loomed over New Vale. After almost a minute of dead air a voice could be heard, distorted by static but not enough to unintelligible

"This is captain Gayl of the Tempest. You are on a restricted channel"

"Hey Dew" Flax drawled, Dew Gayl an alumni of Shade Academy had taken up one of the many vacant positions in Vale following the war and had a reputation of being one of the most successful Huntresses and captains of her generation with a penchant for the dramatic; or as the Atlesian Freelancers, most of whom were native to the icy Kingdom described her; not bad for a Vaccuan.

"Baby face" Dew Gayl gave what sounded like a resigned sigh "One day you'll take that Oum damned illegal scrambler out of your Bull-Head. Do you have visual on the target"

"Negative" Flax admitted "We're following it's trail, I think it might have actually managed to get further than anticipated overnight"

"You think it's out of the forest?"

"Exactly, and heading towards the Jagged Mountains themselves. We put down a lot of Grimm last night though, mission is still active….we'll keep you posted"

"Understood. Stay safe out their Flax" with that the line faded into crackling and then silence

"So on a scale of one to ten how big of a problem do we have?" Diamond ventured

"Well it means we'll be working out in the open so it depends how much cover you normally like to have" Flax answered with a shrug

"Well we have my Glyphs" Arctus pointed out

"True. It's just a matter of catching up with whatever it is now….I think if it's out of the forest it's caution to the wind, hold on tight" with that Flax disengaged the autopilot and pushed his craft to higher altitudes and much greater velocity.

"Well we're ready for it, whatever it is" Felix eyed him team confidently, still savouring the previous nights' victory "Everyone got a homing beacon?"

"Right here" Eagle pointed to the collapsed device hanging from her belt, next to her sheathed sword

"Got mine stashed" Diamond gestured vaguely to her back, Felix assumed she had it tucked beneath the sash and bandoleers she wore, hidden in much the same way she hid Lex Talionis when the weapon was not in use. Arctus merely held open his jacket, showing his own collapsed homing beacon placed in a hidden pocket

"Good to see you're set" Flax noted "Because you'll be the ones going down there"

"You're not joining us?" Eagle asked

"I'll be watching, this is still a training mission. If it goes south I'll jump in but you should be fine though" he gave his niece a warm smile which she happily returned before focusing on the controls of his craft and pushing it forwards even faster.

It was almost another hour before there was any sign of the target. They were still over the sprawling forest but they could hear something, a distinct low thud that had long since sent birds fluttering from the trees. The booming sounds coming in regular intervals. Upon hearing the sound Team FADE who had retreated into the rear compartment of the Bull-head for the sake of space made their way to the cockpit once again

"Is that-" Eagle began

"It can't be" Diamond interrupted "Nothing's that big. Flax didn't choose to respond, he was silently withdrawing a photograph displaying a blonde woman holding up a child with equally blonde hair and a pair of rabbit ears. Daisy and Honey Arc, his wife and daughter and kissing it for luck

"It is" Arctus mouthed out, voice barely above a whisper. His father had told him stories about gargantuan Grimm that his parents had encountered in the war, monsters that were to regular Grimm as a shark is to a minnow. The sound assaulting their ears was the sound of Footsteps.

* * *

One of the widely accepted truths of the Hunter community was that Qrow Branwen knew almost everything. His Semblance which allowed him to take on an avian form wasn't widely known to those outside of his family, this had led to several fanciful rumours and stories about how the old Huntsman had achieved his supposed omniscience; Qrow's personal favourite was one he'd heard in a tavern in a small coastal village in Mistral, the story involved him having drunk the contents of a Grimm spawning pool from an ancient artefact and only failing to achieve immortality due to the fact he added whiskey to the process. The truth was far less magical, Qrow had a several decades long career that had taken him from the echelons of Upper Atlas to the bleakest parts of the Mistrali and Vaccuan underworlds and everywhere in between and he had informants in the form of those grateful for his help or terrified of his wrath in all of them. Coupling this network with Atlesian military surveillance technology and key members of governments willing to turn a blind eye afforded him a level of information few people could hope to process.

It was with a little diligence and a few half truths that Qrow had learned when the first years at Halo Academy of New Vale would be undertaking the first test mission. a little more gave him the name of the Hunter that Team FADE would be working alongside. He knew of Flax Scarlatina, the man was capable and had worked alongside Ruby before but Freelancers had a tendency to be reckless and that was not acceptable. Not where his daughter was concerned.

Qrow had learned of the mission Team FADE were assisting with and knowing of the outpost that the Freelancers maintained on Vytal in flagrant disregard of several treaties between the Kingdoms he deduced that Flax would have them set up camp there overnight and wear down the smaller Grimm congregating around their target before following after whatever was making its' way towards the mountains. Qrow had spent most of the night flying, eventually reaching the Jagged Mountains and positioning himself on a large outcropping of rocks. Currently he was waiting, listening to the steady low thumping of the approaching monster. He wouldn't intervene unless it was strictly necessary but he stood ready, his body nowhere near as withered as he allowed those around him to believe. Eventually the booming sound of footsteps drew close, the sound of an aircraft following it and he peered down; eyes widening as they found what he sought. This was going to be interesting.

* * *

"That….is a big son of a bitch" Felix noted feebly as the target came into view

"Oh this just became a lot less fun" Diamond murmured

"What even is that? I mean it's not like anything my Grandparents have ever mentioned or Aunt Vicky" Eagle rambled, the speed at which words tumbled out of her indicating her trepidation. The Grimm below them redefined the word monstrous. Standing on four thick legs, each capable of flattening a house, the forelimbs slightly longer causing its' body, which was comparable in size to some of New Vales' largest warships, to angle downwards towards the rear. Its' tail was roughly double the length of the body tapering off to a relatively thin tip which sported a row of four curved spikes on each side, tearing gouges in the ground as it thrashed behind the monster seemingly of its' own accord. The head, easily large enough to crush their craft in a single bite was situated at the end of a neck almost as long as its' tail and encased in a helmet of spiked bone armour sporting a swept forward crest. Meter long bone spikes jutted from the back of its' neck, giving way to longer blade like protrusions along its' back, around which several overlapping and interlocked armour plates were weaved like pieces of a puzzle designed by a madman, screeching as they grated against one another.

"That" Flax breathed out, trying his best to remain calm and collected "Is a Brachiodonis"

"How do we even fight that?" Diamond gasped

"You don't fight it" Flax reminded the students "You get down there jam those beacons somewhere where they're unlikely to come loose and get out"

"Okay….Okay yeah we've got this" Felix tried to psyche himself up, his usual confidence having taken a blow

"Before you deploy, let me get a feel for its' reflexes" Flax advised him, hands flying to the weapons controls and sending a salvo towards the back of the Grimm's head. Bullets pattered harmlessly against the armour and within seconds the Rabbit Faunus was forced to send his craft into a dive to avoid the bladed tail of the Brachiodonis as it ripped through the air at frightening speed

"Oh my Oum, Oh my Oum, Oh my Oum" Eagle muttered

"Snap out of it!" Flax barked "Okay it's tough and it's got some range but it's tail isn't fast or flexible enough to take you out before you land. Get ready to jump, once you've deployed I'll get its' attention"

"Okay, ready?" Felix cast his eyes around when every member of Team FADE had given him a sign of some sort he nodded "Okay then, let's do this" the four students made their way to the rear of the Bull-head, opened the side hatch facing towards the Grimm and without preamble leapt.

Team FADE connected with bone armour with a series of thuds, Felix having crushed a Fire Dust crystal in his palm as he descended and delivered a punch as he landed, his team-mates travelled on a Glyph courtesy of Arctus

"Okay, it was dumb to think that'd work and I admit it" the Lion Faunus sighed as he returned to his feet, the faint golden glow enveloping his body dissipating as he extra power he drew from the heat of the Dust crystal was expended; the only sign of his attack being a slight scorch mark on the surface of the monsters armour

"Okay Sentinel, your turn" Eagle cooed as she crouched and allowed the automaton to unfold from its' shield form "Blow a hole in its' armour" she indicated a place where there were slightly less overlapping layers of armour

"Doot doot da doot!" the droid chirped enthusiastically before deploying its' claws on their retractable cables to anchor itself then aiming its' mini-gun downwards and firing. Team FADE were forced to cover their eyes as fragments of bone armour were sent flying, as the barrage stopped the they were left looked at the results in open mouthed shock

"Nothing?" Eagle gasped, the attack had amounted to nothing more than cosmetic damage. Before they could ponder their next move the Brachiodonis let loose a shrieking roar that seemed to span several octaves simultaneously and the shadow of its' monstrous tail looming over them alerted them to the imminent attack.

"MOVE!" Felix bellowed as he tackled Eagle to the ground. The tail passed over them leaving wind whistling in their ears as it did so

"Dude why the fuck can it bend its' tail back that far?" Diamond spat furiously as Arctus vanished the Glyph he'd conjured over the pair of them. The sound of gunfire ahead informed them that the Jackrabbit was making another pass over the Grimm, hopefully turning its' attention away from the small threat on its' back

"Okay, we need a new plan" Felix growled "I don't even think my Balrog state is gonna crack this armour"

"Let me try something" Arctus breathed out steadying himself before crouching and drawing a glinting obsidian crystal, Gravity Dust. Crushing the crystal in his palm he created a Glyph, small and condensed, it shifted colour to pitch black as the Dust coursed through it. Arctus held the Glyph vertically and forced it downwards, sawing into the bone armour. Sparks flew and armour plates cracked before Arctus sagged forwards gasping for breath as the Glyph flickered and faded out of existence

"Can't hold it for long enough, sorry it's armour's too-"

 _CRACK_

Team FADE were instantly on the defensive, Diamond pulling Arctus to his feet as the four Hunters and Sentinel closed ranks. The sound of splintering bones filled the air setting their nerves on edge

"What the-" Felix was cut off by the armour plates exploded outwards in over a dozen places, Grimm bursting from the wounds in the gargantuan monsters' back. Insectoid Grimm, each slightly smaller than them with oversized rear limbs, the front and middle pairs ending in jagged points; a skull sporting oversized mandibles and a body of living darkness with jagged chitinous plates covering strategic points

"Dude" Diamond mouthed out slowly, sounding both disgusted and horrified "It has fleas"

"KILL 'EM ALL!" Felix bellowed as he charged towards the nearest of the Grimm, the blades of Hack and Slash spitting sparks as they whirred into life and carved the skull of a many limbed horror that attempted to pounce onto the Lion Faunus.

"Get 'em Sentinel!" Eagle ordered, her expression resolute. With a series of disturbingly happy chirps the droid aimed and opened fire, ripping the vastly less armoured bugs apart with ease.

"I'm gonna plant a beacon!" Arctus called out as he prepared a Glyph, forming on his left forearm like a shield and barrelling towards one of the freshly made holes in the Brachiodonis's hide, drawing his homing beacon and deploying it with his free hand; smashing a Flea Grimm aside he stabbed the beacon into the wound

"Okay I've got-!"  
"MOVE!" Arctus leapt aside moments before the gargantuan tail lashed against the armour of the Grimm it belonged to, leaving the Bear Faunus staring in shock as the seemingly impenetrable armour was torn asunder, a large amount of flesh was removed and the beacon being ripped free along with it.

"Okay we need a new plan" Felix growled

"It won't smash its' own skull like that" Diamond noted, staring intently at the back of the monsters' head towering above them before making a snap decision

"Cover me" with that she tore off, shifting Lex Talionis into its' glaive form and cleaving Grimm in her path limb from limb

"You heard her!" Felix bellowed "Arctus get a Glyph between its' shoulders, right at the bottom of its' neck and stop the fleas from following her. Eagle, cover Sentinel and thin their numbers. I'm gonna deal with the tail"

* * *

Diamond sprinted, her Free-runner Semblance allowing her to traverse the curve of the Brachiodonis's neck without hindrance, using the spines jutting from each vertebrae as handholds until she reached the base of the spine, the helmet-like armour around the back of the head proving itself to be an obstacle

"Come on, come on" She hissed through gritted teeth as she shifted her weapon to its' sniper rifle form and switched its' current ammunition out for one of her limited supply of high explosive rounds. She pressed the muzzle directly against the edge of the armour plate and fired upwards. The result was instantaneous, fragments of bone armour were blasted away evidently less sturdy than the plating on the monsters back and the Brachiodonis screamed in pain and fury, thrashing wildly in a futile attempt to throw Diamond off. Collapsing her weapon she retrieved her homing beacon and deployed the device before wedging it into the now unprotected section of the Grimm's neck, the tip sinking into flesh and the armour plates surrounding it locking it into place. Looking down she saw Arctus, her partner had set up a truly massive Grimm to cover her and was stood in front of the glowing construct, sword in hand as he faced off against the Flea Grimm; she made no effort to hide the smile that crept across her face before readying her weapon once more and making to rejoin her team.

* * *

Grimm were still crawling from the holes in the armour of the Brachiodonis in a frankly nauseating display, though thankfully Felix knew he could rely on his partner. A quick glance over his shoulder revealed that Sentinel was indeed riddling monsters with bullets the moment they emerged from holes in what almost looked like a twisted parody of an arcade game. Eagle herself was slashing through Grimm with skill that those who didn't know of the Arc family often forgot she possessed. Turning his attention back to the task at hand Felix returned his swords to their place on his back and searched his pockets, finding several of the Fire Dust crystals Arctus had given him as a birthday present. Crushing them in his palm and triggering his Semblance he couldn't help a confident smirk; the familiar feeling like fire flowing through his veins began to take hold and he was aware of the golden glow enveloping him as he entered his Balrog state. The bone armour beneath him began to burn and gradually took on a red glow where he was stood and Felix watched the tail of the Brachiodonis soar overhead, knowing exactly where it would fall. It happened impossibly fast, the tail crashed down and Felix lunged forward to meet it the end result being that the Lion Faunus slid back, leaving a scorched trail on the surface of the Brachiodonis's armour and pulling the tail with him as he refused to relinquish his grasp on the spikes that adorned it

"Don't know how long I can hold this!" He roared out as he braced himself, the Grimm straining against his grip. The Brachiodonis was strong beyond belief, in his Balrog state ripping the Dungeon-Masters' head off during initiation had been far easier than simply holding this beast still.

"I'VE PLANTED THE BEACON!" Felix was too preoccupied to turn around but he heard Diamond yell. With a roar of exertion he ripped the bone spikes he was currently holding free of the tail itself and rolled aside, moments before his enhanced state failed him. Turning away from the tail he saw Diamond reaching Arctus's position and leaping over his glyph and drawing Lex Talionis, the glaive relieving a Grimm of its' head as she landed in a crouch; Arctus swinging his great-sword horizontally and bisecting another Grimm as it made to lunge at his partner in an attack that the two of them had no doubt practised together.

"UNCLE FLAX! OVER HERE!" Felix saw Eagle waving her hands desperately trying to get the attention of the Rabbit Faunus piloting the Bull-head which had been distracting the Brachiodonis, he dreaded to think how much more lethal its' attacks would have been had they been subject to its' full attention

"I think he sees you" Felix forced out, his stamina rapidly failing him after the use of his Balrog state. The Jackrabbit was indeed breaking off and making its' way towards them.

* * *

Qrow had watched the entire ordeal on tenterhooks, contemplating jumping into the fray the entire time. Eventually he saw Felix simply grapple with the tail of the monstrous Grimm in a display of the kind of brazen insanity that he associated with his nieces and the rest of Remnant probably associated with him. Moments later his daughter was waving her hands and Scarlatina's Bull-head was veering moving to extract Team FADE. Qrow allowed himself to breathe again and relish the sense of pride that washed over him, however undeserved it was. Then just as he was preparing to leave the creatures of Grimm made one final strike.

* * *

Felix and Eagle were already aboard the Jackrabbit. Diamond ran and jumped, narrowly making it, finding herself pulled forwards by Felix as she staggered into the craft

"Thanks" she panted breathlessly before turning back to the hatch and shouting down to Arctus who'd been covering them with his Glyphs once more, clearly draining himself in the process. His arms shook with the effort of maintaining the construct and his breathing was laboured

"Dude we're all on board, come on!" hearing her the Bear Faunus collapsed the Glyph and sprinted, the remaining Grimm giving chase. Diamond readied her rifle and began picking the bugs off. It wasn't quite enough, as Arctus leapt towards the open hatch one of the last Grimm jumped, its' powerful hind-legs sending it crashing into his back

"ARCTUS!" She grabbed his hand, struggling to pull him onto the Bull-head as he grappled with the Grimm with his free hand, trying to keep mandibles from closing around his skull

"I've got him" The voice belonged to Flax Scarlatina, the senior Huntsman deploying his machine-gun gauntlets and crouching down. He transferred her grip of the student to himself and he casually hauled the six foot three Faunus into the air by the shoulders, right hand flying out and pulling him aboard by the scruff of the neck while his left flew shot forwards and knocked the Grimm loose, falling to its' end

"Bloodsuckers, nasty little bastards" he noted idly, neither Diamond or Arctus seemed to hear him. She had helped him into one of the seats in the rear of the craft and was cupping both of his cheeks, her face terrified and cherry red eyes wide

"You, you nearly-"

"Hey, I'm fine" Diamond rested her forehead against his, managing to get her breathing under control before wrapping her arms around her partners' shoulders and holding him close as she repeated words she'd uttered the first time they met

"Dude, you're an idiot" there were soft chuckles laced with exhaustion around them and the pair seemed to remember that their friends were present and broke apart

"Well done" Flax planted a hand on Eagle's shoulder and pulled her into a hug "I'm proud of you, all of you. Mission accomplished Team. I'll contact the Tempest, we'll be home by tonight. Get some rest on the way back. You all earned it"

"Go Team FADE" Eagle cheered softly but with enthusiasm as she collapsed into a seat. As the hatch closed she saw a single bird fly beneath the wing, seemingly staring directly at her. Black with glinting crimson eyes.

* * *

Onyx arrived in what had once been a cramped mess hall of the ship that they had stolen from Patch, currently anchored far from New Vale's docks wearing an expression of pure satisfaction. Hellion rolled her eyes at the smugness of the Puma Faunus before returning to sharpening her throwing knives, while Raffia made no effort to acknowledge him, the Axolotl Faunus was too busy devouring a freshly caught fish raw, scales and all. Carcharodon spoke, the Shark Faunus's rasping hiss demanding their attention

"What news?" Onyx's grin widened to comical proportions

"The Scavenger Guild are moving to collect the weapons tonight, I'll be one of their hired muscle. They suspect nothing"

"Gut them and leave them in the ruins" Raffia sneered "Take what we came here for"

"No" Carcharodon hissed, silencing his reckless companion. Raffia looked ready to object until the larger raider explained

"If we make our move inside this exclusion zone of theirs we'll never make it out of the city itself and Onyx will be fighting the guild and the Grimm at the same time. It's unsound….besides I wouldn't deny my smallest brother a chance to fight the best the Scavenger Guild could muster, free of interference" Hellion made no effort to hide a derisive snort, her dragonfly wings shaking with silent laughter

"I know I'm being played" Raffia spread his arms wide "And yet I don't care, give me carnage" Carcharodon gave the closest to a chuckle his voice would allow as he drew a map and spread it across the table they were situated at

"Show me their route"

"Here" Onyx traced the path the Scavenger Guild would take out of the capital of New Vale "Their trade is too dirty for them to risk using the docks or airships. They'll move the weapons to a coastal town. Here" he pressed his padded finger against a point on the map. Carcharodon thought for a moment, liquid black eyes without discernible irises or pupils narrowed as he in turn pointed to a place on the map

"Here" he indicated to Hellion "Take Marauder and scout ahead. Raffia and I will be there tonight, this is where we draw blood"

 **Authors Notes:**

Next chapter will be the finale of the Vol.1 arc (I'm still planning on working with the roughly three arcs per year formula) this will naturally be Team FADE and the Raiders (Who I know we still don't know much about, but stick with me) first proper meeting. Sort of a parallel to Torchwick and the White Fang at the end of Vol.1

I might be taking a break from this story for about a week or so (Which will translate into two weeks due to the time it'll take me to write a chapter) after I post Chapter fifteen so that I can work on a series of one-shots for RWBY Rare-Pair week, yes they'll be posted on here.

Anyway let's summarise:  
Dew Gayl, because I headcanon that she's a bad-ass.  
Yes I dragged out the reveal for the sake of suspense, sue me.  
Admit it, the story about drinking liquid Grimm doesn't sound that far fetched for Qrow.  
Qrow is also seriously on his Batman shit today.  
DINOSAUR GRIMM MOTHERFUCKERS!  
Felix tried the super-hero landing.  
It has fleas….because of course it does, did you really think I'd make the boss fight easy.  
Diamond is bad-ass, that is all.  
Had to throw in the reminder about Eagle, the sword is not just for display. She can fight without Sentinel just fine.  
You know something is strong when Balrog State Felix doesn't instantly win.  
The Arctus x Diamond moment was a parallel of last chapter….and it was cute, you know it was.  
Flax to the (Casual) rescue.  
So Onyx is going undercover with the Scavenger Guild, Hellion may be the scout but Onyx (Being based on Tormund Giantsbane) is a people person, put him in a seedy bar and people with information will talk to him.  
Raffia is all the wrong kinds of crazy.

Thank you to JollyTheImmortal, TigersAndRoses, Ferrous, FleetOfWarships, ThePrimeWolf, ShadowWolf, ShadowAlex2000, SumoSnipe and MariamTheLibrarian22 for their reviews on the last chapter.  
I'm glad so many people like the return of Flax Scarlatina and how the little troublemaker grew up.  
Um, I don't know if you read The Downward Spiral. If you're asking about Oscar I'm gonna assume not….'cos reasons.  
The Grimm pheromones may come into play later, they're a part of the world now but they're not something everyone has and they only serve niche purposes anyway.  
I like that everyone likes this little section at the end. If you follow me on Tumblr then you know that this is closer to "Actual" me and not "Writer" me.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	15. Shadow Cadre

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 15: Shadow Cadre**

The plan to retrieve the weapons from the New Vale exclusion zone had not gone to plan. They had found the weapons, retrieving them from the top of a building had proven challenging albeit less so than salvaging them from the remains of the utterly decimated warship they had originally been a part of would have been. However after loading the eight laser batteries into a pair of semi trucks the Scavenger Guild and their hired fighters, a collection of Hunters looking for work and miscellaneous goons and mercenaries of dubious backgrounds the group had been seemingly besieged with problems. The first truck breaking down had cost them time, the panic it caused to spread through the group; many of whom were vastly inexperienced was enough to attract Grimm. Onyx Ursabane had loved every moment of it; the Puma Faunus had integrated himself well into the collection of rogues, his love of fighting, fine weapons, casual sex and strong liquor making him seem thoroughly at home. He almost lamented the outcome, there had been several more than capable fighters amongst them whom he would have relished a chance to pit himself against; he had been discreetly studying the leader of a recently graduated team of Hunters, a man named Snow wielding a sword named "Long Claw" the arm holding that sword had been removed at the elbow by the long claws and teeth of a particularly odd Beowolf, one that Onyx noted walked like a human and seemed far too resilient.

"Hey, you okay over there?" the voice dragged Onyx's attention back to world around him and he cursed himself for being exhausted enough to become distracted, he was far from finished tonight. Taking in his surroundings he saw that they were travelling along a dimly lit road far from the steel nest of a city; they wouldn't be disturbed

"Aye, blood stopped pumping is all….give me something else to fight or fuck"

"You're a sick man" the driver of the truck laughed, Onyx didn't know the mans' name and he had utterly failed to make an impression when the fighting had started

"What of your people?" Onyx murmured, trying to get comfortable in the cab of the truck forming the rear half of the convoy, looking far less aware of his surroundings than he actually was

"There's a private hospital we take people to. The guild looks after it's people….it'd be bad for business if word got out that our subcontractors had a habit of catching the dead" Onyx gave a low chuckle, the man was a grasping little worm in the Puma Faunus's opinion. His people raided and took what they wanted but they did it honestly, the Scavenger Guild were cowards who lived by the blood and sweat of other people; Onyx didn't usually drink and work alongside his victims but knowing that they were cowards made what was to come much easier to stomach. He leaned forwards, hands resting on the shaft of his double bladed axe. The driver saw the movement in his peripheral vision

"What's up?"

"Nothing" Onyx grunted "Just keeping an eye out….with our luck tonight we might just have to fight some Hunters" the driver visibly twitched at the thought and Onyx fought the urge to cuff him around the back of the head and tell him to show some spine. Turning his attention back to the road ahead, his far superior eyesight well accustomed to the darkness scanning the sky when eventually he saw it, a single dark shape overhead; squinting he managed to discern that it was indeed Hellion's pet. They were nearby with their stolen truck and it was time to begin.

"It's a shame that this will be my last time working with the Scavenger Guild. Your people know how to have a good time" the driver raised an eyebrow

"Really? I'm guessing you're gonna head back to….wherever your accent is from. It's a shame, we need some more big hitters"

"I'm not going home" Onyx chuckled, focusing his Semblance "Neither are you" with that he unleashed a deafening roar and a power that had earned him the title _'Speaker to gods'_ one of many such titles he'd acquired over his short life. The air rippled and warped with a low distorted bass note and everything exploded outwards. Onyx rolled to a stop and rose to his feet roaring a challenge, weapon in hand as he took in the scene around him. The driver had been hurled from the semi truck as the cab was ripped apart, the trailer had screeched to a stop behind him and the burning engine block had been launched forwards, crippling the rear wheels of the truck in front and bringing the vehicle to a screeching halt. Onyx rooted himself to the ground and shifted Jotun Fang into its' ranged mode, knowing that he wouldn't be able to muster his Semblance like that again for the duration of this little skirmish. The remaining fighters leapt out of the trucks, the driver being the first one to collapse to the ground with their chest smoking as he fired. The woman had some Aura left it seemed, just not enough to muster any real defence

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?"

"YOU TWO FACED SON OF A BITCH?"

"WHO SENT YOU?" Onyx couldn't help but grin, the same old questions again and again.

"To answer your questions" a low, rasping hiss caught their attention; a shadow moving across the ground going unseen until it rose from the tarmac, a viscous liquid state solidifying into a robed Shark Faunus who promptly lowered his hood. Carcharodon's eyes, twin abysses surveyed the stunned rag-tag group while Raffia and Hellion slunk into view behind him

"I sent him. We are the Shadow Cadre of the Frost River and we will be relieving you of your spoils"

* * *

Felix saw the bright smile forming on Eagle's face and turned his attention away from his Scroll, texting Nyanza had revealed that Team NEON were doing well on their mission

"What's got you smiling?"

"You mean besides the fact we've actually completed a mission, we're actually training to be Hunters now and not just reading about it?" Felix listened to her whispered rambling and grinned, he was indeed frankly euphoric about that information, he was just tired

"Look at them" Eagle whispered nodding towards the other half of Team FADE, seeing them he realised why she had been whispering. Arctus and Diamond had fallen asleep sharing a pair of earphones, her head on his shoulder as she leaned into him, his head had lolled on top of hers; anyone who didn't know the pair would most likely have assumed that they were a couple

"He is utterly hopeless" Felix murmured

"They are so adorable" Eagle seemed to be fighting the urge to squeal "I mean I know you shouldn't ship real people but look at them! How can you not?" her enthusiasm was apparently enough to wake Diamond, she groggily brushed the silver bangs that always seemed to find their way in front of her eyes aside and removed her earphone; voice croaky as she extricated herself

"Hey big guy wake up" the Bear Faunus gave a sound somewhere between a yawn and a deep rumbling growl as he dragged from his sleep

"So what if I told you we had pictures?" Felix gave them both an evil grin

"I'd put a round through your Scroll while it was still in your pocket" Diamond answered bluntly. The conversation died as the partition separating the cockpit moved aside and Flax silently beckoned them in without turning his attention away from the controls. Team FADE unfastened themselves from their seats and made their way to the front of the craft; all of them momentarily stunned by the view. New Vale itself was visible in the distance, the lights of the towering hive city and the aerial platforms above it were truly a sight to behold

"Almost home" Eagle grinned, her smile faltering upon seeing her uncles' expression

"I just got word from a guy I've done some work for in the past. He was part of a convoy moving some goods out of the capital, they've just been attacked and there're no Hunters nearby. I've tried contacting Rover Tan but he isn't answering his Scroll-"  
"How far out are they?" Felix demanded

"We can reach them" Flax admitted "But I can't jump into a hot-zone with students on board"

"Dude we literally just fought a Grimm the size of a warship" Diamond sighed

"Exactly, you're all still recovering from that"

"Mister Scarlatina….Flax" Arctus breathed out "Yeah we're tired and yeah we're students. But we signed up to be Hunters, that means we help people. It isn't a choice" the Rabbit Faunus considered for a few moments before groaning

"You just had to be a tough mother fucker like your Dad didn't ya?" before Arctus could enquire further about that bit of information the Jackrabbit banked hard as it turned sideways at breakneck speed. Team FADE silently drew their weapons and mentally prepared themselves to answer the call of duty.

* * *

Raffia watched as the sole remaining qualified Hunter fought a losing battle against Carcharodon and Onyx. The Shark Faunus's Semblance allowing blows to simply pass through him before being returned with devastating force, Onyx wielded his axe with finesse one would think impossible for a weapon of its' size. The tarmac shattered under the force of the Puma Faunus's latest assault as the Hunter leapt aside only to be set upon, their own weapons clanging against Carcharodon's arm mounted blades 'The Red Waves' in a desperate defence.

"At least they're having fun" Raffia spat as he returned his attention to his own opponents, a term he used loosely. While Carcharodon and Onyx picked off the strongest targets the Axolotl Faunus dispatched the grunts. Currently almost a dozen men and women that been inside the trucks littered the ground either conscious or clutching at various injuries, and he hadn't even bothered to draw his sword yet.

"YOU LITTLE BASTARD I'M GONNA-" he never found exactly what the hired goon intended to threaten him with. His spinning heel kick connecting with their stomach followed by an impressively acrobatic kick to the face deprived them of their ability to speak. They rolled to a stop and remained on the ground only to be followed by yet another imbecile, this one wildly swinging a crowbar at his head. Raffia's movements were unsettlingly fluid as he sidestepped his attacker and plucked the weapon from their hand, breaking their wrist in the process before striking their knee with a resounding crack. The minute berserker tackled the hapless fighter to the floor and began raining blows down on their face

"WHY! ARE! YOUR! PEOPLE! SO! WEAK?" each furiously screamed word punctuated with a punch in the face that saw his knuckles spattered with his opponents' blood. A high pitched whistle pierced the night and Raffia wrapped his hands around their throat and squeezed before turning to the source of the noise, Hellion who had been in the process of trying to transfer the weapons from the trucks belonging to the Scavenger Guild to the vehicle they had stolen was pointing to something in the sky. Carcharodon gave an irate hiss as he realised that it was a Bull-head

"They have reinforcements. Prepare to leave" with that he delivered a final slash to the face of the remaining hunter before sprinting over to Hellion to assist her. Raffia's face split into a toothy grin that promised nothing but mayhem, reinforcements meant a challenge. As the craft drew close a group of five leapt from the hatches and his eyes widened as he recognised a blonde Lion Faunus and a Bear Faunus with a broadsword

"I'll hold them off" before he could be given orders to the contrary he rushed forwards, Hydra Macabre finding its' way to his hand as he let out a demented cackle and prepared his Semblance. Vaguely aware of Onyx making to follow him into the fray.

* * *

Eagle landed and instinctively brought her shield up to cover her face, briefly taking stock of her surroundings and recognising the sounds of the rest of her team and her uncle landing alongside her before rising to her feet and drawing her sword her eyes immediately focusing on the diminutive figure charging towards them, a minute Axolotl Faunus with intricate tribal tattoos covering the left side of his skull and wielding a double edged sword almost as long as he was tall with one hand. A much larger Faunus behind him, rapidly drawing closer

"Is that-" Arctus sounded utterly baffled

"Fucking Oum, it is!" Felix spat, gripping Hack and Slash tighter and preparing to charge only to be cut off by Flax

"Whoever he is he's going down" with that the older Huntsman deployed his machine gun gauntlets and opened fire, a horrified gasp escaping his lips when the young man jerked and blood erupted from him in a fine mist as bullets ripped through his flesh. Eagle's hand flew to her mouth, crimson eyes wide in shock which quickly turned to disgust and barely controlled retches. Raffia's Aura became visible, a pale pink light bubbling and rippling like a liquid as it took the shape of his body and scores of injuries that should have been fatal healed themselves at an impossible rate, Eagle fought the urge to vomit as she watched the attacker blink a few times, each time more of his eye socket and skull regenerating from the bullet that had blasted through it

"Dude….what the fuck" Diamond mouthed, near silently. The Axolotl Faunus rose to his feet soaked in his own blood yet seemingly no worse for it

"WITNESS ME!"

"Fuck this" With no more to be said Felix rushed in, chainsaw blades screaming as they crashed against Raffia's sword and the smaller Faunus rolled aside wearing an insane smile as he prepared for the next exchange

"Oum damn it" Arctus growled out before rushing in after his cousin. Eagle watched him charge towards the pair locked in combat, a warning dying on her lips as the Puma Faunus reached him, six foot six and wielding an axe. Arctus managed to throw a Glyph up but was still forced back by the sheer force of the swing which was followed up by a roar that warped and distorted the air, hurling the Bear Faunus back.

"What the fuck are we doing stood here?" Diamond demanded as she shifted Lex Talionis to its' glaive mode. Flax placed a hand on her shoulder and held her back

"Don't rush in blindly. There're injured people here get them to safety use one of their Scrolls to get ambulances and reinforcements then join the fight. Eagle, there're more of them trying to load something onto that truck over there, I want you to stop them while I help Slate and Xiao Long"

"One of the others is coming our way" Eagle informed her uncle, nodding towards the truck which was now being attended to by a single raider while someone strode slowly and deliberate towards them, casually removing a cloak and throwing it aside to reveal a pair of curved and serrated blades along their forearms.

"Everyone know their jobs?" Flax demanded tensely, seeing Eagle and Diamond nod silently he readied his weapons and the trio charged into battle.

* * *

"Help Car, I have business with these two" Raffia spat as he ducked under a wild slash from the Lion Faunus who had to hastily flip and staggered his landing to avoid having his belly opened. Onyx chuckled at his friends' insistence. He and the pale Bear Faunus were locked in combat, the blade of the broad sword being forced down against the shaft of his axe

"Another time perhaps" Onyx rumbled as he ducked, resting his weapon across his shoulders as he stepped inside Arctus's guard and delivering a brutal headbutt to his snout like nose followed by a knee to the stomach as he staggered back, sending him to the ground, weapon clattering to the floor beside him. Onyx nodded to Raffia with a wordless grunt before sprinting towards where Carcharodon was doing battle with the clearly more experienced Huntsman.

Arctus rushed to his feet and retrieved his weapon while still blinking spots out of his vision and saw that they were now facing the smaller Faunus two on one, he still knew better than to underestimate the berserker though, Raffia had shifted his sword into its' flail form and was using it to keep distance between himself and Arctus and Felix who were now on opposite sides while retreating back far enough that they both in front of him

"This Kingdom is a big place, but I had hoped we'd run into each other again" the flail retracted and collapsed back into its' sword form

"So are you gonna talk all night now your friend who can actually fight left?" Felix spat, Raffia saw through the attempt to rile him up but decided to indulge them anyway. Sprinting forwards he readied Hydra Macabre for a wide slash at both of their stomachs only to be forced to leap into the air to avoid a glowing Glyph that the Bear Faunus hurled at his chest, rotating like a saw blade. Somersaulting over the attack a cruel smile played across his lips, quickly replaced by an agonised cry as he was blasted back to the ground, his left arm engulfed in a blue light, rolling to his still functioning hand and knees he saw that the Glyph had been a distraction, the Bear Faunus had turned his sword into some kind of plasma weapon.

"I'll carve your heart out!" his voice came out as a tortured scream as he sank the blade of his sword into the ground and took stock of his situation through the pain. His left hand and forearm were reduced to a skeletal and still burning husk which he winced as he grabbed, his right palm blistering before ripping his own arm off at the elbow and rising to his feet with a demented smile

"How many times do I have to prove that I am unstoppable"

"At least one more" the cocky Lion Faunus snarled rushing forward swords at the ready, Raffia channelled his Semblance and his viscous rippling Aura took the shape of his body, his whole unmutilated body and he blocked Felix's backhanded left slash with a left forearm made entirely of light, within which bones were starting to form with a series of wet snapping noises as tissue began to knit itself together around the glowing substance; with an even wider grin the Axolotl Faunus rolled away and pulled his blade from the tarmac, twirling it as his arm finished regenerating.

Felix sheathed his swords and reached for a handful of Fire Dust crystals

"Felix don't" Arctus warned him, the Lion Faunus was in no state of mind to listen

"He's got a cool Semblance, that's okay. So have I let's see him recover from his"

"Oh this should be entertaining!" Raffia giggled. Felix roared as he crushed the Dust crystals and triggered his Semblance, absorbing the heat and channelling it as he entered his Balrog state.

"I'm gonna pull your head off!"

"You're going to die in the attempt" Raffia cackled as he weaved under a berserk lunge from the Lion Faunus and slashed at his face, mildly surprised when it proved ineffectual and his blade began to glow with the heat. Sheathing the blade Raffia cocked his head

"A test of stamina then" Felix lunged again, tarmac melting beneath his steps as Raffia danced around him and after a few failed attempts to close the distance between them the Lion Faunus realised his mistake; he'd overexerted himself. Felix had never entered this state twice and expended this much Aura in so short a time before and after a few more easily avoided attacks his Balrog form failed leaving him collapsing to the ground and struggling to breathe

"Well that was ill advised" a mocking voice taunted moments before a kick to the face left him unconscious.

Arctus rushed in with Gefroren-Erbe in sword mode at the ready as Felix was sent sprawling across the ground, he sent a horizontal swipe at the smaller Faunus's skull which Raffia proceeded to backflip over, opening the flesh of his palms as he grabbed the blade, wrestling the weapon from Arctus's hands and pulling him off balance before ducking low and sweeping his feet out from under him. Arctus swiftly rolled to his feet only to be pushed back by a kick to the stomach, Raffia drawing his blade in the same fluid movement. The Bear Faunus was panting heavily by this point, dizzy from a combination of exhaustion and blows to the head; he'd recovered a lot less Aura than he would have liked in the minimal rest since Team FADE's mission and the Glyphs he's cast over the course of the day had drained him. He couldn't keep this up and he knew it, deciding to make a desperate dive for his sword only for his world to explode into pain before he'd completed a single step

"I don't think so" Raffia's voice taunted, Arctus grit his teeth and tried to process what had happened. He was on the floor now, looking down he saw a rapidly expanding crimson stain on his white pants. Raffia's bladed flail was embedded in his thigh, the tip puncturing through the flesh on the back of his leg and Arctus suspected breaking his femur in the process. A pained scream was torn from his lips as Raffia ripped the blade free by returning his weapon to sword mode and stalking towards him, racked with silent laughter

"That was stupid, but there's just the tiny little issue of you owing me a left arm….I don't have the means to burn yours to a cinder so I'll just have to saw it off slow-" he was cut off by a curved blade bursting through his sternum. Arctus's pain addled mind refused to process the fact the maniac was still smiling even as he vomited blood when the blade was ripped free, Raffia collapsed to his hands and knees with the Aura already forming around him to repair the horrific wound revealing the one who'd assaulted him. Arctus's eyes homed in on silvery hair and bright cherry red eyes. Lex Talionis shifted almost silently to its' sniper rifle form and Diamond pressed the muzzle against the back of the Axolotl Faunus's neck

"Yeah he's a dumb-ass but he's my dumb-ass" Arctus managed to stay conscious for just long enough to see Raffia's jaw explode as the round exited the bottom of his skull.

* * *

Onyx's attempt to cleave the older Huntsman in half was avoided with laughable ease, the Rabbit Faunus merely used the blade of Jotun Fang as a springboard from which to deliver a knee strike to Carcharodon's skull. Onyx used a small burst of his Semblance, the Huntsman rolled aside allowing the wave of distortion to hit Carcharodon the Shark Faunus triggering his own Semblance, his protean body rippling and absorbing the damage with ease. The Shadow Cadre had met many Hunters in their short lives, most of them recently qualified and eager to make a name for themselves with the occasional has been desperate for one last chance at fame and glory wandering into their domain; in the few exchanges of blows between them Onyx Ursabane had realised that Flax Scarlatina was neither of those things, he was something far greater and the Puma Faunus couldn't remember having so much fun in a very long time.

"Take the lead!" Carcharodon snarled, Onyx nodded and swung Jotun fang horizontally causing Flax to leap back; exactly as planned Carcharodon leapt over Onyx's shoulder and ran along the shaft of his weapon before launching himself forwards. Flax blocked an attack that never came, the Shark Faunus triggered his Semblance as he landed, melting into the floor. The ruse proved successful when Carcharodon reappeared behind him, wrapping an arm around his throat while Onyx shifted his axe into its' artillery mode and fired. Flax managed to haul the slightly taller Faunus choking him over his shoulder, Carcharodon's Semblance was the only thing that saved him from the blast, his liquid body was left steaming as it solidified and Flax pressed the advantage against the pair of them with his machine gun gauntlets.

Carcharodon allowed the bullets to pass through his unstable body; the clanging behind him assuring him that his oldest friend was safe, bullets pattered off of his axe without consequence. Casting his obsidian eyes around he saw Raffia laying on the ground, blood pooling around him as one of the Hunters attempted to drag her allies to safety. The minute Faunus's Aura flickered and flared unevenly with overuse as his Semblance pulled him from the brink of death once again, but it was clear that things had been allowed to go on for far too long.

"It's time to leave" he hissed to Onyx "I'll assist Raffia, end this at the first opportunity"

"Nah, you're not going anywhere" the older Faunus sneered, wearing a cruel smile "Reinforcements should be on the way by now. I think I've stalled for long enough" Carcharodon's pitch black eyes widened as the Bull-Head the interfering Hunters had arrived in came back into view, flying low with its' weapons trained on them

"BRING IT DOWN!" he spat as he activated his Semblance and sank into the floor once again. Onyx shifted Jotun Fang into its' ranged form and opened fire. The already damaged wing of the Jackrabbit burst into flame under the barrage and the craft began to fall from the sky at the same moment as Carcharodon Gore burst from the ground and pinned Flax's arms to his sides. Holding them both in place as the craft ploughed into them.

* * *

Eagle reached the truck that the attackers had been in the process of transferring the goods they were stealing into. Rushing to the rear of the trailer she deployed Sentinel

"Stand down or I open fire!" she tried to make her voice as authoritative as possible but couldn't quite keep it from trembling slightly. She was rewarded by a pair jade green eyes piercing the darkness followed by the figure those eyes belonged to stepping out of the shadows. A dark skinned young woman, a Dragonfly Faunus with gossamer wings fluttering behind her back, deep magenta hair and an amused smile on her face as she idly petted the bird of prey perched on her armoured forearm

"Oh you are just adorable. You'd open fire on a truck filled with unknown goods? You'd risk the explosion? I doubt it" Eagle scowled as she realised that she had a point and wasted no more words. Tightening her grip on her sword she surged forwards, intending to leap into the truck. The Dragonfly Faunus moved blindly fast, hurling a pair of throwing knives with Ice Dust crystals set into the handles to the ground, Eagle found herself sliding and struggling to balance as the floor was coated in sheet ice; her opponent used the opening to leap from the rear of the truck and deliver a vicious spinning kick to her face, Eagle hit the ground with a crash.

"Don't force me to ruin such a pretty face little canary" Hellion sighed as the downed Huntress rose to her feet. She'd heard the Rabbit Faunus call her 'Eagle' Hellion studied her for a moment noting her height, golden hair and flustered freckled face; the comment about how pretty she was had not been _entirely_ mocking. Eagle's face seemed to redden though whether it was in response to the taunts or exhaustion Hellion made no effort to guess, her attention taken by the fact that the armoured Huntress had began to charge forward again.

Picking up Sentinel as she rushed forwards, realised that the droid would be of little use against a single agile opponent. As her mechanical companion returned to shield mode she used him to cover her face and chest, the clang of another pair of throwing knives informing her that the attacker had indeed gone on the offensive. With a roar of exertion she swung her sword in a wide slash only to hit nothing but air as the Dragonfly Faunus leaned back, allowing the blade to pass over her head before following it through into a handstand and a kick to the back of Eagle's head. Eagle tumbled to the ground, rapidly pulling herself into a crouch and fixing her opponent, whose identity she still hadn't learned with a glower. The bird had returned to her arm and she was giving Eagle another amused smirk, her eyes glinting in what little light there was.

"Stay down" incensed by both the instruction and the bemused tone it was given in Eagle rushed forwards, only to find herself flung backwards as another series of throwing knives sunk into the ground directly in front of her, Dust crystals worked into the projectiles exploding. Eagle couldn't help a cry of frustration that escaped her, drawing a soft laugh from the Faunus. The fight between them was forgotten moments later however when Eagle something that made her blood run cold

"No" the single world failed to encapsulate the dread and desperation that consumed her as she watched her Uncle's Bull-head be shot out of the sky, its' collision course sending it crashing to where Flax himself was fighting. Her attempt to rush towards the wreckage was halted by her legs being swept from under her and a foot planted firmly between her shoulder blades preventing her from standing. Hellion crouched down on her back and whispered

"I said stay down. Neither of them are dead" the Dragonfly Faunus received all the confirmation she needed when a single shadow slithered away from the crash site, making its' way towards where Raffia lay unmoving; she knew how Carcharodon's Semblance worked and he had been holding the Rabbit Faunus in place then they had both reaped the benefits of a protean body, he was most likely inside his own downed craft and in shock. Hellion removed her foot and stepped back as she saw Onyx running towards the truck; she'd made it less than half way towards their stolen vehicle when she heard Eagle rise to her feet behind her

"Endearing as this is little canary, I really have to go" faster than Eagle could react she launched a flurry of throwing knives, each with a smoke bomb or small explosive attached, each finding its' way between the plates of her armour, harshly restricting her movement. The attack wouldn't be lethal but it would stop any attempts to follow her. _After all_ Hellion smirked as Marauder returned to her once again _she really does have a pretty face._

* * *

Arctus opened his eyes slowly, his blurry vision filled with nothing but sterile white. After a few moments filled with confused blinking everything came into focus and he realised that he was in the medical facilities of Halo Academy, a screen around his bed obscuring his view of any other patients present. Trying to pull himself into a sitting position he became aware of just how numb he was, a combination of exhaustion and a cocktail of medication leaving him barely able to move. A pair of hands grabbed him and helped him to sit upright

"Hey kid" Arctus shook his head, trying to clear the cotton wool it seemed to be filled with and noticed his Uncle Rover was there, Aunt Artemis beside him. The other hand, currently resting on top of his own belonged to an exhausted looking Diamond Sustrai-Black

"How bad is it?" he croaked out, voice hoarse; he remembered his leg being skewered in the fight and the blade belonging to the demented Axolotl Faunus being ripped free violently. Diamond was the one that answered

"Dude" her voice wavered as she whispered the single word, needing to pause before she continued "You lost a lot of blood….they got away, we needed to get you here. That son of a bitch just healed from what I did to him….it was the most disgusting thing I've ever seen" Arctus noticed her hand was trembling on top of his and in a gesture that he would given more consideration were he not heavily medicated, he took her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Artemis spoke up

"You're gonna be okay. All of you. Arctus your leg was broken and there was some muscle damage but they've pumped you full of enough Aura stimulants to get you back on your feet in a few days at the most" Rover looked increasingly guilty with every word, his husky tail tucking flat along the back of his legs as he chimed in

"I'm sorry kid. Flax tried contacting me but Artemis and I took the night off because we had some news to give to our families….hell we may as well tell you now" he turned to his wife, silently asking her permission. Artemis smiled and proceeded to tell the teen she considered her nephew herself

"I'm pregnant, you're gonna be the cool older cousin" Arctus took a moment to process the information, a smile that could best be described as goofy formed on his face

"Sweet" his expression darkened slightly "Family….Where's Felix? Oh shit where's Eagle?"

"They're okay" Diamond assured him "Eagle's in one of the other beds, nothing major depleted most of her Aura though; she fell asleep in the corridor so they moved her. Felix is with his Mums outside; had his nose fixed up and something for his Aura strain"  
"Broken nose _again_?" Arctus couldn't help but laugh hysterically, personally blaming the cocktails for his inability to compose himself

"Are you okay?" He managed to ask Diamond as his laughter subsided, his partner shrugged and looked away

"I'm fine, just a little freaked out" her hand seemed to tighten around his and Arctus felt his pulse quicken despite himself.

"We'll go let Blake know you're awake" Rover murmured, he and Artemis giving each other knowing looks "And you did good out there. No casualties, it could be a lot worse"

"And you're welcome to come and visit us anytime" Artemis added, giving him a brief hug before they left, an awkward silence hanging between Arctus and Diamond for a few moments until more vague and disjointed flashes of the nights' events pieced themselves together in the Bear Faunus's mind

"So I'm your dumb-ass?" he had hoped for a teasing tone, it came out more hopeful than anything else. Diamond turned to face him her expression a mixture of embarrassed and annoyed that made her look in his opinion, adorable

"You are such an idiot!" she pulled him into a tight hug "Never scare me like that again" they stayed that way for a few moments until they heard the door opening at which point they broke apart hastily.

"Thank Oum you're all okay" Blake breathed out as she pulled the screen around the bed aside, revealing herself and Felix. She looked as though she'd dressed frantically and the dark rings around her eyes and messy hair suggested that she'd been asleep when she and Yang were contacted. Felix merely sported a bandage across the bridge of his nose

"Sorry we caused a fuss" the Bear Faunus mumbled, Blake merely laughed

"Oh this is nothing compared to Team RWBY's first mission. Goodwitch tried to contact your parents, Whitley answered apparently he's babysitting your sister tonight because Weiss is working on some experiments in the SDC labs and your Dad is working; he couldn't say anything other than that. He'll let them know that you're okay though"

"That's fine" he shrugged, even without the drugs numbing him to almost everything he was used to how busy his parents lives were and accepted it "Where's Aunt Yang?" Felix couldn't help but chuckle at that question before Blake answered it

"Flax has presented himself to Goodwitch for a debriefing to give his appraisal of your abilities and explain what happened. Yang upon hearing this decided she would very much like to hear that explanation" the feline sighed in equal parts frustration with Flax himself and her wife's barely contained fury

"He's gonna be rabbit stew within five minutes" Felix snorted. Blake seemed to consider the likelihood of Yang loosing her temper and turned to leave, stopping and giving some parting words as she did so

"You did well today and don't let how it ended make you think otherwise. I'm proud of you"  
"Love you too mum" Felix murmured as she left, as the door closed behind her the Lion Faunus made his way over to another of the hospital beds; Arctus's assumption that he was waking his partner was proven correct when Eagle sat up rubbing her bleary eyes. After Eagle had taken a few moments to make sense of her surroundings she and Felix made their way over to Arctus's bed, the leader of Team FADE wearing a grim expression

"So, it's pretty clear that the people we fought tonight are the same people who've been attacking trucks regularly lately" he growled out waiting for his teams' silent nods of agreement before continuing "And the small one who did this to Arctus was on Patch, whoever they are they can seemingly hit wherever they want and the police and Hunters can't seem to catch 'em"

"Wait for it" Diamond muttered with a roll of the eyes, Felix glowered at her

"I think we should look into it, we at least got a good look at them which is better than a lot of the people they attacked did….Are you with me?"

"I'm with you" Eagle whispered, blushing slightly when she saw her friends' eyes on her "I'm an Arc, my whole life I've heard my Granddad and Aunts say 'Arcs protect what's important', well New Vale is important so I'm going to protect it" none of them could help the smiles that formed on their faces during the short but impassioned speech

"I'm in, I really hate thieves" Diamond admitted "It's a Mistrali thing" she added with a shrug, growing up in a Kingdom home to the most deprived city and most depraved criminal underworld on Remnant and several tribes of marauding bandits between the cities, those born in Mistral tended to have a very dim view of those who stole from others.

"Well I did promise Aunt Blake and Aunt Yang I'd stop you doing anything too stupid" Arctus sighed "And at the risk of sounding like you here Fluffy, I really wanna see that psycho again" Felix grinned and gave his cousin a suitably rude hand gesture in reply

"So we're all agreed then? Team FADE are…..Oum damn it we need a cool slogan or something"

* * *

Phobos licked blood from its' claws, The Alpha Beowolf sat on its' haunches atop the wreckage of a car, decades worth of rust corroding its' chassis. In pale light of the pre-dawn the Grimm surveyed what remained of its' pack, less than fifty in total; their numbers had been thinned in the fight with the meat they had chased to the wall and the guns mounted atop the gargantuan barrier that kept the Grimm contained. Phobos snarled, its' mind had been working faster and in new ways lately; the monsters' newfound gift of intelligent speech was only the most noticeable aspect of the mental development. Crimson eyes glowed with malice as it gave a short howl that demanded the attention of the other Beowolves, seeing them turn their attention towards it Phobos rose to his hind legs

"Phobos lead Grimm, but need more" a deep guttural snarl escaped it "Grimm can't leave. Phobos lead ALL Grimm then Grimm escape" PHOBOS MAKE GRIMM HUNT FREE!"

 **Authors Notes:**

So this is the end of the First year – Arc: 01; in rough terms we're about equivalent to the fight with Roman and the White Fang at the end of Vol.1

I may not update this for a couple of weeks while I plan out Vol.2 and write the various one-shots I have planned for RWBY Rare Pair week, rest assured I'll be back to working on this story as soon as possible.

Anyway let's summarise:  
Yes that was a Jon Snow reference, with Onyx being based on Tormund it seemed like a fitting hat tip; no Jon Snow will not be appearing again it was just a throwaway Easter egg.  
"A particularly odd Beowolf" Yes they met Phobos and its' pack.  
Onyx clearly has at least some sort of code of honour that lives by.  
Onyx is the Shadow Cadre's tank, he's the only one who actually carries a real ranged weapon and his Semblance is basically an area of effect blast.  
Carcharodon's entrance is needlessly extra and admit it, _you loved it_. His Semblance that lets him walk through walls also gives him a protean body, he can manipulate his body and allow bullets to pass through him. The whole travelling across the floor as a shadow was actually based on the 'Shark Dive' from Street Sharks….which may reveal just how old I am.  
"The Shadow Cadre of the Frost River" is cool but its' not actually their full official name/title….all will be revealed.  
Eagle is a Diamond Dust shipper, we are all Eagle Arc.  
I think I may have to bring Flax back, just so he can tell Arctus about the two different occasions that Gangrel Slate saved his skin.  
Okay I'll adress this here, The Shadow Cadre are all actually roughly the same age as Team FADE. They come from a vastly different background to most students which is why they're a lot more proficient. I'm trying to keep them from seeming OP which is why I had Flax hand their leader and their tank their asses at the same time.  
Yeah Eagle's reaction to Raffia's Semblance is honestly pretty fair, he is a pretty disturbed and disturbing little critter.  
Also a little bit of 'Jobbing' going on there, Arctus is the tank of Team FADE, six three physically strong with a big sword and a Semblance he can use like a shield; Onyx, who's six foot six just ploughed into him like a train.  
On top of insane regeneration Raffia can use his Aura as a substitute for missing body parts while he grows them back.  
Felix's Balrog form has its' limitations, it leaves him tired and using it in succession is just asking for trouble. Also he sacrifices a bit of agility for raw power and the ability to shrug off damage.  
Arctus has clearly inherited Gangrel's affinity for brushes with death; luckily he has Diamond for a partner.  
Also note that Raffia isn't totally invulnerable, his Semblance still only lasts as long as his Aura and his Aura can be drained. Either a sufficiently powerful weapon or a protracted fight could still kill him.  
Onyx managed to bring the Jackrabbit down, but remember it was already damaged. Also Carcharodon actually saved Flax's life there.  
Okay so the Eagle and Hellion fight….all I'll say is that their ship name is Tamagotchi.  
LEWD HAND HOLDING….yes I am enjoying the Diamond Dust ship entirely too much.  
Yeah I think we can all safely assume that Yang would give serious consideration to scalping Flax in that situation.  
Felix wants to go after them himself….he is so Blake's son.  
More Phobos, be afraid, be very afraid.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, ShadowAlex2000, ShadowWolf, Ferrous, FleetOfWarships, ThePrimeWolf, MariamTheLibrarian22 and FluffyFirefly for their reviews on the last chapter.  
I love how much people seem to enjoy my own Grimm species, but here's a thought: Would you rather see a Brachiodonis fight a Gojirex OR Phobos ride something of that size into battle.  
If the mission reminded you of Dark Souls it's probably because it's ridiculously difficult.  
Some mixed feelings on Qrow I see; I mean yeah he did kinda stalk her, but it was done with the purest possible intentions.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	16. One Week Later (Vol2)

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 16: One Week Later**

It was Saturday, one week to the day since the first years at the Halo Academy of New Vale had left for their first missions, shadowing qualified Hunters.

Team FADE being the first team to return after successfully completing said mission had enjoyed a relatively quiet week free of classes, with more of their classmates returning as the week went. Although perhaps enjoy was not the correct word, between the visits to the Xiao Long and Arc households to spend a little time with family, sitting in on lectures and training sessions intended for older students and doing what training they could the four young Hunters had been mentally licking their wounds; each of them still wondering how they could have acted differently during the skirmish that had followed their mission. A skirmish that had seen their adversaries escaping and left Arctus still limping as his broken leg was rapidly healed by his Aura.

"Morning" Team FADE still groggy at this hour on a weekend collectively turned their attention to Nyanza Angora, the pale feline Faunus making himself comfortable at their table. As they grunted and mumbled out their replies they were joined by a clearly irritated Helios Nikos who positioned himself behind and to the left of his partner and grabbed him firmly by the back of the neck

"Understand that there is nowhere you can hide from me and that you _will_ be receiving the most thorough educational beating of your life today" Felix who had had the dubious honour of being on the receiving end of Helios's temper before winced

"What did he do this time?"

"Thanks for the support" Nyanza grumbled only to be roundly ignored.

"His inability to take anything seriously and refusal to rely on anything other than his Semblance is going to get someone killed. That's not my opinion, it's the opinion of the Hunter we were shadowing. Team NEON did not perform as well as Team FADE apparently did" Helios seemed equal part furious at his partner and grateful for someone rant to

"That guy was an ass-hole" Nyanza shrugged

"You were using your Scroll in the middle of a mission!" There were a few moments of tense silence, Team FADE collectively staring in disbelief at Nyanza

"Dude you are such a dumb-ass" Diamond hissed. Arctus merely shook his head in awe at the pure stupidity he was hearing

"That was really, really stupid. Sorry" Eagle mumbled with an apologetic shrug.

"Nyanza, please tell me that when I text you to see how your mission was going you didn't stop fighting to reply?" Felix breathed out, desperate to retain any scraps of respect for his old friend that he could. Nyanza refused to meet his eyes

"No, he's managed to find a way to sink beneath even your low expectations of him" Helios sneered "This cretin decided to type his reply while using his Semblance to fire blindly into the pack of Grimm Ether was already engaging. If it wasn't for Ether's own Semblance Nyanza would've shot him in the back" amidst another round of disbelieving mutters Felix simply stared at the feline, as the Lion Faunus eventually made to speak his fellow native of Patch rose from his seat; suddenly furious

"Nah fuck this! I don't have to sit here and take this shit, I use my Semblance 'cos it works!" He glowered at his companions before jabbing a finger into Helios's chest "I don't care who you are back home but I don't have to take your shit. And I definitely don't have to take yours Felix, you got to be a team leader and forgot who your friends are. You used to be cool!" with that he turned and stalked off leaving a cafeteria filled with onlookers stunned into silence behind him. After a few tense moments the buzz of chatter began to fill the hall once again, Team FADE painfully aware of who was being discussed.

"If your friend ever touches me again I'll kill him" Helios growled

"Calm down, it's not worth more trouble" Diamond warned him. He ran his hand through his spiky crimson hair and took several deep breaths before speaking

"Would you mind if I join you? Ether and Olivine haven't had any privacy while we've been away, no doubt they'll be preoccupied for the foreseeable future….I honestly don't really have any other friends here" the bluntness of the admission stopped Team FADE in their tracks for a moment, Eagle was the first to recover, knowing all too well what being friendless felt like

"Of course you can sit here" she gestured enthusiastically at Nyanza's now empty seat. As Helios gratefully took it Felix was distracted by his Scroll vibrating in his pocket, unsure of who it could be he withdrew the device and was surprised to see a message listed as being from Halo Academy Admin, his brow furrowed in confusion as he read the message

"What's up?" Diamond asked, turning his attention back to the table Felix saw that Helios was also looking at something on his Scroll, he had apparently figured out how they worked at some point since initiation

"Just a message from the staff, apparently I've got a meeting with someone called Vasilias in about half an hour. Doesn't say what it is, would've like a little bit more notice to be honest" Felix answered with shrug

"I have a meeting with him as well, though mine is this afternoon" Helios added

"Probably just some paperwork then if it's team leaders" Felix sighed "Well, it's not like I had any plans for today"

"We were heading out, we can wait up for you if you want?" Arctus offered, his cousin shook his head conveying that it was fine.

"I'll catch up with you all later" with that Team FADE left and went about their various businesses.

* * *

Eagle had returned to Team FADE's dorm and was currently reading a book she'd borrowed from Felix. It had been a little surprising to learn that her partner had a small collection of novels in his possession but a welcome one, Eagle had left the majority of her own bookshelf at home. Felix had gone to look for the office in which his meeting was taking place, Eagle merely shook her head in disbelief that he still hadn't learned his way around the campus yet. Arctus and Diamond were out in the city together and as adorable as the pair were to watch she hadn't wanted to intrude. That had left her in a somewhat awkward silence with Helios, who had eventually sighed and stated that he was going to track down his partner; an endeavour that had Eagle known him better she would have told him was ill-advised.

"This is filth" Eagle murmured to herself, cheeks colouring slightly as she reached a particularly graphic scene only to be distracted by Sentinel, the droid bleeping happily to get her attention as it carried a tray of snacks over. Eagle grinned to herself, Sentinel really was the coolest thing she'd ever even thought of.

"Come here buddy" as Sentinel trundled closer Eagle put the book down and took the tray the machine was carrying before depositing a pillow on his head and proceeding to use him as a leg rest. Sentinel continued to bleep and chirp excitedly, seemingly happy to be of any use at all and Eagle was glad for that as the bunks provided were just a little too small to be comfortable for anyone six feet or taller. As she made herself comfortable she was distracted once again from her book by her Scroll vibrating beside her. Crimson eyes widened as she saw the identity of the person making a video call and answered hurriedly

"AUNT HELL!" She squealed

"Hey kid, how's it going" Hellebores Arc, or Aunt Hell to Eagle and the other Arc children greeted her. At twenty-nine years old she was the youngest of the late Jaune Arc's siblings and was in Eagle's mind tied with Flax Scarlatina and Lie and Nora Ren for the position of coolest Aunt or Uncle she had. Her dirty blonde hair was worn in a spiky undercut and a pair of goggles with dark tinted lenses resting on her forehead, intended to be used in conjunction with her weapon as Hellebores Arc was one of the few members of her family to eschew the traditional sword and shield combo for something, in the self professed pyromaniac's own words _'A hell of a lot more fun'_

"It's going good, I'm just relaxing since I'm not in class today" Eagle couldn't get the smile off of her face, she didn't get to see Aunt Hell nearly enough

"Where's your team? Are you getting on with them okay, I know most of the kids at home were ass-hats to you but I was hoping Halo would be different"

"It is" Eagle quickly assured her, not wanting to think about the lack of friends she'd had before her arrival at the academy "It's so different. My Team are awesome, Felix my partner and team leader is in a meeting right now but he'll be back soon. Arctus and Diamond went out together, even if they're not together together, they're still always together….I'm rambling aren't I?"  
"Yes you are, but it's cute" her aunt chuckled "Speaking of cute, any cute girls caught your eye?" Eagle felt her face begin to heat up as she mumbled her reply

"I'm not dating anyone Aunt Hell"

"But that's not what I asked, I asked if anyone's caught your eye" Eagle knew she was blushing scarlet when she answered, her voice a barely audible squeak

"So, so many. Every girl here is super pretty and they're all cool and ugh" she flopped face down onto the bed with a groan, the sound of Aunt Hell's laughter coming from the Scroll

"I feel your pain kid, it hit me like a wall at Haven" the older Huntress sighed as her laughter subsided, Aunt Hell had been part of one of the last classes of Vale Hunters to get their education outside of the Kingdom before Halo Academy's opening "So as much fun as it is to catch up the news about your first mission is doing the rounds in the family, I just wanted to make sure you're okay, I heard one of you needed a medic and Flax is still whimpering at the amount of repairs his favourite toy needs"

"I'm fine….my whole team are okay, Arctus's leg has healed. Honestly we're just annoyed about the way things ended up, we don't even know where to look for those people that robbed the truck"

"Look for those people…." Hellebores trailed off, Eagle couldn't help another groan as she saw her aunt's face form a mischievous smirk "Is little Eagle thinking of getting herself into some trouble? It's about damned time!"

"Not trouble" Eagle grumbled as she fidgeted awkwardly "But they can't just get away with robbing people and the Hunters haven't been able to find them"

"I understand, I really do….Honestly anyone who isn't as determined to do the right thing as you shouldn't even be training to be a Hunter, they're not cut out for it" Eagle's chest puffed up with pride even as she looked away from the screen of her Scroll, hiding her face as she managed to blush brighter still under the compliment. Hellebores continued

"Still these guys clearly aren't amateurs so I know you're probably sick of hearing this but be very careful"

"You're not gonna tell me not to do it?" Eagle asked, somewhat surprised

"Pfft, I'd hope you'd ignore me if I did" her aunt countered "But anyway, I was talking to Flax after I heard. I was gonna chew him out but apparently Dad already gave him a piece of his mind, when he told me he how these guys operated it honestly reminded me of the Nomad Tribes on Anima, but it can't be them"

"Why not?" Eagle asked

"Occasionally a member of the tribes might join one of the academies but they never move their operations off of Anima, besides there aren't any Faunus in the tribes"

"That's not much to go on" Eagle sighed

"I know" her aunt admitted "My team and I at Haven tolerated each other at best, I haven't really been back to Mistral since I graduated so I don't know what's going on there. It's a long shot but it might be worth asking any Mistrali students if they've heard anything about street gangs copying raider tactics"

"Yeah, I'll do that. Thanks….and thanks for believing in me"

"Oh please I've known you were gonna be something special since you were twelve and told me you wanted to make your shield a tank. Anyway sorry it's only a brief call but I've got work to to, I'm actually in Vaccuo right now. Go get 'em Eagle, the scumbags and the pretty girls, get 'em all" Eagle gave yet another wordless groan of embarrassment as the call ended, laying sprawled on her bunk replaying the conversation in her mind, realising that Diamond was the obvious person to ask and subsequently realising that if her team-mate had made the connection she would have spoken up. She lamented that fact for a while until a thought hit her. She actually did know another Mistrali.

* * *

"Come in" the voice called from behind the door Felix knocked on, allowing him entry to what he assumed was an office. Stepping inside revealed that he had been at least partially correct; it was an office though not exactly of the kind he'd been expecting. In addition to the usual desk and chairs there was a black leather couch clearly intended to be laid on rather than sat pushed into one corner of the room and the opposite wall was a bookshelf that a quick glance told Felix was full of books pertaining to psychology and psychiatry. Behind the desk a broad bladed glaive was mounted on the wall between a framed diploma and a framed photograph of what appeared to be two men on their wedding day. One, Felix realised, was the Hunter that Team CLIR had recently operated alongside; Scarlet David-Vasilias. The other was the sole occupant of the office. Tanned despite the time of year and wearing what appeared to be an unreasonably expensive suit offset by electric blue undercut hair

"Felix Xiao Long?" the man asked

"Yeah that's me, I got a message from admin saying I'm supposed to be here?" the man gave him a smile that displayed impressively bright teeth

"Indeed, take a seat" Felix sat down without hesitation and the man continued "My name is Neptune David-Vasilias, you can call me Nep, everyone does. I'm Halo Academy's student counsellor, it's customary for me to have a meeting with each team leader after their first mission to assess how things went and see if there are any issues that need to be addressed"

"Then maybe I should have taken the couch" Felix noted with a snort, suddenly wary for reasons he couldn't quite explain "Don't tell me you're gonna do the ink blot test? What about asking me about my mother? Go on I've got plenty of jokes lined up for that"

"Ah an avoidant personality and an Oedipus complex-"

"What the fuck!" Felix spat, only to receive an amused smirk from Neptune

"I have plenty of jokes lined up as well, they break the ice sometimes. That being said there's no need to get defensive, this is a standard procedure and everything you tell me is strictly confidential. From the reports your team and Mister Scarlatina filed with Professor Goodwitch it seems that Team FADE performed admirably"

"I take it that you didn't finish reading those reports?" Felix chuckled bitterly, Neptune raised an eyebrow

"You're referring to the fact you assisted civilians after the completion of your mission and no doubt saved lives?"

"I'm referring to the fact I got my face kicked in, Arctus got his leg broken, Eagle would've been a pincushion without her armour and our Hunter's Bull-head got downed. We were completely unprepared"

"Yes, yes you were" Neptune answered bluntly, the frankness causing Felix to regard him silently until he explained "You were unprepared because that wasn't the mission you were tasked with, you were unprepared because you're a team of first year students who took matters into their own hands immediately after completing a mission that was in its' own right, more high risk than you should have been given. Team FADE performed admirably and no-one could reasonably have asked more from you" Felix slouched forward in the seat, elbows resting on the desk

"Still feels like we failed. We didn't catch 'em" it came out as a disappointed sigh

"The police will eventually, or another Hunter" Neptune assured him "But honestly that is neither here nor there, what matters right now is how you and your team are faring after your first official engagement; I have been made aware of your unsanctioned trip in the exclusion zone"

"So I'm already marked down as a nut-job"

"In this line of work sanity is relative" Neptune shrugged "Many trainee Hunters have attempted to enter a hostile environment against orders, my own team among them. We won't discuss that unless you want to. Since your mission how have Team FADE been acting? Any difficulty sleeping, nightmares, changes in behaviour? I am including you in that question" Felix thought to himself for a moment, quickly deciding that telling the counsellor about their intent to track down the group that they'd faced off against would probably be a bad idea, he did not want Team FADE to have a reputation for recklessness and be subject to extra scrutiny. He also gave the question some honest consideration before answering

"Honestly the only thing I can think of is that Diamond and Arctus have been a little different around each other"

"How so?" Neptune asked as he took down notes

"That's kinda between them" Neptune looked up and regarded Felix with a raised eyebrow before understanding and giving a knowing look "Ah I see" he murmured as he scribbled out the note he'd jotted down.

"We just wanna get back to training, we wanna be ready next time" Neptune returned to taking notes

"You seem to have a very strong urge to prove yourself Felix, I've noticed that it makes for very driven team leaders but you need to make sure that it doesn't lead to needlessly reckless choices or pushing yourself to the point where you're no longer able to function effectively" Felix froze, was Neptune onto him? When the older man said nothing the Lion Faunus merely shrugged

"You've probably had this conversation with my sister and you probably know who my parents are, hell you know who my Auntie is. If it looks like I'm trying to make a point it's because I am, I've got a fair bit to live up to" And that was more honest than Felix had been intending. Neptune made more notes and Felix sorely wished he could tell what was being written, eventually he spoke again.

"This was only intended to be a brief meeting, though I do have some paperwork I'd like your team to complete and return as soon as possible. I'm satisfied that you're handling the pressures of being a Huntsman and a leader though should you ever feel that's changed or you have any other issues at the academy my door is always open….And off the record Felix, but I met your parents before the war, my old partner lives on Patch now as a matter of fact. I know Blake and Yang must be proud of their children"

"Thank you" with that Felix took the paperwork that Neptune had indicated to and made to leave the office, a little disgruntled at the ease with which the man had seemingly managed to home in on his fears of not living up to his Mothers' hopes for him. Forcing the thought to the back of his mind he made his way aimlessly along the corridor until a vibration in his pocket alerted him to a text message, pulling out his Scroll he saw it was from Corvid

' _Hey_ _Fluffy_ _. Could I purr-suede you to come into the city tonight? First round is on Lux…._ _I call it a life of Lux-ury"_ Thinking about the offer for a moment Felix eventually decided that he wanted some time alone to think about things and typed out his reply

' _Not tonight Sis, maybe next weekend if we're not swamped with assignments'_ pocketing his Scroll he decided on a destination, there were still flights from the anti-gravity platform that housed the academy and a drive would help clear his head.

* * *

Arctus and Diamond were currently in one of the towering complexes that formed the centre of New Vale, light drizzle pattering against the exterior and one of the monorails that formed the cities public transport network hanging suspended between two of the complexes in the distance. They were currently sat near the periphery of a food court that took up an entire floor of the complex and housed vendors from all corners of Remnant. Diamond had simply stated she had a craving for some Mistrali food and had dared Arctus to try it, enjoying a cheap laugh at his expense when he was unprepared for just how spicy it was.

Something had changed between them. That was an undeniable fact, proven by the fact that as Diamond casually threw her empty wrappers into a nearby trash-can she gently grabbed his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders, interlocking her fingers with his as she leaned into him.

"You sure you're okay like this?" she asked softly clearly referring to the fact she was leaning against his left side, his left leg still not entirely healed. He could walk unaided though any additional pressure on the limb was painful and he most likely wouldn't be sparring for another week at least

"Yeah I'm good" he assured her. Arctus was in fact better than good, Diamond seemingly wanting to cuddle up to him was, in his mind absolutely perfect. In the days following their return to the academy this had become something of a pattern, they were almost always together just as they had been before but now with the addition of Diamond casually taking his hand or pulling his arm around her, stating that it was colder than she was used to in Vale. Arctus's only real issue was that he had no idea what was going on, which he freely admitted to himself he was probably less bothered about than he should have been. He wasn't sure if this meant that they'd somehow started dating without him noticing and frankly he didn't want to ask for fear of accidentally ruining a good thing.

"What do you think happened to that guy?" Diamond whispered, getting his attention and indicating to a man who was, for reasons neither of them could comprehend wearing shorts despite the weather outside; revealing that he had three cybernetic limbs.

"Either ex-Hunter or ex-military, either way he definitely had a run in with a Grimm he was not prepared for" Arctus guessed with a fair amount of certainty "Shouldn't make a thing out of it though, one of Felix's Mum's lost her right arm from the elbow down in the war, my Dad lost the whole left arm"

"Oh I wasn't being a dick about it" Diamond insisted "I mean I met Felix's parents remember, they're sweet. And come on my Dad's got two prosthetic legs, I would never"

"I didn't know, you've never mentioned it….they an old war wound as well?" Arctus asked, noticing even from the current angle which left much of her face obscured that Diamond's expression was one of discomfort, he was about to apologise when she sighed and answered

"I don't really talk about the things my parents did in the war, they weren't Hunters but they were involved in the fighting. Thing is though they started out on the wrong side….Dad was a hired gun like his old man before he was a pilot. Hell in some places in Mistral getting _'Marcus Blacked'_ is still slang for murder" Arctus instinctively tightened his grip around Diamond reassuringly before giving her a revelation of his own.

"My Dad was in the White Fang, knew Adam Taurus personally"

"What?" Diamond turned to face him

"Seriously, they were in care together for a few years. Dad's military records say that he was a deep cover operative, that was kinda true for a while but he was actually part of the Fang when he was our age. My parents both told me a few years ago because they didn't want there to be any secrets in our house"

"And now he's important enough in the Atlesian Military for them to doctor his records and he's married to one of the joint heads of the SDC….Dude, Professor Ren should make us do assignments on stuff like this; just to highlight how nuts the war actually was"

"That would actually be really cool" Arctus mused "I mean I might actually end up having a full conversation with my Dad for a change"

"You don't get on?"

"It's not that, he's just always at work. I get that he can't help it, but still…." Arctus trailed off with a sigh

"Same" Diamond admitted, returning to her previous position of leaning against the Bear Faunus as she did so "Mum's charities always need her to take care of something and Dad tends to take several cross-Kingdom flights at a time so I sometimes don't see him for a week or so….I really wish we had a bigger apartment, I could have gone my whole life without hearing my parents bed creaking when he gets home" Arctus burst out laughing at this point

"Oh my Oum" he managed to get out "It's disgusting right?"

"You live in a mansion" Diamond reminded him, expression scandalised "I can't avoid it like you"

"I have Faunus hearing" he pointed out, his voice becoming one of faux horror "The things I've heard…." the two of them broke down into fits of giggles as they leant against each other. Arctus trailing off as he took in his partners' appearance Diamond wasn't wearing her usual combat gear, rather a simple black hoodie and grey sweatpants, her silvery hair protruding from beneath a woolly hat and his opinion the word beautiful didn't do her justice. He wanted desperately to lean down and kiss her but found that it took a different kind of nerve that facing off against the creatures of Grimm, a kind he couldn't quite muster up.

"So on the subject of things I never want to think about again" Diamond snorted as her own laughter trailed off "The guy that put a sword through your leg and his friends….I know we've got no leads right now but what are we actually planning on doing when we do find 'em?" Arctus paused, realising that they indeed hadn't thought that far ahead; Team FADE had been so taken with the idea of tracking down the thieves that they'd given no consideration to what would follow. He shrugged in response

"In the famous words of Kurt Cocaine, _'load up on guns and bring a friend'_ "

"Dude" Diamond turned to face him once more, wearing an expression of utter horror "Dude, you don't do that. You leave Kurt Cocaine out of this"

"Oh come on!" Arctus gestured wildly "That was cool, let me have my cool one-liner" Diamond merely slunk off of the bench and turned to face him

"Dude, you make no sense. How can you be so cool and still be such a dork" she shook her head in disbelief as she gave an exaggerated sigh "Come on big guy, let's go" Arctus followed her wearing an admittedly goofy smile that he was to pleased with himself to care about, which only widened when Diamond took his hand again.

* * *

Felix had been driving the Killer Bee around the outskirts of the city with no particular destination in mind when Arctus had text him to let him know that he and Diamond were heading back to the Academy. He'd opted to message them back telling them to wait where they were and he'd pick them up, they could all get the last airship together. There were Bull-Heads almost all night but the Lion Faunus had no intention of leaving his car in a random parking lot until he could return to collect it. They'd made a point to stop off at a take-out that they all knew Eagle was fond of despite having eaten themselves, in truth Felix felt he was failing as a partner with how little time they spent together in comparison to Arctus and Diamond.

Following their return to the campus Felix had made his way to the gym, the training regimen he put himself through had been described by Arctus as brutal, his team-mates had declined to join him which resulted in the current state of affairs; Felix delivering a series of devastating combos on a training mannequin and failing to notice the arrival of Helios Nikos

"You drop your left slightly just before you jab with your right, a Grimm wouldn't notice but a person might" Felix used the motion of a spinning heel kick to the side of the dummy's head to turn and face the newcomer. Helios wasn't wearing his armour, instead he was clad in a form fitting tank top and a pair of sweatpants. Forcing himself not to stare at his classmates tanned, tattooed, scarred and ridiculously toned physique he gave a slight nod of acknowledgement

"Thanks, I need someone I can get constructive criticism from. Corvid's style's too different for us to give each other pointers" Helios nodded in understanding

"I'm guessing she turns people's own momentum against them and uses her small size to get inside their guard?"

"Exactly" Felix was admittedly impressed, it seemed Helios had accurately figured out his sister's style based on what little he'd seen of her and the brief interactions they'd had.

"So" the Lion Faunus sighed "Speaking of constructive criticism, has Nyanza actually taken any of what's been said today on board?"

"I wouldn't know, he's been avoiding me" Helios laughed bitterly "Even after I had Olivine message him and promise him that I'd calmed down and wasn't going to bludgeon him with whatever was available"

"I'm not sure he believes you" Felix laughed, secretly suspecting that Nyanza had been using his Semblance to allow he and Helios to miss each other by mere moments

"I'm not sure I believe myself" Helios countered with a snort "I just….I just need him to appreciate how serious this is, I don't push Team NEON to train harder for no reason. I've lived outside of the Kingdoms my whole life, I've seen the kind of Grimm that live beyond the walls and Beowolves and sparring matches aren't enough to prepare anyone"

"I get it man" the Lion Faunus sighed "Trust me if I didn't get it before the mission I get it now"

"I don't dislike him either" the redhead continued, huffing in both frustration and relief at finally having someone to vent to who understood "As easy as that would be. Despite his laziness, recklessness, immaturity, con-artistry and general debauchery, the irritant has grown on me" Felix couldn't help but smile at that, it was a relatable story

"Yeah, sounds about right. I remember what he was like before he figured out how to use his Semblance"

"Merciful Oum how did he manage to survive on his own without it?"

"He didn't" Felix admitted "He used to get bullied….a lot. Actually, now I think about it that might explain why he relies on his Semblance so much now-"

"It's what sets him apart" Helios surmised "And he gets defensive the moment it's questioned because he sees it as a personal attack. Damn it"

"He'll calm down" Felix assured him "I'll try and talk to him if you want? I mean as useful as his Semblance is he can't fight without it at all and we're not at Signal any more, I can't win his fights for him all the time and he can't just expect you to"

"No" Helios shook his head "It's my responsibility. I was raised to be a leader, I suppose I should prove I'm capable….But thank you. I'll keep what you've told me in mind and approach the subject differently"

"Cool, let me know how it goes. We'll have to train together sometime" the Lion Faunus suggested as he made to leave, Helios calling after him

"Nyanza was wrong about you Fluffy, he said you used to be cool….I know I'm hardly an expert on the subject, but for what it's worth; you're cool right now" Felix was halfway down the corridor before that Helios had once again called him by his nickname.

* * *

Diamond rolled over wearing an annoyed expression as thoughts ran through her mind at incomprehensible speed, denying her of sleep despite the fact late night was rapidly blurring into early morning. The other occupants of the room had gone to bed hours ago, not long after Felix having returned to the dorm after a gym session and been thoroughly thrashed at a video game of his choosing by Eagle. If the sounds of their breathing, slow and regular was anything to go by then they were all sleeping soundly.

Diamond found herself thinking about the ivory haired Bear Faunus in the bunk below her, specifically whatever it was that was happening between them.  
Did she consider Arctus a friend? The answer came without hesitation, he was her best friend.  
Did she care about him? Another easy answer, there was no point even attempting to deny how worried she'd been when he was injured; her footprints were still clearly visible in the medical facilities where her Semblance had seen her pacing on the ceiling while her partner lay unconscious, stopping only when the canine and feline Faunus he'd called his Aunt and Uncle arrived.

Did she want to be more than friends? Now that was where things became a lot less certain. She'd arrived in New Vale with no intentions of anything romantic, quite the opposite; she wanted some space and time to figure out who she was as a person after being in a relationship for so long. Yet the fact remained that she was the one initiating physical contact between them more often than not as of late and as much as she tried to justify it to herself Diamond couldn't find a reason outside of _'I just like it when he hugs me'_

Which led to another question, would things progressing between them be a bad thing? Diamond had no answer to this. She had no intention of doing something that could potentially ruin a great friendship or affect the team dynamic negatively. At the same time while Arctus had made no direct indications she knew how he felt about her. 'And _honestly'_ she admitted to herself _'He is kinda cute'._ It was true, Diamond like tall men and Arctus at six foot three certainly qualified. He was in shape, muscular without being overly so like Felix or Helios, he was 'huggable' with a pair of shoulders that she couldn't help noticing. Diamond wasn't even sure when she'd started to think his unusually sharp teeth were cute

"Oh no" Diamond mouthed out silently to herself as the realisation that she'd somehow developed a slight crush on her partner "Oh fuck no" with that she buried her face in her pillow and let loose a slew of curses at the situation.

 **Authors Notes:**

Okay, so after a few weeks I'm back. Sorry about the lack of updates on this story the RWBY Rare Pair week one-shots coincided with the end of the Vol.1 arc of this story so I devoted a couple weeks to getting those done.  
That's also why this chapter was more character based, I needed an exercise in writing these characters again. That being said Vol.2 of canon was a food fight so I'll stand by my creative choices.  
Also my update 'schedule' (Yes I use that word loosely) is still gonna be out of whack for a couple weeks due to:

A) I need to plan out a few more chapters. Vol.1-3 are going to be the first year and I know what I have planned for Vol.3 it's just a matter of getting there.  
B) My work schedule. I commute two and a half hours every day and I'm working six or seven days a week this month just to help out because we are swamped.

THIS STORY IS NOW AT 20K HITS ON

Now let's summarise:  
Things like sitting in on older students lessons….would that be a thing at Huntsman academies? they're styled more like universities with lecture halls rather than classrooms so it makes sense. I wish we'd seen more of the actual training that went on at Beacon to be honest.  
Yeah I imagine Helios would be pissed off in the extreme if his team didn't perform well on their first outing, he's been trained to succeed his Mum as the head of the clan his whole life. He's almost like a less racist Vol.1 Weiss in some respects.  
Which actually makes the comparison between Nyanza and Jaune kinda hilarious, Nyanza is the anti Jaune. Jaune knew he wasn't good enough and wanted to be better. Nyanza knows his Semblance will almost by definition let him scrape by and is content to rely on that.  
Okay so Ether Arashi and Olivine DeGrasse are just placeholder characters for Team NEON and I had them hook up so that I've got a handy excuse for why they're not around when I don't need them. Plot Convenience sex is the way forwards.  
Yes Felix reads, he's Blake's kid as much as Yangs….and yes "This is filth" it was exactly what you thought it was.  
Aunt Hell, was briefly mentioned a couple chapters back and once in The Downward Spiral. She would have been fifteen when Eagle was sent to live with her grandparents, so she didn't leave for Haven until Eagle was five. They're close, more like sisters than Aunt and niece. Also I'll probably have Hellebores have been the first person Eagle came out to.  
Neptune dropped out of Haven and studied psychology after realising that there was no help for Hunters with PTSD or other traumas caused by the job.  
Seriously Beacon just sends these kids into battle against monsters that are literally drawn towards negative emotions and has no system in place to ensure that none of them snap under pressure, how are there not more dead students?  
"In this line of work sane is relative" that's probably the easiest explanation for why things are the way they are regarding mental health for Hunters, they're all assumed to be crazy anyway so as long as they can still fight no one really notices.  
The monorail is being mentioned in passing for a reason, I have a cool scene in mind for it involving Arctus and Diamond in Vol.3….readers of the Downward Spiral know that I play the long game.  
Yes Arctus is hopeless, yes it's adorable even for me while I'm writing it.  
Arctus and Diamond bonding over their parents, which is hilarious to me considering I can imagine Merc and Weiss getting drunk and bonding over THEIR parents.  
If you're screaming "JUST KISS!" at the screen….good.  
Kurt Cocaine, yes I did that. No I'm not sorry.  
Felix and Helios bonding over insecurities about their abilities as team leaders living up expectations, yes I'm aware that some of you reading this love the "Battle Cat" pairing.  
Eagle paces on the ceiling when agitated, enjoy the mental image.  
Friends to lovers trope? Is it cliché? Hell yes, do you all love it? Also hell yes.  
Okay so Felix has oversized and pointy canine teeth, but all of Arctus's teeth are sharp, so you people who like characters with sharp teeth I see you (Nods in the general direction of Tumblr)  
"Oh no, oh fuck no" upon realising you've caught feelings is probably the most relatable thing I will ever write.

Thank you to FluffyFirefly, ShadowWolf, FleetOfWarships, Ferrous, ThePrimeWolf, ShadowAlex2000 and MariamTheLibrarian22 for their reviews on the last chapter.  
No I didn't kill Jaune snow, I had his arm bitten off. I never specified that was a corpse.  
What if I told you you'd learn to love Raffia Dirge?  
Flirting with the enemy is a tactic as old as warfare.  
I actually have an idea for what Phobos will be using as his personal steed, it's a not a dragon or anything gigantic, but it's cool….especially for my readers who like Dinosaur Grimm.  
Yeah we'll be seeing more of Qrow, it's just a matter of how much.  
Is it a rare pair if the writer ships it? ;-)  
I'm glad people like the way the antagonists operate, we'll be seeing more of them.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	17. Questioning

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 17: Questioning**

It was Wednesday and classes at Halo Academy had resumed, bringing the week of relaxation following their first official mission that Team FADE had been enjoying to a close. It was currently lunch break and being Wednesday the final two lessons on the first years' schedule were a double combat training class with Professor Nora, which was part of the reason Felix Xiao Long was currently spending his lunch period away from the cafeteria; he was not getting dragged up for a sparring match when he'd just eaten. The other reason was that Iris Ramal of Team CLIR had called him over as his team had been leaving their previous lesson, informing them that Corvid wanted to talk and where to meet her, the Lion Faunus was curious what it was that couldn't be said in a text message or a Scroll call.  
He made his way through the corridors of the academy until he eventually found his destination, the workshop Corvid's team-mate had said she'd be using identifiable by the sound of power tools in use muffled but still clearly audible from the hallway. Opening the door Felix found his sister at one of the many workbenches, the blazer and shirt of her uniform removed and placed over the back of a nearby chair while she worked in a tank top, choosing to use her Aura to protect herself from mishaps rather than the safety gear provided. Felix suspected the gloves she was currently wearing were more to do with not wanting to leave fingerprints on the Omega Wing than any concerns about injuring her hands

"Hey, how's it going?" he announced his presence.

"Riveting" Corvid answered with a smirk as she briefly looked over her shoulder. Felix saw that she was indeed working with a drill and riveter and inwardly groaned at the obvious pun.

"That looks like it's gonna take some time" Felix noted as he approached and examined the detached thruster of his sisters' drone

"Yeah" Corvid agreed "I told you it got crushed, I've been working on some designs for upgrades anyway. May as well do both at the same time now….Means I'll probably have to use a backup weapon for at least the next mission Team CLIR go on"

"Back up….Holy Oum you've still got that?" Felix laughed

"Yes I've still got it, it's practically a classic" she hissed back, adding "Unappreciative little jackass" under her breath. Felix chose to ignore the jibe

"So what did you need me for? It can't take too long, I've got combat class next and you know what she does to people who're late" Corvid shuddered, the way only someone who'd been subjected to one of the handicap matches that the diminutive professor punished unpunctual students with could.

"Yeah you don't wanna be late for Professor Nora's lessons" She nodded "I got a message from Mousey, the Guild want to talk to us tonight" Felix's eyes widened a little

"When and where? What's the job?"

"I don't know what the job is, they didn't even specifically say there is one. Mousey gets paranoid, he won't say anything definite over the Scroll. The meeting's at The Bear at midnight"

"That's a little late Corey" Felix noted, clearly less concerned about entering a known den of criminals than being able to get home afterwards

"Aww, is Fluffy worried about not getting to bed early enough of a school night" Corvid teased in a singsong voice as she reached over and ruffled her brothers' hair, much to his irritation

"One day you'll touch the hair and I'll cut yours off"

"You will die in the attempt" Corvid's tone was instantly icy, if there was one thing that the Xiao Long children had both inherited from Yang it was that their hair was almost sacred to them. Felix merely rolled his eyes at the threat, he'd heard it countless times before

"I'm just saying there won't be any airships so I'm not driving us there. And if we miss the last Bull-head we're gonna be out in the rain and then probably be late for class tomorrow. Asking us when we were free instead of just calling us in would have been nice"

"Fluffy, in the nicest way possible you're not that important" Corvid pointed out "Hell I'm not that important to the Scavenger Guild. We're students, they'll send us for bag and tags or milk runs that aren't important enough to pay fully qualified hunters or mercenaries for. Are you coming or not?" for Felix it was an easy enough decision to make, it might inconvenience him in the short run but it was paid work that he could add to his resume afterwards; and it meant hanging out with his sister which he always enjoyed

"Of course I'm coming"

* * *

Felix had just made it to class on time, managing to be one of the last people to slink through the door to the still somewhat unsettling hybrid of lecture hall and colosseum before it closed. Currently he was sat between Eagle and Diamond, the silver haired Mistrali having recently returned to her seat after her sparring match with one of the members of Team PSTL

"What did he say?" Felix nudged Diamond gently "Come on he must have said something to get that kind of reaction" he nodded to her right hand, the knuckles of which were still bleeding slightly from the brutal and almost comically unfair bout which Diamond had won convincingly. Felix knew that his team-mate tended to favour an approach that could be considered fighting dirty when forced to fight at close range, but today had seemed unnecessarily so

"He tried to flirt to throw me off my game. I didn't appreciate it" she huffed, blowing strands of hair that had come loose in the scuffle away from her eyes and turning her attention back to sparring match taking place below

"Is Arctus gonna be okay?" Eagle asked nervously "I mean Helios does tend to go all out, like all the time" Felix suppressed an annoyed growl, Arctus had been offered the opportunity to be exempted from sparring matches for the week but had declined. Though it seemed Helios had seen that his opponent wasn't at full strength and had chosen to be sporting, the crimson haired warrior didn't appear to be using his gravity warping Semblance to pin Arctus in place but it was still proving to be a predictably unchallenging bout for Helios, who had yet to be beaten in a one on one match

"The big guy can handle himself" Diamond murmured, a cheer from the crowd seemingly punctuating her statement when Arctus dropped to one knee and raised a Glyph above himself, imbibing it with Gravity Dust as Helios leapt into the air and launched a downward strike; the result was the golden armoured fighter being hurled backwards across the arena. Helios rose to his feet wearing an impressed smile and charged into the fray once more, his attacks seemingly increasing in speed and ferocity

"I know he can" Eagle nodded "But Helios is really good" the blonde couldn't help but lean forwards and watch a little more intently as the fight went on, Arctus's height, larger sword and the mobility of his Glyphs compared to Helios's shield were helping but it was clear that he wouldn't be able to outfight his opponent. As someone who'd been taught to wield a sword since childhood Eagle could see that Helios Nikos was a natural.

"Why doesn't he just shoot him for Oum's sake!" Diamond snapped as Helios sent her partner staggering back with a strike to the face with the edge of his shield

"Because it's a plasma weapon in an enclosed area" Felix noted, Diamond winced as she remembered exactly what kind of gun Arctus used and why plasma weapons existed in a legal and moral grey area. Plasma splashed and stuck, using it Grimm was one thing but if he were to use it on Helios and his Aura were to fail the results would be catastrophic.

"Hey Felix, are you still serious about going after those guys?" Eagle asked, seemingly a little nervous for reasons that Felix couldn't comprehend

"Yeah" he nodded grimly "In fact I'm heading out tonight. Corey said the Guild want to talk to the two of us, we're meeting at a pretty shady bar that I kinda know the owner of. I'm gonna ask around, if whoever it was that hit those trucks is selling whatever it was they stole then somebody there will have heard something"

"Oh okay" Eagle glanced down at the sparring match that, against all odds Arctus was still managing to continue "It's just that I actually might know someone who might know something. Might be a long shot but I can still check it out if you want?"

"That's a lot of might bes" Felix noted with a chuckle "But yeah do it, the more we can find out the better" Eagle gave him a cheery smile and playful salute right as Nora announced that Arctus's Aura had been knocked into the red and that Helios had won the sparring match, a quick glance at the overhead display showed the rest of Team FADE that their friend had taken over a third of his opponents' Aura in return, not a bad showing all things considered

"You did well dude" Diamond smiled as the Bear Faunus limped back towards them and collapsed into his seat, still coated with sweat and struggling to catch his breath

"That guy" he gasped out, placing his sword into an empty seat next to him "Is an Oum-damned beast"

"I'm guessing he'd actually fought a lot of Grimm before he came here?" Eagle directed the question at Diamond who shrugged

"I mean I guess so, I only knew him for one summer. But his tribe roam out in the wilderness between cities so probably"

"Have you seen his scars?" Felix breathed out "That guy has definitely fought some Grimm before coming here"

"That's why he beat Arctus" Eagle surmised, turning to the Faunus in question "You're used to being able to use your size and reach to hold people back. Most Grimm are bigger than us, even Beowolves when they rear up; he knows how to work around the thing you're relying on"

"Oh" Arctus seemed to fold in on himself under the evaluation "Well that makes me sound like an utter amateur"

"No!" Eagle quickly assured him "It just means you need to adapt a little. Hey we're almost the same height so if you're feeling up to it we can practice together tonight?"

"That'd be cool….Unless we were doing anything tonight?" he asked Diamond who shook her head

"Awesome" Eagle beamed, only to be cut off from a voice below. Apparently Team FADE hadn't been paying enough attention to the lesson

"Eagle Arc!" Nora called out, an amused edge to her voice "You're up" Eagle's cheeks coloured at both the attention of the class suddenly on her and the sight of her opponent, the rather pretty Frog Faunus Aqua Tsuyu, leader of Team AQUA

"Hey" Diamond nudged Eagle as the blonde rose and fitted Sentinel onto her arm in shield form "I heard that her and her partner aren't dating any more, ask for her number" she added a wink that only made Eagle blush deeper and caused a sound like a terrified squeak to escape her

"Go get 'em" Felix added, the well meaning teasing drawing a low groan from the blonde as she made her way into the arena desperately hoping she didn't trip over her own feet or otherwise embarrass herself.

* * *

Night had fallen, as it seemed to be doing earlier and earlier every evening, though the rain had mercifully abated. After their final lesson of the concluded Team FADE had taken a few hours to decompress, eating, showering and making some headway on written assignments for their various classes before heading their separate ways for the evening. Eagle, for reasons that Arctus couldn't comprehend had decided that their training session would be happening in the outdoor arena rather than a combat classroom; the Bear Faunus wasn't complaining, as an Atlesian the cold was home to him and the blurry line between autumn and winter in New Vale wasn't even worth buying a jacket with long sleeves for.

"You're too stationary, being defensive doesn't mean standing there and taking it!" Eagle admonished as she forced Arctus back another step, their swords meeting between them with a screeching crash

"Noted" Arctus grinned before pivoting sideways, the momentum Eagle had put into her attack being turned against her as she staggered forwards. Eagle had left Sentinel in droid form outside the arena, cheering her on with a series of bleeps while Arctus had agreed not to use his Glyphs. His follow up swing, aimed under her guard was easily parried when she simply flipped her blade upside down in her hand and forced Gefroren-Erbe over her head, pivoting in the same motion and delivering a punch to Arctus's wrist with her free hand that sent his sword clattering to the floor.

"Okay what the hell?" The Bear Faunus sounded affronted

"Sorry!" Eagle gasped "Did I hit too hard?"

"Nah, not that" Arctus laughed, shaking his head "Where did you learn to use a gladius with a reverse grip? I've never seen someone do that before"

"Oh that" Eagle positively beamed at the praise, inwardly loving how cool she felt around her team-mates "Uncle Xiangya, him and Uncle Flax are married to my Aunts that are twins, anyway he uses a pair of reverse grip knives and he showed me….The balance is different and the blade's long enough to catch on the ground sometimes but it's still kinda cool"

"Very impressive" a new voice complemented "Now I think about it we've never sparred have we? Hopefully that changes soon" Arctus and Eagle turned to see Helios sauntering into the training area, his expression more peaceful than either of them were used to seeing and both of them felt slightly guilty for wondering if it could be attributed to the absence of his partner

"Looking forward to it" Eagle smiled back, unusually confidently "I'll be interested in seeing the Anima Nomad Tribes techniques first hand" Helios cocked his head and raised an eyebrow and Arctus did a double take _'She knew Helios would be training out here'_ he realised _'She set this up'_

"And why is that?" Helios asked, posture suddenly stiffening as if preparing to go on the offensive at a moments' notice

"Just wanted to compare it against someone Team FADE met after our mission" the blonde shrugged casually "Some two bit thieves that like stealing from trucks. Apparently they like stealing people's techniques as well. I wanna compare it against the real thing" the crimson haired Mistrali smirked slightly

"Now I know less than most people than about popular culture….But even I'm fairly sure nobody uses the phrase 'two bit' any more" Eagle's face coloured slightly, distinguishable from her somewhat regular flustered state by the frown she wore. Helios stepped a little close "So why don't you tell me what it is you really want?" Arctus retrieved his sword as surreptitiously as it was possible to lift a broadsword single handed, he didn't think Helios was about to start something but with the armoured fighters' temper it seemed wise to be prepared. Sentinel seemed to share the sentiment, the droids' shoulder mounted compact mini-gun being aimed squarely between Helios's shoulder-blades.

"I mean it was kinda the truth" Eagle mumbled "After our mission Team FADE answered a distress signal from a pair of trucks taking some goods out of the city. We tried to stop the group that was robbing them but they got away; one of my aunts that studied at Haven said that their tactics sounded like a street gang trying to use nomad tribe tactics; I was just wondering if you'd heard anything like that?" the sound that escaped Helios could best be described as a hiss, an angry release of air as his fists clenched that never quite reached becoming a growl. Vibrant green eyes pierced Eagle's crimson ones

"If I'd heard of any _Sapisma choiros_ pretending to be one of my people I would have already been looking for them" neither Arctus or Eagle knew exactly what Helios had just called the group however the acidic tone left no doubt in their minds that it was highly offensive.

"Um, well can you let us know if you do hear anything?" Eagle was always a little unsure of how to act around Helios. He clearly held Pyrrha Nikos in high esteem just as she did her late Uncle Jaune and though their forebears stood side by side at Halo Academies' entrance, Eagle couldn't but feel a little unnerved around Helios's almost constant anger that seemingly lurked just below the surface

"I will" Helios murmured, nodding as he forced his expression into one of composed neutrality "As long as you extend the same courtesy. Was there anything else?"

"Nah, I don't think so" Arctus shrugged

"Actually, there's one other thing" Eagle contradicted him, taking a breath to prepare herself "Uncle Lie and Aunt Nora were some of Pyrrha Nikos's best friends. How come you haven't visited them?"

* * *

Felix was somewhat surprised that the doorman at Melanie Malachite's establishment, The Bear made no effort to search him; simply allowing him and Corvid inside after they produced proof of their age. He was unarmed however, as he'd decided that bringing a pair of chainsaw bladed swords to a bar was probably unwise. The bar was on the ground level of New Vale, much like the Atlesian Hive Cities that its' design was based the higher up one lived the more affluent they tended to be; as such a ground level bar built into the foundations of a tower complex attracted a certain kind of clientele.

"You see 'em?" he asked, raising his voice to be heard over music loud enough to already be giving him the early telltale signs of a migraine. He privately wondered why the place was so busy on a weekday before Corvid answered

"Not yet, we're a little early though….I'd ask if you wanna get drinks but it always feels like a job interview talking to Mousey. Last time was different, we'd just made him some money"

"We've got classes tomorrow anyway" Felix shrugged, Corvid gave him a playful nudge

"I've noticed you've been keeping out of trouble mostly. I'm proud of ya Fluffy, both of our Mums are as well" the Lion Faunus tried to shrug the compliment off, his tail swishing slowly behind him ruining the feigned nonchalance. Before the conversation Corvid's attention was caught by something at the other end of the bar, following her line of sight Felix saw a young woman motioning for them to follow her into a private room

"One of the Guild" Corvid stated, affirming her brothers' suspicions. The pair made their way through the bar, weaving through the crowd with minimal difficulty; entering the room revealed the unremarkable form of Mousey Clip sat alone at a table smoking a cigar, a pair of empty seats clearly intended for Corvid and Felix opposite him. A small group of the kind of morally ambiguous individuals that the Scavenger Guild tended to employ were milling about. Were Mousey Clip a more impressive figure it would have made for an intimidating scene, as it was Corvid couldn't help giving him a derisive snort

"Well this looks like a parody of every classic gangster film ever….First one of you guys to tell me to say hello to your 'little friend' gets castrated"

"Sit down" Mousey sighed, Corvid and Felix sat; the older of the Xiao Long siblings leaning back in her chair and making herself comfortable

"Okay, we're here. We're sat. Come on what's up, why does everyone here seem tense?" Corvid's bored tone earned her a withering glare

"Having someone selling us out tends to do that" Felix saw Mousey nod slightly a fraction too late; feeling the barrel of a handgun pressed against the back of his neck as he made to rise from his seat. As he lowered himself back into the chair and raised his hands to show they were empty, trying to keep the fact his heart was racing from showing on his face he looked over at Corvid to find that another member of the Scavenger Guild had a weapon trained on her. Corvid however continued to calmly rock her chair slightly on its' back legs, merely raising an eyebrow in response to the turn of events

"I'm gonna count to three and you and your dumb-ass friends are gonna drop the weapons. We're gonna walk out of here and that'll be the end of it" Corvid asserted calmly, stormy grey eyes narrowing as she spoke, hands resting on her waist just above her belt buckle

"I don't want to hurt you, you were a good worker. But you've given me no choice Corey" Mousey lamented, the tension evidently beginning to affect him

"One"

"I try and run a legitimate business but when someone pulls a hit on my people I have to get to the bottom of it. you're a leader, you understand"

"Two" Felix braced himself, clearly this mob-boss turned antique salesman didn't realise that Corvid Xiao Long did not make idle threats and that this situation was about to turn volatile

"Corey don't be stupid, you're outnumbered five to one. This'll go easier for you if you just tell us who you're working with" Mousey's voice had started to take on a desperate note. Corvid merely sighed

"Three" she was in motion the moment the word left her lips. Leaning back in her chair she placed her feet on the edge of the table and kicked back, throwing herself free of her seat and into the member of the Guild currently pointing a shotgun at her, rising to her feet and bringing the butt of the weapon down on the mans' face faster than he could react. Felix lunged sideways out of his own seat, kicking the knee of the person whose weapon had been trained on him with bone breaking force before hurling the chair into another assailant. Then the gunshots started and Felix, with his superior senses, could hear panicked screaming from outside. Bullets pattered against the Xiao Long's Auras and Corvid pulled a secondary weapon that Felix hadn't seen her use in over a year from her waistband. The weapon folded out into a short sword, the blade promptly being forced through the hand of an attacker, the taser that hand had been holding falling to the ground; Corvid pinned her opponent against the nearest wall by the neck and shifted the sword into its' alternate form, its' transformation similar to that of Felix's own weapons though the overall look of the thing had been said to resemble Blake's old weapon Gambol Shroud

"Okay Mousey" Corvid spat "If you think I'm the kind of ass-hole that stabs people in the back then you must know I'll pull this fucking trigger" Felix realised that her eyes were wide as she pressed the weapon against the temple of her struggling victim, her voice was shaking and Felix realised, dread seeping into his bones as he did so, that the older sister that he'd looked up to for as long as he could remember was not in control of the situation

"Drop him or I waste the Faunus!" Felix turned to see the young woman who'd shown them into the room pointing a shotgun directly at his chest. Felix braced himself, he had Aura left but this was going to hurt. When Corvid made no effort to move the remaining members of the Scavenger Guild began cautiously moving to surround them while Mousey Clip hid behind them and the shotgun wielding woman spoke again "I'm not playing I'll do it. The explosive shells in this baby will chew right through his Aura" hearing those words seemed to illuminate the way forward for Felix and he let out a sigh of relief as he activated his Semblance, faint golden light begin to envelop him, the shooter noticed this

"What are you doing?"

BOOM

The shotgun went off and to the young woman's horror Felix merely staggered back and coughed as the concussive blast winded him and buckshot was blocked by his Aura, the heat and light from the explosion being drawn into him. The Lion Faunus's fists and eyes glowed brighter as he stepped forwards.

"YOU!" one of the other Scavenger Guild members exclaimed, lowering his weapon and pointing at Felix in abject shock

"Boss, this don't make sense" he stammered to Mousey "I've seen this guy before. When the truck got hit this guy was one of the Hunters that showed up, I've seen his Semblance before. The guys we're looking for knocked him out, stabbed one of his team and ran" there was a heavy silence in the room for a moment that seemed to stretch for an eternity before Mousey spoke

"Everyone puts your guns down"

"I'm not putting shit down" Corvid snarled

"Corey" Mousey implored "We'll talk, this has clearly been a misunderstanding" seeing Felix release his Semblance, the golden light fading from his body Corvid released the man she was still holding at gunpoint and returned to the table which members of the Scavenger Guild had returned to an upright position; though she refused to relinquish her weapon and sat with it pointed directly at Mousey's chest. The gangster tried to ignore the gesture as he addressed his underlings, singling out the man who'd alerted him to Felix's identity

"You, stay. The rest of you wait outside" when the bodyguards had limped and shuffled into the, now likely deserted, public area of the bar he turned his attention to the Xiao Long's

"Okay, so we'll try this whole conversation again"

"Talk fast or I'm gonna brain you, you son of a bitch" Corvid's temper was, if anything, worsened by the attempt to sweep what had just happened under the rug.

"The job you two and your teams did for us in the exclusion zone. We sent some of our guys to pick the laser batteries up, a few regulars, a few broke hunters and a new guy from out of town. Faunus, big guy with toe-beans. He blew up the cab of the truck that Ginger over here was driving" he indicated to the man he'd kept behind "They had a truck waiting to offload the goods, that was planned Corey. I'll be honest, you bring a new guy in who's a big cat Faunus and we get fucked by a big cat Faunus you look like prime suspects"

"Fuck you man" Felix growled

"Hey, I only run things on this side of the water….the big bosses want a head on a pike and if I don't deliver someone's it's gonna be mine. Spare me the shit about racial profiling and tell me what you know"

"Not much" Felix admitted with a frustrated sigh "I don't know who they are or how they knew about your shipment. There's a group of at least four, the one giving the orders is a guy who can melt into the walls and floor and there's a small guy with them, some kind of amphibian Faunus….do not try and fight that guy if you catch them, nothing works on him. I don't think they're from New Vale, they were on Patch before they came here. What do you know?"

"What do we know?" Mousey gestured incredulously at Felix while looking at his underling "You hear this guy? What do we know? Well, I know that this travelling carnival of fucks put some of our best subcontractors in hospital. Fuck, Snow lost an arm to the Grimm in the exclusion zone….All I know kid, is that I'm lucky that the buyers for those guns is a museum and I don't sell to the mob any more or I'd already be in the bottom of the docks wearing concrete boots. The buyer is happy to take the half of the goods we still have. But I'm telling you now, the bosses want these guys caught and turned over"

"Not happening" Corvid snarled

"Excuse me?"

"You heard her" Felix chimed in "We're hunters. We're not your enforcers. We're gonna catch these guys and we're gonna turn them over to the authorities. They get jail time like any other criminal, not found dead at the side of a road somewhere" there were a few moments of tense silence, Felix dared to take his eyes off of Mousey for a moment and saw that Corvid's expression was still one of deep malice and her weapon was still at the ready. The Scavenger Guild's representative in New Vale finally sighed

"Fine. I'll let you kids be naive and be the heroes. You can put 'em in prison. If the bosses want 'em touched it'll still happen….One condition, you catch 'em the Guild gets its' goods back. We paid you for eight laser batteries Corey, we want we paid for"

"Fine" Corvid spat the single syllable out as if it left a foul taste in her mouth "Beyond that we're done. I signed up for recovery jobs and guard duty, not whatever this is"

"I take it you feel the same" Mousey asked Felix, the Lion Faunus simply nodded

"Fine, we're done here. Bring us those guns and you can turn the crew that hit us in; I'll give you a courtesy call if I hear anything. If anyone else catches 'em first though, well that's their business" Corvid and Felix both gave the man identical glowers as they rose from their seats, Felix on unsteady legs and Corvid with trembling hands. Before they made it to the door it was thrown open. The Xiao Longs and Mousey Clip alike recoiled at the sight of the raven haired woman with jade eyes narrowed in rage as she took in the bullet riddled room. Melanie Malachite caught sight of the pair of teenagers and her eye visibly twitched

"You two. Blondie's kids?"

"Um, yeah, yeah we're Yang's kids" Corvid stammered, her usual bravado crumpling under the presence of a woman whose influence in the Kingdom's underworld could not be overstated. Melanie gestured to the door

"Get out, I swear if I didn't know your family I'd have you taken to the top of the tower and thrown over" barging between them she advanced on Mousey who seemed to be rooted to the spot "Now as for you, you rented out a private room and left it looking like this; because, and stop me if I'm wrong, you had a shoot-out with the kids of an old friend of mine, the one with the hair and tail is good friends with my niece. Mousey I'm gonna give you one chance to explain why I shouldn't give you a permanent ear to ear smile" Corvid and Felix shared a look, both deciding that whatever Mousey's explanation was, they didn't want to be around if it proved unsatisfactory.

* * *

"Are you sure about this Eagle? I don't want to intrude" Helios sounded more nervous and hesitant than Eagle had ever heard him in their limited interactions as the pair of them made their way through corridors of Halo Academy rarely seen by students, those leading to the teachers' residences. Upon hearing the redheads' explanation that he'd been keeping his relationship with Lie and Nora Ren as sterile and detached as possible due to fears that he'd be nothing but an unwelcome reminder of their loss, the blonde had physically dragged him into the academy and insisted that he was coming to visit.

"Trust me" the blonde smiled brightly "It'll be great" her steps became an energetic skip as she neared the destination. Eventually stopping at one of the doors, which Helios noted were set further apart than those of the student dorms, most likely owing to the professors rooms being much larger, Eagle rapped on the door gently and waited; face becoming somewhat concerned when there was no answer. She knocked again, this time louder and was rewarded by the sound of someone approaching the door from the other side and unlocking it. Eagle was greeted by a Nora Ren with dishevelled hair clad in a baggy t-shirt

"Oh I'm sorry" Eagle gasped "I didn't realise it was that late, were you sleeping?"

"Well I was in bed" Nora grumbled "What's up? And what's Helios doing here?" she seemed to notice the redhead for the first time. Helios stepped forward

"I'm sorry for the intrusion" he bowed his head, his body language completely different to when he was dealing with his peers "It's just that, well, I've grown up hearing about Pyrrha Nikos the warrior and Pyrrha Nikos the hero. She was my mothers' cousin but due to the Nikos tribe being constantly on the move and Pyrrha being raised outside of the tribe they weren't close. Eagle told me that you considered her a friend, I wanted to know about Pyrrha Nikos the person…..I'm sorry, I know you probably get students asking you about war stories too often; I'll go"

"He doesn't really have many friends Aunt Nora" Eagle added delicately.

"Don't go" before Helios could turn to leave Nora had placed a hand on her student, who like most of her students was taller than her; any attempt at professionalism collapsed when she pulled both Helios and her niece into an impossibly tight hug. Her voice sounded close to cracking when she spoke

"Don't even think about going. If you don't feel at home here then I wish you'd spoken to me sooner, Pyrrha's family is my family the same way Jaune's family is. You can ask me about Pyrrha or anything else" she released her grip in the teens and called back into her apartment "Ren put some clothes on! We've got guests!"

* * *

At a dimly lit workbench sequestered near the Dust powered engine room of the stolen ship that he and the rest of the cadre were slowly coming to consider their home Onyx Ursabane let loose a slew of grunted curses as he peered intently at the inner workings of one of the four laser batteries that they had managed to steal from the Scavenger Guild. In truth it was the last of the four, the Puma Faunus's attempts to make the weapons of operational had damaged the others to such an extent that he felt it unwise to continue tinkering.

"Anything?" he looked up at the sound of Hellion's voice, the Dragonfly Faunus's wings lay flat against her back, a sign of exhaustion as she stroked Marauder; the bird of prey perched in its' usual place on her forearm. She'd been working alongside Onyx forging new throwing knives to replace the ones she'd used and working various additions into the blades.

"This would be going faster if Raffia was helping" the larger Faunus grumbled, the Axolotl Faunus's healing abilities had been stretched to their limits following the battle with the student Hunters, his teeth were still regrowing from the gunshot wound courtesy of the silver haired one; as such he'd outright refused to be used as Onyx's hands after the first laser battery exploded and burned the flesh from his arms.

"But can you make them work?" Hellion pressed him for a definitive answer

"With more time and more tools I could" Onyx rubbed his eyes with the back of a grease stained hand and stroked the scraggly whiskers he insisted were a beard before reaching for the soldering iron "Wish me luck" Hellion didn't see exactly what Onyx touched, only that the Puma Faunus was launched backwards with a bang, colliding with the wall as smoke issued from the weapon. After a few seconds of coughing and cursing he pulled himself to his feet, at the same moment the door opened and Carcharodon strode into the small room, Raffia following close behind

"So it was for nothing then? We came to Vale for nothing because you can't get these weapons to work?" the Shark Faunus's rasping voice shook and he was taking deep slow breaths, a sign to his comrades that his strained patience was at breaking point. Onyx lowered his head

"I'm sorry Car. This is Atlesian technology, it's meant to be used whole. Repurposing or reverse engineering it is….tricky" the Puma Faunus sighed "I wish Atlas had been different. I wish my father was still alive; he would have been able to fix this" Carcharodon's fury was peaked and snuffed out within seconds as Onyx mentioned their ill-fated voyage to the frozen Kingdom and the late blacksmith of their people respectively.

"So what do we do now?" Raffia asked as he hauled himself onto the workbench and regarded the remains of the fourth and final laser battery "There must be other places with weapons, do we set sail?"

"No" Carcharodon snarled "Not one step backwards. These weapons are Atlesian but New Vale has weapons of equal power. If they have them then they must have people who can build and maintain them. We just need one of those people" the room was silent for a few moments before Hellion spoke

"We don't take prisoners Carcharodon. It's not our way, it has never been our way"

"She's right" Onyx added "I want vengeance as much as you do. This….this makes us little better than the monsters we were told stories about as children, you're not the Warlord Tyrian" the Shark Faunus gave a low sibilant hiss in response

"I know, we're not savages but we need these weapons to reunite our people, we need the weapons and our people to take our vengeance. I'm not suggesting we sink to the level of slavers and flesh-traders. I'm suggesting that we compel someone who can fix these weapons to do so and if it requires force then so be it" Onyx, Hellion and Raffia all visibly relaxed; stealing people's belongings was fair, it was trial by conquest and a well established part of their lives.

"I'll follow your plan Car….just be careful you don't lose your way" Hellion murmured, the shark Faunus smiled, displaying countless sharp teeth

"With the best tracker on Anima beside me how could I?" his liquid black eyes took in his crew, the four of them the remains of a far greater fleet. Hellion rolled her eyes at the praise

"It's settled then?" Carcharodon asked "We take what we need from this Kingdom, even its' people"

 **Authors Notes:**

Okay, sorry for being absent for a bit yet again. The last month or so has been hectic. Rare Pair Week took my attention, I needed to actually plan a few chapters ahead and honestly work ran me into the floor and I was a bit sick.  
All excuses aside, I'm back now and the almost-weekly pseudo schedule should be back in place.

Now let's summarise:  
"Riveting" You have no idea how bad I wanted to make that pun. Literally since I decided that the Omega Wing was getting an upgrade.  
Turn up late to Nora's class and she drags you up for a handicap match….repeat offenders have to face Nora herself.  
Never threaten Yang, Corvid or Felix's hair.  
Diamond Sustrai-Black is the daughter of Merc and Em, so the first person to make any inappropriate comments during a sparring match would undoubtedly also be the last person.  
Eagle can go from expert sword-fighter, analysing peoples' styles and pointing out their flaws to utterly flustered mess in less than a second.  
The other Mistrali Eagle realised she knew last chapter, it was Helios. She offered to train with Arctus specifically to use the same training area that Helios would most likely be using.  
 _Sapisma choiros_ = Rotting Swine, Helios is very proud of his heritage and Team FADE are working on the (Incorrect assumption) that the Shadow Cadre are copycat group. So now Helios is involved  
Eagle wants to be friends with everyone, but I imagine even she's a little wary of Helios. The guy's a bad-ass but in some ways he'd probably be hard to like if you met him in person.  
The Scarface pun, peak Corvid.  
The Scavenger Guilds' operations (Retrieving and selling on anything that can be salvaged) is morally ambiguous but usually just manages to stay on the right side of the law. That being said anyone in that line of work will also be involved in the criminal underworld and in the criminal underworld selling people out only has one response.  
Before building the Omega Wing Corvid had a mini Gambol Shroud, however if you've read the Downward Spiral then you know that Blake doesn't have that weapon any more, Corvid must have used photos and video footage of the Vytal Tournament for the design.  
Explosive or incendiary rounds don't really work on Felix.  
I think Corvid and Felix point blank refusing to hand over the Shadow Cadre is the clear proof, that may have been needed that even though they bend/break laws sometimes their hearts are in the right place, these are the good guys.  
One does not simply fuck up Melanie Malachite's bar. Miltia may be married to a Hunter and running a bar that is a legit business, Melanie on the other hand is at least as ruthless a gangster as Junior was.  
Yeah not even going to be subtle here….there was some Booping going on and Eagle interrupted it.  
The Arc family pretty much adopted Ren and Nora, who in turn just pretty much adopted Helios.  
Atlesian technology is like Apple, they make it hard for anyone other than them to repair it so they can sell you the latest model instead.  
I already said that Team FADE actually have the wrong idea about the Shadow Cadre's identity (They actually haven't heard the name Shadow Cadre yet) I'm giving little hints right now but rest assured I know what I'm doing.  
Also they're looking to kidnap a tech genius…..now which member of Team FADE is the daughter of the biggest robotics company on Remnant.

Thank you to ShadowWolf, FleetOfWarships, Ferrous, ShadowAlex2000 and FluffyFirefly for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Gripe away my friend.  
Well I hope I continue to write Arctus and Diamond in a way that reminds you of your girlfriend and gives you all the feels then.  
Find Eagle a Girlfriend effort is already underway my friend.  
Battle Cat (Felix x Helios) is going to be slow burn. Really slow. Expect things to go beyond friendship in second year.  
Nyanza's over reliance on his Semblance will cost him eventually.  
Corvid puns are great, I've noticed she tends to be a little meaner with them than Yang.  
I might write more Psychologist Neptune but I'll need to actually take a day out and research for that because I haven't seen a mental health worker in over a decade and my memories are hazy at best,

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	18. Answers

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 18: Answers**

Team FADE were, as was something of a custom for them on Saturday mornings, in the gym. Not many students wanted to wake up early on their days off and the first year team took advantage of the fact that they had the place to themselves until Helios Nikos could either drag Team NEON out of bed or simply leave them to their own devices and train alone. Diamond was currently on a treadmill with music from Raphael Lake, a band both she and Arctus enjoyed, blaring from her earphones as sweat trickled down her forehead from exertion as she pushed her muscles and stamina to their limit. Eagle was currently using the free weights, dead-lifting an amount that would have shocked most people, the corded muscles of her arms, neck and shoulders clearly visible. Arctus and Felix were currently sparring, that being one of the most effective ways to get the Bear Faunus to actually focus in the gym rather than staring longingly after his partner; failure to pay due attention in the ring would get him punched in the mouth, and getting punched by Felix _hurt_

"You're still too static" Felix noted as he launched a series of left jabs, gradually forcing his cousin back a few steps.

"Nah, you're just overreaching" Arctus countered as he ducked under the follow up right haymaker from the Lion Faunus and delivered a solid punch to the gut that sent him staggering back, wheezing as he struggled to breathe.

"Okay, not bad" Felix grunted as he raised his guard once more and balanced himself on the balls of his feet; poised and ready while he and Arctus circled each other slowly, each of them searching for any sign of an opening before the next exchange. Felix made his move first, deciding to try something outside of his usual style. Arctus saw his leg move and prepared to block a knee strike, knowing how Felix fought; he was thrown to the mat when his assumption proved to be incorrect and the Lion Faunus's spinning heel kick connected with his jaw

"You okay?" Felix asked, clearly suppressing a bout of laughter at his expense

"Oh I'm just great" the Bear Faunus muttered while massaging the side of his face and returning to his feet

"Good" with no warning other than his smile suddenly turning menacing Felix lunged forwards and leapt into the air, aiming a knee directly at Arctus's face. Arctus didn't consciously make the decision to react the way he did, instinct caused him to try and grab the attacker and hurl them overhead, the way his father had taught him. Felix tried to latch on, the result was Arctus toppling backwards and driving his cousin face first into the mat. As they both scrabbled to their feet they became aware of the hysterical laughter filling the gym. Diamond had dismounted from the treadmill and was currently leaned against it while doubled over pointing at them with tears of laughter streaming down her face

"Oh my Oum Fluffy you dumb-ass how can you get accidentally suplexed?" the voice came from the other side of the gym, turning to face the speaker Felix saw that Team CLIR had arrived, his sister being the one responsible for the mocking

"Yeah yeah, keep laughing. Don't forget I've seen you land on your face plenty of times before. I remember the Omega Wing prototype"

"Point taken" Corvid shrugged, still chuckling to herself as her team spread out, beginning their warm-up for the session. Corvid approached the sparring ring that Felix and Arctus still occupied, leaning against the ropes; whatever it was she wanted to say to her brother momentarily forgotten as she nodded to something behind he and and cousin. Both of them turned to see that Iris had made her way over to the weights; Eagle seeing this, had decided to stop and add more weight to the dumbbells she was currently lifting, despite already being red in the face.

"Oh my fucking Oum" Felix breathed out "She has got it so bad"

"Yeah" Corvid chewed her lip, obviously concerned "Problem is, as far as I know Iris is straight. Your partner's a sweet kid, I just don't want her breaking her heart chasing after her"

"I don't think Eagle know how to chase, she just watches from a distance and doesn't make a move" Arctus noted with a sly grin

"Pot. Kettle. Sexually frustrated" Corvid gave him a pointed glare that he reddened under, mumbling something incoherent

"Okay" Felix caught his sister's attention with a hand gesture and exaggerated eye-roll "You didn't come here just to pick on my teams' lack of dates"

"You're included in that by the way" Corvid snorted before taking on a more serious tone "Do they know about the other night?" Felix nodded, he had indeed told his team-mates about what had transpired at Melanie Malachites bar; resulting in Eagle mothering him until she was satisfied that the experience hadn't traumatised him.

"Okay good, I had Rusty do some digging. He's from Vaccuo but he's got a knack for finding things out, people talk to him" Corvid paused for a moment, as if she didn't want to continue "He heard some talk about a crew that runs drugs from a little place on the edge of the city. Apparently it's some really nasty stuff, I've never even heard of it before….anyway with the centenary festival coming in a few months these guys are getting ready to go big, they've been buying trucks that have already been reported as stolen and written off. Word is they just bought one from a really big guy who was some kind of Cat Faunus who had a bug Faunus with wings with him"

"That sounds like our guys" Felix nodded eagerly "You got an address?"

"I have-"

"Arctus, tell Eagle and Diamond we're done here. We're hitting 'em tonight" Arctus was momentarily taken aback, overcoming it he nodded silently and left the Xiao Long Siblings alone, Corvid motioned for Felix to follow her and made her way out of the gym and into the deserted hallway

"What's up?" Felix asked

"Team CLIR are coming with" she answered bluntly

"My car won't fit eight people sis, and the Omega Wing-"

"It's not a debate!" She snapped, cutting her brother off before pulling him into a hug. Felix realised with a shock that she was crying, shuddering softly into his shoulder

"Sis?" he gently patted her back, utterly lost as to how to proceed for a few moments until Corvid spoke again between sniffles

"I'm fine….Just, fuck" she pulled back and wiped her eyes as she forced her emotions back under control, Corvid had always been able to do so better than her brother "I'm such an idiot, we both nearly died the other night. I dragged you into this mess with the Scavenger Guild. I'm such a fucking idiot, I nearly got my baby brother killed-"

"Hey" Felix placed a hand firmly on her shoulder "It's fine, really it's fine. We both made it out okay, that's all that matters right?"

"You trusted me and I led you into a gunfight, our Mums are gonna kill me if they find out" Corvid noted with a watery chuckle

"I think they'll kill us both" Felix mused.

"I can't talk you into just letting me take care of this can I?" Corvid sighed, Felix shook his head and gave her a determined look

"Not a chance"

"Okay, tonight then. I'll text you later with where we're meeting up; we need to have at least a rough plan before we go in there"

"Well I wasn't planning on running into a drug den and asking nicely" Felix growled

"Me neither" Corvid admitted "And I doubt he'll be there in person but the rumour is this drug ring is run by a total psycho; somebody called Torchwick"

* * *

Artemis Tan kissed her husband. Not the surface of the mask he wore while Hunting as was their tradition, the ritual they'd shared since their time as partners at Beacon over twenty years ago seemed out of place somehow when Rover was going out without her. Those concerns fled from her mind as Rover's arms encircled her waist which was beginning to show clear signs of her pregnancy

"Oum I love you" the Husky Faunus murmured as he held onto her for a few more moments. Silently thanking Oum, as he did every day, for the genius of Antonia Arc that made the fact he was among the living and holding his pregnant wife possible.

"Go on, Scar's waiting outside" Artemis quickly planted another kiss on his cheek before releasing her grip on him

"Love you"

"Love you too" with that Rover left their home, a house in a decidedly upper middle class part of New Vale; the two stories taking up a single floor of the gigantic Hive City tower complex that the house was a part of. The artificial lights overhead were dimming, signifying that afternoon was rapidly giving way to night outside of the complex. Parked across the road from his house was an unremarkable black sedan with darkened windows which stood out against the more expensive vehicles in the surrounding driveways, it's own inconspicuousness making it conspicuous. Rover made his way over and opened the door

"Company car?" he asked as he slid into the passenger seat, struggling to make his bushy canine tail comfortable"

"Something like that" Scarlet David answered, the fingers currently drumming against the steering wheel were that of his cybernetic left hand. Rover had heard stories of how Scarlet had lost the appendage in the battle of Vale and proceeded to cauterise it himself with Fire Dust and leap back into the fray. Rover had been at the battle himself, though at the other side of the city

"What're we looking at tonight?" Rover asked expectantly. He and Artemis usually worked as a pair, his speed combined with her ability to see the Aura of others made them the most sought after search and rescue team in the Kingdom; however since his wife had taken an early maternity leave, as was usual among Huntresses, he'd been working alongside Scarlet David-Vasilias who tended to operate within the city limits lending assistance to the police when they were desperate or overworked enough to ask for it

"Oh you'll like this one, the police need Hunters on site with a drug bust"

"And why would I like-" he was cut off by Scarlet pressing a dossier into his hands, golden lightning crackled over his body as he triggered his Semblance for the briefest of moments, reading the entirety of the information regarding the case in seconds

"Why in Oum's name would anyone still make this stuff?" he demanded, utterly aghast that there were still people willing to make the same mistake he had during a panicked decision during the war and disgusted at the pushers that enabled them to do so

"Easy Rover" Scarlet warned him softly "You need to stay calm….even though this is personal for you" he indicated to the centre of his temporary partners' chest, where the green light of his Aura regulator was visible through the gaps between the plates of his armoured vest. After the battle of Vale the monstrous Dragon Grimm that Ruby had left in a kind of stasis was eventually reawakened and Rover, in a desperate bid to stop the beast had used a technique he called _'Overdrive Mode'_ which involved using narcotics as a delivery system to get Dust directly into his bloodstream, giving him an incredible but short lived boost in power. The gambit hadn't paid off and for a while the Husky Faunus had been left phasing in and out of corporeal reality as his Semblance was turned against him, leaving his body intangible. Now over two decades later some street gang punks were mixing Dust and drugs and selling it to poor kids with dreams of being Hunters under the street name of _'Booster'_

"It's fucking disgusting man" Rover growled "Even when the White Fang and the Black Bear Syndicate were fighting over who ran Vale, gangs weren't selling this on the street"

"Well the Narcs have been watching their operation for a while now, looks like the guy running the show is gonna be there in person. That's where we come in….you don't believe they're who they say they are right?"

"Roman Torchwick's illegitimate son?" Rover snorted "Does it really matter?" Scarlet looked thoughtful for a few moments before a smirk crossed his face

"Not really. I doubt he's half the escape artist Roman was" with that the unmarked car sped off.

* * *

The Killer Bee came to a halt, the screech of its' tires and roar of the engine reverberating around the surroundings as the instantly recognisable car pulled into an empty space in the almost deserted multi-story parking lot. Team FADE clambered out and turned their attention to the only other vehicle currently in sight; a white transit van, indistinguishable save for the name and logo of 'Lumière Construction LTD' emblazoned on its' side. After a moments' pause the rear of the van opened allowing Corvid, Rusty and Iris to step out to greet them, Lux remaining in the drivers' seat

"Hey"

"Hey" the tension was evident as the Xiao Long siblings greeted each other

"You sure I can't talk you into letting us handle this?" Corvid asked, daring to hope only for Felix to shake his head, dismissing the idea

"Have we got a plan for to go about this?" he asked

"Bare bones" Corvid admitted "Gives us more adaptability on the fly….since Lux thinks this is too risky"

"He's kinda got a point" Diamond murmured from her position behind Felix, rubbing her hands together for warmth "Do we know how many guys are gonna be in there? What it is they're manufacturing?" Corvid leaned over the railing atop the perimeter wall of the parking lot and gestured to the ground, several stories below where in an otherwise deserted industrial estate that may have been a holdover from before the fall of Vale, a single small warehouse could be seen with lights shining through its' windows

"That's the place; apparently the crew's mostly just lowlifes that know how to avoid being caught. They'll go down easy-"

"We're only trying to get answers" Felix reminded her "It'd be great to be able to call the police and tell 'em we've shut down a drugs lab for 'em but finding out where the Puma Faunus that sold them a truck is takes priority"

"Right" Corvid nodded "And Diamond apparently these guys make a bit of everything, their new product is something called Booster? I've never heard of it" she admitted, Corvid Xiao Long may have given the appearance of being street smart but she was still a native of Patch and this kind of organised crime seemed a distant concern on the island

"I say we burn the place" the Mistrali huffed, wrinkling her nose at the mention of the substance but giving no more explanation.

"So how're we doing this?" Arctus growled, being from Upper Atlas drug dens and the like were something he had no experience with outside of overheard conversations between his father and the older Faunu's old acquaintances. Frankly he wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible.

"Me, Diamond and Eagle are hanging back" Corvid started, raising a hand to silence the inevitable objections before they started "Look….I put a gun against someone's head the other night because I panicked, right now I don't trust myself to not do something stupid if one of you gets hurt….I'm gonna hang back"

"Don't worry little lady, I'll bring 'em all back in one piece" Rusty drawled out, Corvid ignored the nickname as she continued

"Diamond I want you to see if you can get a vantage point and keep in contact with your team. Eagle look, there's no safe way to fire Sentinel's gun in a crowded room full of drugs and Oum knows what else. You hang back with me and we jump in if the place needs tearing down"

"Okay fine" Eagle accepted the logic of the instruction but still didn't like the idea of sitting on the sidelines while her team fought

"Rusty and Lux are going in first. Rusty blows the doors, Lux creates a distraction. Arctus you run in behind them the second you can do it safely and get a Glyph up so Iris and Fluffy can get inside" the Bear Faunus couldn't help but wince at the memory of the last time he'd been subjected to Lux Lumière's Semblance _'Flash-Bang'_.

"So we rush in, shut the place down and grab whoever's shouting orders then shake 'em down until they talk….Yeah we can do that" Felix breathed out. Corvid nodded

"Diamond you seem to know a little more about this kind of thing than me, any tips?"

"No incendiary rounds and Felix be careful with your Semblance. Don't set anything on fire in there" the Mistrali advised. Felix nodded in understanding, his Balrog state was off the table but truth be told he hadn't expected to need it

"Okay" he turned his attention to those who'd be fighting alongside him "Everyone ready"

"Where Corey's plans are concerned I'm less ready, more just resigned" Iris chuckled as she gave her team leader a playful nudge.

"Darlin'" Rusty rapped on the drivers' side window of the van Team CLIR had arrived in "Let's go knock some heads"

"Hey big guy" Arctus turned to face Diamond and was pulled into a surprising but far from unwelcome hug "Stay safe dude"

"I'll be fine" he grinned "I've got you watching my back" Diamond gently punched his shoulder while wearing a smile that somehow seemed far to cheery for the occasion

"Aww that's cute" Corvid admitted "When did you two start dating?"

"I- what?" Arctus sputtered

"We didn't" Diamond forced out through clenched teeth. Felix found himself laughing at his team-mates' predicament despite the situation they were heading into

"Come on, we've got work to do….and we still need a slogan or something"

* * *

A young man in his early twenties was currently lounging in an office chair, casually counting money and ensuring each of the stacks did indeed total one thousand Lien before wrapping a rubber band around them and throwing them into a nearby duffel bag with the rest. Nearby an associate, a floppy eared Mastiff Faunus, was making sure the numbers continued to add up, using a laptop to keep the businesses accounts rather than one of the computers in the warehouse. The young man was Rhodium Torchwick or Rhodey to those that were either good friends or brave enough to try their luck, though growing up it was always debatable whether or not the Dust thief who'd passed on into the realms of urban myth was in fact his father. His mother had pictures of them together at some club or another, but none of Roman holding his alleged son; sure Rhodium was a redhead but there were plenty of those around.

' _Honestly'_ the young man had told himself years ago _'It doesn't matter. The Torchwick name still means something in this city, if he was my old man he owes me that at least for running out. If not, well he'd appreciate someone with the balls to steal it'_ The outfit he wore seemed to be an homage to his presumed father; black pants held up by a belt with a decorative buckle depicting a smiling skull, dress shoes and shirt all designer brands _naturally_ , an ornate silver chain visible beneath the unbuttoned collar. A high collared white trench coat and fedora tilted forwards on his head, obscuring his blue eyes and pushing the bangs of his perpetually messy ginger locks out of place, his hands were covered by gauntlets which incorporated leather gloves and armour plating that extended almost to the elbows and sported the same grinning skull logo on the backs of the hands

"When can we expect the next shipment of raw product?" he demanded, taking a drag of a large cigar whose smell indicated it contained more than tobacco, he didn't bother to turn and face the Faunus currently relegated to crossing I's and dotting T's

"Dunwitch said two or three weeks"

"Is it two or is it three?" Rhodium snapped "Can nobody here work to a fucking schedule? Is that why I'm surrounded by high school fucking dropouts?" he took another long drag and decided it couldn't be helped. Dunwitch, the Atlesian supplier for an essential component of Booster, whom Rhodium knew without a shadow of a doubt was using a fake name, never seemed to give an exact time, place or date. True it made them more reliable in the long run as they less likely to be caught; it was still an infuriating habit for ones' business partner to have.

"You ever wonder who they are?" the Faunus asked conversationally, that did cause Rhodium to turn and face them, glaring at the underling suspiciously

"I know they're someone who likes making a lot of fucking Lien and that's you need to know Clifford"

"My name's Bordeaux, Clifford's the guy with…." he trailed off, sensing that the drug lord wasn't interested. There was a tense silence in the room which was forcefully broken by what sounded like an explosion in the warehouse turned drugs lab below them, within seconds the door to the office was thrown open and a gas-mask wearing worker ran inside, panicked shouts muffled but still clearly understandable

"WE'RE BEING RAIDED!"

"Hunters?" Rhodium demanded

"I don't know, it looks like Hunters but there's no cops with 'em" Rhodium scowled, the sounds of a gunfight reaching his ears. No pointless demands to drop the weapons or assertions that everyone was under arrest were being made; this wasn't the cops, it was the competition. Blue eyes narrowed as he reached for the cane propped against the wall and stalked passed the shell-shocked gang member, calling to Bordeaux over his shoulders

"Come on boy, walkies"

* * *

Felix ducked behind what had once been a bench intended for warehouse staff to package goods with a curse on his lips as bullets raked through the space he'd previously occupied. They'd stuck to the plan, Rusty's Degradation Semblance eating away at the hinges of the side entrance they'd chosen to launch their attack through, the moment the detached door had been kicked loose Lux had used it as a makeshift shield to run far enough into the drugs lab for his Semblance to have the most effect; pure white light which faded to pale gold streamed from the ground floor windows as they were blown out by the auditory shock wave that sounded as though several bombs had been detonated inside, though without the catastrophic effects. The moment that Lux had shouted that they were clear the remaining trio of Arctus, Iris and Felix had charged in with their still ringing under the cover of a Glyph. Then the chaos had started.

"We just wanna talk!" Felix cackled while unloading his twin machine guns, return fire from the gangsters drowning out the threats and curses they replied with. They were moving between rows of benches, using them as makeshift cover. Felix watched Rusty load High-Noon full of Lightning-Dust based stun rounds and spin the pistol in his hand a few times, seemingly out of habit before firing on a pair of young men attempting to flank Lux, one had been carrying a crowbar while the other held a machete; both of them dropped to the floor twitching and unconscious whilst electricity crackled over their bodies

"Not all of 'em have their Auras unlocked!" Lux bellowed back to Felix who paled, he'd gotten so used to training against fellow Hunters that the idea of fighting someone who was barely more of a threat than a civilian hadn't crossed his mind.

"Noted" he sought out Arctus through the mayhem, finding his cousin a few rows away and calling out to him "No plasma" the Bear Faunus seemed distracted by something he'd pulled from the surface of the bench he crouched behind, eyes wide as he mouthed curses to himself before calling to Iris who was currently behind them all

"Cover me!" as he ran from his hiding place to join Felix adjacent were enveloped in the pale blue light of Iris's telekinesis and lifted, forming a makeshift shield which was quickly riddled with bullets. When Arctus took cover once more they were hurled into the attackers, leaving several of their number sprawled on the ground unmoving.

"We have a problem" Arctus held out fist sized Dust crystal of a variety Felix had never seen before, deep forest green in colour with a glassy and reflective surface. He gave a confused look

"It's Eco-Dust" Arctus explained of the still persistent gunfire from the gangsters "The synthesised stuff my Mum developed. This stuff is all over the warehouse and it's highly explosive….If anything hits it" he left the statement hanging in the air as Felix dared to glance around the edge of their cover, seeing that there were indeed several crates that seemed to be filled with the green crystals and that the drug gang were still shooting, seemingly more concerned with the threat to their business than their own safety.

"ARE YOU GUYS FUCKING NUTS? YOU'RE GONNA KILL US ALL!" he bellowed

"Fuck the Hunters! Fuck the police!" came the furious response from a young man with a bandanna covering the lower half of his face who was quickly dispatched by a blinding flash of Lux's Semblance followed by a stun round courtesy of Rusty

"Okay I'm gonna try something. I really hope this works" Felix made to question his cousins' intentions but Arctus waved him off; closing his eyes as he crushed the Eco-Dust crystal in his palm and focused. A Glyph formed on the ground between them and the nearest desk behind them, its' pearly white surface taking on the shimmering green hues of the Dust it was infused with

"I've never managed to get this perfect before, but lets see how much kick this Dust adds" his voice was a strained grunt as something began to emerge from the Glyph, clawed and muscular forelimbs first, followed by an armoured snout

"Holy Oum, you learned to summon?" Felix gasped, he'd seen Aunt Weiss perform some truly impressive feats with her Semblance but hadn't realised just how far Arctus had progressed

"Don't distract me" he forced out, blood beginning to trickle from his snout like nose from the strain. The Ursa clambered from the Glyph in full, perhaps two thirds the size of the monster it was based on but more than sufficient for the task at hand; if gunfire was out of the question a battering ram would have to do

"TAKE COVER!" Arctus intended the shout for his allies but if any of the people currently shooting at them chose to save themselves he wouldn't begrudge them that. The glowing green Ursa construct ripped through everything in its' path as it barrelled towards the gangsters, sending them scattering and simply ploughing into any who failed to escape, blunt force alone more than making up for the fact that Arctus was restraining it against bringing its' fangs and claws to bare. Within moments their opposition was routed, sent fleeing in every direction.

"So now what?" Felix panted as Iris, Lux and Rusty made their way over to them

"My stun rounds hurt like a bitch but it's easy to wake someone up after, pick one of these here scumbags and we'll see if they talk" the only experience Felix had with drugs was occasionally buying weed from Amethyst Wukong that he suspected she in turn purchased from her Aunt Melanie, this left him struggling to decide which of the prone gangsters scattered across the warehouse floor looked as though the might have the information they needed. He was spared having to make the decision by Arctus tapping his shoulder and holding up his Scroll, showing him that Diamond was calling

"Hey"

"Hey, okay first off big guy that was cool. Really cool dude. I can see you from where I am" It was testament to just how valued his partners' opinion of him was that his face reddened slightly even in their current circumstances. Diamond continued

"I can see two guys heading your way, one human one Faunus. The redhead human's wearing all designer and just has that vibe of being the one in charge

"Got it" Arctus noted with a nod as he wiped blood from his nose with the back of his hand and ended the call before addressing the others "We've got company. Diamond thinks the redhead looks import-" they were cut off by a door being kicked from its' hinges overhead. Their attention was drawn to a gangway above them, far enough off to one side of the warehouse to have been overlooked in the skirmish. Two men were looking down at them, a somewhat chubby canine Faunus with floppy dog ears atop his head. The second was clad in a trench coat and regarding them with a mix of fury, suspicion and begrudging respect as he leaned on the cane he was clutching

"You guys have got some balls, I'll give you that. I'm gonna enjoy cutting 'em off. And you, chick at the back, I'll think of something to cut off of you"

"We want a name!" Felix called up to the redhead, keenly aware that he was the sort of individual who would capitalise on any sign of weakness "We want the name of the Faunus you bought a truck from!" he was rewarded with mocking laughter and slow clapping

"You come into my house, trash the place, beat up my guys and then think you're gonna question me like I'm some ass-hat you picked up off the street? Bitch I'm Rhodium Torchwick" with that he pressed a hidden button on the side of his cane, the shaft retracting upwards onto itself to reveal a long, thin sword

"Of course it's a pimp stick" Felix sighed as he shifted Hack and Slash to their own sword modes. Rhodium Torchwick leapt over the balcony and landing in a crouch, giving them a _'come here'_ gesture with his empty hand. Felix readily complied, his friends not far behind him.

* * *

"Come on, come on drop him for Oum's sake" Diamond hissed through clenched teeth as she watched the situation unfold through the scope of Lex Talionis. The three members of Team CLIR inside the warehouse were locked in combat with the Mastiff Faunus while Felix and Arctus engaged the sword wielding redhead. The sniper was currently using her Semblance to perch on the outside wall of the multi-story parking lot, eagerly awaiting the moment she had a clear shot. She had no intention of murdering even a drug baron in cold blood _'But'_ she thought cruelly to herself as Arctus narrowly avoided a slash at his face _'He doesn't need both of his knees'_

"What's happening in there?" Corvid demanded frantically

"There's two guys left but Oum they can fight" Diamond admitted as the Faunus sent Lux staggering back with a knuckle-duster adorned fist; his only reward was Rusty's fury. The Vaccuan gunslinger tackled him to the floor and unleashed a maelstrom of punches down on his face, reducing it to a bloody mess until Iris wrapped her cybernetic left arm around his shoulders and pulled him back

"One guy left" Diamond amended without taking her attention from the scene unfolding inside

"We should be in there helping" Eagle grumbled as she shuffled agitatedly from behind her

"I know" Corvid admitted "But trust 'em, they'll be okay" the Mistrali sniper tuned the girls still inside the parking lot out as she watched on tenterhooks, the redhead was putting on an impressive display of acrobatics as he weaved between five opponents at once, trench-coat whirling around him. It was for nothing though as whoever their opponent was he eventually found himself overwhelmed, a lunging stab at Arctus was parried aside by a Glyph conjured over his forearm like a shield and answered with a kick to the chest that sent the man stumbling backwards, an attempt to leap aside proved futile as Iris had managed to recover enough to use her Semblance effectively once again; he found himself pinned in place by an unseen force, faint blue light engulfing him. The fight was ended when Arctus created a series of Glyphs several feet in the air which Felix ran along, leaping downwards and delivering a brutal haymaker to the jaw. Diamond was about to tell Eagle and Corvid the news when something caught her eye in the distance; several cars were approaching, black unmarked sedans and while she couldn't be sure in the darkness she suspected that they would have tinted windows, growing up in the cities she did she knew unmarked police vehicles when she saw them. She made to reach for her Scroll and tell her friends that they'd had the misfortune to raid the drugs lab at the same time as the local law enforcement when she was once again halted, by a realisation that was if possible, even worse. There was golden lightning weaving between the cars and heading their way at an impossible speed

"Eagle, Corey we need to-" she didn't finish her sentence as she leapt back inside the building. Rover Tan was already there waiting for her, mask removed and wearing a disapproving scowl, leaving Diamond wondering just how fast he was exactly.

"You kids again; first the exclusion zone and now a drug bust. The curriculum clearly isn't what it used to be"

"Hey we're here for pretty much the same reason you are" Corvid defended "We're not here to buy that trash"

"I know. Huntsman David-Vasilias was monitoring the cameras that the narcotics division have had set up in here for months while they build a case. A little tip, if you have time to survey the area beforehand, do it properly" the three girls looked abashed, nobody had even considered that there may be cameras at work

"My nephew is in there isn't he?" Rover demanded

"Yeah, but he's okay though. They've got it-"

"Wait here" Rover interrupted Diamond "I'll be back to take you to the academy and you can explain yourselves there" before anyone could argue the Husky Faunus vanished in a burst of crackling golden light. The three Huntresses regarded each other in numb silence for a while before Eagle spoke, her voice a nervous squeak

"So, how much trouble are we in?"

* * *

Rhodium spat out a mouthful of blood that contained a tooth, his head snapping to the left and fedora being knocked from his skull as Felix's right fist connected with his jaw. He was released from whatever force had been restraining him and swayed on his feet, staggering a few steps before collapsing to his hands and knees, vision swimming in front of his eyes.

"Okay boy, you're not bad at roughing people up. I might let you work for me" he spat out another mouthful of blood and saliva "Then again I might saw your fucking hands off with your own tool"

"You mean these?" Felix had drawn one of his swords and pressed the blade firmly under the chin of the kneeling and defenceless man in front of him "I want the Faunus you bought a truck from. Their name, where to find them, everything"

"Try the yellow pages" Rhodium sneered, only to receive a kick to the gut from Rusty that left sprawled on the floor wheezing

"That fucking important to ya is it?" the redhead managed to gasp out between coughs "What are you the repo guys?" Felix glowered down at him, before a thought occurred to him in a stroke of what he would later describe as genius

"Don't worry about who we are, worry about what Miss Malachite is gonna do when she hears you're covering for him"

"What?" the drug dealer attempted to cover the sudden worried edge to his voice with a vicious tone

"Word is the guy who sold you a truck is part of the same crew that caused trouble on Patch a few months back, y'know the trouble where her niece got glassed in the face. Can't imagine Miss Malachite is gonna be as gentle with you as we have"

"Is that what you call knocking my fucking teeth out" Rhodium spat before relenting, clearly desperate to be spared the wrath of the one true crime boss in the Kingdom of New Vale "You're probably too late anyway. When the guy sold me the truck he said he was leaving town"

"Where?" Arctus demanded

"You think he told me?" the ginger gave him a bitter laugh "The bug girl he had with him, weird chick….kept zoning out like she wasn't even in the room, she called the big guy with the toe-beans Onyx"

"Anything else?" Felix punctuated with the request by pressing the chainsaw blade still under his captive's chin a little higher. Rhodium flinched as he spoke

"Oum's sake, I don't do small talk with fucking car salesmen….Look I heard one of them say something about a Shadow Cadre, means nothing to me, if it's a crew I've never heard of 'em"

"I think that's all he knows" Iris murmured from behind Felix, the Lion Faunus chanced a glance over his shoulder and saw that she and Arctus were covering Rhodium in case he tried anything, the Bear Faunus's nose having finally stopped bleeding. Rusty was currently checking his boyfriend for any lasting injuries following the punch that had split his lip

"So what do we do with him now?" Arctus enquired, hearing this the redheads' eyes narrowed

"You've got yourself into something you can't get out of now-" the gloating was brought to a forceful and abrupt halt when the main entrance to the warehouse was kicked from its' hinges and over a dozen police officers in full riot gear ran inside, a Huntsman that the members of Team CLIR instantly recognised leading them. Crashes and heavy footsteps informed them that the other exits had been similarly covered

"Everybody on the ground now!" the furious demand came not from Scarlet David-Vasilias or any of the police officers accompanying him, instead the members of Team FADE and CLIR inside the warehouse turned their attention to the Mastiff Faunus that had been forgotten since Rusty had dispatched him. Specifically their attention was drawn not to the blood leaking from his split eyebrow and clearly broken nose as one might expect, but to the badge he held in his hand; gleaming gold and bearing the insignia of New Vale's police force

"I'm special agent Brindle Bordeaux of NVPD Narcotics division, on the ground and drop your weapons right now!"

"Oh my Oum" Lux whispered "You beat the crap out of a cop, we are so screwed"

"Guys" Felix hissed as he dropped to his knees and placed Hack and Slash in front of him "We should do as he says. The others began to follow suit when a streak of golden lightning entered the warehouse

"Glad you could join us Huntsman Tan" one of the police officers snorted

"I was dealing with the other three and securing their getaway vehicles. Are the criminals in this city the only people who case their target before entering?" Rover retorted, the crackling side effects of his Semblance still dissipating as he did so

"You better not have touched my car-"

"Be quiet, I'll deal with you in a minute" Rover growled before turning to newly revealed undercover officer "Misunderstanding. These kids aren't a rival crew they're students from Halo"

"Bullshit" Bordeaux spat

"I can confirm that" Scarlet spoke up "Some of them have shadowed me on missions. My husband is a member of staff at the academy, I recognise them"

"Well this is fascinating and all" everyone's attention was turned to Rhodium Torchwick who'd been momentarily forgotten. The redhead has recovered his fedora and was currently twirling it between his fingers, a deep magenta glow expanding from his fingertips to encase the accessory

"Back on the ground scumbag!" one of the police bellowed, Rhodium continued as if he hadn't heard them

"The thing is though chaps, I really have no interest in spending a night in the cells and seeing as I haven't been read my rights yet, or actually detained for that matter….well, bye" with that he threw the now glowing fedora towards Felix with a flourish and there was a split second where those with experience of Semblances seemed to realise what was going to happen

"EVERYONE DOWN!" Felix wasn't sure who it was that screamed the order, he wasn't even consciously aware of leaping to his feet and activating his Semblance until after Rhodium's hat exploded with the force of the drug lords' own Semblance. As the explosion met the volatile Eco-Dust crystals the warehouse erupted into flames which the Lion Faunus struggled to absorb while being flung back by the concussive force, his back connected with the glowing surface of a truly gigantic Glyph courtesy of Arctus, Felix didn't have to look behind him to know that his cousin was suffering the consequences of such a show of power. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the lightning that accompanied Rover Tan darting in and out of the building as he evacuated police officers and unconscious gang members alike lest the students fail to halt the destruction. Nearby Iris could be seen, eyes and fists glowing with azure light as she ensured that roof wasn't brought down on top of them. Eventually the heat, light, deafening noise and wave of pressure subsided allowing the Hunters to lower their guard and peer through the clearing smoke. Rhodium Torchwick had vanished.

"Six months of undercover work for nothing" Bordeaux roared, turning his wrath to the students "All of you are under arrest for tampering with-"

"I don't think that'll hold up if court if you try and force the issue" Rover cut him off. The brief moment of relief and adrenalin fuelled giddiness Felix allowed himself to feel was crushed mercilessly by the Husky Faunus's next words

"Regulations say that student Hunters involved in crime scenes are to be remanded into the custody of the head of their Academy. Scar….Take 'em to Goodwitch"

If Felix were honest he would rather have just been arrested.

 **Authors Notes:**

Weekly updates are back in effect.  
Since the premiere is tomorrow I do what I did with Vol.4 and add little episode reviews into this section; since I'm posting weekly rather than daily it might work out better.  
I'd like to give a MASSIVE thank you to TigersAndR0sez for the fan-art they continue to produce, especially the artwork of Team FADE themselves used for the new cover of this story _(Excited squealing noises were made when I saw it)_

Now let's summarise:  
If you haven't spinning heel kicked them in the face or suplexed them 'By accident' are they even your real cousin?  
Eagle adding more weights because she saw Iris, showing off because her gay little heart can't take the pretty girl being near her. My poor useless lesbian child.  
" _Pot. Kettle. Sexually frustrated"_ We are all Corvid Xiao Long.  
I keep dropping hints about the Centenary Festival, all I'm going to say is "Vol.3".  
I feel like I had to show Corvid freaking out and having that little breakdown there, she's a bad-ass but she just realised that her brother is out in the real world with her now and people die when they are killed.  
Yes I dropped a Torchwick cliffhanger, even more so when you consider that in The Downward Spiral there was no ambiguity in Roman's death; he was wearing an Aura dampening collar and shot point blank in the chest with a sawn off shotgun, Neo saw him die.  
Antonia Arc, Eagle's mum and Professor Polendina's old assistant. She helped make the Aura regulator in Rover's chest that stops him from fading into nothing and then somehow mad it possible for him to have kids….if only she put as much effort into raising her own daughter.  
Also, Scarlet David in a Neo Noir crime thriller type setting….that's a whole new story that if anyone wants to write they should do.  
Dust infused hard drugs, there was a throwaway line from Professor Polendina in The Downward Spiral about it it being a rough starting point for a combat drug for Atlesian soldiers. What if I told you that the whole _'Booster'_ concept and Rhodium Torchwick was actually me sowing the seeds for things that will happen when Team FADE are in their third year.  
" _Stay safe dude"_ _"_ _I'll be fine I've got you watching my back"_ followed by someone else assuming that they're dating, I love Diamond Dust.  
Rhodium is basically a more mafia themed version of Roman who hasn't had their arm twisted by anyone plotting world domination.  
Even 'Dunwitch' the supplier being mentioned is a name drop for something that will become relevant later on.  
The idea of Hunters being so used to fighting Grimm and other Hunters that they forget that regular people are frail and squishy in comparison and almost tearing people apart without realising is something I'd like to see addressed more often.  
Weiss Schnee's Eco-Dust haven't actually mentioned it since Chapter 04. It's basically rocket fuel which is why we saw Arctus use it to charge up the first ever summon we've seen him perform; he's like Weiss in canon, just not a level where they can conjure things freely yet.  
'He doesn't need both of his knees' You don't fuck with Diamond Sustrai-Black's favourite dumb-ass.  
Because of course Team FADE and the police hit the same criminals at the same time.  
Uncle Rover is getting real sick of his idiot nephew and his idiot friends reminding him of his own idiot team leader back in the day.  
Now Melanie Malachite doesn't know about the Shadow Cadre or that one of them started a bar fight which resulted in Amethyst Wukong, her niece, catching a pint glass in the face; but Rhodium Torchwick _doesn't know that_.  
Team FADE got what they needed. Up until now they've never actually heard the Shadow Cadre referred to as such, now they have a name.  
Ha! undercover Narc, weren't expecting that were ya?  
Rover and Rhodium should have a conversation sometime, both of them are utterly done with their colleagues shit.  
Rhodium, unlike his Dad has unlocked his Semblance and it basically makes him Gambit from X-Men….Also I call the Semblance "Badda-bing Badda- _boom_ " just 'cos.  
Oh dear, oh dear; good luck explaining that to Glynda, or (Spoiler alert) your parents.

Thank you to Fluffyfirefly, FleetOfWarships, ShadowWolf, Ferrous, Fluffyfirefly and ShadowAlex2000 for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Corvid's puns are fun, they have a more brutal edge to them than Yang's.  
Yeah I'm gonna try and make the Shadow Cadre less evil and more 'Forced into a corner by circumstances' giving them a moral code makes sense, especially when we finally get the full reveal of their backstory.  
Helios is probably going to be calmer now he's got Ren and Nora practically adopting him, if you didn't pick it up in Forever Fall he's homesick, he misses his family and Anima.  
Also yeah, Ren and Nora never had children but every student they taught is their child.  
Battle Cat has been confirmed but don't expect it for a while.  
Eagle Arc learned her sneaky from Nora, people forget Nora can be sneaky. Remember when Jaune had her put her headphones on so he and Ren could talk; Nora put them on but didn't plug them into anything.  
The Shadow Cadre seem to have a raider mentality but they don't take prisoners, like they'll steal your shit but there's a line. They've also actually avoided killing thus-far.  
Yang being pissed at her kids for getting into a fight with the mob in a bar….may I direct your attention to the Yellow Trailer.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	19. Fallout

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 19: Fallout**

A police issue Bull-Head had flown Teams FADE and CLIR back to Halo Academy, escorted by the undercover officer Brindle Bordeaux and Scarlet David-Vasilias. Rover Tan had sped off with one last withering look at his nephew before he left to return home. Upon arriving the eight students had been escorted to the headmistresses office where Professor Goodwitch had already been waiting for them, Lie Ren behind her regarding each of them from behind his glasses with a stern expression which Eagle seemed to collapse in on herself under. Then the almost literal inquisition had started.

"So in short" Glynda summed up the justifications she'd spent the first few hours of her Sunday morning being treated to between her furious lectures about proper conduct "You were deliberately searching for leads on a criminal group that has already proven themselves capable of facing fully fledged Hunters and furthermore has already hospitalised some of you. Upon finding a lead you choose not to present it to a Hunter; perhaps Mister David here as not only is the case part of his workload, he is readily available due to the fact he and his husband _live on the campus_. No, you choose to see to things yourselves and attempt to 'shake down' members of one of the most violent criminal gangs in New Vale and directly confront their leader, in the process destroying a drug lab they were operating, causing an explosion inside the city limits. Am I missing anything?"

"You're missing six months worth of wasted time!" Bordeaux barked furiously "Records and physical evidence has been completely destroyed! My cover was blown and now Torchwick knows who I am….Oh Oum….I have to move my family out of the Kingdom" the Mastiff Faunus paled as the realisation hit him

"Is it really that bad?" Felix dared to ask. Bordeaux gave a grim chuckle

"I asked that before I went deep cover" his whole body shuddered as memories he'd spent months repressing with hard liquor came back to him "The only reason I'm not demanding you eight be arrested for interfering with my case is because Torchwick would have his goons already in prison get to you within a week. I heard rumours about the things this guy has had done to people….I never thought I'd say this but; taking a hacksaw to people over debts is the tip of a very big iceberg"

"Fuck" Corvid breathed out

"Language Miss Xiao Long" Goodwitch snapped, removing her glasses for a moment as she pinched the bridge of her nose "Your actions may have been well intentioned, but they were also, misguided, reckless, arrogant and quite frankly stupid. As Mister Bordeaux has made clear to us it would be unwise to have this matter dealt with through legal channels. I trust you can explain to your superiors the circumstances behind what happened today and why these students are not being brought in?"

"I can, they won't like it, but they'll accept it" Bordeaux grumbled "Now if that's all I've gotta start a mountain of paperwork and book tickets for wife and kids" as he made to leave Scarlet spoke up

"Brindle, speak to Neptune" the Mastiff Faunus turned and gave him an incredulous look "You're not a Huntsman but you've clearly seen some things that you're struggling with. He might be able to help" Bordeaux merely snorted and opened the door to Goodwitch's office, offering a parting shot over his shoulder to the students who'd undermined his hard work

"You kids have got guts, no sense in denying that, but you're stupid. Stupid people have a nasty habit of dying young, remember that next time you decide to take on the mob" none of Team FADE or CLIR dared argue the point for fear of incurring the legendary wrath of their headmistress, though Rusty seemed sorely tempted until Lux's hand clamped down on his thigh and the man the gunslinger considered his better half gave him a warning look. Goodwitch gave a long sigh, the sound almost seemed to convey the decades worth of stress caused by the students in her care

"The Centenary Festival is mere months away and doubtlessly your actions have slowed down Torchwick and his gangs' operations but you failed to see the larger picture, now he's still at large and the relationship between the Hunters and police of our Kingdom has been subjected to yet more unnecessary strain. That is something we simply cannot afford….Yet I can't find it within myself to utterly condemn you" there was the briefest possible moment where the students looked to each other with hope

"However" and with a single word the moment ended and Goodwitch's stern tone returned "Your families are already being contacted and told of tonight's events. Also you are all confined to the academy for the next two weeks; failure to comply with this will result in your expulsion. Are we clear?"

"Yes Professor Goodwitch" they answered in unison, with the exception of Rusty who merely grunted, earning a harsh glare for his trouble

"Do not think I enjoy having to treat the future protectors of this Kingdom like misbehaving children Mister Blackwatch" she snapped venomously "I do this for your own safety, Torchwick and his people may not be the creatures of Grimm but they most assuredly monsters. I dread to think what would become of you were they given a chance to retaliate. Now leave, all of you" Team FADE and CLIR tried their utmost to not scramble out of their seats and flee the office with their proverbial, and in Felix's case literal tails between their legs. As they reached the door Ren spoke, his voice quiet as always but nonetheless capturing the attention of everyone who heard it

"Eagle, come with me please" the armoured Huntress visibly sagged before turning away from her team-mates and making her way back to her uncle. Felix managed to give her a reassuring smile before making his way past her and out into the deserted hallway. The seven students traipsed through the corridors of the campus towards their respective dorms in silence which was eventually broken by a yawn from Rusty

"Well that could've gone worse" the gunslinger noted, his south Vaccuan drawl becoming more pronounced "Hell, my Momma probably won't even answer the call. It don't make a lick of difference to her"

"Right" Iris snorted as she flexed the fingers of her golden cybernetic arm, which seemed to have suffered superficial damage in the skirmish "My parents are divorced. They're gonna be mad at me for five minutes then start using it as a chance to play the blame game, two weeks stuck here to avoid it sounds great" she laughed bitterly

"Yay for dysfunctional families then right?" Corvid mumbled with a wince, inwardly fighting the urge to pull her team-mates into a hug. They deserved better than the homes they came from

"Mum's gonna be livid" Lux sighed "Dad hates drug dealers with a passion though so hey, might be able to play it off as a job well done"

"It was a job well done" Diamond growled "Fuck Booster and fuck anyone who sells it" her hands found their way into their pockets and she stalked a few paces ahead of the group. Arctus watched her with a concerned expression and made to catch up but was halted by the sound of Corvid's Scroll, the elder Xiao Long siblings' naturally pale complexion lost what little colour it already had upon seeing the identity of the caller

"It's our Mum" she informed Felix, her voice a tense whisper

"Yang?"

"Blake"

"Oh fuck" Felix gasped "Answer it" Corvid did so

"Hey Mum"

"Don't ' _Hey Mum_ ' me Corvid Xiao Long" their mother growled, both of them braced themselves. Blake rarely got truly angry but when she did it was honestly a little frightening "I'm in New Vale right now. I was spending the weekend working on negotiations with a car manufacturer in the city discussing how to increase automation in the factory without laying off several hundred people. I was in my hotel, asleep, when I got a call from the academy explaining that you two were found at a police raid on a drug ring. Penny sent The Pearl to pick me up. I'm on the way right now, meet me at the academies' library and be prepared to explain yourselves. Yes Felix you too I know you're stood right next to your sister" Felix was indeed stood beside her, a fact which caused the other members of Team CLIR who as yet unfamiliar with Blake Xiao Long to stare at the Scroll with wide eyes

"Yes Mum" Corvid answered simply "Love you" the addition came easily, out of habit more than anything else. After a brief pause and a sigh Blake answered

"Love you too" as the line went dead Felix and Corvid shared a look before speaking at the same time

"We are so dead"

* * *

Eagle stared at the ground as she trailed after Ren into his and Nora's quarters, in truth an apartment of their own located on the campus, the pair had remained silent the entire walk from Goodwitch's office. That silence ended abruptly when Nora rushed over to her the moment the door closed, cupping her cheeks and tilting her head, seemingly inspecting her for even the most miniscule of injuries

"WHAT ON REMNANT WERE YOU THINKING? ARE YOU OKAY? WHAT HAPPENED?" the words poured out of Nora frantically until her husband gently placed a hand on her shoulder

"She's fine Nora, just a little shaken up. Eagle sit down please" the blonde did as was requested, making her way to the sofa and deploying Sentinel. The droid unfolded with a series of expressive chirps and animatedly stretched his small armatures as if glad to finally be free of confinement. Ren and Nora sat themselves in chairs across from her, a coffee table between them and Eagle noticed that Nora had already poured tea for the three of them. When Ren spoke it was in his usual calm, measured voice but Eagle could hear the deep concern behind it

"Eagle in the Headmistresses office you didn't say a word. You let the Xiao Longs' do the talking, but Felix is your partner; the two of you are responsible for each other. That's why students are partnered up" he took a deep breath "Just explain to us what happened and why. I'm not angry at you Eagle, I'm just disappointed"

"That makes it worse" she mumbled dejectedly before taking a sip of her tea while Sentinel had trundled over to Nora, apparently trying to get the redheads' attention as if it were a pet and not a rolling weapon

"Okay" She sighed, plucking up her courage "It's pretty much exactly what Felix said. After our mission with Uncle Flax we intercepted a call"

"His report indicates that he was originally going to ignore the emergency transmission" Ren noted, expression inscrutable, Eagle somehow suspected that Ren would have had something to say about that decision to the Rabbit Faunus in private

"Because he had students on board" Eagle admitted "We managed to convince him we could still fight"

"And nearly got yourself blown up!" Nora exclaimed "I saw you working on your armour after that Eagle, it was in pieces!"

"We had to Aunt Nora!" the blonde cried "If Uncle Flax ignored a call because of Team FADE and someone had died, that would have been down to us" Ren removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, a mannerism he'd inadvertently picked up from Glynda over the years he'd worked alongside her. Inwardly he was giving very serious consideration to calling Craven Arc and venting some frustration at the man who was clearly filling his grand-children's heads with the same extreme views on duty as his own children, as if he hadn't learned from the loss that they all shared.

"So after you encountered this group of thieves and they proved capable of holding their own against a former Atlesian Freelancer" Ren eventually sighed "Your team decided to look for them yourselves?"

"We thought it couldn't hurt to have more people" Eagle defended, realising how feeble the reasoning sounded

"And this led you into a fight with Rhodium Torchwick, how?"

"I wasn't even in the fight. I was hanging back like a coward" Eagle muttered as she slouched forwards "Corvid said there was no way to safely use Sentinel in there….we went to Torchwick's lab because we, well one of Team CLIR heard that his group had bought the truck that the thieves used to get away with the stuff they stole"

"Then why not give that information to us?" Nora gasped in exasperation

"Because I'm a Huntress!" Eagle snapped, shocking herself with the force behind her own words

"But are you prepared to kill someone?" Ren asked delicately

"I, what? No I don't want to-"  
"Then you shouldn't have been anywhere near that place" he cut her off "There's a reason Goodwitch doesn't allow students to take missions that would bring them into contact with criminals until the end of their first year"

"Killing someone….it changes you Eagle, and there may come a day when you have to do it but don't seek it out. Don't go trying to take on people who've already answered the question of whether or not they could pull that trigger" Nora added as she made her way over to the sofa her niece occupied and sat beside her, squeezing her hand gently

"Have you ever killed someone?" Eagle asked in a hushed voice  
"In the battle of Anquan-Jia" Nora nodded "Tyrian and his tribe had stormed Mistral's capital and were killing everyone in sight, I fought them like they were Grimm….not all of them had unlocked Auras"

"Oh my Oum" Eagle gasped softly, hands covering her mouth as she realised what she was being told "Magnhild at close range?"

"And that reaction" Nora booped her nose gently "Is exactly why you're going to leave this business to the police and Hunters like Scarlet who specialise in taking out Aura using criminals"

"I just wanted to help" Eagle sighed "I wanted to do the right thing" hearing this Ren crossed the living room and joined them, pulling Eagle into a hug

"Sometimes Eagle, the right thing to do is call for help….please remember that, I can't see anyone else I love get hurt because they didn't call for help" Nora joined the hug, her monumental grip enveloping both of them before she finally ruffled Eagle's hair

"Now go on, get to bed" as she rose to leave Ren gave her a parting comment

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier….I really am proud of the woman and the Huntress you're growing into Eagle"

* * *

Corvid and Felix had waited in the library in tense silence, the usual playful teasing and banter between the siblings absent with the arrival of their mother looming over them. Roughly twenty minutes after they'd entered the library the door creaked open once more. Blake Xiao Long's eyes glimmered as the light struck them and as she stepped into the library her children had taken in the dark rings around them and deduced that she would be in no mood for anything other than the truth and apologies, then promptly delivered them.

"Mum?" Felix asked nervously, Blake had been silently massaging her temples for a few moments after listening to his and Corvid's explanations

"I can understand what you did, I really can. It's the how and why that bother me; Felix please don't insult my intelligence and pretend that the main reason you've been trying to find this group is anything other than your own pride" she sighed before giving her son a disappointed look that he physically crumpled under, fidgeting guiltily on the spot "I hoped we were passed this Felix, I really did"

"Mum come on-" Corvid found herself cut off by a stern glare

"I expect better from you Corvid. You've left Patch and New Vale, you spent most of last year in Mistral. You're more experienced. You should have known better"

"She tried to talk me out of it" Felix came to his sisters' aid. One thing Blake and Yang had learned early on in their relationship with the adopted children was that they would without fail cover for each other

"And you chose not to listen, because you let your temper and need to get even get the better of you"

"I don't see what the big deal is honestly" the Lion Faunus shot back defiantly as he rolled his shoulders back, he loved his mother, he loved both of them. But there was a limit to how much he was willing to take from anyone, he knew Blake had a point but she needed to understand he was trying his best

"That's because you're not from a city like this" Blake sighed, her Lower Atlesian heritage showing as she placed her hands on his shoulders "You don't tackle groups like this head on they have too many resources, you have to make them make mistakes and capitalise on them"

"Like you did with the White Fang?"

"Exactly like the White Fang, destabilise them piece by piece. Turn their people into informants" Blake nodded, Felix's expression turned sour

"Mum, I get where your coming from, I really do. But these people have already hurt Amethyst, already hurt Arctus….If I have to beat answers out of some drug dealers and gangsters to stop anybody else being on that list then fine, it's worth it. Nobody I know is gonna lose an arm like Yang-" he was cut off by Blake's arm pulling back for a slap across his face before she managed to control herself, it was at that moment the Lion Faunus realised just how badly he'd transgressed by mentioning Yang's prosthetic. Blake had never raised a hand to either of them before

"And that" she spat, Felix looked at her and was disgusted at himself when he saw the tears in her eyes "Is precisely your problem Felix! You haven't changed from when you were getting into fights because someone made a joke about Faunus when you were twelve! The ends always justify the means to you don't they? Do you know who else thought like you do Felix? Adam Taurus! So go on, you carry on down the path you're on and see just how proud Yang is of you when you turn into something like him!" Blake's voice had risen with every furious syllable until she was screaming at him while tears streamed down her face. The words hit Felix harder than the slap Blake had refrained from could ever have hoped to, the stunned gasp from Corvid informed him that she'd been just as surprised as he was. As exactly what Blake had said to him and the implications of the accusation sunk in Felix felt his eyes beginning to sting, a sensation he steadfastly ignored until the first tremor shook his lip. It was at that moment Blake seemed to return to her senses somewhat

"Felix, I didn't-"  
"I'm gonna go" with that he barged past her, the library door slamming shut behind him before Blake could even register that he'd left the room. She stared silently after him, listening to his footfalls fade into the distance before a loud thud that sounded distinctly like someone punching a wall reached her ears and fresh tears welled up in her eyes

"What on Remnant is wrong with you?" Corvid hissed "How could you tell him that?" Blake shuddered as a single sob escaped her. The sound, despite the rage etched into her face, broke Corvid's heart and she pulled Blake into a tight hug

"Mum, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything"

"You're both good kids, don't let anyone tell you any different. Not even me" Blake choked out through tears "I have to go find Felix. I can't let that be the last thing I say to him tonight" wiping the moisture from her eyes her expression became one of pure determination, one of Blake Xiao Long, formerly Belladonna with a clear mission ahead of her and Blake, as her opponents both on the battlefield and in the political arena had learned; did not fail a mission.

* * *

Arctus and Diamond had arrived at their dorm and changed for bed, Eagle and Felix were yet to arrive but both of them had said their good nights and clambered into their respective bunks. Though as Arctus Slate lay on his back, having given up on finding a comfortable position, sleep simply would not come. His head filled with too many frantic and unpleasant thoughts, after a few more moments of laying in the dark and staring at the bunk above him, his eyes attuned to the gloom well enough to make out the grain of the wood, he decided to tackle the one thing denying him sleep that he currently could

"Hey Diamond, you awake?"

"Yeah, what's up?" his partners' voice was a low, somewhat raspy murmur when tired, a sound he enjoyed as much as everything else about her

"Are you okay?" he paused for a moment "It's just you seemed really bothered by what it was they were making in the drug lab….you wanna talk about it?" after a brief pause where the Bear Faunus thought she'd simply chosen to ignore the question there was a rustling of sheets above him, followed by Diamond making her way down onto his bunk and sitting next to him. Arms wrapped around her knees as she leaned against his headboard. Arctus pulled himself into a sitting position beside her, concern once again rising to the forefront of his emotions as he saw the sombre expression the silver haired sniper wore

"Diamond?" he slid an arm around her waist, which she moved to accommodate and leaned into his shoulder; partially because he knew that the weather in New Vale was colder than her native Mistral and partially because frankly, if Arctus could make her feel better in any way at all then he was going to.

"Do you know what Booster actually is and what it does?" she asked, not meeting his eyes

"No" he admitted "Honestly I don't really know a lot about things like drugs and organised crime. I grew up in Upper Atlas. Felix says Schnee Manor looks like a supervillain should live there"

"Sounds nice" Diamond replied, the slightest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth "Drugs are pretty common where I lived in Anquan-Jia, Mistral's capital...even more common in Doupeng-He Bishou. Booster's actually a fairly new thing, I can't remember seeing it before maybe three years ago; all the dealers make it differently as well, trial and error"

"That sounds risky, why would anyone take something like that?" Arctus was genuinely surprised at what he was hearing

"The effects" Diamond answered bluntly "It's Dust infused narcotics straight into your bloodstream. The amount of power someone on Booster has in the short term is insane….there was also a rumour that it could unlock your Aura if you hadn't already done it. For some kids who either want to attend Mirage Prep or are worried they might not make the grade for Haven Academy the risks probably seem worth it" there was an edge to Diamond's voice that Arctus caught and instinctively held her a little tighter, hand trailing to her hip and tracing small circles against the fabric of the t-shirt she slept in

"It wasn't worth it was it?" he dared to ask, Diamond gave an almost imperceptible shake of the head

"There was a guy in the year under me who lived in the same apartment block, our Mums knew each other. His name was Colby" she gently wove her fingers between his and gave a slow shuddering sigh before continuing "He bought some Booster made with Gravity Dust, his mum found his body in his room when she came home from work. I don't know the exact details but apparently his circulatory system imploded because of the Dust"

"Holy Oum" Arctus breathed out, unable to hide his wince at the thought of such a horrific death

"Yeah" Diamond breathed "Fuck anyone who sells that shit, it's evil"

"Agreed, I'd love to know where they got that much Eco-Dust from as well" the Bear Faunus mused "Seriously it's only been on the market for about three years and it's way more expensive than standard varieties"

"Wanna add it to our list of ongoing investigations?" Diamond snorted

"I would have said no" Arctus answered "But honestly what you said about Booster really puts things into perspective, I was worried about my parents being mad….or Oum forbid Aunt Winter hearing about tonight"

"You are such a dork big guy" Diamond couldn't help but laugh

"Oh please, you adore me" Arctus was unsure what prompted the sudden burst of cockiness but he felt his heart hammering in his chest the moment the words left his lips

"Yeah, yeah I do. You're adorable" Diamond murmured gently pulling his arm tighter around her waist, the Bear Faunus felt his face begin to heat up and turned to face her wearing an expression that was equal parts incredulous and hopeful

"Diamond?" she didn't answer verbally, choosing instead to reposition herself so that she was facing him; his arm still around her waist while she draped an arm around his shoulder, gently pulling his head down. Arctus's mind went utterly, blissfully blank as they drew closer, his free hand brushing a few stray strands of silvery hair away from her face, trembling slightly with nerves

"Hey guys- OH MY OUM I'M SORRY" the sound of Eagle Arc entering the dorm sent the two of them flying apart sheepishly, Arctus colliding with the wall and Diamond almost falling off of the bed

"Nothing happened!" Diamond clarified

"Nothing at all"

"It looked like you two were-"

"We weren't!" the pair of them answered in unison

"Okay okay, I mean it's okay if you were as well, if you want I can go and give you two some privacy and-"

"It's fine" Diamond hurriedly cut her off, Arctus could see her cheeks colouring even in the dark "It's almost three in the morning, so I'm gonna go to bed" before either Arctus or Eagle had a chance to comment she'd began climbing onto her own bunk where she promptly connected her earphones to her Scroll and Arctus could faintly hear the sound of her music clearly being played loud enough to drown out any attempts to communicate

"Yeah I'm gonna get some sleep as well Eagle" the Bear Faunus sighed, still too stunned at what he thought had been about to happen to process anything else. He slipped back beneath his sheets and buried his head below his pillows while fighting the urge to let out a groan of frustration at what may have been a wasted chance he'd desperately wanted since he'd first met Diamond Sustrai-Black.

* * *

Blake didn't run through the hallways but the sound of her heels clacking reverberated as she walked as briskly as she could manage towards her destination; she'd called Ren and asked if he could access Halo Academy's security cameras to locate her wayward son. The answer had come soon enough and she'd judged roughly how long it would take Felix's temper to subside, silently hoping she knew him as well as she thought she did, at which point she'd set off without any further hesitation. After descending a flight of stairs the rear doors of the campus, just as large as the main entrance but far less grandiose became visible and were thankfully, as she found upon opening them, were unlocked. Stepping out into the cold air which years of living on the island of Patch rather than her native Kingdom of Atlas had left her sensitive to she shivered slightly, her eyes instantly homed in on the Colosseum that formed an outdoor training area; something that Beacon which Halo was based on hadn't possessed. It was where Felix was.

"Felix!" She called out as she entered the training area, were her mind not currently preoccupied she would have admitted it was an impressive facility. Her eyes scanned her surroundings until she found him; sat in one of the seats in the bleachers hunched over himself and seemingly not paying attention. As she made her way towards him her heart clenched and stomach plummeted as keen eyes picked out the tear tracks staining his face. He made no attempt to acknowledge her and Blake thought he was purposefully ignoring her, until she was almost beside him

"Hey" his voice came out as a weak croak and he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand

"Hey" she repeated gently as she took the seat next to him "I think we both said some things we didn't mean. I'm sorry son"

"Mum?" the solitary word came with such apprehension that Blake knew that whatever followed would most likely speak volumes as her abilities as a parent

"Do you ever regret adopting me?" whatever she'd expected it had not been that, as her eyes widened in shock the Lion Faunus continued "I mean Corey's a genius, she can do pretty much anything she sets her mind to and I'm just-"

"Felix" Blake cut across him firmly as she reached over to him and gently pulled at his shoulder so that he was looking at her "Neither Yang or I have ever or will ever regret bringing you or your sister into our lives. I could not be more happy with the children I have" his eyes filled with tears again and Blake gently pulled him closer, stroking his hair the way she had since he'd been a four year old boy who'd only recently left the orphanage as was filled with an anger that no child should have known

"It's just that well" he paused, sniffling as he tried to put his feelings into words "You're Blake Belladonna. Every Faunus in New Vale if not Remnant knows your name, you stand for something….I just want to make you proud and I don't know how, I keep messing up" the admission somehow managed to break Blake's heart while at the same time filling her with pride

"Felix, you're doing fine" she assured him "You've got a good heart but you sometimes rush in without thinking, it will come. You've got fire in you Fluffy, I see so much of what made me fall in love with Yang in you and I couldn't be more proud"

"Even when I try and fight the Mob" he gave a watery chuckle as he pulled back, returning to his hunched over position

"Even when you try and fight the Mob" Blake admitted "Just promise me you'll let the authorities deal with this now Felix, focus on your training"

"Okay" he breathed out "And I'm sorry for what I said, it was a low blow"

"I know you are" there were a few moments of calm silence between mother and son, the outpouring of feelings between them leaving them both physically and emotionally drained. Eventually Felix gave a yawn and Blake checked the time, realising she had work in the morning and that she should probably return to her hotel

"Are you going to be okay?" she asked, Felix nodded

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna head back to the dorm" as Blake pulled him into one last hug a thought occurred to her, a gesture that would hopefully clear up any lingering ill will between them

"Give me your car keys"

"What?"

"I'll pick the Killer Bee up. You can't leave Halo for two weeks and it's either still at the parking lot or impounded. I'll get it back to Patch for you and you can come and get it later" a weak smile crossed his face as he saw the sense and he retrieved his keys from his pocket, removing the one for his car he handed it over

"Okay, see you soon mum. Love you"

"Love you too son. Never forget that"

* * *

The next morning came far too soon for Arctus, who on top of the limited sleep he'd managed to get due to the hour he went to bed combined with the multitude of thoughts keeping him awake; was struggling to open his eyes, a sign of the lethargy that he suffered from every winter beginning to set in. It took his sleep-addled and sluggish brain a few moments to recognise the noise that had awoken him as several distinct sounds, longer still to make out what those sounds were as he forced himself into a sitting position

"Will someone get that before I have to break someone's arm" Diamond snarled from above him, dragging himself from his bunk and rising to his full height allowed him to see that his partner was currently hidden within a cocoon of blankets, head sandwiched between her pillows to stave off the noise.

 _Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!_

The sound of someone drumming against the door to their living quarters made itself known again, followed by grumbled and almost incoherent threats from Diamond and Felix who was also beginning to stir

"Dee Dee are you in there or have I got the wrong room?" an unfamiliar voice that Arctus assumed belonged to a man asked "If so, oops my bad" Arctus was about to make his way to the door and inform that speaker that there was in fact no 'Dee Dee' here. The he heard Diamond gasp

"No way!" he turned to see his partner rapidly shedding the multitude of blankets she'd been enveloped in before using her Semblance to run across the wall of the dorm, the baggy t-shirt she slept in riding up her toned thighs just enough to drag the Bear Faunus's thoughts back to the night before. Diamond pulled the door open, standing behind it was a man Arctus guessed to be around forty years old wearing a pilots' uniform; sporting a pallid complexion and a naturally cocky smile that seemed to soften the moment the door opened, the mans' shaggy silver hair instantly caught Arctus's eye; the connection he was slow to make in his tired state was confirmed when Diamond slung her arms around the visitors' neck with a squeal that none of her team would have thought possible of her

"DAD! Oh my Oum, what are you doing here?" her usual low and somewhat husky voice was bubbling with giddiness, sounding almost as if she were trying to impersonate Eagle "These are my team; the big guy is my partner Arctus, the blondes are my team leader Felix and Eagle"

"Wait" a bleary eyed Felix yawned out, smirk forming on his face "Dee Dee?"

"Dude shut up" Diamond returned her attention to her father "How are you here?" while Arctus loved seeing his partner happy, the way her eyes seemed to light up never failed to make him smile, he was unable to shake a feeling of something akin to dread and he was almost positive that her dad was keeping a watchful eye on him while addressing Diamond

"Well I am I pilot Dee Dee" he pointed out with a grin "Took a little last minute overtime, late night flight from Mistral to Vale. Return trip isn't until this afternoon so I thought I'd surprise you" Diamond's smile widened to almost comical proportions, faltering only slightly when Mercury raised an eyebrow and continued

"And then I got a call from Em, your Mum tells me you four blew up a warehouse last night. So you managed to surprise _me_ , well played" his daughter huffed, blowing stray hairs out of her eyes

"Okay, first of all-" at this point Mercury merely laughed and rolled his eyes

"Come on, get dressed and you can explain it over breakfast. I mean in New Vale, I'm not eating any canteen or mess hall crap from anywhere unless I have to" as Diamond hurried into the bathroom, stopping only to pick out some clothes Arctus's mind finally seemed to co-operate with him and the arrival of Diamond's dad and the mention of the events at the warehouse turned drug lab set a train of thought in motion that led to the Bear Faunus taking his scroll and making his way out of the Dorm, still clad only in the baggy sweatpants and vest he slept in

"I've got my eye on you boy" the silver haired man whose name he hadn't learned murmured, quiet enough that even Arctus's sensitive hearing almost missed it. Having no clue how to react to a threat from his partner, best friend and crush's father he simply ignored the man and began roaming the hallways in search of a quiet nook in which to make a Scroll call.

Eventually he found a secluded spot away from what few students were awake at such an hour on a Sunday morning and withdrew his Scroll, suppressing a yawn before dialling his father's number and setting the device to video call. After a few rings Gangrel Slate came into view, sitting on his knee was Athena-Jade

"Well this is a surprise" Gangrel noted bluntly, a slight grin forming at the edges his mouth causing Arctus to inwardly curse _'He already knows'_

"Arctus is in trouble" his sister added in a singsong voice and sticking her tongue out at him, confirming his suspicions

"You are such a germ" he grumbled in retort, sticking his own tongue out at the girl whose hair he had in instinctive urge to ruffle, he turned his attention to Gangrel once again "I'm guessing you've heard from Halo then?"

"Your mother has" Gangrel corrected "So is this you calling me and hoping I'll get you a free pass?" the older Faunus gave him a bemused grin which Arctus returned with a confident smirk of his own

"I mean I can grovel if you want, but I thought you'd like information on one of the two groups that attacked that weapons shipment before I left Atlas. I'll bet Lien you're still looking for at least one of 'em" Gangrel's face slowly morphed from shocked, to thoughtful to somewhat impressed

"Athena, go play for a while. I have to talk to Arctus alone"

"Aww, but I want to talk to Arctus"

"I'll call you later, pinky promise" Arctus held up his little finger and his sister seemed to acquiesce and vanished out of view. A few moments later Gangrel spoke again, convinced she was out of earshot when he heard the family dog running along the hallways, clearly in response to Athena throwing something for it to fetch.

"Okay, you've got my attention. What have you heard and how….and what exactly happened last night" Arctus gave a toothy smile, more than a little pleased with himself and the pieces of the puzzle he'd seemingly managed to put in place while mulling things over the night before

"You're most likely looking for a group of Mistralis that imitate the nomad tribes' tactics, we're pretty sure that they're not from one of the tribes because everyone we've seen in this group is Faunus. As far as we know they're actually heading back to Mistral"

"How sure are you?" Gangrel asked while searching for a pen and taking notes

"Pretty sure. The groups in Atlas were looking for weapons. There was a stolen ship registered to an Atlesian company found off the coast of Patch, these guys were on Patch; as well as a warehouse they broke into Signal"

"They were looking for weapons at a Hunter academy, not unreasonable" Gangrel surmised

"That's what it looks like. They didn't find any so now they've turned up in New Vale and stolen some laser batteries from an old warship that the Scavenger Guild was going to sell to a museum, that's where my team ran into 'em. We heard they were planning on leaving Vale from Rhodium Torchwick. That's why we were in that warehouse, he'd turned it into a drugs lab and the Shadow Cadre, that's what these guys call themselves, sold him the truck they used to move the stolen weapons"

"So it sounds like I should send a couple of specialists undercover to Mistral's largest cities and ports and see which gangs suddenly seem to have a lot more muscle. This is good work kid, really good work, I can use this"

"So you're not mad?" Arctus dared to ask

"Pfft, please" Gangrel laughed "I've got no room to talk, I was in the White Fang at your age. I'd burned a few warehouses down and it was honestly for less noble reasons….How did that happen anyway?"

"Okay, in our defence Torchwick blew his own place up. I was busy using my Glyphs to stop everyone getting cooked, including his guys" Arctus was honestly a little confused when his father burst out laughing at the information, as it subsided into soft chuckles the older Faunus explained

"Well that settles it, he's definitely Rome's spawn. Crumbles and informs under the slightest pressure, blows his own base up and gets his day ruined by first years; only a fucking Torchwick. So how harsh was Goodwitch with punishment"

"Two weeks confined to campus" Arctus shrugged

"Could be worse" Gangrel noted "I'll talk to Weiss, let her know the specifics. All things considered she'll understand. Anything else?"

"Yeah" Arctus nodded, reminded by the mention of his mother "Tell Mum that she might need to take a look at who buys in bulk from the SDC. Torchwick had Eco-Dust, a lot of it. He was making a drug called booster"

"Oum's sake, that's all Weiss needs. Right I'll let her know someone is using her work to make rocket-fuel" Gangrel sighed, referring to the Aura enhancing drug by the street name it was more commonly known in Lower Atlas, where the problem had also been arising

"Good name for it" Arctus noted "Eco-Dust really powers up my Glyphs" Gangrel looked mortified

"Tell me you didn't-"

"No, Oum no" Arctus shook his head vehemently, knowing what the question would be "Just used the crystal normally….I actually managed to summon an Ursa and hold it"

"Nice, proud of you kid" Arctus couldn't help but smile hearing the words. There was a moment before Gangrel sighed

"Right, I'm gonna go see if your Granddad can look after Athena. I've gotta go and chase this up" he indicated to the notes he'd taken "It's been nice talking kid, wish I could do it more often. Y'know how it is"

"Yeah" Arctus nodded regretfully. He appreciated that his parents work was important to Atlas and Remnant as a whole, but he still wished he could be as close as Felix was with Blake and Yang "I get it Dad it's fine. Let me know if you catch these guys"

"And hey" Gangrel gave him a stern look "Call your sister more. She misses you"

"Will do"

* * *

"I really wish I knew where you put it all" Mercury snorted as he watched his daughter polish off a second helping of breakfast from what she assured him was the best Mistrali place in town; which he'd paid for, _naturally_.

"I'm not sat in a cockpit all day" she snarked with a roll of her eyes as she finished her meal

"Smart ass" Mercury chuckled, shaking his head. They'd discussed Team FADE's involvement in the destruction of a warehouse owned by a criminals organisation on the journey, which had involved a Bull-Head flight onto one of the gargantuan towers that housed most of the inner capital city, a small trek from the landing pad jutting from the side of the building to a monorail station followed by a ride to another of the tower complexes, this one being home to Diamond's new favourite place to eat. She'd been surprised at just how understanding Mercury had been, her mother always joked that he was wrapped around his daughters' little finger but she'd been preparing herself for at least a little scolding and a lecture

"What's up Dee?" her fathers' voice made her focus, wrinkling her nose and frowning in irritation

"I cannot believe you called me that in front of people" Mercury's face split into a cocky smirk, one that most people would instantly recognise as something his daughter had inherited

"Awww was I embarrassing you in front the big bear who can't take his eyes off you?" her face coloured and she promptly buried it in her hands

"Oh my Oum, Dad you are such an….ugh" she sufficed with a wordless groan rather than actually finishing the sentence

"Oh so you like him back then?" Mercury's smile turned mischievous and Diamond let out another groan, a little annoyed at how easily he could read her "Good….I would have hated to have ' _had a word'_ with him for no reason"

"What did you do?" she demanded harshly

"Just let him know I saw him trying to check your legs out….Not to sound like a total ' _Dad_ ' but have you considered wearing actual clothes in your dorm?"

"Have you considered wearing shorts more?" Diamond shot back before sinking into her seat a little more "Yeah, I like the guy….he's sweet, we've had each others' backs since initiation"

"Can't be any worse than the last cretin you brought home" her father grumbled

"Daaad" she stretched the word out "Let it go"

"Fine, fine" Mercury sighed "Just remember to use protection"

"The condoms or the knife you gave me?" Diamond retorted with an eye roll

"I trust you to make your own choices" her father shrugged "So besides finding a few new things for me to worry about, how've you been?"

"I've been fine, it's been weird not living with you and Mum though" Diamond admitted, what she meant was that she missed her parents; a message Mercury seemed to receive "And it's freezing here!" she added

"I know what you mean, it's strange not having your music blaring all the time….I can actually hear myself think" her father teased, Diamond had a rebuttal ready and waiting to be delivered with a smile

"I thought you hated awkward silences"

"That's my girl" Mercury beamed, privately lamenting the fact he'd produced a child with more sarcastic comments than he and Emerald combined.

"So….the whole thing last night?" Diamond asked, far from eager to broach the subject again but in search of confirmation

"I wish Vale's Hunters had learned from the war and could do their own fucking jobs instead of relying on students. I wish you hadn't been caught but there's no planning for bad luck. I'm not sorry in the least that you dismantled Torchwick's drug ring….and not just because his old man was an ass-hat. Booster ruins lives"

"Yeah it does" Diamond murmured, Mercury's expression became concerned as the smile slipped from her face

"You wanna talk about it?" he asked, reaching over and squeezing her hand. He knew all too well that the death of the kid in their apartment block had shaken her. Diamond shook her head

"I'm fine, promise"

"Okay" he rose to his feet, stretching as he did so "Well it's probably another long walk to terminal my airship is in. Wanna come with your old man?….you can tell me all about your new crush on the way, I'll decide whether or not to dump him in the ocean with concrete boots on" Diamond made no effort to refrain from letting loose another annoyed groan at his antics.

* * *

Felix and Eagle had dragged themselves out of bed not long after Arctus and Diamond had left the dormitory. Dressing in casual clothes and making their way groggily to the canteen for breakfast to where they were currently sat; surrounded by the dull drone of conversation from the other students currently awake. Eventually the ambient noise was pierced by the sound of trays being set down opposite them as Team CLIR joined them at their table

"Rough night?" Nyanza asked, noticing Felix's somewhat puffy eyes and overall worn down expression

"Could say that" he grunted out, having had far too little sleep after the emotional and eventful night before to be considered great conversation

"Anything interesting?" Ether asked as he slung an arm around his much shorter partner and girlfriends' shoulders, Olivine leaning into him; the pair were considered by most of their classmates to be sickeningly cute together

"We blew up a mob drug lab" Eagle answered with an earnest smile, unable to stop herself from giggling at the stunned expressions of Team NEON. None of them could connect the image of inner city gang crime with the shy freckled blonde who spent most interactions either rambling enthusiastically or blushing while staring after people.

"So that's what that noise was" Helios noted "We were at a concert with Ether's sister, it must have been nearby"

"I'm surprised you noticed" Nyanza snorted "You were busy with your tongue in that guys' mouth" eyes were drawn to Felix as he started coughing uncontrollably, seemingly having choked on a mouthful of bacon. Both the Lion Faunus and the scarlet haired warrior both oblivious to the glances their friends were casting between them.

"So….you blew up a drugs lab?" Olivine prodded gently, genuinely intrigued

"Well technically they blew it up themselves" Eagle admitted

"They?"

"Drug lord called Torchwick and his crew" Felix interjected "We were chasing up a lead about that thing" he gave Helios a look as he trailed off, silently asking how much his team knew. The leader of Team NEON nodded

"They know about the thieves pretending to be my people"

"We couldn't miss the ranting" Ether snorted

"Did you find anything?" Helios asked, brow furrowing as he leaned forwards in anticipation

"We got a name" Felix confirmed "The Shadow Cadre" Helios spat a curse in the language of the Nikos tribe that none present could understand, though the intent was clear

"You've heard of them?" Eagle enquired

" _Skia-thirio apo Pagonia-potami"_ the unknown words were hissed, the emphasis on certain syllables giving it a dialect distinctly different from when he spoke in his native tongue. Seeing the confused stares he was getting Helios translated "The Shadow Cadre of…. Frost River" the latter part of the sentence taking a moment for him to find the words for

"You know them?" Eagle asked excitedly

"I know _of_ them" he corrected "They're a myth"

"You think someone would use that name for the status?" Felix shrugged as he offered the suggestion, Helios looked thoughtful

"Perhaps….though they'd have to be an interesting blend of brave and stupid" he paused for a moment before realising he probably needed to explain things, even citizens of Mistral's cities didn't know much of the internecine conflicts of the tribes.

"The Frost River tribe settle further north than my people ever venture, doing so would violate treaties we have with other tribes. From what I know of them they're raiders and pirates, they like to sail their ships into the ocean between Mistral and Atlas and pick of fishing boats. They've been known to launch attacks on land as well"

"That sounds like our guys" Felix growled "So if that's the Frost River Tribe, who're the Shadow Cadre?"

"An elite group within the tribe" Helios answered "Nobody from the other tribes has ever met a member of this 'cadre' but victims of their attacks say they announce themselves clearly. They specialise in night attacks, no terms offered, power to lights and CCT relays cut while they fight in the dark….the stories only started a few years ago, the Nikos tribe honestly dismissed them as a fairy tale"

"Except Faunus can see in the dark and this was a Faunus group that Team FADE fought with" Nyanza pointed out, remembering the details he'd learned from his partner. The revelation stopped Helios dead in his tracks, vibrant green eyes wide and mouth working silently as he attempted to process the information

"Seriously is it that weird for a tribe to have a handful of Faunus?" Nyanza asked with a raised eyebrow, Helios simply nodded

"It's rare for members of the Anima tribes to have children with anyone outside of the tribes, and even then they're almost never raised as part of the tribe. Pyrrha Nikos's mother was a Huntress and her father, my grandfathers' brother, left the tribe to be with her. I've never heard of any of the tribes having Faunus in their ranks"

"So what makes these guys really easy to spot then?" Felix realised brightly "The show up on a boat, go for the whole horror movie 'cut the lights and communications' vibe and they're the only tribe with Faunus….seriously, we could have 'em found in a week now we know who to look for" the Lion Faunus's hopeful expression as Helios gave a grim chuckle

"It's not that simple I'm afraid" he leaned further forwards "The Shadow Cadre are a myth because they're a ghost story….The Frost River tribe were wiped out almost a year ago. They're all dead"

 **Authors Notes:**

Okay this was a gargantuan mother fucker of a chapter to write and I'm glad I've finally got it out of the way.  
Also Chapter 20 should be released on 'schedule' (As if I have one of those) but I'm doing a little reworking on the rest of the Vol.2 arc to work in things that readers have liked about the last chapter seeing as they don't directly contradict what I wanted to do anyway.

Vol.5 Premiere, since it isn't on Youtube at the time of my writing this all I'll say is: Nora Valkyrie's facial expressions give me life and I love my super-duper-booper-trooper dearly.

Now let's summarise:  
So yeah, Goodwitch is pissed. Bordeaux is rightfully pissed and Rhodium Torchwick is a lot more ruthless than his old man; he doesn't monologue, he dismembers people if they owe money.  
Iris and Rusty come from less than ideal backgrounds, Iris's backstory is coming next chapter.  
I can't help that imagine despite Yang being a teacher Blake is the one who has to deal with Corvid and Felix's bad behaviour most of the time, they talk Yang into seeing things their way if given a chance.  
Imagine getting told _"I'm not angry I'm just disappointed"_ by Ren, it's like getting called a cunt by Jesus.  
Ren kind of has a point, blowing up Grimm en mass is one thing but most first year students do not have the fortitude to kill someone and although this academy may actually have some sort of help available for traumatised students, going out looking for situations where you may have to kill people and the people you're fighting have no such reservations, is a very bad idea.  
The battle of Anquan-Jia is from The Downward Spiral, Nora caved a bandits' chest in with Magnhild and didn't realise the guy had no Aura until she saw the bloodstains.  
I'm writing Scarlet as a Hunter who specialises in dealing with human/Faunus criminal (Almost like a detective yes?) I know he took Team CLIR on their mission, but I'll write that off as a favour to Goodwitch seeing as he lives on the campus.  
I didn't have to mention Jaune at all in this scene, just allude to him and you all felt it.  
Let's be honest Blake was right, Felix may have wanted to catch the Shadow Cadre for honourable reasons, but it was also about the fact he wanted another swing at Raffia and has done since Patch.  
Felix crossed a line with the comment about losing an arm, Blake canonically will slap people if provoked so I don't think the having to hold herself back part was out of character.  
I think being compared to Adam Taurus is probably the most offensive thing Blake can say to someone, but I also think it's something Felix needed to hear sooner rather than later, again based on my Downward Spiral timeline, Adam started out with noble intentions but kept on justifying crossing more and more of his own boundaries.  
Writing that argument broke me, it really did.  
Yeah Booster is a risky business, seriously kids don't buy drugs….and if you're going to buy drugs buy from a dealer that someone you've seen high can vouch for. Never buy from random people, they could be cutting down with anything.  
I don't know if anyone caught it but Booster and Weiss's Eco-Dust came onto their respective markets at around the same time.  
HA! You thought it was going to be Diamond Dust but IT WAS ME GIBLE!  
More heartbreaking Blake and Felix….because I'm nothing if not consistent.  
Everyone thinks of Felix as "Yang's kid" but he really looks up to Blake in a lot of ways.  
One does not simply wake Diamond Sustrai-Black on a Sunday Morning.  
Yes Mercury Black calls his daughter Dee Dee….yes she will murder anyone else who calls her that.  
We haven't seen Athena-Jade Slate since Chapter 01, that had to be rectified.  
Gangrel is definitely proud of Arctus, I imagine Weiss trying to be mad and failing miserably.  
Also Arctus has managed to connect most of the dots with the information he had, he's exactly correct in what he told his Dad but he was close as he could be without the last few pieces.  
Everything about Merc and Diamond's interactions was fun to write, I can't help but imagine that the ex contract killer with a mouth and an attitude problem mellowed out into such a total 'Dad'.  
"I can actually hear myself think" "I thought you hated awkward silences" Diamond has no mercy at all.  
Ether and Olivine (Still love the ship-name 'Gunmetal' for those two) are sickening in public. I honestly could have wrote this scene without them, but it was starting to feel like I was just shoving them in a corner all the time.  
Team NEON were out with Ether's sister, the one Ether was in a band with, just a little indication that they're starting to become a more cohesive and functional team, most likely a by-product of Helios having some heart to hearts with Ren and Nora.  
Also actual confirmation that Helios is attracted to men, it hadn't actually been explicitly stated thus-far; also Felix's reaction was priceless.  
And there's the information Arctus didn't have. The Shadow Cadre are Faunus that are somehow members of a different tribe to Helios, that was apparently wiped out; the explanation for how they exist ties into why they went to Atlas.

Thank you to TigerRose, FleetOfWarships, ShadowWolf, Ferrous, ShadowAlex2000, FluffyFirefly and SumoSnipe for their reviews on the last chapter.  
I have plans for Rhodium that stretch to at least the third year.  
He is indeed Roman's kid although they never actually met.  
The move was made, it did not work….yet.  
I didn't have too much planned for Bordeaux but I can work him into the rest of First Year.  
They're isn't a ship-name for Iris x Eagle yet because Iris is actually straight….I have an end game ship for Eagle already, trust me you'll love it.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	20. Best Night Ever

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 20: Best Night Ever**

A month had passed, the two weeks confinement to Halo Academy Team FADE and CLIR had been subjected to had come and gone without incident if one overlooked Diamond heading into Vale the very next day; which the Headmistress had thankfully been willing to due to her being escorted by a family member. In the weeks following their questioning of Rhodium Torchwick the students had kept a close eye on the news, watching for any sign that the Shadow Cadre were still in New Vale. No such signs presented themselves, the robberies seemed to have halted and their was no sign of the weapons the mysterious group of Faunus had acquired being used or sold, forcing Team FADE to accept that their quarry had indeed returned to Mistral.

It was early on a Saturday morning and Eagle Arc had just entered the bathroom of her teams' dormitory, Felix having finally left. She was in the process of stripping herself out of her pyjamas, leaving sculpted back muscles and well defined biceps and shoulders on display, muttering under her breath about the excessive amount of time her partner spent on his hair in a morning as she did so, that her Scroll began to vibrate; rattling noisily against the porcelain surface of the sink she'd left it on. Picking the device up a faint smile crossed her face at the sight of the caller, she'd been unsure whether she'd hear from them today

"Hey Mum" Eagle beamed as she accepted the video call and Antonia Arc came into view, she couldn't help but be concerned at the sight of her mothers' face which seemed to have aged since she last saw her "Are you okay? You look like you haven't slept for a few days? Are you doing all nighters in the lab again?"

"Eagle I'm fine" Antonia sighed with a bemused grin "Happy eighteenth birthday sweetie"

"Thanks" Eagle blushed "Wasn't actually expecting you to call" there was a moment where her mothers' expression darkened. Neither of them it seemed had forgotten the one year Antonia Arc forgot her daughters' birthday. The moment was brief ending when Antonia took in her daughters appearance, the camera capturing the freckled tops of her exposed shoulders and collarbones

"Oh, I'm sorry! If it's a bad time I'll call later"

"No, no, no" the words tumbled out of Eagle rapidly, despite whatever bitterness there may have been at how rare opportunities for the two of them to speak were she clung to each of them desperately

"So, how have you been? I've managed to speak to a few of your Aunts recently, they tell me you're doing well at Halo….despite some incidents"

"I'm doing fine, did you really call to lecture me? Because everyone else already did that weeks ago" Eagle grumbled. It was the truth, growing up in such a large family where almost everyone spoke to each other on a regular basis meant that being told off was an affair that could go on for days.

"No I called because I haven't seen my daughter in far too long and you only get one eighteenth birthday" Antonia paused "And I must say I can already see the difference the academy has made on you"

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Eagle asked hesitantly

"You seem more self assured, it suits you" Eagle blushed profusely under the compliment, internally wishing it were true and that she had the self confidence to actually talk around people outside of her immediate group of friends

"And there's the Eagle I remember" Antonia noted with a roll of her eyes "I erm….I didn't know what to get your for your birthday, I don't know what you're into. So I just transferred some money to your bank account" Antonia looked guilty and the admission seemed to pain her, something her daughter picked up on

"It's fine. Thank you"

"There's something else" her mother paused and it looked to Eagle as if she were mentally preparing herself "I'm going to be coming to New Vale soon, I'll be attending some conferences and overseeing the acquisition of one of our competitors, I'll leave Professor Eldritch to oversee things here….But there's also some things I want to talk to you about"

"Oh okay" Eagle blinked in surprise a few times as she tried to make sense of her mothers' apprehensive tone "Can't wait I'll introduce you to my friends, it'll be fun" whatever Antonia said in response was cut off by a knock on the bathroom door

"Hey Eagle! Are you using the bathroom or what?"

"Yes Arctus!" Eagle called back "And that's one of them now" she added with a wry smile to her mother

"I'll let you get your shower sweetie" Antonia sighed "I'll see you soon"

"Okay Mum, see you soon" the call ended and Eagle stared distractedly at the screen of her Scroll for a few moments before she finally replaced the device on the sink and went about her morning routine, only remembering midway through her shower that she hadn't actually told her friends that it was her birthday today.

* * *

On the outskirts of New Vale, far away from the interlinked monolithic towers that formed the inner city, Qrow Branwen sat on the couch of a home that was not his own massaging his eyes with the heels of his palms. His current headache was not the result of the previous nights' drinking, rather the amount of time he'd spent over the last few days in the basement of his home surveying various camera feeds and overseeing a mission. Winter may have been upon them but the steely and overcast sky outside was still the first natural light he'd seen in a frankly concerning amount of time and the warm lighting of his current location was not helping matters; nor was the assault the television was launching on his senses

"That is so cool!" his Great-Nephew gasped forcing Qrow's attention to the screen. The grizzled Huntsman couldn't help but snort and ruffle Tai-Jaune's hair after watching a little of the cartoon, Summer Pyrrha was currently sat in a chair nearby, absorbed in her colouring book

"You know this is a remake?" he whispered conspiratorially, the silver eyed child looked at him in disbelief and Qrow held up his hands in a defensive gesture "Hey it is ask your Aunt Yang, she used to watch the original when I was babysitting her"

"But were you in the original as well Drunkle Qrow?" Summer chimed in, apparently paying more attention to the conversation than he'd realised. Qrow ignored the use of the word 'Drunkle' a habit he knew he'd never be able to get the twins out of, instead he turned to Summer with a questioning look

"What do you mean am I in the original _as well_?" he turned back to Tai-Jaune when the boy tugged at his sleeve and pointed to a character on the screen. Qrow's jaw dropped and it took every ounce of self control he had to not launch into an expletive ridden rant. Instead he merely sighed and shook his head

"I'm gonna sue someone for this"

"For what….Oh, Sparrow Badness. But he's TJ's favourite character" the new voice belonged to Penny who had quietly entered the room. Tai-Jaune nodded enthusiastically in confirmation as his mother continued "Thank you again for babysitting for us, I should be back in a few hours. I just need to deal with some paperwork in the city and I'll probably do the weekly shopping while I'm out"

"That's fine, I was thinking I might take the squirts to-"

" .R.L docking sequence completed" the computerised voice of P.E.A.R.L, the onboard AI that originally been part of Penny's heavily modified personal Bull-Head and now encompassed the home she and Ruby had built together announced. The twins shot each other excited glances which only widened as they heard the sound of the front door opening. A shower of rose petals announced Ruby's arrival, followed by the giddy laughter of her children as the twins found themselves scooped up and countless kisses peppering their freckled cheeks

"I've missed you, I've missed you, I've missed you, I've missed you!" eventually she deposited them gently on the ground and made her way over to her wife, arms encircling Penny's waist as she whispered in her ear "I'll show you just how much I missed you later-" it was at this point Qrow cleared his throat, causing his niece to blush with embarrassment

"I thought you wouldn't be back until later?" he asked, stroking his greying beard absent mindedly. The mission he'd been overseeing was the one that Ruby had just returned from and had been situated on the Vaccuan border

"Ran into an old contact" Ruby shrugged "Got the Pearl refuelled quicker than I would have otherwise" the scythe wielder completely failed to notice Penny's mortified expression at the thought of whatever low quality, Vaccuan mined, possibly black market Dust was currently filling her transports' fuel tanks. Qrow merely shrugged

"Well I was gonna take the twins to Halo and maybe fly over to Patch tonight, figured I'd see all my nieces and nephews in one day" there was something in the nonchalant way that he said that made Ruby's eyes narrow in suspicion. Even fresh back from an operation and thoroughly exhausted she picked up on minor details.

"Hey kids, do you want to go into the city with Penny and get cookies on the way home?" at the mention of confectioneries the twins broke out into identical smiles while Ruby and Penny had a silent conversation through a series of knowing looks, eventually the copper haired android nodded and led their children out of the living room; allowing Ruby to turn her attention to her uncle with an accusatory tone

"What are you doing?"

"Going to Halo to see Corey and-"

"Uncle Qrow" Ruby's tone was unusually harsh, the loving mother replaced by the veteran Huntress and battle commander that every prospective Hunter aspired to be like "Do _not_ lie to me in my own house. The one thing I insisted on when I started doing these missions for you is that we're honest with each other" Qrow, having no answer to that and having no desire to see Ruby angry gave her the truth

"It's Eagle's birthday today. I wanted to see my daughter on her eighteenth birthday"

"Qrow you can't" she murmured, deflating as she saw the crestfallen expression he wore

"I wasn't going to say anything or do anything, I think I've still got more experience in not drawing attention than you squirt" Ruby sighed, her uncle had been distracted since he'd learned of his daughters' existence; a fact she'd been made aware of soon after Qrow himself

"You promised her Mum that you'd let her be the one to tell her. Don't make this any more complicated than it needs to be. You'll be able to catch up on the time you've missed soon enough" Qrow gave a disbelieving snort

"I doubt I've got enough years left in me for everything….what if she hates me?"

"Hey!" Ruby snapped "Don't talk like that; you're not going anywhere yet old man….And who could hate you, you're the coolest uncle ever" Qrow ruffled her hair, for a moment seeing something of the energetic child she used to be

"Fine" he grunted "Maybe I should send her something anonymously, just a small gift" Ruby looked incredulous

"You can't just send anonymous gifts to young girls….How on Remnant have you never been arrested" Qrow's only answer was to declare that he needed a drink.

* * *

"You didn't tell us it's your birthday" Felix stated bluntly, an affronted look on his face as he regarded Eagle. Team FADE were currently eating breakfast in Halo Academy's canteen, Eagle having found herself sandwiched between Felix and Arctus, the cousins sharing mischievous looks

"I'm just not used to having people to tell" she mumbled, seemingly focusing intently on her cereal as she looked anywhere but at her partner "I didn't have friends growing up and my family already know when it is"

"Well you've got friends now and we're doing something for you today" Diamond informed her, her tone clearly brooking no argument

"You don't have to" Eagle squeaked out abashedly, face flushing

"No but we're gonna" Arctus grinned. Eagle couldn't help but look between the Bear Faunus and his partner, ever since whatever it was she'd walked in on following the incident at Rhodium Torchwick's drugs lab there had been an air of awkwardness between the two of them. They may have tried to deny it, but as Eagle had told them if there was one thing she was an expert on, it was awkwardness. The inseparable pair had devolved into countless wistful stares after one another and jumping away at the slightest physical contact as if it violated some unspoken law. Eagle, suddenly overcome with emotion wrapped her arms around the shoulders of Felix and Arctus, Diamond being on the opposite side of the table put her out of the knights' reach

"You guys are the best!"

"EAGLE!" a somewhat nasally voice bellowed, she and several other students turned to the source of the outburst only for something dark and soft to collide with her face without warning. Eagle found herself leaning against her partner for support, knocked back by the force of the impact; staring at the object that had been hurled at her in confusion. A three foot tall stuffed Ursa

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" the same nasally voice again and Eagle had the briefest moment to prepare herself before the owner of the voice tackled her almost out of her seat

"Aunt Nora!" Eagle returned the hug enthusiastically, becoming aware of Lie Ren standing in the canteens' entrance wearing a wry smile and holding his Scroll, having clearly filmed the incident. Then she saw the smirk on the diminutive professors' face, a look of pure mischief

"Aunt Nora no-" it was too late

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!"

"There are people here" Eagle's face had blushed the brightest possible shade of red to an extent that it almost glowed

"And they'll join in if they know what's good for them" Nora replied in a tone that could best be described as menacingly enthusiastic before returning to singing. By the time Nora finished, to a round of applause no less, the blonde teen was slumped over the table with her head buried in her hands to hide her utter embarrassment.

"It could be worse" Felix assured her as he patted her back

"How?" the incredulous demand was clear despite being muffled

"It could have involved puns" the Lion Faunus shrugged simply

"Oh you don't appreciate them?" Felix froze and turned slowly, behind Team FADE and Nora was his sister, smiling sweetly and flanked by her own team "That's cold guys….positively Arc-tic, the pun-ishment will be Grimm" Corvid finished by indicating to the oversized stuffed Ursa that Arctus had moved further down the bench to accommodate and Eagle couldn't stifle the giggle that escaped her

"Corvid, I'm glad to see you've been keeping out of trouble" Nora greeted her, the leader of Team CLIR smiled at even the slightest praise from her favourite teacher

"And I'll be sure to make sure Eagle gets safely back to the hotel tonight"

"Excuse me?" Nora's eyes narrowed

"Well she's eighteen now and I was on a mission for my brothers' eighteenth. I was planning on taking the pair of them into the city"

"When did you plan this?" Felix asked, mouth agape. He was at a loss as to how Corvid even knew it was Eagle's birthday

"When Professor Nora started singing" his sister shrugged "Rusty and Lux know a place"

"It's pretty upmarket, nowhere near as grotty as the dive bars Corey lurks in" Lux assured the professor, his partner bit back a retort that would no doubt have earned her a detention if uttered in front of a member of staff. Nora pondered for a moment before turning to Eagle's own team

"And you're all going as well?"

"Definitely" Felix nodded, Arctus silently agreeing

"We were wondering what to do to celebrate" Diamond added. Nora finally nodded, well aware she couldn't actually stop her niece from leaving the academy for an evening if she wished; instead giving her another hug and whispering in her ear

"Be responsible and if someone offers you a drink called a Strawberry Sunrise….just don't" she gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek and made her way towards the entrance where her husband was still waiting for her, clearly showing the recording of her tackle-hugging her unsuspecting niece if the cackling was anything to go by.

"So it's official then" Corvid's grin turned feral "I'm getting you two wasted tonight"

"I erm….I don't drink. Granddad's kinda strict about it" Eagle mumbled, Corvid seemed undeterred

"So it'll be cheap then, sweet" seeing the concern on the blonde's face she placed a hand on her shoulder "Hey if you try it and don't like it that's fine, there's still gonna be plenty of cute girls there though so you can still enjoy yourself. If you _really_ don't like it I'll get you back here somehow….I'm sure I've got favours to call in with _someone_ who can fly a damn Bull-Head"

"Okay I'll come" Eagle smiled, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach as the countless ways she could humiliate herself in front of the promised cute girls displayed themselves to her mind. Then another though occurred to her

"I've never been clubbing before, I don't have anything to wear"

"Neither did Cinderella, we'll improvise" Corvid winked making her love of the Volt Disney classics that Eagle herself adored known, Diamond was the one to offer a solution

"I left some of nicer stuff back in Mistral, wanna head into the city with me and pick a new outfit up?"

"Sure" the blonde chirped enthusiastically, realising that she and Diamond spent far too little time bonding as team mates, opening her Scroll she decided to check her bank account and see how much money she could reasonably spend "My Mum sent me-OH MY GOSH" her reaction piqued Arctus's interest, he leaned over and his team mate who was still sitting in stunned silence and his own pale blue eyes widened as much as her deep crimson at the numbers in front of him

"Holy shit" he choked out "I'm technically the heir to the Schnee Dust Company and I don't have that kind of money" Eagle merely nodded silently, struggling to comprehend the fact that she'd somehow gone from expecting a quiet and uneventful birthday to preparing for first ever night on the town with people that were beyond a doubt the best friends she'd ever had, and that she had over ten thousand Lien to do as she pleased with.

* * *

A wave of light and sound seemed to wash over Eagle as she stepped into the venue that Lux and Rusty had led them to, it was if she'd been subjected to an infinitely more pleasant variation of Lux's Semblance. Sargent Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club, New Vale's premiere gay bar was basked in the dim glow of countless magenta strobe lights that flashed to the tempo of the thumping bass currently resonating in her chest

"This place looks awesome" she squeaked out as Corvid slung an arm around the taller Huntresses shoulder and ushered her further inside, the rest of Team CLIR and FADE barely a step behind them

"Looking good tonight kid, you'll definitely get lucky" Corvid assured her with a wink, predictably causing her face to redden; though whether the lighting made it less noticeable or the older Huntress merely chose not to comment it was ignored. Eagle silently hoped that she wasn't just saying it, the jeans and pale yellow T-shirt she currently wore were more form fitting and far more expensive than her usual attire and she wasn't sure if she was entirely comfortable with the way they hugged her figure.

"Don't put pressure on her Corey" Felix sighed as he fell into step on his partners' other side and Eagle had to admit that being stood between the Xiao Long siblings gave her a distinct sense of security in the unfamiliar surroundings. Felix was currently wearing a more slim fit pair of jeans than she usually saw him in, remarkably for the Lion Faunus the knees of which were completely devoid of any stress or tears; accompanying them was the 'Pride' T-shirt his sister had given him for his birthday.

"I'm not" Corvid insisted with a wide grin "Fluffy, take the others and pick us out a table somewhere will ya?"

"No problem" Felix gave her a lazy mocking salute before turning and gesturing to Arctus, Diamond and Iris to join him. Eagle saw Rusty and Lux on the dance floor, the pair having apparently broken away from the group without her noticing.

"So where are we going?" Eagle asked, her tone a mix of apprehension and giddiness

"First round is on me" Corvid sighed "Which means your first drink is gonna be something special kid" the taller Huntress gulped audibly as they reached the bar and waited to be served. Corvid's steely grey eyes roamed over the list of cocktails with ludicrous names and even more ludicrous prices mounted above the bar, as such she failed to see a man perhaps a few years older than herself approaching Eagle, if she had seen the comb-over and spray tan sporting individual whose jeans, supported by a belt clearly worth more than the clothing they held in place and T-shirt crossed the line between slim fit and simply too small she would have positioned herself between them, Corvid knew sleaze when she saw it.

"Hey freckles" Eagle jumped at the sudden contact as a man she'd never seen before casually placed a hand on her hip, mercifully it was removed in the process. A quick look to her left assured her that Corvid was still nearby "Mind if I buy you a drink"

"Erm, it's okay someone is actually buying me one. No thank you" she stammered out, words stumbling over each other in a rush. The man, who Eagle realised was actually shorter than seemed undeterred and tried to replace his hand on her waist. The Blonde stepped back unsure of who it was she bumped into

"I'm just being nice here, my name's Slick by the way"

"Your name's irrelevant, now fuck off creep" Eagle whirled around to see her rescuer, more surprised than she should have been to see Corvid glowering at the man, apparently named Slick

"She's a big girl, she can make her own mind up….how about you come and dance" Eagle visibly shuddered at the way his eyes roamed over her.

"Okay, perhaps I wasn't clear enough" Corvid hissed as she weaved around Eagle, before the blonde had the sense to try and intervene before the older student did something she might regret Corvid's hands had flown to the scruff of his shirt and Slick found himself lifted off of the ground and the crowd at the bar parted around them as people began to notice the scene unfolding. Corvid slammed the man into the nearest wall with a jarring thud and leaned into his face, every syllable clearly enunciated so that there could be no misunderstanding

"Bother my baby sister again and I will fuck you with a mining drill. For shock and ore" with that she released Slick, allowing him to fall to the ground as she strode back over to where Eagle stood amid the crowd of shocked onlookers and slung an arm around the gob-smacked blonde's shoulders, steering her back towards the bar

"Baby sister?" Eagle squeaked out, Corvid merely chuckled

"Well you're Felix's partner, so yeah you're basically extended family now" Eagle, being an Arc understood the sentiment and wrapped an arm around Corvid and hugging the shorter girl gently, unable to hide the smile on her face

"What in Oum's name happened" an irritated huff demanded, accompanied by the sight of Iris Ramal making her way to them through the crowd. Eagle scanned the club and saw that Lux and Diamond, while still on the dance floor seemed to be eyeing the security guards cautiously, clearly preparing to take them out if the situation called for it. The guards themselves were making their way over to where Slick had grouped up with what Eagle assumed were his friends, only to be confronted by Felix who was nose to nose with the lecherous man and obviously using his physique to intimidate; the five foot nine Lion Faunus flanked by Arctus and Rusty. The situation seemed to resolve itself as the security guards calmly escorted Slick and his friends out of the club

"Some trash tried bothering Eagle" Corvid shrugged, turning her attention to one of the barmaids who was not currently serving anyone "Sorry about that….Hey it's her eighteenth birthday today, can I get her something special to start her night off?"

"Unbelievable" Iris muttered with a resigned sigh "The sad part is it's not even record time" Eagle was surprised at how easily she could hold a conversation despite the volume of the music. Before she could reply she found a glass thrust into her hand and gazed down at the vaguely peach coloured liquid within

"Give it a try" Corvid urged her. Eagle braced herself and brought the glass to her lips, downing the drink in one, savouring the taste for the few moments before the burn of the alcohol reduced her coughing and sputtering

"What was that?" she managed to gasp out, Corvid gently patted her back and smirked

"Strawberry Sunrise….with a double shot of vodka added" Iris merely rolled her eyes and grabbed the tray containing the rest of the groups' drinks and led the pair towards the table she'd managed to find. Eagle following her wondering if the heat building in her face was due to her first taste of alcohol or the fact that Corvid had been right, the club seemed to be filled with girls of the exceptionally pretty variety

"Best night ever" she said happily to no-one in particular.

* * *

Diamond made her way off of the dance floor to where Arctus had saved her a spot at a quiet corner of the bar. Over the course of the night the group had begun to drift apart, each of them agreeing to meet later and head back to the hotel which Corvid had already booked rooms at. She'd so far failed to convince her partner to join her for a dance, though turning to face him she knew without a doubt that he'd been unable to take his eyes off of her the whole time; Diamond also knew she'd be lying to herself if she said she didn't find that fact exhilarating.

"Come on dude, just dance like nobody's watching" she insisted with a laugh, the few drinks she'd had thus far thankfully dispelling the awkwardness that'd been forming between the pair. Arctus grinned as he handed her another glass

"Maybe if something I recognise comes on" the Faunus conceded. Diamond rolled her cherry red eyes and hopped onto the barstool next to him, fully aware of the glances he was stealing. The outfit she'd bought for tonight consisted of a pair of shorts and a shirt that exposed her midriff and though her teeth had chattered from the cold the whole trip to the club, it was worth it to see his reaction.

"Fine" She sighed playfully before taking a sip of her drink, struggling to remember how many she'd had thus far "Seriously though big guy, you never dance when we're out together. Have you just never danced with a girl before?" Arctus gave a somewhat defeated looking shrug

"I can't dance in general" he chuckled softly before pausing for thought "I've never actually dated before either" Diamond nearly choked on a vibrantly coloured cocktail as two thoughts collided with one another in her mind. ' _Does he think this is a date'_ being the first, rapidly followed by the question she asked

"What? Dude how?" She was genuinely baffled. As far as Diamond was concerned either girls in Atlas had vastly different standards or she was missing part of the picture.

"Upper Atlas is still kinda racist despite what everyone says" Arctus shrugged "Not in the way it used to be, I've been told I'm 'well spoken, considering' by people who know damn well who I am more times than I can count"

"Dude that is fucked up" Diamond gasped

"Yeah" Arctus grinned "So I've never dated because most girls in Upper Atlas only want to make out with a Faunus for the sake of curiosity, they don't their parents knowing. So a few drunk kisses at fancy parties neither of us really wanted to be at is all the experience I've got….what about you?"

"I was actually dating someone right up until I left for New Vale, we'd been together since my first year at Sanctum" Diamond admitted with a fond smile despite herself, realising that she'd never actually mentioned her ex to Arctus in passing before and wondering if that had been a subconscious decision or just coincidence

"Seriously? Is that why you didn't go to Haven?" Arctus's words were beginning to slur, evidently his own drinking had begun to take a toll on him

"More the other way round, I decided I wanted to see more of Remnant and he got clingy so I ended it. Haven's a nice place. I managed to sneak in once"

"You broke into a Hunter Academy?" Arctus stared at her disbelievingly, his tone somewhat awed. Diamond merely shrugged her shoulders

"It was the Vytal Tournament in Mistral last year. His team made it passed the first round and I climbed in through his dorm window to congratulate him….ended up staying the night" She wasn't sure what made her add that last detail, though she reasoned it was probably the drink. Arctus's body language changed as he processed the information, he visibly shrunk in on himself and Diamond cocked her head in confusion

"What's up?"

"Nothing, it's dumb" he mumbled. She refused to relent however and merely stared at him until he answered. Eventually he spoke again "Look….You know I think you're the coolest person on Remnant right?"

"Dude, you're a dork" Diamond tried to laugh him off, inwardly she didn't know whether to cheer or panic. Her heart beat a little faster as she realised this conversation might be going in _exactly_ the direction she wanted it to.

"No seriously, you are" Arctus took another sip of his own drink, bracing himself "It's just I really like you Dee. I know we're not dating but honestly thinking about you with someone else like that….I told you it was dumb" he trailed off drunkenly

"Yeah it's dumb" Diamond snickered as she placed a hand on top of his "I'm here with you and you're getting jealous of my ex? That's extra dumb….and stop calling me Dee" she added with a pout, ever since her team had learned of the nickname her father had for her they'd used it at every opportunity. After a moment Diamond realised that Arctus hadn't taken his eyes off of her

"Diamond….what's going on with us?" he sounded as if he were scared of what the answer could be "We almost kissed a few weeks back and it's been weird since. I already said I really like you, but I just want us to be back to normal. If you just wanna be friends-"

"Big guy" Diamond cut him off gently, smiling ear to ear as she leaned over in a bout of alcohol induced bravery and pressed her lips against his cheek. When she pulled back she was pleased to see that her lipstick had left a clear mark on his pale skin. Arctus raised a hand to his cheek tentatively, wearing an utterly adorable shell-shocked expression. Diamond let him flounder for a few seconds before speaking

"You're my best friend. You're the sweetest guy I know and you're way cooler than you give yourself credit for. If I was gonna date any guy at Halo it would be you"

"So-"

" _But_ " Diamond pressed a finger to his lips "The whole dating thing is awkward at first, why ruin what we've already got with that right? How about we just hang out the way we always do….and if something happens between us then cool" Arctus clearly needed no time to consider the proposition

"Great, I've missed hanging out with just the two of us" he paused and a sly smile crossed his face "And well, everyone seems to think we're dating anyway" This made Diamond snort with laughter, something she would continue to deny for the foreseeable future. The lighting in the club changed as a new DJ began their set, shifting from magenta to cycling through the colours of the rainbow flag in time to the beat of a song, a song that Diamond realised that she knew and wasted no time grabbing Arctus's hands and sliding off of the bar stool

"Come on big guy, we've gotta dance to this" whatever he intended to say was silenced as she leaned in and brushed he lips against his in the lightest possible kiss, deciding as she did so that the drink she'd left unfinished at the bar would be her last one of the night. The kiss ended as suddenly as it began, though the contact robbed Arctus of the urge to complain and the two of them made their way onto the dance floor blushing and smiling like lovesick drunken idiots.

* * *

As the group had begun to break off over the course of the night Felix had found himself hanging out with Corvid; something he was more than okay with as he would freely admit his older sister was cool. Corvid it turned out, was familiar enough with members of third and fourth year students that some of them came over for a brief chat and occasionally a dance, which admittedly left the Lion Faunus feeling like a third wheel for brief periods. Currently however they were the only people at their table, holding the fort as it were. Corvid's voice broke through the buzzing in Felix's head, the blonde realised he was starting to get a case of 'The spins' and his next drink should probably be non-alcoholic

"Ah, it's finally worked" his sister cooed, leaning forward in the exceptionally comfy chair she occupied

"What has?" Felix slurred out, following her line of sight he saw that Diamond and Arctus were dancing together, bodies almost flush against each other

"Her hip-nosis" Corvid winked, indicating at the way the silver haired Mistrali swayed as she moved.

"Terrible" he chuckled, clearly referring to the pun. He thoroughly approved of Arctus and Diamond finally acting on their painfully obvious mutual crush, whichever one of them it was that had made the move. His eyes scanned the dance floor eventually stopping when he saw Lux and Rusty, the Vaccuan gunslinger having some truly spectacular footwork and a clear confidence in his own body that left Felix's drunken mind struggling to keep up

"Yeah that was my reaction as well" Corvid had obviously spotted what he'd been looking at "For some reason everyone expects Lux to be the one who dances like that"

"I mean he duel wields rapiers….and no Arctus hasn't shut up about that yet" Felix threw in the aside with a smirk "Just makes sense that he'd be the one with the moves" Corvid snorted derisively

"Let's both be honest with ourselves shall we" she laughed "It's 'cos he's a rich kid with purple hair and a suit worth as much as your car"

"You leave my car out of it" Felix grumbled defensively, earning himself a laugh from his sister

"So are you actually gonna go dance with someone tonight?" she asked him, clearly trying to prod him into a reaction

"Are you?" Felix attempted to counter, flagrantly ignoring all of her previous dances

"Yeah I just need a sec, that last drink hit me like a truck" she admitted with a drunken titter "Besides, you need to get your eyes off of my partner's boyfriend" her tone turned a little more serious and Felix slumped back in his seat unsure whether he should laugh or groan

"What, he's my type" he shrugged "Doesn't mean I'm gonna do anything about it. Come on I'm not that scummy"

"Oh, you who hasn't actually a kissed a guy has a type now?" Corvid teased "Do tell, I've gotta hear this"

"Oh fuck off" Felix laughed off his sister's prodding, seeing her still leaning forward expectantly he decided he may as well give her an answer, embarrassing as it was "I like buff guys, anyone that looks that they could kick my ass….that probably says something about me" Corvid had taken another sip of her drink, Felix's words made her spray it out in a fit of drunken laughter

"Oh my Oum that's priceless" she cackled "I've gotta tell Rusty how much you probably enjoyed that sparring match where he put you in a headlock"

"Sis I love you but you're a bitch sometimes" Felix groaned "But seriously though, Professor Ren-"

"No!" Corvid cut him off "Do _not_ say you're Rensexual. It doesn't matter where you are, Professor Nora can hear you" the two of them managed to maintain eye contact for a few moments before breaking down into another fit of giggles. As they eventually managed to compose themselves Corvid turned her attention to the dance floor, keeping an eye out for anyone she recognised until a thought struck her

"So what about that Nikos guy in your year? he's pretty buff"

"What? No!" Felix exclaimed "Me and Helios are just friends….kinda" Felix could honestly admit he'd never thought about his classmate in that sense, possibly due to their brief animosity at the start of the year. It was odd now he thought about it, Corvid was right; Helios was definitely his type.

"Pfft yeah so are Arctus and Diamond and right now they're – Oh my Oum they are actually adorable together!" her voice shifted to a squeal of delight as she watched the pair. Felix rolled his eyes while privately agreeing with her assessment

"Yeah but they're both really into each other, it's about time" he paused for a moment trying to find words in the drink fuelled haze that was currently clouding his thoughts "I don't just wanna hook up with someone because they're there y'know? If I date someone I want it to be special….I want what our Mums have got" Corvid turned to him, giving him a strange look before leaning over to ruffle his hair

"Awww, I've gotta tell 'em you said that"

"What? No!"

"It's adorable, my baby brother's a romantic"

"Oh my Oum Corey shut up!" Felix flopped forwards dramatically which only fuelled his sister's hysterics. Their antics must have been audible to those nearby as only a few moments later a voice struggled to be heard over the crowd

"HEY COREY, HEY OVER HERE!" the Xiao Long siblings eventually managed to find the source of the noise, spotting Corvid's fellow second years Team CAMO whom Felix knew by sight and first names only; Ochre, Maroon, the muscle of the team infamous for his sub par performance in last years' Vytal Tournament, Alizarin and Carat, the Rabbit Faunus with the hilariously unfortunate name.

"HEY!" Corvid leapt out of her chair, swaying more than she'd admit as she did so. Felix knew his sister had been on at least one date with Carat before and so was naturally surprised when she pulled Alizarin, one of the female members of the team, closer and planted a sloppy kiss on her lips which was hastily returned

"What the fuck?" Felix mouthed out, both confused and somewhat appalled, drawing a laugh from the second years.

"Yeah, they do that sometimes" Maroon grunted with a nonchalant shrug at his partners' current situation as he took one of the empty seats.

"And on that note" Felix sighed as he rose to his feet, the alcohol and reminder that his sister was a lot freer with her affections than he was having an effect on him "I'm gonna go vomit my soul up"

* * *

Eagle had slunk into a dark corner of the club at some point in the night, she really liked the nightclub but she had also begun to develop a headache which the flashing lights did nothing to assuage. Shortly after she'd been joined by Iris who had admitted to being on _'parent duty'_ as she called it; remaining relatively sober in case a clear head was needed at some point during the night, though she'd still helped herself to a few beers. As such she'd stayed near Eagle, making sure that the blonde on her first night on the town was okay, something that Eagle herself greatly appreciated as it afforded her plenty of opportunities to steal glances at the exceptionally pretty second year Huntress. Her crimson eyes roamed over the dance floor as she entertained the idea of asking Iris to dance; the alcohol currently making her chest burn and face flush seemingly daring her to try. She spotted Arctus and Diamond and fought the urge to gush at how cute her friends were, Lux was currently leading Rusty to the bar by the hand and Corvid had just made her way onto the dance floor with a girl that she was-

"Iris did you know that Corvid has a girlfriend?" Eagle's eyes bugged out at the display her partners' brother was putting on

"Huh?" the dark skinned Huntress turned her attention away from her Scroll where she'd been seeing if there was anywhere they'd be able to get food on the way back to the hotel; a bemused smirk forming on her face when she caught sigh of her team leader

"Nah they're not together" she explained to the evidently somewhat naive blonde "They just make out when they're drunk sometimes….If I remember right Corvid went on a date with her team leader last year"

"So she just makes out with people in clubs as a friend?"

"Pretty much" Iris shrugged, having had a year to accustom herself to such behaviour

"I wish I could be that confident" Eagle whined, her voice almost lost to the steady thumping of the bass

"So what's stopping you?" Iris's question caused Eagle to turn and stare at her, drinking in the sight of her in the lacy red dress she was wearing, sleeveless and leaving the entirety of her golden cybernetic left arm on display; evidently she allowed her eyes to linger for a little to long as Iris sighed before reprimanding her

"You're staring at my arm" her expression softened as Eagle's hands rushed to her mouth, a muffled apology already half formed "It's fine I'm used to it by now, It's just that I like you guys 'cos none of you stare at it, you just accept it for what it is"

"I think it's because we all knew somebody with prosthetics already before we met you" Eagle suggested thoughtfully "My Granddad lost a foot when he was a Huntsman. One of Felix and Corey's mums has a cybernetic arm….and I think I remember Arctus and Diamond both mentioning that their dads have prosthetics"

"Yeah that might explain it" Iris mused "I mean I suppose I can't really complain about people looking at it when I painted it gold. Some days I want everyone to know I'm bigger and better than the Grimm that did this to me, some days I don't want the world to see me 'cos I don't think that they'd understand….Fuck this is why I don't drink much, I get morbid" she trailed off

"Wanna talk about it?" Eagle offered "I mean if you don't it's fine, I don't wan to pry"

"This isn't my first prosthetic, I lost my arm when I was ten so I've had a few others as I was growing" Iris admitted

"Oh my Oum" Eagle gasped, horrified at the news "What happened"

"My parents moved to Menagerie; there was a lot of opportunities for skilled people building the settlements" Iris paused and shuddered, Eagle didn't consciously register that she'd moved but she found Iris's golden hand in hers nevertheless. Iris continued "There's a lot of Grimm between the settlements, we were driving from Port Alistair back when it was barely built to the village my parents were gonna help build. When we stopped for lunch I was playing, I went too far off the path….The Beowolf saw me before I saw it. It didn't actually bite my arm off, there just wasn't a doctor who could save it for miles"

"How did you get away?" Eagle whispered, eyes wide with shock.

"There's something of a folk story in Menagerie" Iris whispered back, starting to enjoy telling her story to such a receptive audience despite how bleak it was "The legend of Cardin Winchester. They say he did terrible things before the war and came to Menagerie to find peace wandering between the settlements, helping the lost. All I know is that ten year old me, screaming in pain and fear and about to pass out from blood loss saw a man in battered armour carrying a mace come out of nowhere and take a Grimm's head off with one swing….honestly it's why I made my weapon a mace, I've never managed to get that image out of my head" Iris decided that Eagle didn't need to know that she'd returned to New Vale with her mother soon after, her parents divorcing and her father still living on Menagerie; the younger girl certainly didn't need to know how Iris had laid awake at night blaming herself for breaking her family apart for a very long time. She found herself brought back to her, admittedly inebriated, senses by Eagle squeezing her hand and raising it to her lips, planting a drunken and uncoordinated, but gentle kiss on the back of the mechanical hand

"I just want you to know that I think you're really cool and really, really pretty and the arm doesn't change that at all" this was followed by a hiccup that alerted Iris to the fact that she should probably keep an eye on how much Eagle drank from now on

"You're sweet kid" Iris smiled, blushing a little "So if you're such a charmer how come you've never made a move on any of those girls in your own year that you like?" she was well aware of the blondes' feelings towards her and was looking for a way to let her down gently. Eagle's voice came out in a dejected mumble

"I'm really not pretty"

"Excuse you?" Iris was struggling to process what she'd just heard

"I'm not" the blonde insisted, slouching slightly as she folded in on herself "I've got small boobs, I'm too tall and I hate my shoulders. Girls that like girls aren't gonna like me, I look like a guy" Iris firmly turned Eagle to face, making sure that she was paying attention and speaking slowly

"That is the biggest heap of Ursa shit I have heard in my life and I will go to your home town and slap whoever told you those lies right now Eagle Arc"

"But I"

"No buts" Iris steam-rolled over her flustered objections "You have a body that any Huntress would kill for and some cute freckles and dimples; work with it! You could have gotten a date with one of those girls you like by now if you'd made a move" Eagle stood in stunned silence before a hopeful whisper escaped her

"You really mean that?"

"Yes, you just need a confidence boost" Iris thought very carefully about what she said and did next, weighing up the pros and cons as much as her tipsy state would allow, before finally settling on _'Fuck it'_

"Eagle, you know I'm straight right?"

"Figures" Eagle sighed good naturedly, she'd honestly suspected it and accepted the fact that this particular crush would go nowhere

" _But_ " Iris gently placed a hand on the blonde's waist and pulled her a little closer "Since it's your birthday, I want you to understand that this is a one off"

"Uh huh" Eagle nodded as she blushed brighter than Iris thought possible. With confirmation received she cupped the slightly taller girls' cheeks and pulled her down into a gentle kiss, Eagle's hands moved uncertainly to her waist as Iris gently took her soft lower lip between her teeth and causing the blonde to whimper into her mouth. After a few moments they broke apart, Eagle wide-eyed and wearing an impossibly broad smile

"How was it?" Iris asked with a sly grin

"That was my first kiss" Eagle admitted "It was perfect" Iris realised that a new song was starting and seized the blonde's hand

"Okay, now it's time to get out there and knock 'em dead" Eagle's euphoric expression faltered as she found herself led towards the crowd.

"Wait what?"

* * *

Far from the towering structures of New Vale and nightclubs filled with flashing lights, deep within the Old Vale Exclusion zone a lone Beowolf sprinted through ruined streets illuminated only by the stars, beyond even the reach of the spotlights mounted on the defensive outposts of the wall designed to keep such creatures locked within the abandoned metropolis.

The Beowolf bounded towards a gutted shell of a warehouse as the shriek of a Nevermore overhead pierced the night. If the Grimm were capable of reading it would have seen an old rusted sign bearing the words 'Kenwood Industrial Estate' crossed out and crudely replaced by 'The Kennels' in faded spray paint. However the Beowolf was an Alpha barely deserving of such a title, the head of a pack of perhaps two dozen Grimm spawned from a miniscule pool of darkness within the exclusion zone; what intelligence it had was being put to use in avoiding what was hunting it. The Beowolf managed to slink into the warehouse, the malevolently glowing eyes of the Nevermore momentarily available through holes in the roof as it circled overhead; cawing out ceaselessly and within a minute another sound began to reach the Beowolf, it's ears pricking up and a frightened whimper escaping it as it's limited understanding made sense of the fact that the several sets of paws it could hear approaching would mean its' end.

Preparing to pounce the Beowolf snarled, several pairs of eyes came into view, bloody pinpricks in the darkness followed by the bone masks which they were set in; Beowolves from a rival pack.

Before the Beowolf could rush forth and tear at the throats of its' attackers the wall beside it was torn asunder in a cacophony of steel groaning in protest as it collapsed; the tusks of a Goliath ploughing through the warehouse. The Beowolf yelped in surprise, the sign of weakness being the signal for the eagerly snarling members of the other pack had been waiting for; within seconds the Beowolf found itself pinned down by fangs and claws in its' flesh and struggling in futility as something approached it. A low whine escaped its' lips as it recognised what approached it was the Alpha of the much larger opposing pack; the beast walked on its' hind legs and even to the Grimm's limited mind something about it seemed fundamentally wrong.

"Alphas have a link to the pool that spawned them; I need to take yours" Phobos growled at its' captive "Your pack is my pack now" with that he lunged forwards, his jaws closing around the other Grimm's throat in an explosion of dark mist.

 **Authors Notes:**

There you go, some fluff to make up for the angst of the last chapter.  
Not much to say here

Now let's summarise:  
The quick explanation about why Diamond didn't get expelled lie Goodwitch promised was to try and style out the fact I face-planted into a plot hole.  
Eagle was unsure if her own Mum was going to call her on her eighteenth birthday, let that sink in for a sec.  
So Robotics expert Antonia Arc is heading to Vale….do we know of any groups that might possibly looking for tech support?  
We know what she's coming over to talk about right?  
Also what if I told you that Professor Eldritch isn't just a throwaway name and they'll become important much later on (Because I play the long game). What if I also told you his first name was Ozymandias….  
Qrow takes his Batman act seriously.  
'Sparrow Badness' Hunters are famous, Team STRQ are legendary and Qrow was the last of them to retire from active duty. You _**KNOW**_ that there would actually be references to him in pop culture after the war. (I wonder if getting your alcoholic drink officially endorsed by Qrow would help or hurt the image).  
Domestic Nuts & Dolts, you love every second of it and you know you do.  
Penny's Bull-Head AI co-pilot has been expanded to her house it's like JARVIS from Iron Man now. I might expand on that at some point.  
Poor Qrow, he's trying to do right by the kid he never knew he had; he really is.  
Also it's fun to write how Qrow and Ruby's relationship has progressed over the last twenty years.  
" _if there was one thing she was an expert on, it was awkwardness."_ may be the most relatable thing I've ever written.  
If you think Nora wouldn't hurl a three foot tall stuffed Grimm at her niece as a distraction before tackle-hugging her and singing happy birthday in a public space, then you don't know Nora.  
Corvid, Felix and Eagle all love Disney movies (I mentioned it in Chapter 09 but it's fun to bring it up from time to time).  
Yeah Antonia Arc owns Poly-Tech, she's not as rich as the SDC but she can give her daughter enough money to put a deposit on a house as a birthday present.  
Sargent Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club…..I regret nothing. The best part is that it fits the colour naming rule.  
I'll admit I've actually never been to a gay bar, I went with basically a standard nightclub….replete with the obligatory straight male hitting on everything with a pulse and wearing a belt worth more than his jeans because why the fuck not.  
"Shock and Ore" may be my favourite Corvid pun so far.  
Hopeless cinnamon roll tall lesbian is not to be bothered, she's protected.  
Strawberry Sunrise with a double vodka….because of course.  
Ah Diamond Dust….at this point I'm just torturing my readers with it.  
The commentary on racism in Upper Atlas; topical.  
Diamond makes sense to me. Dating is awkward, dinner dates are the easiest way to kill any pre-existing chemistry. Fuck all of that.  
Yes she kissed him. Don't squeal yet….That one doesn't count as their first kiss.  
Nope "Hip-nosis" is my new favourite Corvid pun.  
I stand by the thing with Lux and Rusty, out of the two of them Lux is the one you expect to have moves.  
I love writing the Xiao Long siblings banter.  
Yes Felix likes guys that can kick his ass….Felix _"Only five foot nine 'cos they can't stack bad-ass any higher"_ Xiao Long, is actually a total bottom.  
Felix is a closet Rensexual who is partnered with Ren's honorary niece….who is also his Mum's cousin. Tense.  
Felix and Corvid are opposites in one sense, Felix wants a relationship like the bees, something really sweet. Corvid is an expert in casual hook ups, like Tai but she goes through other peoples' teams.  
Iris saying _"I don't want the world to see me, 'cos I don't think that they'd understand"_ you know EXACTLY what I did there.  
Iris's backstory is more than a little sad, but it also explains what happened to Cardin Winchester. In The Downward Spiral he told Velvet that his Dad was actually a Faunus, Cardin is one of the rare cases of a child of mixed heritage having no traits; his Dad was abusive to him and his mum and denied that Cardin was his before eventually leaving. A lot of Cardin's issues came from that, now he lives on Menagerie, the Faunus homeland finding some kind of peace with himself.  
Eagle is really self conscious. I have an image in my head of her kinda looking like a young Gwendoline Christie.  
Eagle got her first kiss. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW READERS? ARE YOU?  
The Warehouse in 'The Kennels' is a callback to The Downward Spiral, it's where Adam Taurus and Velvet Scarlatina first met.  
Without Salem leading them the Grimm hive mind isn't a single cohesive entity, what Phobos is doing is unknowingly reconnecting it one consumed Alpha and small spawning pit at a time….Though a lot of what I'm doing with antagonists in the first year arc is set up for later.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, FleetOfWarships, Ferrous, TigerRose, Fluffyfirefly, ShadowAlex2000, ShadowWolf and Arkanes Shippou for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Thank you for bringing that plot hole to my attention.  
Rhodium is gonna be someone you love to hate, like just when you think he's gonna do something that makes him redeemable, he'll top it off with something horrific (Yes I'm referring to something specific I have in mind).  
Merc as an utter _Dad_ is hilarious to me and with him being a pilot now I can have him drop in at any time for effect.  
Oh the reveal on the Tribe will be great, it sets up second year.  
Sorry to everyone who got emotional over the argument between Blake and Felix.  
It depends what you mean by dark, I have no aversion to killing and maiming characters if the story calls for it _(Although it may actually be less common in this story than The Downward Spiral)_ but there are certain subjects I refuse to tackle in my writing.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	21. Movie Night

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 21: Movie Night**

Felix took his seat near the back of the lecture hall, Professor Bronzewing thankfully not seeming to notice or care that several students had arrived on the cusp of tardiness. Leaning forwards he reached down into the row in front to give Nyanza Angora a fistbump and greet the rest of Team NEON before something occurred to him; Eagle was nowhere to be seen. Arctus and Diamond were to his left sharing a textbook which had so many additional notes added in the margins in both of their handwriting it was hard to tell whose book it had originally been, but his partner was absent which was odd considering she'd been with them at lunch which had just ended.

"Today's lesson will pertain to-" Dove Bronzewing stopped as the door to his lecture hall opened, there was a rumour among the students that he refused to allow the janitors to fix the creaking door for the sole reason that he used it to catch out students sneaking into class after he'd begun his lesson.

"Today's lesson is apparently less important than whatever gossiping kept you, Miss Arc, Miss Tsuyu, Miss Murus join your teams and take your seats. I'll overlook this only once" Felix watched as his partner shuffled towards them, head and down and blushing profusely with her hands in the pockets of her uniform

"Where did you vanish to?" he asked quietly

"Don't wanna talk about it" she mumbled back

"Now, where were we" Professor Bronzewing, as usual, didn't need to raise his voice for it to carry and cut through any conversations that had started during the pause in his lecture "Ah yes, today's lesson will pertain to lancers, Mal-Lingua and the various other species of Grimm capable of using parts of their anatomy as grappling hooks or similar-"

"So like the Dungeon-Master from initiation then?" Olivine sighed with a roll of her lavender eyes. "It'd be nice to have a lesson on something before we fight it" Felix personally agreed with the diminutive Huntresses' assessment of the lesson, though he didn't join in the muffled snickering of two of her team-mates. Helios may have remained silent, a picture of mental discipline but the Lion Faunus spotted his hand twitching towards the flask of Nikosi brewed liquor he kept in his bag when it wasn't hidden in his armour; Ether Arashi's silent laughter ended when his grip around his girlfriends' waist tightened and Felix quickly turned his attention elsewhere when he saw his hand trail down her thigh, well aware of the pairs' habit of pushing the limit of what was an acceptable display of affection.

"Why are Team AQUA giving us death glares?" Diamond's voice demanded his attention, he turned to her and Arctus and found that his cousin was at least making some effort to pay attention to the class, jotting additional notes into his textbook that he would happily lend to the team if there was an assignment. The Lion Faunus turned his gaze in the direction that Diamond indicated and saw that it was at least partially true, at least one member of Team AQUA was staring directly at where they sat while wearing a truly furious expression. Quartz Murus, five foot ten with a deep indigo coloured pixie cut and prominent biceps that bulged against the confines of her sleeves, earned from wielding her weapon of choice, a monstrous two handed halberd which doubled as a crossbow. Felix silently mouthed something to her which Yang Xiao Long would have refused to believe came from her son's mouth, Quartz's only response was to flip him off before draping her arm over her team leader and partners' shoulder as she turned around. Felix turned to Eagle, surmising that Quartz's attitude had been connected to whatever had made her late

"Eagle, what happened?" she seemed to sink into her seat at the question, instinctively reaching for her hood to pull it over her face in embarrassment only to find it absent. Felix didn't repeat himself, merely waited patiently for his partner to talk to him

"Okay so you know how Aqua is actually really, really bad with Dust?" Felix nodded, the Frog Faunus's penchant for mishaps in their Dust handling classes was something of a running joke with the first years. "Well I saw her on her own on the way to class so I went to talk to her, I asked her if she wants to borrow my notes sometime or if she wants to study together"

"Wait, you practically went and asked her out? Nice" Felix was stunned, whatever had happened at the nightclub the previous weekend had given Eagle a spring in her step and apparently a lot more confidence. Then something seemed to click in his mind

"Oh….Oh shit"

"Yeah, Aqua and Quartz are dating again, that's why Aqua was on her own, she was waiting for her. Quartz showed up behind me right as I was asking her….she didn't even say anything just stared at me until I left, I think she wants to kill me-and all of you guys are jerks" her nervous chattering was cut off and replaced by a pout as she saw that several of her friends were trying not to alert Professor Bronzewing to their lack of interest in his lesson while at the same time silently laughing at her expense

"You may now begin your assignments. I want them completed before you depart for your second mission of the year….and yes you may work in groups, apparently you'll need it" Bronzewing's glower towards the pair of teams situated at the back of the class making it painfully obvious they hadn't been as subtle as they thought

"Well I'm not working with Ether, he's gonna have sticky fingers" Nyanza drawled with an exaggerated wink

"Fuck you" Olivine spat, suspiciously breathlessly. The feline Faunus merely snorted and turned to face Eagle "So you tried to flirt with someone who's taken. Chin up, shit happens and I don't know if you've noticed but this place is full of hot girls" the freckled blonde cracked a small smile, Nyanza's carefree perspective apparently being exactly what she needed to hear

"Trust me I've noticed" she mumbled, her barely audible words starting another round of laughter.

"And if Quartz gives you any shit we'll make whatever happens to her look like an accident" Felix gave his partner a playful nudge

"Hey" Arctus interjected "Me and Dee Dee-"

"Dude stop calling me that"

"-Me and Diamond were gonna go see a movie tonight, you wanna come with? Make it a whole team thing?" Eagle grinned, silently grateful for the offer but she could see the apprehensive look on Diamond's face and could easily discern why, the pair of them had been even close than before recently and though they weren't calling going to the movies tonight a date that hadn't discouraged the teasing from their friends in the slightest

"No thanks" she shook her head, grin shifting into a cheeky smirk as her next words poured out of her mouth faster than she could stop them "I don't think anyone could forget about couples when you two are sat nearby" there was a moment of deathly silence as the rest of the group needed a moment to process what had just been said, then several more to accept that it was Eagle who had said it. Then Felix doubled over in hysterical laugher

"Oh my Oum, where did _that_ come from?" he demanded as he struggled to breathe

"Still" Helios's low voice cut into the conversation "I doubt there antics will ever be as bad as these two" he jerked his thumb in the direction of his team-mates who were steadfastly ignoring him

"Got an idea" Felix leaned forward, finally managing to compose himself "If those two are going out why don't we hang out? Have a movie night of our own"

"Yes" Eagle almost squealed with enthusiasm, she honestly loved that under his tough exterior her partner enjoyed blanket forts and Volt Disney classics as much as she did

"Okay, but we've gotta watch some of the classics though" Nyanza grinned before motioning to Helios "He doesn't get pop culture, seriously I've quoted so many films and got nothing….it's honestly kinda creepy" the Scarlet haired warrior visibly struggled against the urge to cuff his partner around the back of the head

"I'll come….on the condition that you actually pull your weight on this assignment" his tone was that of a long suffering parent, willing to try anything at this point to get the miscreant he'd been partnered with to focus.

"Deal"

"You two have fun tonight" Felix gave Arctus and Diamond an exaggerated teasing wink, his team-mates merely rolling their eyes. Arctus deciding to have the last laugh

"Hey Fluffy, see all these notes that I took for you while you weren't paying attention?" he held up his copy of _'Fantastic Grimm and how to kill them'_ by Peter Port for Felix to see, before simply throwing it in his bag

"Way too far" Felix griped, well aware that the tables had turned and he was now the butt of the joke, even Helios was unable to keep a small smile from tugging at his lips. Felix returned the faint smile as he turned his attention to his own textbook and finally made a start on his classwork.

* * *

Felix and Eagle were currently poring over Arctus's copy of their Grimm Studies textbook after classes for the day had finished, the Bear Faunus having finally relented and allowing his cousin to look at his notes. Arctus and Diamond had recently left the dormitory to catch a flight into the city below and weren't expected to return for several hours. Felix found his attention taken away from the assignment that was mercifully proving less difficult then Professor Bronzewing had made it seem by the sound of his Scroll vibrating from its' position nearby, plugged into a wall socket to charge; grabbing it he saw that there was a text message from his sister, informing him that Team CLIR were doing fine

"It's Corey" he told Eagle, noticing that his partner was watching him "Says the mission's going well….Still wish that she'd told me that Team CLIR were shipping out on Monday"

"She just didn't want you to worry" Eagle assured him

"Kinda makes things worse, we used to tell each other everything" he grumbled before shrugging and setting his assignment off to one side "Fuck it, Helios and Nyanza are gonna be here-" he was cut off by a knock at the door.

"Spooky" Eagle grinned

"I'm telling you that's some kind of side effect of Nyanza's Semblance" Felix muttered as he rose to his feet and opened the door, revealing that it was indeed Helios and Nyanza outside. The former wearing most of his golden armour despite them having had no combat classes that day

"Okay are your armour and uniform the only outfits you own?" the question was out of Felix's mouth faster than he could stop himself; Helios merely looked at him as if it were an odd question

"I have my training clothes as well….that's all I need"

"Ya see what I'm working with here!" Nyanza exclaimed.

"Helios, erm you're probably gonna be really uncomfortable wearing armour for movie night" Eagle tried to be diplomatic, but her incredulity showed; even she took her armour off in her dorm and could usually be found in her pyjamas with a hoodie thrown over them. Felix merely shook his head and chuckled before making his way over to the wardrobe he and Arctus shared, realising his clothes would probably be far too small for Helios he picked out a tank top and pair of sweatpants belonging to his cousin, reasoning that he probably wouldn't miss them and casually threw them to the armoured teen

"Change into those and get comfy"

"Thank you" Helios made to step into the bathroom to change, at which point Nyanza sidled over to Felix wearing a grin that could only be described as 'shit-eating'

"So Bronzewing threw Mal-Lingua into that assignment to be an ass-hole and we all know it right?"

"Definitely" both Eagle and Felix nodded, the chameleon Grimm with a barbed tongue was vastly more advanced than anything that the first years had tackled in the class thus far and it was an obvious ploy of their teachers' part to see who was willing to go the extra mile

"Well turns out Helios and his tribe come across 'em at least a few times a year, they're native to forests around Mistral's capital" the feline paused for a moment, pale green eyes glinting with mischief before he delivered the punchline "Lucky me right?" Felix inhaled slowly, knuckles cracking before turning and calling into the bathroom

"Hey Helios next time you feel like killing your partner, do me a favour and actually do it" the Lion Faunus missed whatever insult his old friend hurled at him in response, distracted by the fact that Helios hadn't actually closed the bathroom door properly behind him and was currently giving anyone who cared to look a full view of his obscenely muscled back and shoulders and the intricate tattoos and variety of scars that covered it while he changed into the tank top. Felix quickly turned away lest he be caught acting like some sort of peeping tom.

"Gladly" the Mistrali laughed as he left the bathroom, smoothing out the borrowed clothes as he did so. Helios may have been three inches shorter than Arctus but he filled out the fabric with sheer muscle mass "Shall I take my armour back to Team NEON's dorm now or?"

"I've got it" Eagle smiled brightly as she gently rapped on her shield, causing Sentinel to shift into droid form whirring and beeping "Fetch" Eagle pointed towards the bathroom and the automaton trundled off, moments later the sound of metal on metal assured them that it had found the armour

"That is impressive" Helios admitted "Almost as well trained as my hounds"

"Dog people" Nyanza muttered grimly under his breath before turning to the pair of blondes whose dorm he was currently in "So what're we watching first then? Please no kids films Felix….Or Michael Beige explosion porn"

"Okay first of all fuck you" Felix sighed "Second of all fuck your lack of appreciation for the classics"

"Quentin Tangerine'o is one of the greats" the alabaster furred Faunus asserted bluntly

"If you're pretentious" Felix shot back with a snort

"Guys, guys" Eagle stepped in, well accustomed to these scenes due to bickering between her aunts at family gatherings "I'm sure we'll find something we can all agree on….Nyanza have you got any old horror movies? If we're trying to catch Helios up on pop culture they seem like a good place to start since everything else seems to reference them"

"Now that sounds like a plan, Friday the fourteenth?" Nyanza smirked

"Leather-Face?" Felix offered "I'll get the popcorn ready"

"Awesome, Nyanza wanna help me show Helios how to make a blanket fort?"

"Can do" he quickly turned to his long time friends' retreating back "Salty popcorn fluffy! Saltier than you are when I thrash you on Street Brawler! None of that buttery crap" Helios and Eagle shared a look, vibrant green eyes meeting deep crimson

"Is it always like this in here?" Eagle merely giggled in response

"Oh you haven't seen anything yet" the scarlet haired warrior cracked a smile

"In Anima we settle most disputes by combat….this makes a nice change, as much fun as knocking their heads together would be"

* * *

The cinema Diamond and Arctus had initially intended to visit had been closed for refurbishment when the pair had arrived, leading them to a much smaller venue situated towards the bottom of one of the sprawling tower complexes of the hive like capital of New Vale. The neighbourhood seemed thoroughly disreputable, every dimly lit side street seemed to be home to an empty oil drum being used to burn anything flammable. Arctus, being from a far more affluent part of his native Kingdom couldn't help but be a little uneasy; something that Diamond picked up on and couldn't help but tease him about a little, the silver haired Huntresses only concern was the apparent lack of fire alarms that the trash fires indicated.

Eventually they reached the cinema and purchased tickets to the movie Diamond had been eager to see for weeks and were currently making themselves comfortable on the back row which they had to themselves while the trailers that preceded their screening continued to play.

"You didn't have to buy my ticket for me big guy" Diamond noted as she brushed hair away from her eyes. She'd let it down for a change, locks that were usually tied back reaching below her shoulders and now she was regretting the decision

"Yeah but I wanted to" Arctus shrugged "You look really nice tonight by the way" he added a moment later causing his partner to perform a slight double take and a soft smile to form on her face; ever since Eagle's birthday Arctus had been throwing little compliments into conversations with her, never failing to make Diamond's cheeks colour; leaving her wondering when she went from having a reputation as a bad-ass to blushing like a school girl with a crush. Then she realised that that was exactly what she was.

"Oh how the tables have turned" she dead panned "It wasn't long ago I could leave you with an adorable goofy smile on your face saying something like that, now look at me" Arctus couldn't help but laugh at that

"Hey, you were the one who kissed me" he pointed out, still somewhat stunned that it had happened even days later. Diamond's eyes narrowed and she shook her head vehemently

"Nah, that doesn't count" seeing the Bear Faunus's expression change she nudged him gently "We'd both had too much to drunk. If something happens between us I want to be able to remember it clearly afterwards" this brought a wide toothy grin to Arctus's face that Diamond returned, the pair of them not breaking eye contact and neither realising that they'd begun to instinctively lean forwards towards the other until the moment was ruined by the distorted brass and low warping bass note that accompanied the action scene of a trailer promoting a comic book movie

"You ever realise just how much you hate trailers?" Diamond laughed

"Yeah" Arctus nodded, giving the trailer a few moments of his attention before turning back to Diamond "It actually look decent though" Diamond merely rolled her eyes before removing the oversized tub of popcorn they were sharing from the armrest between them, lifting the armrest and nuzzling into her partner. The movie theatre may have been warm, but he was warmer

"I used to read that comic when I was what….nine maybe. It's super cliché dude" Arctus paused for a moment, internally daring himself to say the words that came next

"Yeah but some clichés aren't bad, they're classics for a reason. Like this one-" he trailed off with a yawn and a stretch which Diamond realised was forced when he used it as an excuse to wrap an arm around her.

"You are such a dork" she gasped out as she doubled over with laughter before resting her head on his shoulder and stealing a handful of popcorn as the final trailer ended "Seriously, dude, you don't have to try that hard if you wanna hug me" Arctus chose to say anything in response as the movie was starting. Instead he tightened his arm around her and gently intertwined his fingers with those of her free hand; utterly unable to fight the butterflies in his stomach.

* * *

The credits of the movie began to scroll, prompting Eagle, who had been engrossed in the horror classic to extricate herself from the mass of blankets and pillows she and her friends were encased in to search for the remote control.

"I haven't seen that since my Aunt Daisy let me stay up late with her and watch it years ago" she admitted, Nyanza was the only one to reply

"Same, I think it was my Dad I watched it with though" hearing no response from either Felix or Helios Eagle turned around to face, hands flying to her mouth in a desperate attempt to muffle the squeal that escaped her at the sight. Helios, being native to Mistral had bundled himself in more blankets than the rest of them to stave off the winter cold and at some point during the course of the evening fallen asleep leaned against the bed frame. Felix had also drifted off to sleep and had unconsciously nuzzled into the larger Hunters' chest and shoulder, Helios's head resting on top of his.

"Oh I'll be using this as dirt on 'em for a long time" Nyanza snickered as he caught sight of his partner and long time friend in what could be considered something of a compromising position.

"No you won't" Eagle insisted firmly "It's super cute, look at them….do you think I could move Helios's blankets to get Felix under them as well" at this point Nyanza tried desperately to suppress a laugh for fear of waking them up

"Wait….do you think they like each other or something?" Eagle's pout in lieu of an answer was all the confirmation he needed "Okay no. I don't know how you haven't noticed this but Fluffy always latches onto the warmest thing nearby when he's sleeping. I think it's something to do with his Semblance. Seriously a few of the other kids at Signal pranked him at a sleepover once by having him hug a toaster right before it popped the toast out" It was Eagle's turn to fight hysterics now, the mental image leaving her with tears of laughter streaming down her face. Thoughts of how cute their respective team leaders were being pushed from her mind as she realised that she only had Nyanza for company

"So now what do you wanna do?" the pale Faunus looked thoughtful for a few moments before answering

"Did Fluffy bring his Game Station?"

"I brought mine" Eagle answered with a grin as she indicated to the collection of games stored on the shelf below the DVDs in a corner of the room. She'd never had a lot, if any friends in her home town of 'New-Hope' located just beyond the walls of New Vale and the console had provided her countless hours of escape from boredom and loneliness before she'd designed and built Sentinel.

"A new challenger" Nyanza's stage whispered remark being familiar to Eagle as it was one of the many recognisable catchphrases in a game she thought herself reasonably good at.

"I actually have Street Brawler Four" she told him, his grin turned mischievous as he watched her plug the console into the television and search for the game in question

"You've never played against someone like me before" he assured her. Eagle muted the volume out of courtesy to those currently sleeping and rolled her crimson eyes at her opponents' confidence, knowing that he was alluding to his Semblance she retorted with some pre-game trash talk of her own

"Maybe, but luck only gets you so far against skill" Nyanza was left blinking in surprise as he took the proffered controller

"See that sounds like something Felix would say and I've beaten him more times than I can count….that's why I keep a tally" undeterred Eagle opened the character select screen and quickly selected one of her mains, a character that if rumours were true had been based in part on her own grandmother. After some quiet deliberation Nyanza chose a character that made Eagle roll her eyes again

"Of course you're a Pyro main" she sighed, the character was allegedly based in equal parts on Pyrrha Nikos and Cinder Fall; something that had led to the game being highly controversial upon its' initial release

"Until that DLC with Yang Xiao Long in it comes out" after that there was silence between them as the match started, Eagle cracking her fingers in a display that would have made her grandmother grimace and warn her about arthritis while Nyanza's eyes began to glow faintly as he discreetly triggered his Semblance, something that most of his friends insisted was cheating. As soon as the words _'Round One!_ _Fight!_ _'_ flashed across the screen the room was filled with the quiet clicking of the controllers' buttons and almost palpable tension that lasted for almost a minute

"And I'm still unbeaten" Nyanza gave a satisfied smirk as Eagle's avatar on the screen collapsed to the ground, defeated

"We're not finished" Eagle answered tersely, eyes never leaving the screen as the second round started. This time she played much more aggressively, grinning savagely at her opponents muttered curses as he struggled to keep up until eventually Eagle took the round.

"This round decides it" she informed the feline as he stared at the screen in disbelief for a few moments before composing himself. Then they returned to their virtual combat, focusing as if their lives depended on it, health bars being depleted one small victory at a time as they countered and planned around one another, until-

"NAH THIS IS BULLSHIT!" Nyanza exclaimed, dropping his controller and gesturing wildly at the screen as Eagle's avatar posed victoriously. A wordless grunt from behind them caused the competitive pair to turn and face Helios who had been inadvertently awoken by the commotion

"What's happening?" he slurred out, rubbing his eyes

"Nothing" Nyanza answered hurriedly, Eagle stuck her tongue out childishly

"He just met an opponent that needs more than luck to beat" Helios groggily glanced at his partner, then at the screen before giving Eagle an approving nod

"Good. Keep beating him, he might learn something" with that he made himself comfortable again, taking care not to disturb Felix who had somehow managed to remain sleeping. Nyanza wordlessly gesticulated furiously at his partner who was now paying him no mind, before turning back to Eagle

"You see what I have to put up with!" the freckled blonde merely giggled, shaking her head in faux disdain

"So, wanna try your luck again?"

"Oh I will end you" as they began the process of character selection once more neither of them noticed Helios shifting behind them, gently repositioning his blankets so that they covered Felix as well.

* * *

Rhodium Torchwick had been laying low for weeks now, the raid on his warehouse had cost him more than money; though the financial losses were insult enough as far as the gangster was concerned. His reputation, carved into the collective psyche of New Vale's criminal underworld with a mixture of violence, ambition, finesse and panache had been tarnished and that was something that couldn't be allowed to stand. Walking through the claustrophobic streets he grew up on, situated inside of one of the many tower complexes; close to the ground where the dregs of New Vale's society seemed to congregate he eventually found his car where he left it; the two seater sports car, imported from Mistral and painted a deep metallic magenta that matched the colour of his own Aura, with glistening chromed after market wheels which reflected the lights of the complex which were beginning to dim as the night went on. He raised an eyebrow when he found his car surrounded by a group of half a dozen children who couldn't have been older than ten years old. Their ill fitting and well worn clothing, probably second hand, combined with their malnourished faces and hard eyes, the eyes of children who learned far too young that the world didn't care about them marked them out clearly as natives to this part of New Vale's underbelly

"The fuck do you want?" he growled out, giving them the same treatment he would've received in their place. One of the group stepped forwards, an obvious ringleader

"Ten Lien each mister, for looking after your car for you"

"Looking after my car" Rhodium couldn't help the small grin forming on his face, he might tell some of his younger employees to keep an eye out for this kid, he had guts.

"We didn't slash your tires" the boy added, producing a miniscule pocket knife that the gangster honestly doubted could have punctured the rubber; he laughed nonetheless as he reached into his pocket

"Fine, fine. Take this" he handed over a stack of notes, far more than they'd demanded. Initiative and ruthlessness like that were traits to be encouraged after all, watching the children leave he climbed into his vehicle and reclined in the comfortable leather interior, starting the engine and connecting his Scroll to the stereo but not driving; simply thinking for a few moments. Removing his hat, another designer fedora to replace the one he'd used as a medium for his Semblance in his escape from the law, he lay the item on top of the sub-machine gun he'd left on the passenger seat in place of his more recognisable cane before regarding his reflection in the mirror set into the sun-visor. He'd been in this part of New Vale specifically to visit a jeweller that he'd placed a custom order with. He couldn't let the rumour that he'd had his teeth punched out by a student gain any traction, especially since it was true and as such his teeth were now covered by golden, diamond encrusted fangs; leaving the missing and broken teeth covered.

"Nice" Rhodium murmured to himself before his train of thought was directed back towards the events that had led him to needing to purchase a grill. His expression soured as he thought of the almost fifty thousand in cash he'd lost along with an amount of drugs and Eco-Dust whose value he winced at every time he thought of and to make matters worse he'd had no word from the mysterious Atlesian supplier known to him as 'Dunwitch'. His knuckles whitened when his fists clenched at the thought of the Hunters who'd had the sheer gall to shake him down for information, _over an Oum damned truck of all things_. He had to change his current playlist and take several deep breaths when he thought about the fact that a Narc had managed to infiltrate his organisation and gain prominence.

"I fucking hate cops" he spat to nobody in particular before deciding he needed to do something, he needed to calm down. Angry people made stupid mistakes and he was well aware that there were already rumours about his capabilities. He ruled out going to a nightclub instantly, knowing that it would most likely end in a fight, he eventually dismissed going to visit his mother who still lived in his childhood home, refusing the money he routinely tried to give her to buy a house in a nicer neighbourhood; she'd only ask him when he was going to get a real job and make something of himself. Sighing softly he finally began driving, with no regard for traffic laws as his tires screeched; deciding on a whim that he was going to go and see a movie.

* * *

Arctus and Diamond exited the movie theatre side by side, his arm around her shoulders and hers around his waist as they began the trek towards the nearest Bull-Head terminal. The silver haired sniper gazing around her, the streets they were currently making their way through were lower in the hive city than she'd ever explored before and in some ways reminded her of the Mistrali cities of Doupeng-He Bishou and Anquan-Jia she'd grown up in, in others they were a vast departure and she vocalised some of her thoughts as they walked

"New Vale looks really cool from the outside but this….who'd wanna live like this? It's like being trapped underground" she gestured at the roof of the level they were currently on, a little over two stories tall; the roof itself was coated with graffiti and several of the overhead lights, which were now dimmed to their lowest setting for the evening were broken and flickering.

"It's based on Atlas's hive cities, they actually are partially underground" Arctus answered, pausing for a moment "Still, Atlas isn't as bleak as it used to be. They removed the divide after the war"

"The divide?"

"Literal segregation" the Bear Faunus growled "Solid Atlesian steel blast doors that could be closed to cut off any movement between Upper Atlas and Lower Atlas. Like the security walls Vale has between districts but a lot more messed up" Diamond's eyes widened at that, she knew a little Atlesian history but it wasn't a large part of the syllabus in Mistrali schools

"Dude, that is messed up" she breathed out "I thought I'd seen some rough places but at least we're not caged in back home. When I moved to the capital I loved the view, my apartment is near the top floor so you can see almost the whole city and the stars"

"Sounds nice" Arctus said with a warm smile, holding her a little closer as he noticed that she was shivering slightly "If you want a view you should see the night sky in Atlas….It's on honestly a shame that most of the Kingdom lives in the hive cities, some people go their whole lives without seeing the best view in Remnant when it's right above them"

"I'll have to come to your place sometime and see it" Diamond grinned. The conversation faded into peaceful silence that was soon replaced by the dull repetitive thud of music being played obnoxiously loud from a car stereo. The pedestrians, of which there still a fair amount, all turned to the source of the noise; a small sports car with a magenta paint job and glistening chrome wheels which rolled by much slower than it needed to, as if the driver were trying to be seen by as many people as possible. The windows were tinted meaning that Arctus was unable to see the man driving crane their head staring after him in disbelief. His and Diamond's fist indication that something was wrong was when they heard someone call out from behind them

"HEY KIDS! REMEMBER ME?" they turned just in time to see Rhodium Torchwick stepping out of the sports car, sub-machine gun in hand and aimed in their direction. Then the air was filled with screams and gunfire as the mobster began shooting.

"I don't have my sword!" Arctus exclaimed as he threw up a Glyph that spanned almost the entire width of the street, Dust infused rounds ricocheting off of its' surface "Get up onto the ceiling he won't be able to thread shots through the gap with that gun"

"I don't have my weapon! You can't bring them into movie theatres in Mistral!" Diamond answered, clearly uneasy with the situation.

"We've gotta get this away from people, when he reloads I'm dropping this glyph. Start running I'll be right behind you!"

"Are you sure-"  
"Now!" Rhodium's extended magazine had finally been depleted and the redhead ejected it from his weapon withdrawing another from within his coat and reloading with practised ease. Arctus's oversized Glyph shattered into countless glowing fragments as a much smaller copy manifested in his palm; without taking the time to aim he hurled the rotating Glyph at Rhodium's face. The mobster managed to side step out of the way, only for the Glyph to shatter the drivers' side window and crash through the wind-shield of his car as it exited. Arctus had already turned and began sprinting after his partner and missed the display of emotions on his aggressors' face, momentary relief followed by stunned disbelief and unfettered rage

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" the bellow was punctuated by more gunfire which Arctus was only spared from due to the fact Diamond had grabbed his hand and pulled him around a corner

"We need to get out of here!" she panted out without slowing down. The roar of an engine informed them that Rhodium had returned to his vehicle and would not be far behind. "We need to get towards the bridge to the next complex!"

"That way!" Arctus pointed ahead, only for Diamond to drag him around another corner. The reason became apparent as Rhodium's car became visible out of the corner of his eye, gaining on them dangerously

"Keep changing directions, it buys us a couple seconds every time" Diamond explained frantically as the two of them ran through streets which frightened civilians were doing their best to escape from; the screeching of tires informing them that Rhodium wasn't far behind. A glass bus shelter seemed to explode under the salvo of bullets that tore through it as the gangster slowed down for just long enough to lean out of the remains of his drivers' side window and open fire. Arctus covered his eyes with one arm while instinctively trying to shield his partners' body with his own. The fragments that hit them were rendered ineffective by their Auras but the Bear Faunus was too panicked to appreciate that fact

"Come on this way!" Diamond insisted, neon signs overhead informed them that they were close to their destination. The sound of the car approaching them informed them that Rhodium was closer. Diamond made to push herself as fast as her Aura fuelled muscles would allow, only to be slowed by Arctus, who when she turned to face him, was rummaging through his pockets while slowing to a jog. Eventually pulling a single loose Gravity Dust crystal, the glistening obsidian shard barely longer than his pinkie finger and most likely a leftover fragment from Professor Peach's class. Diamond gave him an incredulous glare while urging him to run faster as the magenta sports car came into view once more. Arctus met her glare with a suddenly confident smirk as they ducked around the next corner, the wall being riddled with bullets a moment later

"Hey Dee, remember that knife your Dad gave you in case you started dating anyone?"

"Yeah why?"

"Do you have it?" Diamond skidded to a halt and crouched, reaching inside of her high-top sneakers and producing the ornate butterfly knife

"Yeah, what's the plan?" she managed to pant out between laboured breaths as she clutched her side. Dread setting in as Rhodium's car rounded the corner. Arctus took the knife in his left hand and flicked out the blade while simultaneously crushing the Dust crystal in his right

"We've got one shot at this so be ready to run" the breathed out, trying desperately to steady himself as the car began to slow down, evidently Rhodium was intending to open fire again. A Glyph formed in the Bear Faunus's palm, the same pitch black as the Dust crystal that it was infused with and far smaller than his usual Glyphs, a compressed momentum Glyph. Arctus held Diamond's knife against the surface of the its' surface and took aim, the moment the gun toting redhead began to emerge from the window Arctus fired, the projectile shooting forwards at incredible speeds and connecting with the front of the car with a screech of metal on metal and shattering fibreglass as the hood and grill seemed to partially collapse under the attack, thick black smoke issuing from the mangled front end of the car

"NOW GO!" he yelled turning to race after Diamond the moment that he saw he'd been successful. The pair of them bolted towards the bridge between tower complexes, the four lane road coming into view surrounded by signs detailing weight limits and barring freight vehicles from traversing came into view and Arctus allowed himself a small measure of relief

"What now?" Diamond didn't answer verbally, instead she ran towards the wall and promptly hauled herself over it in a manoeuvre that would have meant death for most people. Arctus followed suit and manifested a Glyph beneath himself to prevent plummeting several stories to the ground, looking towards the building he'd just left he saw Diamond stood horizontally on its' surface, her Semblance holding her in place

"I think we made it Big Guy" she panted out; Arctus's reply momentarily halted as a sound reached his ears

"Sirens" he noted, his suspicions confirmed as several armoured police cars and vans sped from the adjacent tower complex into the one they'd just escaped from; meaning Rhodium would be too preoccupied to give chase "Holy Oum we made it….That was like something from the Warriors"

"You've seen that movie?" Diamond asked with a raised eyebrow "Dude the old gangster flicks are classics, we should do this again" the pair of them shared a look, with a little difficulty due to the differences in their position; maintaining eye contact for a brief moment before breaking down into hysterical laughter.

"Hey" Diamond got her partners' attention "Your Glyphs flickering" Arctus gave the platform he was balancing on a once over, both of them realising the problem at the same time.

"You overdid it with that shield back there, come here" Diamond held her hand out and the Bear Faunus took it, becoming subject to the effects of her Semblance as he did so

"Whoa" he breathed out gently as the world seemed to shift around him, the ground below and the sky seeming to become opposite ends of a tunnel formed by the tower complexes of the city "Does it always feel like that?"

"Like the world revolves around me, yeah" Diamond admitted with a grin as she held onto him, her Semblance would only allow him to bend the laws of physics while they were touching. Arctus's arms found their way around her waist and she rest her head on his shoulder while they caught their breath in silence for a few moments, trying to process what had just happened.

"Think we're gonna make the last Bull-Head?" Arctus asked eventually

"Maybe if we run for it" Diamond mumbled into his jacket, making no effort to move, instead looking up, her cherry red eyes meeting his pale sapphire; a nervous expression crossing his face before he managed to speak

"Diamond….can I kiss you?" she could feel his heart hammering in his chest and smiled her arms wrapping around his shoulders

"You don't even need to ask Big Guy" she leaned up, her Semblance being maintained by just the tips of her toes "But it's really sweet that you did" with no more to be said their lips met, the first kiss being slow, gentle and tender; followed by a second more intense kiss, his limited experience evident, though neither of them cared in the slightest as Diamond's hands cupped his cheeks as he ran his hands through her hair until they broke apart, both wearing unusually bashful smiles. The moment between them was ruined by someone leaning from an apartment window several stories below hollering up at them

"GET A ROOM YA CRAZY KIDS! YOU HUNTERS CAN'T JUST MAKE OUT IN BARS LIKE NORMAL PEOPLE?" Diamond rolled her eyes and flipped the old man off before turning to Arctus and grinning

"Apparently there was one last cliché left tonight. Come on, let's go home" with that she leaned forward and planted one last kiss on his lips, leaving him trailing behind her feeling like the luckiest man alive despite the fact he'd been shot at only minutes earlier.

 **Authors Notes:**

I had a LOT of fun writing this chapter, just putting it out there….Also, the overjoyed squealing that I'm sure I can actually hear from where I am; same.  
Also the Vol.2 arc might be shorter than the previous one, but then again chapter size seems to have roughly doubled so hey.

Now Let's summarise:  
Arctus and Diamond share textbooks so the can aggregate their notes, I think adding little touches like that into your writing is what makes your characters feel more like real people….Also it's kinda sweet.  
Helios still gets shit-faced in lessons.  
Okay so two of the background characters are a Frog Faunus based on Froppy and a butch lesbian with a pixie cut that uses a halberd/crossbow, and they're dating….I think we all know that if this were an actual show instead of fan fiction they'd be the most popular recurring background characters.  
Okay poor Eagle, that went badly. On the plus side though, that kiss from Iris last chapter clearly got the desired effect; Eagle actually managed to talk to a cute girl.  
Nyanza is a lovable dick.  
Fantastic Grimm and how to kill them is a reference I will not get bored of making.  
Team CLIR are elsewhere, we'll see them next chapter.  
The scene with Helios only having the clothes he strictly needs because a) It kinda highlights the difference in cultures, he's from a nomadic tribe so having a lot of stuff is probably not a good idea. b) Felix's reaction.  
Sentinel is both best weapon and best dog. Also I mentioned it in I think chapter 10 but Helios has two dogs back home….they're called Milo and Akuo.  
Quentin Tangerine'o. I have no shame.  
Eagle is Team Mum. Give Eagle a break.  
Does the "Oh how the tables have turned" line count as another instance of Diamond 'Almost' breaking the fourth wall.  
Yes, yes I just had the moment ruined by the inception noise. I have no soul.  
Battle Cat: Eagle ships it.  
Yang Xiao Long is a DLC in a Street Fighter homage, you know exactly why.  
Also yeah, beat 'em games in Remnant would definitely feature Hunters.  
Eagle and Nyanza being friends is great, she just managed to get through to him in a way that Helios hasn't managed to and shown him that his Semblance can't be the only thing he relies on, without making it seem like a personal attack. Nyanza's 'weaponised fuck it' attitude is great for helping with shyness and insecurities; also Nyanza is an old friend of Felix's and both of their partners will hook up later on in this story.  
Rhodium's car is just as needlessly extra as his Dad's personality was.  
Also, Rhodium has a nice car, Felix has a nice car. Coincidence? I think not.  
The scene with the kids was actually an homage to a British Gangster film called "The Long Good Friday" which I was reminded of on Halloween because some little shits actually tried to shake me down for sweets on my way home from work.  
He has a grill, because of course he does.  
I think this scene actually solidified a lot of how I'm going to write Rhodium for me, it gave him a real character.  
I've noticed that I've subconsciously been writing Arctus to have a lot of pride in Atlas, seriously listen to the way he talks about home.  
Diamond knows the golden rule of surviving being shot at "Run serpentine"  
I don't imagine that was quite what Mercury Black imagined happening when he gave his daughter a knife in case she started dating someone.  
"Like something from the Warriors" is an in joke with myself….because yes I do that. I was actually seriously having the chapter end on a cliffhanger with Rhodium's "Hey kids" line and then have the next chapter involve Arctus and Diamond fighting their way through several street gangs that Rhodium enlisted as an homage to the Warriors.  
Brief explanation of what Diamond's Semblance looks and feel like from her perspective. To everyone else it looks like she's running on walls and ceilings, to her it's like everything rotates around her and the surface she's running on becomes the floor.  
NOW THAT WAS DIAMOND DUST'S FIRST 'OFFICIAL' KISS.

Thank you to FleetOfWarships, ShadowWolf, Arkanes Shippou, TigerRose, Ferrous, ShadowAlex2000, FluffyFirefly, Araniladin and SumoSnipe for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Shout out to ShadowWolf for posting the 100th review on FF dot Net.  
Phobos will only get worse.  
I have something in mind for the twins that I may move forward to the end of Vol.3 rather than at some point in one of the later years.  
Yay for all things Diamond Dust.  
"So strong it's probably Felix's type" Yang Xiao Long finger guns is all I have response to that.  
"You are a complete ass-hole. I love this" is quite possibly the best review I have ever received.  
You call it cruelty, I call it giving you at least a little of what you want.  
I have end game ships for all of Team FADE in mind.  
Everyone wants Felix to be a bottom for some reason.  
Nora has no concept of subtle. (Even though she's actually sneakier than people give her credit for).  
The guy in the club….I was imagining it being a Gucci belt, you know it would be.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	22. Fury Road

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 22: Fury Road**

It had been a little over two weeks since Rhodium Torchwick's escape from the police. Looking back on the situation the gangster could admit to himself that perhaps jumping out of the car and attempting to gun down a pair of teenagers in the middle of a crowded street hadn't been his most well thought out move.  
It had been a close thing, closer than he'd like to admit; the police had almost managed to force him to stop his car before he'd managed to slip through their net and speed off into the lowest depths of the tower complexes that formed New Vale's capital, the security cameras in the area long since having been removed and the locals been unwilling to co-operate with the law just on principal. Thick black smoke had been spewing from his heavily damaged vehicle by the time he arrived at a depot for a shipping company where several senior members of staff owed him favours; it was from here that he and his car had been loaded into the back of a truck and given safe passage beyond the walls of the capital and the watchful eye of the Hunters and law enforcement.

Which brought him to his current situation, he'd been laying low in a backwater fishing village so far outside of the Kingdom proper, and so miniscule that the average citizen of New Vale had no idea that the place existed. The fishing industry on Patch, bolstered by the islands' post-war population boom, had all but decimated the places' economy; it was so low on the Councils' list of priorities that there were no Hunters stationed anywhere nearby and the general air of depression and desperation around the place made it a prime target for Grimm attacks. It was a perfect place for someone who had resources and knew how to make a deal.

"Rhodey" the gruff voice disturbed the redhead from his thoughts, causing him to turn and face whoever was presumptuous to call him by his nickname. He was greeted by a tough looking, greying man in perhaps his early fifties with weather-beaten skin and tattoos visible under his sleeves and collar that may have been the product of time in prison; the union representative for the fishermen of the area, a man that many would argue was corrupt but simply saw himself as doing what was needed.

"Cerulean" Rhodium nodded as he slipped off of the wall he'd been perched on, if anyone asked he was overseeing the loading of the trucks that were parked near the docks, in truth he was simply enjoying the fresh air while he could despite the winter chill setting in; being native to the capital it was a rare experience.

"Your people look like they're getting ready to leave" the older man noted, an accusation in his voice "Our arrangement-"

"I've never gone back on a deal in my life old man. Think very carefully about what you accuse me of" Rhodium's tone was icy and his expression was bordering on murderous as he stared down his somewhat unwilling business partner; after all, he may be a violent criminal who would sell and steal almost anything, but one still had to have standards.

"How many men can we expect?" Cerulean asked, calmer than most people who knew who and what Rhodium was would have been

"I can spare two dozen guys and enough ammo to keep 'em here for….say a month or so"

"That should be enough for now. Pleasure doing business with you, we need all the hands we can get since Gut Wukong retired." the union man pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pockets and made his way towards the docks themselves. The deal Torchwick had entered into with Cerulean and by extension the majority of the village was a simple one; he'd been storing the trucks he'd been purchasing here since the fiasco with his warehouse and was using the docks as a port away from the eyes of the law to bring in any resources he couldn't find within the Kingdom itself. In return he provided the security that the Council seemed unwilling to, with winter closing its' grip on them Grimm incursions seemed more likely every day it was an arrangement that benefited everyone. Rhodium watched Cerulean leave before turning his attention back to the trucks which were being loaded with guns and munitions. His expression hardened, too many mistakes had been made recently in his mind; this combined with the lack of communication from his secretive supplier Dunwitch led the mobster to the conclusion that drastic measures were needed to reassert his position and it was time to bring the various gangs of New Vale together under a more forward thinking leader than Melanie Malachite. Turning away from the trucks, knowing that his subordinates knew better than to make mistakes when he was nearby he began walking towards a ramshackle shed like building, the metal walls and roof long since rusted. Stepping inside he saw a small group of men working on what looked like an engine from one of the smaller boats, behind them was something larger covered in a sheet. The men turned to face him as he entered

"Is it ready?" he asked, almost daring to be told no after the small fortune he'd paid

"Aye it's ready" one of the men grunted before making their way over to a small workbench and rummaging around under it "My daughter's been working night and day on the damn thing mind you. Oh and one of your boys thought this was the post office and decided to leave this here for you" rising to his feet the mechanic held out something that brought a bright smile to Rhodium's face; his cane. He'd told the crew he was leaving behind to guard this town to pick it up from his apartment on the way here, on the off chance that New Vale's police actually managed to raid the apartment he lived in rather than one of his decoys.

"Nice" Rhodium smirked before making his way over to the vehicle at the back of the workshop and removing the sheet which covered it with a flourish. His smile widened even further at the sight of his magenta sports car, restored and looking as though nothing had happened to it.

"Well I'd say it's been fun" Rhodium sneered "But honestly this place is more boring than the care home my grandma died in; rest assured my crew will keep you from the sweet release of death though. As for me….I'm going home. Money to make, empire to build, cops to kill….I fucking hate cops"

* * *

Team CLIR were _finally_ returning from their second mission of the year, the rest of the teams' spirits dashed by a combination of exhaustion and Iris pointing out how many assignments they would have to catch up on. The mission itself hadn't been especially taxing, they'd been travelling from one small settlement to another beyond New Vale's perimeter and following up reports of Grimm activity, exterminating with extreme prejudice whenever required; not challenging in of itself if one overlooked the amount of time the task consumed.  
The issues that had pushed Corvid Xiao Long to the edge had been twofold, the first had been learning that there were several villages beyond even those they were travelling to who would receive no such assistance, her furious demand of _'Then what's the fucking point?'_ was yet to be satisfactorily answered.  
The second issue was the Huntsman they'd been assigned to, Corvid had known from the moment she answered one of Sky Lark's questions with _'I'll have to mullet over'_ and received nothing but frosty silence that this mission was going to be all work and no play.

"I cannot wait to get home" Lux groaned as he stretched out on the seat of the vehicle Team CLIR were currently travelling in "Not Halo, I'm going to my place and soaking in the hot tub for a week. Gonna join me babe?" Rusty, who was currently laid across his own seat raised his Stetson from over his face and gave his boyfriend a smile that answered the question better than words ever could

"Nice for some" Corvid snorted

"You're all welcome to come round, my folks like you guys"

"Sounds like a plan" Iris yawned from where she was using their collected sleeping bags and rucksacks as pillows. After a few moments Corvid grew bored of watching the scenery through the window; frosty and barren ground with little by the way of landmarks, rising to her feet she made her way to the front of the vehicle and addressed Sky who was driving

"Hey Miss Frizzle, can the tragic school bus go any faster?"

"How about you stand in front of it and we'll find out" the Huntsman clad in rusted armour and whom the smell of cheap liquor clung to snarled "And it's called the Road Warrior"

"Yeah I'm not calling it that" Corvid laughed. Sky Lark's personal transport, and from what she'd managed to gather from his incessant grumbling, home since a messy divorce was a repurposed school bus, it's vibrant yellow paint long since stripped away and it's gunmetal body patched together seemingly with whatever scrap metal was available. The windows were allegedly bulletproof though the interior had been fitted with admittedly more comfortable seats and a roll cage as well as a fridge and space for medical supplies and ammunition. What left Corvid unable to take the vehicle or the individual who drove it seriously, besides the name, were the oversized wheels fitted with tires that bordered on preposterous and the monstrous plough fitted with steel spikes affixed to the front of the bus; giving the Road Warrior an overall look that Lux had described as _'Zombie killer chic'_

"Y'know what really annoys me Xiao Long?" Sky growled, stroking his stubble while keeping the other hand firmly on the wheel

"Most things" Corvid sighed with a roll of her steely grey eyes. Sky let the sarcasm slide and continued undeterred

"Half assed people, like you"

"Excuse-"

"You could be great, your whole team could. Hell I caught one of your tournament matches at a truck stop I was filling up at last year. Your main weapon is something else, you're naturals, you're a damn sight better than my team ever were….and that cost us in the war. What I'm trying to say is hell you and those kids back there could be the next Team STRQ"

"Oh" Corvid was honestly taken aback, it was by far the nicest thing Sky Lark had said to any member of her team, even finding out Iris saw his former team leader as an inspiration hadn't made him any less irritable "Thank you"

"Hell, you even made leader despite being Belladonna's kid. That's saying something" Corvid's eyes reflexively narrowed at that

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"A Faunus raising someone with the discipline to lead a team? Credit to you kid, that's an obstacle not many people could get over. Hell when she was at Beacon she actually lied about what she-"

"Stop the bus" Corvid's voice came out as a low hiss, she was livid, so angry that shouting would have utterly failed to convey the emotion

"What?"

"I said" Corvid punctuated her words with an Aura fuelled punch, her fist shattered the wind shield of the Road Warrior "Stop this rusty piece of shit right now!" the bus came to a halt, ancient suspension groaning in protest and Corvid caught a brief glance of her teams' stunned and confused faces before she ripped the door away and stepped out into the freezing air, stalking away with Sky's bellowed threats and curses ringing in her ears. Before she got far she felt a firm hand on her shoulder and craned her neck, finding her team-mates behind her

"I'm not going back" she snarled, becoming aware that her hands were shaking with rage and cold "If I go back I'll kill him"

"Little lady I would happily help you dismember the body and leave it for the Grimm" Rusty flashed her a feral smile that, combined with his apparent familiarity with disposing of human remains sent a shiver up her spine despite herself

"We didn't hear what he said, but we got the gist of it after he called one of your Mums a fleabag" Iris informed her, hearing the racial slur made Corvid momentarily reconsider her stance on heading back to the bus, if only to beat Sky Lark to within an inch of his sad, inconsequential life

"Lux socked him" Iris added and Corvid turned to her partner who shrugged sheepishly as she stared disbelievingly at his bloody knuckles.

"I love you guys, you know that right?" Corvid didn't wait for their answers, instead she pulled her team into a group hug that lasted scant moments before the rumbling sound of the Road Warriors' engine demanded their attention, as did Sky Lark's furious tirade

"WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? YOU'RE GONNA BE OUT OF HALO BY THE END OF THE DAY! DON'T YOU DARE WALK AWAY FROM ME, GET BACK HERE AND-" the rant was ended abruptly as the sound of High Noon, Rusty's obscenely powerful revolver being cocked rang out, the weapon aimed at the now absent wind shield and pointed directly at the drivers' face; followed by Rusty's unmistakable South Vaccuan drawl

"Now see here _boy_ " the word was emphasised with enough venom to make even his friends give him a concerned glance "I don't know how y'all do things round here, but where I come from talking like that to a lady or about someone's mama is cause for certain things to happen. Now why don't you sit there, real quiet like and ponder whether you've got a spare wheel" the moment the words left his lips he lowered his aim, Sky hadn't even managed to finish his sigh of relief before the shot rang out and the Road Warrior sagged, the front drivers' side tire being shredded by the force of the bullet that passed through it before cracking the wheel itself.

"Now let's go" with little more to be said, Team CLIR set off. Corvid finally being the one to articulate a thought that she was sure they'd all had

"It's freezing….And it's gonna be one hell of a walk back to the city"

* * *

Classes had finished for the day, leaving the students of Halo Academy deciding how best to spend their weekend. Felix Xiao Long was one of the few not considering heading into the city below at any point. The Lion Faunus's tail twitched with agitation as the words he'd written seemed to blur in front of him, rubbing his eyes as a small growl escaped him. He understood the theory of the Grimm studies assignment he was currently working on and was almost certain he could handle any of the specimens it pertained to if he encountered them in the field; it was was just making the ideas flow into a stream of coherent sentences that was causing him problems. After forcing himself to reread his work so far he saved the draft, the clock in the corner of his laptops' screen alerting him to the fact it wasn't as late as he thought.

"Hey Eagle, how's that shoulder?" he asked in search of something to distract himself with. His partner was curled up on her bunk clad in her usual hoodie though her jeans had been replaced with sweatpants and she clutched the three foot stuffed Ursa she'd been given by Nora under her chin.

"Not too bad, I can actually feel the arm now. Kinda wish I couldn't" she admitted forlornly. The final lesson of the week for first years was combat training with Professor Nora and she always liked to end with at least one sparring match; today had seen Eagle face off against Quartz Murus of Team AQUA who seemed to have something of a grudge against the blonde. Eagle had eventually managed to force her opponents' Aura into the red but Quartz had managed to dislocate Eagle's right shoulder with a particularly vicious swing of her halberd.

"Still, you won though….where the hell did you learn that move you finished off with?" Felix's tone became far more enthusiastic, combat training was his best subject by a wide margin and he was always looking to improve. The answer was predictable

"One of my Aunts, Aunt Vicky used to be a tournament fighter so she wanted me to know how to look after myself if I was ever disarmed"

"Eagle seriously you've gotta introduce us to all these Aunts and Uncles sometime" Felix laughed "Right guys?….guys?" he trailed off when turning his attention to the other set of bunk-beds in the dormitory where whatever Arctus and Diamond had been doing had been forgotten as the pair of them lay beside each other, kissing softly.

"Did you expect anything else?" Eagle snickered, Arctus and Diamond hadn't officially announced they were dating though that hadn't stopped certain bets amongst students of various years being cashed in. Nothing much seemed to have changed between the pair, they were just as inseparable as ever, with the addition of them now occasionally forgetting there were other people in the dorm and making out. The pair of blondes they shared said dorm with were beyond happy for them and both admitted that Arctus and Diamond were sweet together. Right now though Felix just found their antics annoying

"Pass me the Ursa, I feel like throwing something at 'em" he grumbled. This managed to get the pairs' attention. Diamond merely rolled her eyes while Arctus held his arm out and created a Glyph that would deflect stuffed animals or anything else Felix decided to hurl in their direction

"Okay that's it" the Lion Faunus sighed "I need to get out of this dorm or I'm gonna go crazy" as if in response to this assertion someone's Scroll began vibrating

"Mine" Eagle announced as she fished the device from the pocket of her hoodie with her left arm, the right still being too stiff to be of any real use to her. Her face split into a bright dimpled smile as she saw the caller "Uncle Flax! Hey how're you? how's the Jackrabbit did you manage to get it repaired?" Felix tuned out the other half of the conversation as much as he could, if he wanted to his superior hearing would have allowed him to hear the entire conversation; however that would just be rude. After a few moments Eagle ended the conversation

"Okay, I'll ask 'em if they want to come. I'll see you in maybe an hour or so?"

"Where're we going?" Felix asked with a raised eyebrow

"Erm well there's an airship heading into the city in about fifteen minutes, if I pay the fee to get your car aboard would you mind giving me a lift to my Uncle Flax's place? It's his and Aunt Daisy's wedding anniversary and their babysitter let 'em down at the last minute, I just promised to look after my cousin Honey until they get back" Felix thought this was exactly what he needed and rose to his feet, habitually sliding Hack and Slash into place over his back; none of Team FADE had left the campus unarmed since the incident involving Rhodium Torchwick two weeks prior

"No problem I'll come with, kids love me" he turned to Arctus and Diamond "I take it you two are staying behind?"

"No way Dude, I've gotta see you getting your nails painted and having tea parties" Diamond chuckled as she climbed off of Arctus's bed, holding a hand out to the towering Faunus as she did do "Come on babe" Felix couldn't help smirk as he watched his cousin blush at the pet name. Turning his attention back to Diamond he snorted derisively

"As long as they don't try and braid my hair….never too young to catch these hands" with that Team FADE made their way to wards the campus garage, Arctus and Diamond cackling as Eagle huffed and assured her partner, on pain of death, that he would do no such thing.

* * *

It was late afternoon and the sun had already set, leaving the road back to the city illuminated by nothing more than the headlights of the vehicles that used it. Rhodium Torchwick gave a loud yawn and shifted in the seat of his car while considering changing the music thumping within the interior of his car to a more upbeat and aggressive playlist, if only to help himself stay awake. His newly repaired sports car was leading a convoy of various sized trucks that the redhead had acquired with the idea of using them to distribute drugs around the city with ease during the fast approaching centenary festival. After fiddling with his Scroll for a few moments he returned his attention to the poorly maintained road, blinking a few times and squinting when he saw several pinpricks of bloody red light in the distance, instantly recognisable to anyone who'd ventured beyond the walls of the capital. Biting back a curse Rhodium grabbed his Scroll and muted his music player, calling the man in the passengers' seat of the first truck in the convey

"Grimm up ahead, you see 'em?" the answer came instantly

"Yeah I see 'em, about half a dozen Beowolves heading the same way as us. Want me to take 'em out?"

"No I just called 'cos I was starting a game of I spy….Of course I want you to take 'em out numb nuts!" before he ended the call he heard the sound of his subordinate readying his weapon, checking his rear view mirror showed him that the trucks were flashing their warning lights to one another, alerting the whole convey to the nearby Grimm. Moments later the gunfire started and Rhodium paid close attention to the road ahead, waiting until the last glowing red lights had faded before speeding off

"What the fuck were they stalking?" he muttered under his breath, the Grimm had been heading in the opposite direction to his own convoy which meant there was somebody else on this stretch of road. He scanned his surroundings for any sign of the monsters' intended prey, half expecting to see a broken down car on the side of the road. Rhodium fully intended to offer whoever it was a ride back to the city in his well armed and protected convey; after all he may be a criminal, but he had standards.  
That position soon changed. Rhodium's eyed widened in disbelief as he saw the group of four teens who had taken defensive positions, evidently having heard the gunfire. Student Hunters, his face became a twisted smile when he realised three of the four students were familiar to him, especially the one with the oversized mace.

* * *

"No, we're not stopping off at a pizza place. We're pushing it for time as it is" Felix huffed as he steered through the streets of New Vale, responding to Arctus's request since they'd left Halo Academy without stopping to get something to eat on the way.

"I'll order us something when we get there" Eagle added from her position in the passengers' seat, giving Felix directions to her uncles' home in the more suburban areas of the city beyond the gargantuan interconnected towers.

"Thanks, I'll pay" the Bear Faunus replied, turning his attention away from Diamond who was currently not wearing her seatbelt, choosing instead to lay her head on her partners' lap.

"Thanks and-Oh for Oum's sake are you two seriously snuggling in my car" Felix grumbled as he caught sight of the two of them

"Oh yeah dude, I was about to give him head back here and everything" Diamond shot back with a roll of her eyes, Arctus's blushing and awkward, sputtering attempts to respond causing the other occupants of the Killer Bee to burst out laughing until Felix's Scroll, currently resting behind the gear stick began to vibrate

"Can you get that for me, just put it on loudspeaker" he asked Eagle who silently did so. The sound of gunfire and panicked shouts instantly filled the car, Corvid Xiao Long's voice carrying over them

"Felix I need your help! I'm sending you the code to track my Scroll now-"

"COREY! What's happening?" Felix demanded

"Torchwick and a whole lot of guys, I don't have the Omega Wing. Just get here-IRIS, IRIS GET DOWN!" a dull booming explosion rang out through the connection, Team FADE shared horrified glances for a brief moment before Felix spoke

"We're on the way" he ended the call and pulled up the code Corvid had sent him, allowing him to track her Aura and location as if she were a member of his own team. Setting his Scroll's navigation system to follow Corvid's Scroll he brought the Killer Bee screeching around the next corner, traffic laws being forgotten as he he pushed the muscle car to its' limits

"Call your uncle, tell him what's happened. Tell him there's a team of student Hunters in need of an urgent assist" the Lion Faunus's voice came out in a tense growl. Eagle nodded and Team FADE mentally prepared themselves for battle.

* * *

The situation had deteriorated rapidly. Team CLIR had been on the defensive from the moment they heard the gunshots and had launched themselves at Rhodium Torchwick the moment he emerged from his car, cane already converted to its' sword form. Then the trucks full of armed gangsters arrived, this was nothing like the raid on the warehouse where they'd managed to catch a handful of criminals unaware. Corvid ordered Rusty and Iris to take on the mob while she and Lux dealt with Torchwick himself, Iris using her Semblance to hurl the vehicles into one another for as long as she was able, ammunition exploding within them had tipped the tide somewhat in their favour.

Then one of the mobsters managed to salvage a rocket launcher an open fire on her telekinetic team-mate

"-IRIS, IRIS GET DOWN!" her over use of her Semblance had left her sluggish and she failed to react fast enough being hurled to the ground. Iris heard her brother end the call and leapt from behind the ruined truck she'd been using as cover while she made the call, Seeing one of the last remaining members of Torchwick's crew attempt to approach Iris's unconscious form Corvid picked what appeared to be a front axle from one of the trucks, a single wheel still attached, and swing it at their face with devastating force.

"I'll get her into cover!" Rusty bellowed "Help Lux dammit!" Corvid nodded and rushed over to the duel she'd been neglecting, drawing her handgun and shifting into into its' katana form as she did so. Rhodium and Lux faced off alone, the ground around them scorched and torn enough to discourage any who considered approaching. Rhodium's single blade and Lux's pair moving with impossible speed and fluidity, though Corvid realised with a sinking feeling that Rhodium was clearly winning.

"You've got a bad case of Rhode rage!" the pun, shouted forcefully was enough to get Rhodium's attention; the redhead parrying both of Lux's swords at the same time and turning to face the new challenger with a roll of his eyes

"Really is that-" he found himself cut off by Corvid launching herself into the air and delivering a flying kick to his face. Rolling to his feet Rhodium caught his hat which had been knocked from his head, the item began to glow as it was charged with his Semblance; he hurled the hat at Corvid who found herself tackled to the ground, the hat exploding above her

"You okay?" Lux asked as he rapidly returned to his feet, pulling Corvid with him. She turned her attention to Rhodium who was twirling his sword in his hand, seemingly searching for an opening

"That again? Fuck it, do it again and you've got a hat trick" with out waiting for a response she rushed the mobster, Lux following her lead together the two of them managed to push him onto the defensive, though there was no denying his skill with both a blade and using anything nearby as an explosive.

"Corey!" Lux's warning came just in time and Corvid managed to roll under a few shards of glass from a shattered wind shield which produced smaller explosions than she'd expected. A small smirk crossed her face as she rose to a standing position in a wide stance as she rooted herself and prepared to use her own Semblance

"Gotcha" Rhodium sneered, he'd seen her roll forwards and slashed horizontally at her neck. He was stunned when his victim made no effort to avoid the attack, simply blocking with her left arm

"Fuck" he cried out clutching his sword arm in pain, struggling not to drop the sword as tremors travelled along the blade and through his body. Attacking the five foot seven woman in front of him had been like striking a mountain

"I don't use my Semblance much" Corvid chuckled, voice echoing unnaturally and the ground beneath her feet cracking slightly though these effects seemed to end as she stepped forwards "But it has it's uses"

"AND SO DOES MINE!" Rusty announced his arrival to the fray, evidently having dispatched the remaining grunts and managed to get behind Rhodium, wrapping an arm around his neck and using the redheads' struggling as an opportunity to clutch the blade of his sword on his free hand and trigger his own Semblance. The sword began to rust and corrode as Rusty's fist was enveloped in greenish brown mist; eventually the upper two thirds of the blade dropped to the floor with a clang and Rhodium's eyes went wide with shock

"You kids just keep getting weirder don't ya?" with that he flung his head backwards, connecting painfully with the bridge of Rusty's nose, at that point he decided it was time to take a risk and test a theory that was forming in his mind. Charging the now useless remains of his sword he hurled them into the space between the boy with the purple hair and the girl in the flight suit, as they leapt aside he sprung forwards as plucked the blade of his sword from the ground, stabbing forwards viciously

"Looks like I was right" he cooed, he'd realised when she started moving that whatever defence the girls' Semblance granted her only worked while she was stationary. The fact she was now curled on the ground clutching at the blade jutting out of her thigh, blood seeping through her fingers confirmed it and Rhodium decided to celebrate with a few kicks to her face and chest before her partner tried to intervene. Lux was drained from fighting the mobster the longest and his Aura flickered and faded as Rhodium weaved around his slashes and landed a pair of Aura fuelled punches on his stomach and the back of his head, realising he had very little Aura left to defend himself with as he did so

"Well, it's been fun kids; really it has" with that the redhead peered around, the flames from the demolished trucks of his convoy were beginning to die down "But someone's gotta pay for this" he made his way over to where one of his henchmen was laid on the ground and made to pick up the shotgun they'd dropped and dispense his twisted form of justice. He halted as a sound reached his ears; engines, two of them, each approaching from a different direction

"What now" he muttered as he strained his eyes, hoping to pick out anything in the distance. Eventually something could be seen drawing close which only fuelled his incredulity

"Is that a bus?"

* * *

The Killer Bee screeched to a halt, Felix leaping from the drivers side door and drawing Hack and Slash in a single fluid motion; the swords shifted to their machine pistol forms and the darkness was lit up by the rapid discharge of the weapons the moment the Lion Faunus caught sight of orange hair. Rhodium, who had already been engaged in a gunfight with someone nearby, clearly decided that enough was enough when his Aura visibly flickered as the hail of gunfire connected with his chest and shoulder. Scrabbling around for anything he could use as a distraction he hurled the assault rifle that Felix's salvo had forced him to drop. The weapon glowed with Rhodium's Semblance, it's own destructive output enhanced by the high calibre ammunition contained in the weapon. Before Felix could prepare absorb the heat of the blast with his own Semblance Arctus had created a Glyph to protect him

"Shrapnel" the Bear Faunus explained bluntly, Felix paid him little mind as he saw Rhodium limping towards his sports car which was parked some distance away, the Lion Faunus's instinct to chase after him was snuffed out by Diamond's voice, her words seeming to make his heart stop

"Felix! Corvid's hurt!" in a moment he was by his sisters' side, blanching as he saw how pale she looked and the volume of her own blood staining her hands.

"What happened?" he demanded, either one of her team could answer him or the Huntsman in poorly maintained answer could, but he would have answers

"Stab wound to the leg" the Huntsman informed him dispassionately "She's lost a lot of blood but I can stabilise her on my bus. Blackwatch, Lumière help me move her. We'll put her with Ramal"

"We're not going with-" Rusty's words, slurred by his broken nose were cut off by Sky who snapped impatiently

"We're on the same side here. You can think I'm a jackass later!"

"Fluffy" Corvid hissed out through clenched teeth "Why the hell aren't you going after Torchwick?" her words were punctuated by the screech of tires as Rhodium's car finally started and the mobster sped off into the distance

"Get her to a hospital!" The Lion Faunus snapped as he ran towards his own car, nearly ripping the door free with the force he used to open it. Only vaguely aware of the rest of Team FADE rushing to join him, the rear doors still being open when he brought the engine roaring into life and gave chase.

"Uncle Flax should be on the way, we can do this" Eagle tried to assure her partner

"He'll be collecting a body" was his growled reply as he urged the Killer Bee to move faster, Rhodium's tail lights were in the distance and drawing no closer; the small head start proving enough to make a substantial distance

"Felix hold the car steady" Diamond said as she lowered the window and unfastened her seatbelt, "What are you doing?" Arctus asked, his nerves apparent. His partner gave no indication that she'd heard before she hauled herself out of the window of the still moving vehicle, her Semblance aiding her as she positioned herself on the trunk and drew her weapon. Resting Lex Talionis on the roof of the car in sniper rifle mode she lined up a shot, the crack of the rifle sounded and sparks could be seen spraying from the wheel of the car as its' driver struggled to keep it under control. Diamond made her way back inside the car

"Took out one of his tires, he's slowing down" Felix nodded silently, removing the cover from a bright red hidden button on the gear stick, pressing the button caused the Killer Bee to lurch forward, G-force pushing the occupants back into their seats as they began to close the distance

"Oh my gosh what did you do!" Eagle demanded, panicking slightly

"High output Dust booster" Felix answered bluntly "Hold onto something" Eagle was about to ask why when she realised just how fast they were catching up to Rhodium and the answer became clear. Felix intended to ram him off the road; before it could happen a jet of flames spewed from the exhaust of the magenta sports car and tore off, beginning to re-establish its' lead.

"Fuck!" Felix spat "He's got one as well"

"Hold on" Eagle sighed as she pulled Sentinel in shield from between her legs where she'd been holding it and lowered her window "And sorry about this" Sentinel activated, claw like arms shooting forward on their cables and finding purchase on the supercharger that protruded from the hood as the droid secured itself on the roof of the Killer Bee, treads leaving dents on its' surface

"Open fire!" Eagle called up

"Doot doot!" was what preceded a maelstrom of bullets being unleashed upon the car in front of them. The rear window shattered followed by the entire roof and upper body of the car being torn asunder before Sentinel's ammunition ran out.

"How the fuck is he still driving!" Felix demanded furiously, he was answered by Rhodium pulling himself up from where he'd been laid low across the seats of the car while still managing to keep a hand on the wheel and a foot on the pedal. The two cars continued to streak through along the road; the lights of the city and the fortress like wall that surrounded it becoming visible on the horizon. The Killer Bee drew almost level with Rhodium's car, Rhodium responded by taking the owners manual from the glove compartment and charging it with as much of his Semblance as his strained Aura would allow, giving the students the finger as he hurled the book at them; Felix made to veer out of the only for the explosion to be halted before he could

"I've got this" Arctus assured him from the back of the car, his Glyph dissipating as they sped onwards "Just stay level with him" the Bear Faunus took several slow deep breaths to focus himself, without using Dust this was going to be taxing. Once he was prepared Arctus leaned out of the window and created a Glyph directly in front of Rhodium's car, before the gangster could avoid it something charged from its' surface; a Boarbatusk of glowing white with shining blue eyes. The summoned Grimm faded the moment the car ploughed into it but the damage was done, Rhodium's car flipped and sailed through the air before hitting the ground with an earthshaking crash and rolling several times, eventually coming to a stop on its' roof with flames beginning to issue from its' ruined hood. Felix had already brought the Killer Bee to a halt and had barrelled towards Rhodium's car on foot, his team-mates warning ringing in his ears.

"Oh you've gotta be fucking kidding me" Rhodium laughed, half crazed as he caught sight of Felix while dragging himself free of the wreckage. Blood poured from a gash along his forehead and his right leg seemed to be at an unnatural angle. Felix gave no response, rage had consumed him and there was no need for talking. The Lion Faunus activated his own Semblance and the flames threatening to engulf the destroyed car were consumed as Felix's glowing golden Aura became visible. With a roar he entered his Balrog State, skin becoming like burned and blackened stone, veins of magma criss-crossing its' surface while his eyes hair and tail blazed with golden fire as he hauled Rhodium to his feet the gangster spat blood in his face and clutched at his forearms, wincing as the heat seared through what little Aura he had left.

"A good try kid, but I still win" his magenta manifested around his hand and Felix's forearms and Rhodium managed the ghost of a smirk "See my Semblance doesn't work on living tissue but you just went and turned yourself into a rock monster, so now either you let me go or when my Aura finally runs out I blow your arms off" Felix still didn't speak, the only sound he made being a deep snarl before bringing his forehead down against Rhodium's nose, the blow broke his concentration and his Semblance failed as he collapsed back into the remains of his car. The Felix began attacking, punch after berserk punch continuing long after his opponent had stopped fighting back until he felt a pair of arms pin his own to his sides and someone try to drag him back

"FELIX STOP!" Eagle's voice wavered "You can't kill him!" he returned to his natural state to avoid hurting her, staggering as the golden fire that wreathed him dissipated

"He stabbed Corvid" he gasped out, trying to overcome the instant exhaustion

"And he'll be punished for that along with everything else" she indicated upwards, Felix turned his attention to the sky his night vision instantly identifying a squadron of Bull-Heads, all but one of them bearing markings that identified them as police vehicles; they passed overhead clearly heading in the direction of Team CLIR and the several unconscious members of Rhodium's crew. The lone remaining Bull-Head was one that all of Team FADE recognised, the Jackrabbit

"Not bad kids, not bad at all" a voice called down to them, amplified by a megaphone. Standing at the mouth of one of the open side hatches were two individuals. The first was Flax Scarlatina, his machine gun gauntlets at the ready; The second was the person holding the megaphone. Brindle Bordeaux of the New Vale Police.

"I think everyone on the force is gonna want to shake your hands after this. This son of a bitch is going to prison for a very long time"

 **Authors Notes:**

Another chapter done, and boy was this one fun to write.  
Next chapter is gonna be a little less action packed but after that the build up to the Vol.2 finale starts; brace yourselves.  
Also, unrelated but I've now seen Brigitte Lindholm and she's pretty close to what I picture Corvid looking like.

So let's summarise:  
Rhodium is a man of many skills, evading capture is one of them. It's easy than you'd think when one knows the area better than your pursuers and has a network of people willing to do you a favour.  
Is it just me that thinks little details like _"The fishing industry on Patch is why this fishing village is now a safe haven for criminals"_ are what adds realism to a story? Things have reasons for being the way they are beyond plot convenience.  
Also "Gut Wukong" is a character from The Downward Spiral, Sun's Dad and a high ranking member of Vaccuo's border patrol who was as corrupt as they come. It makes sense for 'Old three hands' to have arrangements with other black market ports.  
Rhodium has a plan to go on the offensive.  
"I fucking hate cops" is something of a catchphrase for Rhodium at this point.  
"I'll have to mullet over" if you didn't laugh you have no soul. Also out of Team CRDL Sky Lark is the only one who never turned themselves around and is still a jackass.  
Yes he drives a post apocalyptic school bus and it's all he has after a messy divorce.  
He almost said something nice….then he ruined it.  
Everyone needs a friend like Rusty and Lux.  
Diamond Dust. They are insufferably cute together.  
Felix would totally let a kid paint his nails. He'd also totally fight a child who messed with his hair, he is Yang's son after all.  
Rhodium was actually going to get some stranded drivers to safety before he realised it was Team CLIR. Him being prepared to do something good then turning on a dime is going to become something of a theme for him.  
Iris didn't do too much in this fight but I felt like I had to take her out early, her telekinesis makes her a little OP. I mean it has its' limits but she can hurl trucks around for limited amounts of time.  
Corvid has weaponised her Puns.  
A note of Corvid's Semblance, I'll explain it more in later chapter but here it is: It's called "Immovable" as long as Corey is on the ground and standing still she can't be moved, at all. Rhodium swung a sword at her and it was like hitting a wall. She doesn't use it often because it conflicts with her main weapon, the Omega Wing. But considering a persons' Semblance is an extension of who they are, Corvid making a weapon that doesn't work with her Semblance which is an expression of her stubbornness makes sense; she's just _that_ stubborn.  
Rhodium's pretty smart, he pays attention to detail and figures out peoples' weaknesses pretty quickly.  
Sky's bus has enough medical supplies on it to get Corvid safely to a hospital. She'll be fine.  
Ah a Hollywood style car chase (Also Hollywood fits the naming rules) I think everyone shone here. Especially Arctus who finally managed to summon something without the use of Eco-Dust.  
Rhodium's Semblance has a limit, he can't blow people up on contact.  
I just realised that in his Balrog state Felix is the Unstoppable force to his sisters' immovable object. The Vytal Tournament in second year is going to be fun.  
Brought Brindle Bordeaux the Mastiff Faunus back, since the readers actually liked him so much. He was originally intended to be a one use character,

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Araniladin, JollyTheImmortal, FleetOfWarships, ShadowAlex2000, Arkanes Shippou, TigerRose, Ferrous and FluffyFirefly for their reviews on the last chapter.  
You know Merc has told Diamond that the world revolves around her at some point.  
I don't know, I think Eagle is all the nice parts of my subconscious escaping.  
Yang makes 'Enough' money.  
The Killer Bee has some dents and scratches, nothing that can't be fixed.  
Do you still love Rhodium? Or love to hate him?  
Were the puns better this chapter?  
The one bit of advice I can give to people who want to write dialogue (And this is going to sound bitchy as hell) is "If it reads like the subtitles of a Shounen Anime, you need to rework it".  
All aboard the SS. Diamond Dust.  
In my head I hear Diamond as somewhere between Emerald and Cinder, really low and husky. In The Downward Spiral I described Gangrel as having a deep and growling voice with an accent and dialect that was based on Yorkshire. Arctus has Gang's voice but Weiss's more refined accent and dialect because she will _not_ have her son butchering the language. For Eagle I always say _"Think of a young Gwendoline Christie"_ and for Corvid, yeah that's pretty much spot on.  
Fuck the fourth wall, I have no constraints.  
Felix wasn't even lusting that bad, those two are going to be utterly oblivious for a while.  
I realised I dropped the ball with the old guy….It should have been the shop-keep.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	23. A Brief Pause

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 23: A Brief Pause**

A week had passed since the capture of Rhodium Torchwick, a week in which Team FADE had undeniably revelled in the almost celebrity status it had given them at Halo Academy. The media, while being denied access to the campus had been incessant in their reporting of the capture of one of New Vale's most notorious criminals, the fact that police and fully qualified Hunters had only arrived after a team of first year students had come to an older teams' aid and apprehended Torchwick giving them plenty of material for sensationalist articles. While all students involved in the incident had been instructed by Professor Goodwitch that they were not to give interviews while Torchwick's case was still ongoing the press had still managed to acquire several photographs of Team FADE.  
Diamond and Arctus had been the least affected by the development; Arctus having been photographed by the press before simply due to his heritage, the Bear Faunus was simply happy to be being discussed for his own achievements for a change. Diamond seemingly shrugged off the attention with her usual effortless nonchalance and the pair were frankly still too absorbed in the novelty of their own relationship to pay any mind to gossip.  
Eagle and Felix had been far more affected, while both blondes had mothers who spent a considerable amount of time in the public eye Eagle living with her grandparents had shielded her from much of the media's scrutiny and Blake Xiao Long had always gone to great lengths to give her children a normal life. The attention had given Eagle a noticeable spring in her step, students native to the crime ridden areas of the city Rhodium Torchwick operated out of randomly congratulating her in the hallways and more than one girl asking for her number had brought her out of her shell in a way that was amazing to see. Felix had frankly been insufferable, his usual confidence devolving into a cockiness only held in check by Diamond's withering put downs and Helios Nikos's willingness to remind him that he was far from unbeatable whenever the chance arose.

Currently the two blondes of Team FADE were away from any of their classmates, it was Friday and classes had ended for the week a few hours ago. Eagle and Felix, despite the biting cold and frost on the ground had decided to get a little extra training in and were currently facing off against each other in the outdoor colosseum situated to the rear of the gargantuan anti-gravity platform Halo Academy was built on.

"Crap!" Eagle yelped as she managed to parry one of her partners' blades only to be forced to duck under a vicious slash from the other, the Lion Faunus carrying his momentum through into a spinning kick which she managed to sidestep; the two of them were left facing each other and Eagle saw an opening, stabbing upwards at Felix's side. Felix's response was evidently to forget that they were working on their swordplay, he managed to block her attack with the blade in his left hand before dropping the blade in his right and step inside her guard. Reaching upwards he managed to get the girl who was taller than himself into a headlock

"There's a reason I'm one of the best in combat training" Felix laughed, Eagle responded with a bright smile as she dropped her sword

"There's a reason not _the_ best as well" she wrapped her left arm around his shoulders and grabbed his leg with her right before simply forcing herself into a standing position, pulling Felix into the air as she did so and proceeded to slam him back first onto the ground with a dull thud

"How the hell are you that strong?" he managed to choke out as he rolled onto his front, pushing himself up onto his hands and knees only to find Eagle's sword pressed under his chin "Fine you win"

"Thought we were working on technique today?" Eagle teased while pulling him to his feet "That wasn't technique"

"I know, I know" Felix sighed as he retrieved Hack and Slash, replacing them in the sheaths on his back "I think we approach sword fighting differently though, you were trained by people who use swords right?"

"Yeah, I mean mostly, a few of my aunts use stuff like axes, artillery and flamethrowers" Eagle answered

"So you probably built your style around your sword, I just use mine for a little extra range"

"But you can't just go berserk like that all the time-"  
"With my Semblance I can" Felix shrugged; though Eagle caught the way his smile flickered from his face for the briefest moment "I mean only for a limited amount of time, but it works" Eagle merely pouted

"Wish I had a fancy Semblance to fall back on" Felix nudged her gently

"Hey you'll find yours, don't worry about it. Besides you've got one of the coolest weapons of anyone here" he motioned to Sentinel who had been watching the sparring matches from the sidelines and now trundled over chirping and beeping animatedly

"I agree" a new voice chimed in causing both Eagle and Felix to turn around and see Professor Dove Bronzewing entering the amphitheatre, armour reflecting the glow of the floodlights and carrying a briefcase that seemed out of place with his attire.

"Professor Bronzewing" Eagle waved, using her free hand to gently nudge Sentinel's Mini-Gun as it had automatically trained on the supposed target.

"Your weapon is remarkable and certainly unique, I also didn't discover my own Semblance until later on in my training; after the war had ended actually. You have nothing to worry about"

"Thank you" Eagle breathed out, glad of the reassurance.

"See told ya" Felix grinned before turning to the professor "So is there something we can help you with?"

"Actually I was looking for you Felix" Bronzewing sighed "You've missed several classes this week. I was on my way to the garage and saw you training, I wanted to ask why"

"Sorry about that" Felix shrugged "I've been helping Corey. She was given some time off while she recovers and wanted to work on her weapon; she needs someone to give her a hand with the heavy lifting because she can't really put any weight on her leg"

"I understand" Bronzewing nodded "I can overlook the absences this week and I'm sure your other professors will do the same, although I'd prefer to have been told in advance"

"Thanks. And sorry"

"It's okay, also I wanted to apologise to your sister about what happened to her but I haven't seen her at any meals this week" Bronzewing looked concerned, causing Felix to snort

"Corey's been eating her meals in the workshop, seriously if there isn't a class in there then that's where she'll be until she gets the Omega Wing running again"

"What happened to Corvid wasn't your fault though" Eagle added.

"Team CLIR were exposed to Rhodium Torchwick because of Sky Lark's actions. I vouched for Sky to Professor Goodwitch" Bronzewing ran a hand through his hair in agitation "We were partners at Beacon, I'd hoped he'd grown since we last saw each other. Apparently not. If I'd known he would behave the way he did I wouldn't have bothered"

"I'll tell Corvid" Felix mumbled "In fact, she's probably in the workshop now if you wanna tell her yourself"

"Unfortunately I can't" Bronzewing motioned towards the briefcase in his hand "I have a flight home to catch"

"You don't live on the campus?" Eagle asked somewhat confused, it was common knowledge that the Professors resided in a restricted part of the Academy

"I do not" Bronzewing confirmed "I commute, it's easier than relocating my wife and kids"

"You've got kids?" Felix sputtered, Bronzewing merely rolled the eye that wasn't almost obscured by scarring

"Yes Felix. Despite your mothers' profession it apparently surprises you that teachers are people with lives outside of school. I have a son and a daughter. Redshank, my son will actually be attending Halo in two years" Felix fought the urge to answer back, knowing that he'd walked into the teasing from his teacher. Bronzewing made to turn away from them

"Anyway I'll see you both on Monday, also don't forget I want those assignments completed before your second mission of the year" as he left Eagle nudged Felix gently

"What?"

"You know what?" Felix glowered at her, the two of them having a silent battle of wills before finally giving in and calling after his retreating teacher

"Professor Bronzewing!"

"Yes Felix?"

"Look….I've been working on this assignment, I've been struggling with it a little" he fought the urge to growl and his tail swished in irritation at himself at his next words "I think I need help"

"No problem at all, I can stay behind after lessons on Monday. Visit me and my office and we'll discuss what you're struggling with" Dove turned and continued on his way

"He seems a lot nicer outside of lessons" Eagle noted before nudging Felix playfully "See was that so hard?"

"No….I'm just annoyed at myself, I should have been able to figure it out" the Lion Faunus grumbled

"Hey it's fine, you'll get it. Don't worry it about it" Eagle smiled, Felix unable to stop the grin forming on his own face at the role reversal.

"Thanks" he paused, smile widening "But you're still cleaning the Killer Bee though" Eagle slumped and grumbled to herself as her partner left, chuckling softly at her expense.

* * *

Corvid Xiao Long snarled a series of foul and inventive curses which were only partially muffled by the screwdriver currently clenched between her teeth.

"Use your words….Just not those ones"

"Go fuck yourself Lux" she grumbled around the instrument, her partner merely chuckled before stepping forward

"Here" he pulled the section of the Omega wing that she was working on higher, gently laying it on one of the workbenches before crouching down and allowing her to wrap an arm around his shoulders so he could help her back to her feet, her still healing leg having seized up.

"Thanks" she placed the screwdriver down and returned her attention to the wiring of the new addition to the battle suit, aware of of her partners' attention being on her. Eventually Lux spoke

"You don't think this is a little bit….extra?" Corvid snorted

"Nope" she popped the P before adding "And that's rich from the guy with purple hair and a tux"

"She's kinda got you there" Felix laughed, announcing his presence behind them. After a few moments of studying the Omega Wing, which had been upgraded since even the last time he'd helped his sister work on it a low whistle escaped him "So you've got the shield generator up and running?"

"Not quite" she admitted, sounding thoroughly displeased at the fact "Took a little longer than I planned to work around the rail guns. The wiring isn't finished yet"

"I told you moving them from the arms was dumb, you could build the new stuff around 'em" the Lion Faunus sighed

"And I told you it'll be the coolest damn thing you've ever seen when it's finished" Corvid countered

"You've seen my car right?"

"I've seen that the roof's a dented mess and it doesn't have it's own guns"

"Oh my Oum do you ever stop bickering" Lux groaned, making a point of being as theatrical as possible.

"Only when she's eating" Felix quipped "Which reminds me, the canteen had fish on the menu" he held out a yellow Styrofoam tray contained a meal he'd brought for his sister; knowing that she'd neglect eating in favour of work if allowed.

"Thanks" her ravenousness became clear when she devoured the food at a rate which toed the line between impressive and concerning while her expression bordered on ecstasy "Oh that tastes like home" as if summoned by the thought of Patch and it's famously fresh fish her Scroll began to ring, the tone indicating it was a video call.

"Hey Mum" she beamed as the golden locks and concerned expression of Yang Xiao Long came into view, calling to check up on Corvid as she had done every day that week

"Hey Corey, how is everything? Are you making sure to keep your weight off that leg?"

"Mum I'm fine, seriously" thankfully Felix came to her defence

"It's fine Mum, she's been getting help with the heavy lifting all week. Me and Lux are helping right now" he indicated to his sisters' partner, something that instantly caught Yang's attention

"Ah, Corey's partner. I don't think we've actually been introduced yet"

"Lux Lumière, pleasure to meet you Missus Xiao Long"

"Can you try and keep Corey from running herself into the ground for me, she's stubborn"

"I get it from my Mum" Corvid muttered under her breath, Felix heard her and made no attempt to hide his snickering at his sisters' expense.

"I just worry about you" Yang sighed "Torchwick very nearly severed an artery. You could have died Corey" the frankness of the and the haunted tone it was delivered in silenced whatever reply Corvid intended to make

"Anyway" Yang smiled brightly, choosing to move on swiftly "How've you been?"

"Better now no one's being dumb and trying to confine me to my dorm" Corvid chuckled. Felix took a few moments to consider before answering, finally admitting something that'd been gnawing at the back of his mind all week

"I'm not bad, but honestly I was thinking of asking Neptune, the student counsellor about anger management"

"What? Why?" Corvid demanded, utterly stunned. Yang took a moment to speak

"What's brought this on son?" Felix took a deep breath before answering

"When we caught Torchwick….what didn't get reported is that I was going to kill him" that made both his mother and sister perform the slightest double takes, Lux had realised this was not a conversation he needed to be part of and given them some space. Felix continued "His Aura was gone, I had him trapped beaten and disarmed and I just couldn't stop myself, I just kept hitting him until Eagle dragged me off of him. I was in my Balrog state, I would've crushed his skull if she hadn't"

"Felix" Yang's voice was firm, she'd heard about his and Blake's discussion and argument after Team FADE's first skirmish with Torchwick and wanted to make something very clear "There is nothing wrong with you. You reacted the way anyone would to someone attacking your sister; I'm not going to lie to you I made some choices that scared me when Ruby was in danger in the war. You're okay"

"Mum I-"

"That being said" Yang continued "You do have a _lot_ of power at your disposal and your temper can do a lot of damage. If you feel like you need help controlling it then I'll support you every step of the way" the Lion Faunus, swallowed and forced himself to ignore the lump in his throat

"Thanks, it means a lot"

"Look at him being all responsible and stuff" Corey laughed as she playfully punched his shoulder "I still remember when he used to climb out the window when you tried to ground him"

"I distinctly remember that you gave him that idea Corvid Ruby Xiao Long"

"Your middle name is Ruby?" Lux called from a few work benches away, evidently still able to hear the conversation. Corvid's only response was a rude hand gesture, though she took care to keep her hand where Yang wouldn't be able to see it.

"Anyway" Yang yawned "I've got tests to grade, have I ever said having to take your work home with you is de- _grade_ -ing?"

"So _that's_ where she gets it from" Lux's voice carried over Felix's groan and the giggle that Corvid would deny if it were ever mentioned in public

"So I'll let you three enjoy your Friday, just promise you'll visit soon"

"Will do. Love you Mum" the Xiao Long sibling chorused

"Love you too" Yang answered them, a moment later the screen went blank as the call ended.

"So" Felix worked out a crick in his shoulder, most likely caused by his earlier sparring match with his partner "What're we working on tonight?" Corvid's steely grey eyes seemed to light up with enthusiasm

"Well I mean I've gotta finish this wiring on the shield generator, testing it should be fun. Then there's the weapons….I don't wanna test 'em until I've finished working on the helmet but we can still….what?" she stopped as she caught the way Felix and Lux were looking from Corvid to each other and shaking their heads

"Nothing sis" Felix smirked "I just realised it's gonna be a long night"

* * *

Eagle grumbled to herself as some of the water she was using to restore the Killer Bee's paint job to its' proper immaculate state splashed over the sleeve of her hoodie. As much as Team FADE had enjoyed the rewards of bringing Rhodium Torchwick to justice her partner had been somewhat miffed at the admittedly superficial damage done to his car in the process; by far the most severe instance of which was the clear dents left in the roof of the vehicle by her own weapon. Eagle had offered to be the one to clean the vehicle as a way to make amends, not that Felix had held it against her in any way. She was regretting it now, this was a far more demanding car to clean than her grandparents pickup truck she'd cleaned for allowance as a child.

"They've really got you doing skiv work?" someone behind her asked, an amused note to their voice; the voice itself was low, smoky and if Eagle was honest with herself, exceptionally alluring.

It was also a voice she recognised.

Rising to her feet she turned and faced Quartz Murus, instantly regretting taking her armour off and depositing it on the back seat of the car beforehand until she saw that Quartz herself hardly seemed dressed for battle; though with the amount of glares she'd been sending in the blondes' direction she took no chances.

"Doot da doot"

"Sentinel wait" Eagle motioned for the droid which had emerged from the other side of the Killer Bee to refrain from opening fire, yet not stand down "H-hey Quartz, what's up?"

"I think we need to talk" Eagle fought the urge to gulp before realising that Quartz didn't seem suitably dressed for a fight either, the leather jacket she was currently wearing a clear departure from her usual combat gear and her oversized halberd was nowhere to be seen

"O-Okay" Eagle braced herself, surreptitiously shifting her weight in case she needed to lunge forwards.

"I wanted to say sorry, I've been a total bitch to you for the last few weeks"

"Huh?" was the most Eagle could manage as her train of thought came screeching to a halt, Quartz let out a slow sigh before slouching against one the support pillars of the campus garage appearing to utterly deflate

"I know you have a thing for Aqua-"

"I, well, It's just I-" the blonde fumbled over her words until Quartz interrupted her

"It's fine, I know you're not the only one. It's just….We only just got back together and it was my fault we broke up. I just saw you two together and panicked. I'm sorry"

"Oh, it's fine. It's totally fine" Eagle mumbled, utterly unsure of how to respond. She was spared having to by the voice of another classmate sounding out, echoing slightly in the cavernous space

"Come on baby let's go" both Eagle and Quartz turned to greet Aqua Tsuyu, the Frog Faunus standing on her tiptoes and reaching up to kiss her partner and girlfriend. Eagle forced herself to look away from the moment and push the sudden surge of bitterness to the back of her mind.

"Hey Eagle" Aqua called over to her as she wrapped her arms around her partner's waist, the pair of them having climbed onto Quartz's chopper motorbike "We'll have to hang out sometime, seems like it was ages ago since we had the paintballing thing"

"Yeah, sure…." Eagle trailed off as the bike roared into life and carried its' passengers out of the garage. A soft huff escaped the blonde as she sat down and leaned against one of the Killer Bee's wheels, hugging her knees

"Doot da doot?" Sentinel's chatter seemed inquisitive as the droid trundled over to her

"No don't shoot anything" she sighed "It's just….I wish I knew what that was like. Come on let's get this car finished" she rose slowly to her feet, fighting to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach until she felt her Scroll vibrate. Removing the device from the pocket of her pullover hoodie a smile found its' way to her freckled face as she read a message from her Mother

' _I'll be in New Vale in the next few weeks. I'll see you soon. We need to talk'_

* * *

Arctus and Diamond were currently sat together on Arctus's bed watching an old movie they realised the both enjoyed and hadn't seen in years, naturally taken from Felix's collection. Almost every channel seemed to have something to add about Team FADE's capture of Rhodium Torchwick's capture and after a week the pair were bored of it; Though Felix had taken newspaper clippings and pinned them to a notice board he'd mounted on the wall; claiming it to be the first of Team FADE's _'Trophy case'_.  
Arctus was positioned against his headboard with Diamond leaning on him, clad in a baggy hoodie and yoga pants; her back against his chest and his arms around her waist. The Mistrali was still not fully used to New Vale's climate and her first mention of being cold the Bear Faunus had pulled her close and cuddled her for warmth; something both of them were more than happy with.

"Hey, how's your arm?" Arctus asked, the last lesson of the day had been combat training and Diamond had been the only member of Team FADE to be called up for a demonstration. The member of Team PSTL she'd fought against had managed to sweep her legs out and Diamond had left the arena clutching her arm in pain

"It's fine" she murmured as she nuzzled closer into her partner "Definitely not broken, think I just landed on it weird"

"Glad you're okay" Arctus punctuated his words with a gentle kiss against her shoulder, then another, slowly leaving a trail of kisses which made it's way up her neck; her breath hitching in her throat as his tongue ghosted over her pulse; a slow shuddering gasp escaping her as his teeth gently grazed against her flesh

"Babe, don't be a tease" she insisted before reaching behind her, hand running through his messy hair as she turned to face him. There were a few seconds which seemed to last far longer where neither of them made a move, until eventually Arctus whispered

"Oum, you're beautiful" Diamond didn't respond verbally, preferring instead to smother him in kisses; the pair repositioning themselves so that Arctus was pinned by Diamond straddling his waist, their bodies pressed together as her tongue seemed to dance around his. Arctus's hands moved to her hips, a part of her body he'd admittedly been captivated by since meeting her. Spurred on by the groan of pleasure that escaped her his hands trailed upwards, making their way beneath her hoodie and the tank-top she wore under it caressing soft skin and feeling the toned muscle beneath. The kiss end abruptly, Diamond gripping his arms sharply the moment his fingers brushed against the fabric of her bra

"Hey, easy there Big Guy" she panted out, resting her forehead against his "Not so fast….I don't wanna rush things with us"

"I'm sorry" Arctus swiftly removed his hands and replaced them on the outside of her clothing, resting on her lower back

"Babe it's fine" she assured him gently, planting a soft kiss on the end of his nose; there was a peaceful silence as they repositioned themselves once again. Turning their attention back to the movie they'd been neglecting; Diamond enveloped in Arctus's arms.

The moment was all too brief, interrupted only a few minutes later by Arctus's Scroll, the Bear Faunus chuckled at the annoyed noise Diamond made in response.

"I've actually been expecting this call" Arctus told her, though the number calling him was not saved to his Scroll. The voice of an exceptionally exuberant child rang out the moment he accepted the video call.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Hey squirt" Arctus chuckled "Happy Birthday, I take it you like the new Scroll?"

"It's a Hunter's Scroll it's so awesome!" Athena-Jade Slate, now seven years old beamed, her bright smile revealing a missing tooth "And it's my favourite colours"

"You have no idea how hard it was to find a highlighter orange Scroll with purple buttons" Arctus snorted, Diamond was unable to prevent the _'Awww'_ that escaped her as she watched the pair interact. The sound however, caught Athena's attention

"I know you!" the excited child exclaimed "You're the pretty girl in all the photos Arctus sends me. Are you his girlfriend?" Diamond could practically feel Arctus's blush from behind her and a mischievous smile crossed her face. Turning to face the Bear Faunus who was indeed blushing profusely she placed a brief kiss on his cheek before answering the question

"Yep" Athena's expression became one of incomprehensible shock, which Diamond honestly thought was the most adorable thing she's ever seen. Then the younger Faunus set her new Scroll down somewhere in what Diamond realised was her bedroom; both she and Arctus then clearly heard the sound of the child running along a hallway

"MUM! MUM! MUUUUUUM!"

"Cute kid" Diamond tried to sound nonchalant as the realisation that the situation may have moved beyond her control dawned on her. Arctus remained unconvinced and she could feel his smile against her skin as he returned the kiss on her cheek

"Well I've met your Dad, now you get to meet Mum" his own concern found its way into his voice; before either of them could assure the other that things would be fine despite whatever irrational concerns had suddenly taken root in their minds the door to Athena's room could be heard opening once more and when the Scroll was picked from wherever its' owner had left it, it was a smiling Weiss Slate who held it

"Evening sweetie, your sister tells me there's someone on the line that I need to talk to" Arctus fought back a growl, knowing that his sister being the irredeemable pest that she was had most likely phrased it exactly like that

"Uh, yeah….This is Diamond; my partner….and my girlfriend"

"Diamond Sustrai-Black" the silver haired Mistrali introduced herself "It's a pleasure to meet you Missus Slate"

"Oh" Weiss seemed taken aback for the briefest possible moment "It's a pleasure to meet you too, no need to be so formal. Call me Weiss. It seems the gossip rags were correct then, not the way I'd like to have heard the news but nevertheless-"

"Hold on, what!" Arctus sputtered

"Arctus surely you didn't think studying in New Vale would make you except from the Atlesian media, you stand to inherit the SDC. You know better" Weiss chided him gently before explaining "Team FADE's capture of that Torchwick reprobate received some attention from Atlas's press. Someone managed to get hold of better pictures of Team FADE and naturally speculation about the pair of you started"

"Oh my Oum" Diamond gasped out. Weiss gave her an understanding smile "They quickly lost interest, preferring to focus on my brothers' latest _antics_. I'm not ruling out the possibility he caused a scene just to achieve that result. I suppose it's worth mentioning that the press coverage was exceedingly positive" the news did nothing to stop the colour that Diamond could feel rising in her cheeks

"Mum, you're embarrassing her" Arctus grumbled

"I have your baby photos, would you like to be embarrassed instead?"

"Oh please do" Diamond cackled, the idea being too good to pass up on. Weiss chuckled softly before glancing over her shoulder  
"Athena's friends from school should be here soon, she's having a sleepover. I have to go and prepare a few things. I'll let you two enjoy your evening. Love you son, call anytime"

"Love you too Mum, tell Athena she's a germ but I love her" Arctus replied. A moment later the call ended, leaving he and Diamond to adress the Goliath in the room

"So" Diamond breathed out as she turned to face him "The news where you live have been running stories about us, because you stand to inherit the SDC?"

"News is a bit of a stretch, vultures with pens dipped in bullshit is more like it" the Faunus muttered "But yeah, Mum and Uncle Whitley are the joint heads of the SDC and he doesn't have any kids….Is this gonna be a problem for us?" the thought occurred to him and he could immediately feel a cold dread seeping into his bones, only for it to be quickly alleviated by Diamond shaking her head

"It's gonna be something to get used to. The first person to imply I'm interested in your money is gonna get their ass kicked but we'll be fine" hearing this caused Arctus to pull her closer, a sigh of relief escaping him as they held each other. Another thought crossed his mind, one that made him smile uncontrollably. That was the first time either of them had referred to each other as boyfriend or girlfriend and it made things feel infinitely more real.

* * *

In the sea just off of the coast of New Vale, the cities' lights visible in the distance, a small lifeboat was being hoisted out of the frigid water and into place mounted on the side of the ship which was currently anchored, the crew of the ship allowed no lights on the deck of the vessel and maintained radio silence at all times; taking care to shipping routes and border patrols to avoid detection. Two figures sat within the lifeboat, both Faunus. Onyx Ursabane and Hellion Eudialyte of the Shadow Cadre were returning to the stolen ship they called home.

"Newborns have more muscle than these two" Onyx joked; the Panther Faunus then leapt from the lifeboat and grabbed the chain of the anchor, then proceeded to clamber onto the deck of the ship where the remaining two members of their diminished crew waited for them. Raffia working the winch while Carcharodon stood imposingly behind him, hood of his cloak lowered over his face. A moment later Hellion came into view, as did Marauder, the bird of prey shrieking as it swooped from the darkness and perched on her arm, in her other hand the dark skinned woman carried a large sack

"What did you bring?" Carcharodon rasped out, breath misting in front of him, though none of them seemed to mind the cold as they hailed from a far harsher climate.

"Food" she told him bluntly "I refuse to live on nothing but fish the way Raffia does when the city dwellers are willing to part with food so easily….Something called a food bank" the Dragonfly Faunus's jade eyes belied both her confusion and wonder at the notion

"Good" Carcharodon nodded, even the Shark Faunus was bored of whatever his diminutive ally could fish out of the sea "I've gathered some more Dust for us, the crews of these ships actually think that just because they're at sea they're safe….they would never survive Anima" he ended with a dark chuckle. His Semblance which allowed him to walk through walls and melt into floors allowed him to take a considerable amount of weight with him, though it was taxing, it made slipping aboard other ships and making off with whatever the Cadre and the tribe as a whole needed easy.

"You'll like what I have even more" Onyx boasted as he produced what appeared to be nothing more than paper than the folds of his clothing

"Information?" Carcharodon surmised, the Shark Faunus had sent Onyx into the city time after time in search of someone who could be coerced into repairing the weapons they'd stolen while he and Hellion handled supplies; Raffia had been relegated to keeping watch of the ship due to the Axolotl Faunus's propensity for causing havoc wherever he went.

"Some talk in a tavern about a woman who can do things with machines that other people can't even imagine. She's going to be in Vale within the next few weeks, the business she's here to deal with are looking for extra security"

"And they're recruiting the local sell swords" Hellion guessed as she pulled an apple from the sack of food she'd acquired

"Exactly" Onyx almost purred with contentment, Carcharodon nodded in understanding

"Integrate yourself with them, but ensure that there's nobody who recognises you from the Scavenger Guild"

"There's more" Onyx unfolded the paper, the group of Faunus could clearly make out its' contents despite the dark. It was a map

"What is this?" Carcharodon asked

"What lies beneath the city" his amber eyes lit up "And a way for the rest of you to make your way inside" Carcharodon's mouth split into a feral smile, one that would have unnerved most outsiders with the amount of jagged fangs it displayed, made more menacing by the bottomless pits of liquid darkness that were his eyes

"You've done well old friend, very well. All of you sharpen your blades and be ready to move".

 **Authors Notes:**

Okay this one was more of a filler chapter, but it sets up the mission/finale of the Vol.2 arc _(Which is admittedly going to be shorter than Vol.1)_ which starts next chapter.

So let's summarise:  
You know that Team FADE would be the talk of the town, or at the very least campus after capturing Torchwick.  
Eagle is the best buff lesbian cinnamon roll….even when she picks her partner up and slams them into the floor.  
Eagle's Semblance…..She will find it at some point in this story. I know what it is.  
Dove Bronzewing: Much less of a dick when he's not teaching.  
Also Dove's son Redshank is a little set up for a minor character who'll appear later on. He's gonna be Amethyst Wukong's partner.  
Upgraded Omega Wing: Pending….Yes it has a forcefield generator.  
Corvid called out the Killer Bee for not having it's own guns; oh that's gonna linger.  
"I get it from my Mum" Yes, yes I did that.  
Felix is self aware enough to know that his temper needs to be kept in check if he's going to lead his team effectively.  
Yes Yang just _Full Named_ Corvid in front of people, yes her middle name is Ruby.  
This is me shelving the whole "Quartz" thing, she may get mentioned anytime I need a butch lesbian character with a halberd/crossbow and a chopper but other than that it just served to have Eagle interacting people outside of Team FADE.  
Also poor Eagle.  
Momma Arc: Inbound.  
Felix would totally put a notice board up in the dorm just to cover it in newspaper clipping about Team FADE.  
I can hear the Diamond Dust shippers squealing from here.  
Athena-Jade Slate is like the twins, doesn't show up much but whenever she does it's gonna be cute.  
You didn't really think I was gonna fabricate Weiss/Diamond drama did you?  
I'd say the Shadow Cadre are back, but despite what the protagonists think they never left.  
Surely you can figure out who it is they want to kidnap.

Thank you to: ShadowAlex2000, Arkanes Shippou, FleetOfWarships, ShadowWolf, TigerRose, Ferrous, FluffyFirefly, SumoSnipe and JollyTheImmortal for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Indeed, Sky Lark is a dick.  
I love how much people loved the Rhode rage pun in particular.  
I may find a way to bring back the shopkeeper….As for him being the Wizard…..I have plans for the Wizard.  
Helios being the one to drag Felix back would actually have been out of character, think about the culture he comes from and how he reacts to any threat against his own family. He'd have let Felix kill him.  
Why would Arctus and Diamond snog in the car when they can kick the others out of the dorm.  
Oh don't worry the idea of adding weapons to the Killer Bee has already been considered.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	24. Pest Control

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 24: Pest Control**

The office Neptune David-Vasilias practised his trade from was comfortably warm despite the chill outside, which was only worsened by the height Halo Academy hovered above the Kingdom of New Vale at. Neptune himself sipped coffee and took notes while his current patient lounged on the leather couch in the corner of the room; Felix Xiao Long had approached him roughly two weeks ago and explained that he felt his temper was an issue that needed to addressed before it created or exacerbated a problem for either himself, his team or any civilians unfortunate enough to be caught in the way. After the Lion Faunus had explained, in detail, the events surrounding Rhodium Torchwick's arrest Neptune was compelled to agree.

"Would you like to tell me what's bothering you Felix?" Neptune eventually asked, the silence in the room had grown somewhat oppressive "My door is open to students at any time, but this wasn't a scheduled visit"

"I know" Felix sighed, running his hands through his curly and somewhat messy blonde mane while his tail twitched rhythmically, tapping against the couch as it did so. Whatever the issue was vocalising it was clearly difficult for the young man, which gave Neptune some clue as to its' nature. After a few seconds he was proven correct when Felix continued

"I'm….I don't know if scared is the right word; I'm worried man"

"About tomorrow's mission?" Neptune surmised, jotting down a few more notes

"Yeah. I haven't spoken to my team….I don't wanna worry 'em"

"Your team know you Felix, they'll know that something is wrong. I'd suggest talking to them about your concerns; trust in your team-mates is essential for a Hunter"

"Of course I trust my team-"  
"But can they trust you if you're keeping secrets that you think affect your ability to lead them?" that silenced him, after a few moments of watching Felix clearly weighing up his options in his head Neptune decided to enquire further "What exactly is it you're worried about happening on your mission?"

"When I go into my Balrog state, really max out my Semblance, I'm not thinking straight….Like I'm not gonna turn on my team or anything but all I can think about is tearing whatever I went Balrog to fight apart" Neptune watched as Felix sat upright before slouching forwards, resting his elbows on his knees "I can't go on a mission and not be prepared to use my strongest attacks….but what if I mess up? I mean I'm literally on fire in my Balrog state; I plough a Grimm into something flammable and I've just caused an explosion that could kill someone. What if I just go nuts like I was about to with Torchwick?" Neptune took down yet more notes, a Semblance that warped ones perception of the world around them or affected their agency would naturally raise certain questions and concerns in the hands of a student worried about their own self control

"Am I correct in assuming that you have full control over when you enter your Balrog state?"

"Yeah, as long as I've got enough Aura to keep it up" Felix nodded "When I first figured out that I could convert all the excess thermal energy I absorb into Aura Mum wouldn't let me stop practising until I could turn it on and off at will"

"I see...which of your mothers was that just out of interest?"

"Yang" Felix answered with a small smile. Neptune suppressed a small snort, he really shouldn't have had to ask.

"So even if your, how to put this….faculties are diminished when using your Semblance at its' full power; doing so is still entirely at your discretion. I have to ask you a frank question, do you trust your own judgement on when to use your Balrog State?" Felix's brow furrowed but none of the biting comments that Neptune had half expected were forthcoming, the Lion Faunus was clearly giving the question serious thought. Eventually he nodded almost imperceptibly

"Yeah, yeah I try not to use it unless we're up against something extra hard to put down….like the Dungeon-Master from Initiation" Neptune nodded silently in understanding, he was well aware of the trials the first years had been put through. In his mind the fact that none of them sought him out immediately afterwards spoke more to the blasé attitude the Hunter community seemed to have to mental trauma than their toughness.

"I see" Neptune gave him a small smile "Then I have no reason not to clear you for active duty tomorrow. I'll be frank and open with you Felix when you explained your reasons for coming to me I requested that your team be placed on a mission with as little chance of interacting with civilians as possible-"

"Confidentiality bro?" Felix gave an affronted gasp

"Can be overlooked if I have reason to believe you _may_ pose a risk to yourself and others. I'll re-evaluate the situation closer to your third mission of the year" there was a tense silence in the office as Felix stared Neptune down, the older man making no effort to look away or reach for the panic button under his desk; the teen before him was far from the first to be annoyed by his actions. Eventually the blonde slumped back onto the couch with a sigh that almost made Neptune mutter _'Teenagers'_ under his breath. A moment later Felix was on his feet and making his way to the door while giving the counsellor some final words over his shoulder

"Y'know what fine. I can deal with that. Cracking Grimm heads is what I signed up for anyway"

* * *

Monday morning had come and Team FADE were slowly making their way towards the atrium to receive their mission. They'd stayed in the canteen a little longer than was strictly necessary but were at no risk of running late, all of their weapons and equipment had been thoroughly checked and rechecked several times over the course of the weekend and all academic work that needed to be completed before their mission had been done, each of the four of them passing with flying colours. Yet despite all of this there was no shaking the cold and vice like grip of the borderline panic gripping each of them. Eagle's gait was an energetic skip as her excitement and trepidation fought for dominance. Felix's expression was one of grim determination, though he was nervously fiddling with his car keys while his hands were in his pockets and out of view. Arctus and Diamond were, naturally hand in hand, giving each other reassuring looks and squeezes. They were brought from their private introspection and mental preparation by a familiar voice cackling at their expense

"Holy Oum you guys look like you're being sent to South Vaccuo!" Nyanza Angora was doubled over with laughter while pointing at them, his team-mates shaking their heads at his antics, the feline continued undeterred "Seriously it's a training mission. Go, kick some ass, come back. Not difficult"

"And yet you made it look as if it were last time" Helios noted with a disdainful glower, his words sobered his partner instantly

"You didn't see the size of the thing we were up against last time" Diamond noted before deciding to change the subject "So what did you guys get"

"A few more hours sleep, thank Oum" Ether answered with a yawn, his partner and girlfriend Olivine DeGrasse rolling her eyes and explaining

"We're going into the exclusion Zone with Professor Ren"

"Professor Ren's taking a mission? That's not fair I'd have asked if we could go with him!" Eagle exclaimed

"They can't all be with your uncles Eagle" Felix chuckled, his partners pout an odd mix of adorable and hilarious. He turned his attention to Helios, the scarlet haired warriors' armour and weapons had seemingly been cleaned as thoroughly as his own if the way they caught the light was any indication "Be careful down there. I've been in the exclusion zone since initiation, it doesn't get any more friendly"

"We can handle it" Nyanza waved his concerns off dismissively, Felix snorted at his old friend

"And keep this idiot alive for me"

"I'll try, though I make no promises" Helios answered with a faint smile before placing hand on Felix's shoulder as he made to pass him "And you too. Stay safe out there, whatever you find yourself facing"

"Thanks man" as Teams NEON and FADE went their separate ways Felix found himself staring after Helios, admiring the intricate webs of tattoos and the scar tissue from what he assumed was countless battles that intersected it. After a few moments someone nudged him

"You were totally staring after him" Arctus noted, Eagle's hands were over her mouth as she fought the urge to squeal with delight

"I did spend a whole summer with him a few years back" Diamond reminded him "Want me to talk to him for you?"

"I wasn't staring after him….was I?" Felix eyed them all in surprise. Seeing their unanimous nods he merely shrugged, unsure as to why he was suddenly so defensive "I was just thinking about getting some more ink, his tats are cool"

"Right right, his tats" Arctus chuckled as they finally reached the atrium

"What?" Felix demanded with his arms outstretched "What?" he was reduced to barely coherent grumbling as they reached reached the holographic noticeboard that had been set up for the various student teams to find their assignments on

"Huh, looks like some of the third years are on missions as well" Eagle noted, beside her Diamond was scouring the list for their names

"Team PYRE, Team NOIR, Team GRSS….Dude what order are these even in?"

"Found ours" Arctus informed while pointing to the mission in question "Combined preliminary sweep and search and destroy"

"Now that sounds fun" Felix grinned, his nerves beginning to abate somewhat

"Isn't that what you and Corey do on Patch?" Arctus noted, sounding almost bored at the prospect

"No" Felix sighed, his tone that of someone speaking to a child "That's a defensive sweep of a populated area. What were those private tutors teaching you?" Arctus responded by playfully shoving him, Diamond rolled her eyes at the pair before chiming in

"So who's our Hunter?"

"It doesn't say" Eagle answered "If Uncle Lie is taking a mission maybe Aunt Nora is as well, that would be so cool" Team FADE collectively searched the atrium eventually spotting Professor Dove Bronzewing and making their way over to the armour clad Huntsman

"Good morning, Felix I'm glad to see the improvement in your work. That last assignment was much better than your previous written projects"

"Thanks" Felix subconsciously puffed up his chest at the praise "We've found our mission on the board but we don't know who we're working with, any chance you can help?"

"Odd" Dove murmured while producing a handheld tablet and checking his own copy of the mission assignments, where there was no such redaction

"Ah here you are, your assigned Hunter is meeting you in the atrium rather than the Bull-Head terminal. They should be here any moment- In fact there they are now" the four teens turned, Felix and Arctus's jaws dropping in recognition at the sight of the coppery haired woman. Her usual sundress replaced with a suit of urban camouflage fatigues, her chest and extremities encased in matte black carapace like armour and a black bladed sword with green detailing of the shade as her eyes hung from each hip. The image of a battle hardened warrior being somewhat lessened by the fact the Huntress was waving and smiling from ear to ear.

"Can't all by _my_ cool aunts and uncles….right" Eagle teased. Felix and Arctus paid her no mind as Penny Rose, formerly Polendina called out to the students she had offered to take on a training exercise

"Salutations!….Ruby is flying us to our insertion point I hope you're all combat ready"

* * *

Helios rose to his feet from his crouching position on the frost covered asphalt, Olympus Enforcer found its' way to the young mans' hands, being shifted from sword and shield to Tommy gun mode as his eyes swept the landing area. He and Professor Ren stood back to back, having elected to be the first ones to leap from the Bull-Head they had been carried towards their objective aboard. They were swiftly joined by Olivine, who used the mechanical exoskeleton that helped her support her oversized weapon to cushion her fall, her hand moving to Buster Bravo as she returned to her feet; ready to bring its' obscene firepower to bare. Ether, whose Semblance made the fall inconsequential as his body dissolved into a mist like state and reformed on the ground, Ghost Reverie at the ready. Finally Nyanza landed in their midst, a combination of his Semblance, enhanced senses and reflexes alongside his natural showmanship had led to him flipping from one half ruined roof and wall to another.

"Nyanza, do you hear anything?" Helios asked, yet to stop sweeping their surrounding with his weapon. As much as his partner infuriated him with his lax approach to his studies there was no denying that the felines' senses were one of Team NEON's most useful tools

"We're clear" Nyanza murmured, drawing the Pharaoh Mafdet and shifting the tonfa to their silenced pistol forms.

"Good" Professor Ren nodded, holstering his pistols and removing his reading glasses, giving the students a more clear view of the scar that ran from his right temple to his jawline, narrowly avoiding his eye. He removed the rucksack he'd been carrying and deposited it between the students before explaining the nature of the mission that they were being tasked with.

"I'm sure that you realised that during your initiation the staff of Halo Academy were able to keep tabs on you all, we wouldn't just hurl you into the exclusion zone and hope for the best" Nyanza muttered something incomprehensible and was rewarded by simultaneous elbows to the ribs on opposite sides from Ether and Olivine "Halo Academy has a sizeable network of hidden cameras located in the area surrounding the ruins of Beacon and the landing area of the gyroscopic launcher-"

"And let me guess, the batteries are flat?" Ether snickered. Ren nodded

"Indeed. Under normal circumstances the cameras are maintained and recharged by the staff close to the start of the school year. As it is we're not dealing with normal circumstances"

"What are you expecting us to encounter?" Helios enquired, clearly bracing himself for the worst. The ruined city was a far cry from the wilderness between Mistrali settlements that the Nikos tribe claimed as their territory

"We're honestly not exactly sure" Ren admitted "A concerning amount of the cameras have been disabled and none of them managed to capture footage of what did it, we think something spotted the cameras and specifically attacked from their blind spots" Team NEON took a few moments to absorb this revelation

"Is it possible that perhaps criminals from the city could have found their way into the exclusion zone?" Helios's brow furrowed "What you're describing suggests intelligence, I've lived beyond the protection of a Kingdom's walls my entire life and I've never seen a Grimm that can think"

"As far as I'm aware there haven't been any since the war and they were rare even then….Though there were some unconfirmed Shadow-Stalker sightings in Atlas a few years ago" Ren answered while internally hoping none of the students saw the shudder he struggled to repress.

"So are we just here on a maintenance job or are we hunting the Grimm down as well?" Olivine asked, clearly eager to make a start

"Halo will air drop provisions for the next five days. We repair the cameras and then we begin looking for signs of whatever it was that attacked them. Helios, you're the team leader how do you want to proceed?" many Hunters in training would have quailed under the sudden responsibility of a decorated war hero deferring to them, thankfully Helios had been raised since childhood to do two things; destroy Grimm and lead others to do the same.

"You lived in Vale before the war yes?" the redhead asked, recalling something Ren had mentioned in passing as he weighed up his options

"That was twenty years ago and honestly it looks different to when I lived here. But if you're asking if I can serve as a guide, the answer is yes. Between the map and memory I can find our way"

"Good" Helios nodded "Professor, lead us to the first objective. Nyanza take point, Olivine cover him. I'll guard the rear and Ether, be ready to flank anything that approaches"

"You got it" Nyanza gave a half-hearted salute as he moved ahead of the rest of them, Team NEON moving into formation with practised ease that spoke to how rigorous the extra training Helios put them through was. The trek through the urban wasteland was filled with oppressive silence, each of their senses straining to detect any sign of Grimm nearby; the weather doing nothing to detract from the bleak atmosphere. Eventually Ether decided to speak

"This place is probably the only shithole I've ever seen that's worse than the bottom of tower complex forty five" the dim appraisal he gave the part of the city he hailed from conflicted with the pride in his voice "What was it like when you lived here?"

"Beacon was the first place Nora and I really felt at home" he answered, a faint smile crossing his face "Vale had wide open streets, it wasn't claustrophobic like the new city is….there was actually a really good noodle place not far from here, Simple Wok"

"Was it always this cold" Helios snarled, fighting a losing battle to keep his teeth from chattering. The biting cold being one of the few adversaries that could find their way through his armour. The complaint earned him a soft chuckle from Ren while his team-mates openly laughed

"Oh my Oum, there's an actual person in there after all" Olivine teased, Nyanza naturally deciding to contribute

"Oh he's definitely alive...I can hear his heartbeat whenever Felix is nearby" bright green eyes narrowed

"I still have no idea what you're talking about-"

"Bro you managed to snuggle up under the covers together while you were both asleep, that's actually adorable as hell"

"It really is" Olivine added, smiling brightly "Seriously, ask him out or something it'd be-" she stopped talking when Nyanza raised a hand, bushy tail standing erect behind him as his eyes scanned the vicinity

"Incoming" he hissed out, pointing beyond a pile of burned out cars that had clearly been used as a makeshift barricade "That way" Ether and Helios shared a look before the rocker moved into position, Ghost Reverie being reverted to its' guitar form as he drew a pick made of refined Ice Dust

"Orders Helios?" Ren asked

"They know what they're doing" was his only reply, moments later the sound of paws against the ground grew closer. A monstrous shape, made of living darkness pounced over the cars in a single bound roaring in fury and bloodlust. The Grimm met an anticlimactic end as Nyanza merely rolled aside at the same moment Helios used his Semblance as Ether brought the Dust pick down on the strings of his guitar in tandem. What followed was a large section of the ground being frozen solid, towering stalagmites of ice rising upwards at the time as the Grimm was enveloped in the darkness of Helios's gravity warping abilities and hurled downwards at terminal velocity

"Lemme make sure it's dead" Olivine chirped as she deployed Buster Bravo, her team-mates sensibly taking cover as the vast array of weapons joined by a single pistol grip connected to the exoskeleton around her arm. A moment later the entire street was illuminated by a single salvo that tore the ground apart where the Grimm had been

"Holy shit" Nyanza breathed out "Never gonna get used to her doing that"

"Oum I love that woman" Ether grinned. Ren looked from Ether to Olivine and couldn't help but be reminded of himself and Nora a little before turning his attention to the matter at hand

"Grimm eliminated, very well executed. Though perhaps next time something a little more subtle than a crater?"

"We need to get moving" Helios growled "Other Grimm will have heard that, we can't afford to get bogged down"

"Agreed" Ren nodded "This way" not allowing themselves to savour their first defeated Grimm of the mission they continued onwards, Nyanza casting a glance at the devastation Olivine had wrought

"It's gonna be a long day….And damn that's a big hole"

* * *

The Pearl departed Ruby visible waving at them from the cockpit, leaving Team FADE stood alongside Penny at the designated insertion point for their mission; a vast expanse of desolate land with several signs warning that trespassers would be fired on littering it. Any pretence of professionalism had long since been disregarded, Eagle in particular unable to stop herself from babbling excitedly

"That was Ruby Rose, like Ruby Rose guys! _The_ Ruby Rose, how is this not the best day ever? She's so cool!"

"Felix, your partner is Sensational" Penny chuckled. Felix was doubled over in silent laughter, tears streaming down his face. Eagle had flushed the deepest shade of scarlet he'd ever seen when his Aunt Ruby had offered her a cookie, followed by staring in something close to reverence when she'd spotted Crescent Rose secured in the rear compartment of the heavily modified Bull-Head.

"It is pretty cool" Diamond came to her aid

"Oh I'm not saying Aunt Ruby isn't cool" Felix managed to gasp out "But it makes sense why Corey practically adopted you as a new sister, you're both fangirls" Eagle pouted, arms crossed over her chest until Penny cleared her throat to get their attention

"Okay team, our theatre of operations is close. Before we begin, does anyone know where we are?"

"I think I do" Arctus volunteered as he looked around, pointing at a collection of gargantuan buildings emitting smoke nearby "Those are power stations, but they don't look like the ones in Atlas. We're heading into the power grid?"

"That's right" Penny nodded "Vale didn't just borrow Atlesian technology to rebuild itself, a lot of Vaccuan resourcefulness went into making the city what it is. Those power stations aren't purely Dust based, a lot of the Hive cities water is purified and recycled; it's also used to generate hydro-electricity at the same time, it's estimated that it saves the people of New Vale over a billion Lien a year collectively"

"That's actually really smart" Diamond noted, having grown up watching Emerald Sustrai help the poor and the needy through various charities she appreciated the idea of more renewable and affordable energy

"So wait….does that mean that the power grid is connected to the sewer system?" Felix asked, dreading the answer

"In a lot of places yes" Penny answered "Though our mission isn't going to take us back into the city itself so we may possibly be able to avoid the sewers. That being said it will still smell bad, I'm assuming that's what you're concerned about" Felix nodded with a resigned sigh. Humans never seemed to grasp just how much more sensitive a Faunus's nose was

"So we're on a search and destroy mission inside the power grid?" Eagle asked, intrigued at the sound of the idea

"There's been a noticeable increase in power failures and blackouts in certain areas, the working theory is that Grimm have somehow managed to find their way into the tunnels. It's reached a level where paying Poly-Tech to send down nanobot swarms to patch things up is no longer cost effective. Combined with the fact that the Centenary Festival is approaching and will attract visitors from all over Remnant; the council has decided to send Hunters to search and destroy"

"Oh this is gonna be cool" Eagle chirped

"In a slasher movie _'let's see who dies and how'_ kind of way" Felix snorted "Faunus guy always die first. Arctus are you taking one for the team or am I?"

"I think we've seen some different slasher movies" Diamond muttered

"Don't ruin this you guys" Eagle insisted "We're hunting monsters through abandoned tunnels, where's your sense of adventure"

"I sent it to go look for a bag to throw up in"

"Dude, suck it up. Arctus is a Faunus as well-"

"I'm just trying to keep my mouth closed" the Bear Faunus shrugged

"Which was clearly never an option for Felix" Diamond added without missing a beat, a playful smirk assuring her friend that it was ll in jest

"Fuck you guys" Felix growled, before suddenly realising who was leading them on this mission "Sorry Aunt Penny. Anyway, let's go"

"Sensational. The entry point is this way" the copper haired Huntress led the students through the frozen mud

"Is it the power plant that does this to it?" Diamond asked, gesturing at the barren land

"No….It's actually arable land as far as I'm aware, it just isn't used" Penny answered distractedly before coming to a stop and crouching

"Here it is" before the sarcastic response on the tip of Felix's tongue could form she lifted a chunk of the ground away, revealing it to be a hatch made of reinforced Atlesian steel covering a hole large enough for them to crawl down one at a time, a ladder visible descending into the darkness

"The lights are activated by movement sensors, it should actually help locate Grimm. If the lights are on somewhere we haven't been, the target is nearby" Penny explained as she caught sight of the apprehensive expressions the members of Team FADE without the night vision of a Faunus were wearing.

"Okay, how about I send Sentinel down first?" Eagle offered "That should turn the lights on and he can cover the rest of us"

"Good thinking" Penny beamed before addressing the team as a whole "Team FADE, Operation Pest Control is now underway"

* * *

It was late afternoon and the sun was already mostly below the horizon, painting the sky dull gold between the expanse of darkening clouds. Team NEON however were unable to appreciate the view from their current location, hunkering down inside one of the rare buildings whose walls and roof had remained relatively undamaged. The day had been a long slog, moving from hidden camera to hidden camera, repairing what they could and replacing what they couldn't; worried by Grimm at an alarming rate. The packs were small but the frequency of the attacks had left the students exhausted, Ren was faring worse than he'd like to admit; years away from the field having sapped his stamina.

"How come we're calling it a night?" Nyanza enquired from his position by the portable Dust based cooker that Ren had brought with him "I mean it's not like I can't see in the dark, Olivia's goggles have got night vision. Ether grew up in the hives, he's fine. Hell Helios has probably stalked a Goliath by moonlight with nothing but a loincloth and a spoon-"

"It's not about being able to track Grimm" Helios chose that particular part of the irreverent stream of consciousness to interrupt, turning to Ren "You expect snow?"

"It's looking likely" Ren nodded, pleased to see that Helios had caught on. The armoured teen continued explaining to his partner

"If it snows and settles we'll leave a trail for Grimm to track. It's not about us finding them, it's about them finding us when we inevitably have to sleep. Better to lose a few hours than take a needless risk"

"Precisely" Ren nodded "Especially considering we don't know exactly what we're up against, only that it's smarter than the average Ursa"

"Okay yeah that makes sense" Nyanza conceded, at that point Ether and Olivine returned from the upper floor of what appeared to have once been a small clothing store. Ether hurling a mass of fabrics at Helios, narrowly avoiding the open flame

"I know you're not used to the cold, it's probably moth eaten as hell but it's what we could find"

"We managed to black out and barricade the windows upstairs as well" Olivine informed Ren

"Good work, after we eat we're going to sleep in shifts. We need to be on the move before dawn"

"I'll take second or third watch" Nyanza offered "Natural night vision" his teacher merely nodded in understanding

"I'll take first watch" Helios volunteered

"As will I" Ren replied while moving over to the cooker and checking the condition of their food "My Semblance should mask us from anything that picked up our scent until the trail goes cold" This put a small smile on Helios's face, the chance to talk to someone who had known Pyrrha Nikos; a woman whom he had spent his childhood listening to stories about was something he would never pass up, the fact they could speak privately was a bonus he appreciated. He was brought from his musings by his partner shoving a plastic plate full of something Helios couldn't identify

"Grub's up"

"What is this?"

"Ramen and tinned meatballs….I call it ghetto bolognese" Ren explained with a smirk "Look I love cooking but sometimes you just have to do the best you can with what you've got"

"I am genuinely afraid of this concoction" Helios dead-panned, to a round of laughter from his team-mates

"Spoken like someone who's never tried airline food" Olivine quipped. Helios, always ready to respond to anything he saw as a challenge took his fork and helped himself to a mouthful of the rations, managing to force himself to swallow

"It's not bad….If one were looking for a way to keep the rats from a camp" at this point the rest of Team NEON made no effort to contain themselves, it was rare for their leader to makes jokes and each instance managed to catch them off guard.

"If anyone needs me I'll be upstairs" with that he rose to his feet, taking the plate with him; he didn't waste food regardless of the quality

"Why?"

"Training" he shrugged simply "A light session, a few hundred sit-ups and push-ups. I trained while my tribe were on the move, there's no excuse for laziness" he left with his team-mates staring after him, even Ren raised an eyebrow. The silent consensus between them being that no matter what happened Helios would still be Helios.

* * *

Team FADE and Penny had been roaming the underground tunnels which housed countless miles of armoured cables, walkways on either side sporting several hazard warnings. In places where the power grid and the sewer system intersected the cables were suspended above the torrent of filth by makeshift bridges. The five of them had been searching for any sign of a noteworthy Grimm for hours, the only monsters they'd encountered being the occasional Creep and a disturbing amount of small rat like Grimm known as Plague-Bearers, each of them as long as a persons' arm, with a spiny tail and fangs that prevented their mouth from fully closing

"More damage" Arctus noted as they rounded a corner, the size and depth of the gouges cut into the wall and floor indicating markedly bigger than anything they'd seen so far

"We're on the right path then" Felix growled, twirling Hack and Slash in his hands anxiously as he strained his ears "I can hear water again, we're near another sewer" the Lion Faunus had gradually and begrudgingly become desensitised to the stench

"Do you think that's how the Grimm are getting in?" Eagle suggested "Through the water supply?"

"It's possible" Penny paused to consider before continuing "Or that one of the expansions beyond the walls that was connected to the main city, but never actually completed and inhabited has been infested and the Grimm have burrowed down. The other option is a spawning pit somewhere within the Power Grid itself"

"That would be terrifying" Arctus said, he'd heard storied from his parents about how hard it was to destroy a spawning pit, more importantly the kinds of monsters they spewed when threatened

"Thankfully it's unlikely" Penny assured him

"I just can't get over how much it takes to power New Vale" Diamond admitted, her voice an awed whisper "I've lived in the two biggest cities in Mistral and they seem tiny next to Vale" The five of them continued on through the tunnels, eventually reaching the running sewage that Felix had alerted them to, rats of the mundane variety scurrying away from them as they approached.

"Stay alert" Penny warned them "Just because there're things living here other than Grimm doesn't mean we can get complacent" the students nodded silently, those of them who hadn't yet deployed their weapons did so. Sentinel chirped animatedly as he unfolded, Eagle having returned the droid to shield during their search to conserve power.

"Taking point" Arctus sounded out, moving to the front of the group with Gefroren-Erbe in one hand in its' sword form while the other was held ready to create a Glyph.

"Covering" Diamond replied as she shifted Lex Talionis into sniper rifle mode and raised the weapon to fire.

"Aunt Penny, how far ahead do the lights activate when we trip the sensors" Felix enquired, fingers drumming against the triggers that would bring the chainsaw blades of his swords screaming into life

"Not that far" Arctus murmured as he spotted the light in the distance that had caught his cousin's attention

"Weapons ready, prepare to engage" Penny instructed as she unsheathed her swords, shifting them into a pair of laser pistols "No explosive rounds, we avoid damage to the power grid at all costs"

"Got it" Felix growled, the remaining magazine of nanobot rounds he'd received months ago from Penny and Ruby wasn't currently loaded into either of his weapons and that would clearly not be changing. To their left, beneath the suspended cables of the power grid the water began to ripple; the noise being drowned out by the cacophony of running water, as such Team FADE failed to notice the shape approaching from below until something breached the surface and lunged at the walkway they were situated on. The wall to their right being smashed to rubble as a monstrous shape collided with it, hissing and shrieking with murderous intent. Team FADE found themselves separated, Diamond and Arctus to the front of the Grimm, Eagle, Felix and Penny to its' rear

"Dude, what the fuck is that?" Diamond gasped

"Offensive to look at" Felix called back. The Grimm's body was a gargantuan bloated mass, the bone armour around its' ribcage seemingly bending out shape and the obsidian flesh beneath it bursting at the seams. Beneath its' nauseating mass its' limbs could be seen, feet ending in disturbingly long spindly claws. It sported several tails, at least a dozen spine like appendages intertwined for almost half of their length before branching out, the individual tips thrashing independently. The beast stood at almost eleven feet tall on all fours, not including the row of arching spikes jutting from between its' shoulder blades. But it was the Grimm's head that had stunned Diamond, or rather _heads_. The monster had three of them. Each of them rat like in appearance and sporting six eyes which glowed crimson, set in bone armour which varied in appearance between each of the skulls, the mouths were filled with teeth like broken swords and a thick smog escaped its' mouths with each breath.

"That" Penny answered dispassionately "Is a Rat-King"

"Eagle let Sentinel light it up!" Felix barked

"Dibs on the middle head!" Arctus exclaimed as he created a Glyph in his palm, the glowing disc expanding and rotating as it was hurled forwards, the Grimm screamed as high calibre rounds from Sentinel's Mini-Gun and smaller bullets courtesy of Felix shredded its' back and flank, leaving bone armour pock-marked and fractured. Arctus's Glyph sheared through the neck of the middle head with ease, leaving a clean slash billowing smoke. As the remaining head screamed, each of them at a different pitch, they put out of their misery by Penny's laser pistols and Diamond's sniper rifle blasting holes through them. As the echoes of the Rat-King's unholy din died down the five of them were left to survey the situation

"Well that was easier than I thought it'd be" Felix sounded almost disappointed

"It's not fading away" Eagle noted hesitantly

"Arctus! Glyph now!" Penny ordered, Arctus made to question her but was halted when he saw the barely perceptible twitch of the Rat King's bloated body. He was still forced back despite managing to raise a Glyph as a shield, feet sliding along the wet floor and mouth hanging open in disbelief as three new heads burst forth from the severed neck and another two slithered out of each of the mouths of the ruined skulls. The new heads were smaller and supported by slender necks giving the Rat-King a more reptilian appearance

"DUDE WHAT THE FUCK!" Diamond demanded, her shock not enough to stop her from firing Lex Talionis, threading shots through the gaps between her partners' defences and the wall of the tunnel. The trio on the Grimm's opposite side came to their senses and opened fire, gaining its' attention, it turned to face them with speed and agility that contrasted with its' bloated frame

"MOVE!" Arctus called out, Diamond's semblance allowing her to run along the wall and suspend herself from the ceiling as the a mass of bony tails ripped through the space they'd occupied, ripping chunks from the wall as they hit. Arctus himself had leapt without thinking, a hastily created Glyph the only thing preventing him from falling into the running sewer water from whence the Grimm had come

"It's shrugging off too much damage!" Felix snarled, he and Penny each having returned one of their weapons to sword mode while firing with the other, Eagle using her own sword they fought of the seven heads the Rat-King was now assaulting them with

"You've fought these things before right?" Eagle asked as she parried heads with the flat of her blade, taking care not to rip through the Grimm's flesh for fear of it growing more

"Ruby neutralised it" Penny answered, somewhat predictably, however what none of the students could see was that she was accessing files that she hadn't used in years. As an Atlesian android she was equipped with a vast amount of information pertaining to all Grimm that may appear in her home Kingdom, thankfully Atlas had encountered the Rat-King the before and had a stratagem in place

"The base of the spine is its' weak point, destroy that and it can't regenerate any more" she called out

"On it!" Diamond, still stood inverted on the ceiling took aim and fired; to no effect

"The neck is too heavily armoured, I need to switch to-SHIT!" she was forced to leap aside, returning to the ground beside her team-mates as one of the tail raking along the ceiling.

"Okay fine" Felix snarled, replacing his weapons on his back. A slow sigh escaping him "Who's got Fire Dust? Balrog time"

"I'm not currently carrying any" Penny answered, deflating the Lion Faunus somewhat "I didn't want to risk smoke inhalation in an enclosed area" Felix made to roll aside from a lunging Grimm head, only for a Glyph to appear between himself and it

"Okay, slight change of plans" he muttered "Arctus! When I say I want you to soak the Grimm's back in plasma, I'm gonna jump on it"

"That's insane!" Arctus retorted

"Not really, my Semblance works with thermal energy. Doesn't have to be fire" without waiting for a response he clutched onto the neck of the next Rat-King head to attack him, allowing himself to be hurled into the air, landing on the Grimm's back.

"ARCTUS NOW!" the Bear Faunus gulped as he shifted Gefroren-Erbe to its' rarely used plasma gun mode and fired. The Grimm shrieked as its' flesh was evaporated in several places, he nearly dropped his weapon in panic when his cousins' howls of pain joined the cacophony. The the golden fire began to form around him, the plasma coating both the Faunus and the Grimm ceased to glow with heat. Then the Rat-King turned its' attention to Arctus and leapt from the walkway, missing him but taking Felix who was still holding onto the monsters' spiny back under the surface of the water with it

"FELIX!" several horrified voices sounded out at once, steam billowed from water flash boiled by the Lion Faunus

"I'm going after him!" Eagle informed them as she took Sentinel's claw like appendages and attached them to her armour, knowing that the droid could reel both herself and her partner back in. She was spared the trouble of diving in when the surface of the water was breached, the first thing Penny and the rest of Team FADE saw was a mane of messy blonde hair

"That was awesome!" Eagle congratulated Felix as she helped him out of the putrid water, noting that his clothes were ripped and burned in several places "It is dead right?"

"That was dumb as fuck dude" Diamond laughed, punching his shoulder playfully.

"Are you okay?" Penny asked, cupping his cheeks and checking him for injury "Any cuts that could become infected?"

"I'm fine….dirty blonde with extra dirty" he laughed, staggering forwards with exhaustion only to be caught by Arctus who'd returned to the walkway "And please nobody tell Corey I just made that pun….Aunt Penny, please, please never tell my Mums about this" the request was met with a chorus of exhausted laughter

"So, another quick mission then" Arctus noted "Problem solved right?"

"No" Penny answered, expression darkening as she examined the gouges left by the Rat-King "This wasn't the Grimm we're here for. These marks are too small" the silence in the tunnel was deafening.

 **Authors Notes:**

A couple more chapters of Vol.2 to go (Either two or three depending on how I cut things) I'm debating taking a week off writing 'cos feeling just a little burned out at the moment but I'm still confident that at the very least Vol.2 will be completed by the end of the year (As much as I miss being able to write a volume in two weeks, a chapter a day. Work takes my time and I enjoy having money)  
Just watched Vol.5 EP07 and Vol.5 is rapidly becoming a contender for best volume.

So let's summarise:  
Two weeks since the last chapter and Felix followed through on the plan to speak to Neptune about anger management.  
Felix is keeping his issues to himself, as much as people think of him as Yang's kid, he's Blake's son in a lot of ways.  
Neptune was in the right, if Felix is worried about losing control then there is definitely a question about whether or not he should be going on missions.  
Nyanza is a shit-post.  
The "What?….what?" is a direct callback to Chapter 07 when Arctus said the same thing when Felix called out his crush on Diamond. I can hear the Battle-Cat shippers squealing from here.  
Cool Aunts and Uncles are going to become a running joke.  
Notice that we've never actually seen Helios's landing strategy, all I'll say is that it involves his Semblance but not in the way you'd think.  
Oh who or what could possibly have taken out those cameras.  
Simple Wok call out.  
Helios and Ether's combo attack was cool and you know it, they killed that Grimm before we even really saw what it was.  
Also we haven't seen Ether use a Dust pick since initiation.  
What if I told you that hole that Olivine blew into the ground is gonna be a plot point later on?  
Fangirl Eagle is the best Eagle.  
A little world building….Which is obviously gonna be used as a plot point.  
The slasher movie joke, if you get it you get it.  
 _Helios has probably stalked a Goliath by moonlight with nothing but a loincloth and a spoon._ Admit it, you love Nyanza.  
" _Ramen and tinned meatballs….I call it ghetto bolognese"_ I believe I actually invented that abomination, I'd recommend it at least once, just so you can know true regret.  
The Rat-King, there's an urban legend of the same name but I didn't think it was even nearly disturbing enough.  
Felix takes MVP here, I was actually going to have a slightly different combo attack involving Felix and Arctus's Semblances but I'll save that for another time.  
Yes, yes you read that correctly. Felix "I have suffered puns for years" Xiao Long just made a pun.  
And yes, I have something bigger than the Rat-King. It's another Greek Myth (The Rat-King being the Hydra) what Greek monster lives in a maze?

Thank you to SumoSnipe, JollyTheImmortal, FleetOfWarships, Ferrous, FluffyFirefly, ShadowAlex2000, TigerRose, Arkanes Shippou, ShadowWolf, LightingDusk and Merendinoemiliano for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Eleven reviews on a single chapter...Holy fuck I feel like I have ascended to a level where I can tell god to shine my shoes.  
The sibling dynamics are fun to write, I have plenty of memories to draw upon.  
We still haven't heard Felix's middle name yet.  
The Yang vs Corvid pun off will have to happen now it's been suggested, it will dwarf even the Yang vs Squish pun off in The Downward Spiral.  
The Omega Wing will be amazing.  
The Qrow Eagle reveal is being saved for Vol.3  
The Shadow Cadre's motivations have actually been hinted at.  
I wouldn't say Diamond Dust is rushed, they just didn't do the whole awkward early dating stage. They're still early in their relationship but you've also got to consider that they're partners, they literally live together and are with each other almost all the time and have been for months at this point.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	25. Maze

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 25: Maze**

The air was freezing and filled with countless falling snowdrops, mounds of white powder coated the ground. The scene would have looked peaceful anywhere other than the Exclusion Zone, the traditional image of a winter wonderland had long since been replaced by one of frozen desolation. The pitch black sky was filled with shapes, their forms illuminated by nothing more than the bloody glow of their own eyes. Nevermore, the flock of avian Grimm flew silently, each of them clutching the haunches of a Beowolf in their talons. The Grimm swooped low, passing over the roofs of buildings whose inhabitants had abandoned them over a decade ago; as they did so they released their cargo, the Beowolves perching themselves on rotten beams and cracked tiles. The pack had landed in something that could almost be described as a formation, a loose circle surrounding a specific building whose roof remained whole and whose windows and doors were barricaded. The Nevermore returned to their previous higher altitude, a lone pair of eyes watching as they circled their target

"Good" Phobos growled, the Grimm that had once been a mere Alpha Beowolf turned its' attention below to where the prey was hiding. Phobos had felt the death of each Grimm slain by the Hunters like a sharp needle in the back of its' mind but had after a while been unable to locate them, the trail had gone cold and there was no pervading sense of dread or anger to follow. Eventually whatever force was hiding the prey from view had faded and a faint but persistent panic had reached the senses of the Grimm, in such a starved environment where they subsisted on the distant emotions of the mass of life beyond the walls that faint trace of panic had been a beacon, and Phobos had felt his packs' urge to flock to it.

The air around him was filled with the misting breath of panting Grimm, their primal bloodlust radiating off of them in waves that were almost palpable; one stepped forwards, the claws of its' forelimbs sinking into the edge of the roof as it made to pounce, Phobos grabbed the beast by the back of the neck and hauled it back

"No" the word was growled quietly for fear of alerting the prey inside, the Beowolf snapped angrily at him, the Grimm were utterly incapable of understanding speech but when Phobos spoke meaning was conveyed through the link the packs under its' command shared. The insubordination caused Phobos to grip the smaller Grimm by the throat and haul it from its' feet, the fact Phobos walked on two legs combined with a vastly increased muscle mass meant the Beowolf was dwarfed by its' leader

"Wait" the Beowolf was set down, gently enough to prevent any sound. Phobos reached into the mental bond with the packs, waiting for the precise moment to begin the hunt. Finally the moment came, another Nevermore approached from the same direction as the Beowolves had though this one was not carrying a Beowolf and it didn't swoop low; this Nevermore was carrying a Boarbatusk and as it neared it climbed higher until the crimson of its' eyes were faint pinpricks. Then it released the Boarbatusk, the whooshing of the air around the sturdy beast as it plummeted would be too little too late to serve as a warning and Phobos watched with vicious delight as the smaller Grimm curled into a ball of spinning armoured plates. The roof of the building below collapsed under the force of the Boarbatusks' impact and the air was filled with howls and snarls from the Beowolves and the shrieking of the Nevermore as several spikes of fear reached their senses. With a single howl and point downwards Phobos led the charge, the Grimm on the roofs and those overhead surged downwards as one.

The hunt had begun.

* * *

Following their defeat of the Rat-King Team FADE had continued to work alongside Penny to track down whatever had been wreaking havoc on the New Vale power grid, with little success. The only fruits of their labours thus far had been several more encounters with smaller Grimm and more destruction forming the clues to an obscene parody of a scavenger hunt. Eventually the five of them had set up camp for the night in a section of the tunnels that mercifully did not intersect with the sewer system. Currently Arctus and Diamond were finishing their watch, being relieved by Felix and Penny while Eagle lay sound asleep in one of the sleeping bags Penny had brought in surprisingly compact pack; the blonde would be taking the last watch with Sentinel as company.

"Hey, you wanna borrow my jacket? it's sleeveless but it's something?" Arctus asked Diamond, seeing that his partner and girlfriend was shivering within the confines of her own sleeping bag. Rather than answer straight away she cast her eyes over to where Felix and Penny were and saw that their attention was elsewhere, when she turned back to Arctus she gave him a mischievous wink

"I've got a better idea big buy" with that she slithered quietly out of her sleeping bag and made her way over to him, catching on Arctus unzipped his own sleeping bag allowing her to make herself comfortable draped across him; legs wrapping around his waist and arms sliding around his neck as she nuzzled into his neck

"Much better" she murmured sleepily

"Are you sure-" Arctus found himself silenced with a slow kiss, he also found his body reacting in ways completely outside of his control and if Diamond's smirk was any indication she knew exactly what kind of effect she was having on him as her breasts pressed against his chest

"Yeah, I'm sure" she returned to making herself comfortable on his chest, an infinitely easier task than falling asleep on the cold damp floor would have been, just as Arctus's arms wrapped around her waist and he gently pressed his lips against the top of her head Felix's affronted voice rang out

"Are you two serious right now?"

"Fuck off dude, we're not even doing anything!" Diamond snapped back without even bothering to look up

"Seriously, just trying to keep warm" Arctus added, giving his cousin and team leader the closest thing to an apologetic look he could manage, considering that he was honestly perfectly content with the situation.

"Leave them be Fluffy" Penny's use of her nephew's nickname got his attention, Felix turned and saw her wearing a gentle smile as she continued "I happen to know for a fact that your parents shared a sleeping bag while on missions"

"And that is a mental image I could've gone my whole life without thanks" he grumbled as he ran his hands through his hair, dislodging countless dried flakes of whatever filth he'd been submerged in during the fight with the Rat-King. Penny giggled softly at the response before offering out a large packet of beef jerky which Felix gladly helped himself to a handful of. Silence reigned for an indiscernible amount of time, the soft breathing Felix's sensitive hearing picked up informing him that his team-mates had fallen asleep cuddling, which was admittedly cute. Eventually after what the Faunus guessed to have been at least an hour he turned to his companion

"Hey Aunt Penny, have you got any idea what we might be looking at? I mean you've seen some pretty out there stuff right?"

"Honestly Felix, it's hard to say. There are so many factors that could allow a Grimm to enter these tunnels and they occupy so much space it could be almost anything. Although the probability of a Shadow-Stalker pack or Infinipede is low enough to be negligible"

"What makes you think that?" he asked as he leaned against the nearest wall, instantly regretting the decision when he realised it was as damp as the floor

"Infinipede generate an electrical charge that they use as a ranged weapon. If one had grown large enough to leave the damage we've seen so far then the power outages would be several times larger than what they have been" Penny explained, the Grimm in question being almost exclusively native to Atlas and so removed from Felix's experience. Her expression darkened as she continued "As for Shadow-Stalkers, we'd be looking at a far greater level of damage and it would be targeted attacks on key points of the power grid and sewer system"

"Whoa" Felix breathed out, momentarily stunned "So Uncle Gang wasn't just making Shadow-Stalkers up then? I kinda thought they were an Atlesian bedtime story, something to scare kids into behaving" Penny's response was an uncharacteristically dark chuckle

"A lot of people in Upper Atlas use them that way. People who grew up in Lower Atlas, like Blake and Gangrel, know better. One pack of Shadow-Stalkers down here would mostly likely lead to something comparable to The Breach" Felix was floored by the calm assertion. The Breach was considered a key part of New Vale's history, a precursor of the war that started with the battle of Vale

"Weren't you at the breach?" Felix asked curiously, he'd asked both of his mothers about some of the more famous battles they'd been present for, he suspected that the accounts they gave him as a child had been heavily sanitised

"I was, I was a transfer student from Atlas at the time, preparing to compete in the Vytal Tournament. Team CPIA were part of the second wave of Hunters to arrive, Teams GRAP and CFVY were the first, Team RWBY were on the train that Adam Taurus used to bring Grimm into the Kingdom" her gaze grew distant for a moment "There was a moment where I thought I'd lost Ruby, she was holding the line inside the Breach itself, there were so many Grimm pouring out…." she trailed off, leaving a heavy silence between them. Eventually Felix spoke again, eager to dull the boredom of keeping watch

"How come we've never met any of your old team?" he saw his aunts' expression falter "Unless it's personal or something-"

"It's okay" Penny sighed "We were just never as close as most teams. The only one I ever felt any sort of connection with was my partner Ciel. When I was injured by Pyrrha Nikos, accidentally, right before the battle of Vale started I was actually incorrectly reported as killed in action. It was a long time before I managed to contact Ciel; she took it hard, she was angry at me….we haven't spoken since"

"Oh, that sucks" Felix was quiet for a moment before dots seemed to connect themselves in his mind "Wait, Nikos? The Pyrrha Nikos with a statue at Halo?"

"Precisely, she was a sensational friend" Penny nodded a hint of sadness creeping into her voice

"There's a Nikos studying at Halo now" Felix informed her "Like a distant second cousin or something, he's partnered with a guy I went to Signal with….I wonder how their mission's going"

* * *

In the early hours of the morning, when the students of Halo Academy were yet to rise and given the season so to was the sun there were still a handful of souls awake on the prodigious campus which hovered above New Vale like a watchful sentinel. One of those souls was Nora Ren who had slept little the previous night and would freely admit it was due to the absence of her husband. Nora was far from concerned, she had every faith in Lie Ren's abilities and those of the team he was leading; Helios Nikos in particular, the Mistrali was a clear prodigy and Nora thought it a shame that he would never have the opportunity to meet her old friend whom he idolised, Pyrrha would have loved him. The fact remained however, Nora had become accustomed to sleeping either beside or in close proximity to her husband since they were children, there was something indescribably wrong with the thought of drifting off without her hand in his or his arm around her waist. Currently she was debating heading into the campus gym and getting a head start on the day before her first lesson, it always seemed to surprise the students to see her training alongside them for some reason and their reactions were usually entertaining. Another option was to head to the cafeteria, her residence on the campus had a well stocked kitchen and she was perfectly capable of making her own breakfast but Nora silently she decided she would not _'ruin the good name of pancakes'_ by attempting to find Ren's elusive secret ingredient yet again. Her predictably somewhat hectic thoughts were interrupted by her Scroll issuing a rather unique ringtone, the autotuned sounds of a plethora of baby sloths. A ringtone reserved for Ren.

"Hey, how's the mission-"

"Nora, Nora we need immediate evac! Get to Goodwitch, Olivine's injured. Nikos and Angora broke off to buy us some time, Get DeGrasse and Arashi out and I'll double back for them!" Ren's words came out in a series of strained gasps indicated he had only briefly stopped running as fast as his Aura and muscles would allow, something that concerned Nora far more was his tone. Ren, calm and unflappable Ren, sounded terrified

"What happened?" Nora demanded, suddenly much more awake as fear and adrenaline coursed through her

"We found the Grimm that took out the cameras, Alpha Beowolf. There's something different about this one….It's smarter, it co-ordinated an attack" there was a moment where Nora could hear one of Team NEON, presumably Ether Arashi reporting in. When Ren spoke again he sounded if anything more tense "We've been taking cover, Ether just spotted a Nevermore overhead….they're hunting us. Tell Goodwitch"

"On it" the moment the line went dead Nora, who was thankfully already dressed grabbed Magnhild and sprinted through hallways, leaving lights flickering in her wake and the televisions, Scrolls and other electronic devices of anyone currently awake and using them in the domiciles she passed to suffer from momentary interference. Eventually she found Professor Goodwitch where she knew the older woman would be; sitting cross legged several feet in the air in a combat training classroom as she caused every piece of furniture in the room to levitate, an exercise Glynda had used to hone her abilities since her time as a student of Beacon. The levitating furniture came crashing to the ground, Goodwitch herself landing only slightly more gracefully as Nora hurtled into the room

"Nora what on Remnant-"

"REN NEEDS EVAC, HE HAS FIRST YEAR STUDENTS IN THE EXCLUSION ZONE! AUTHORISE THE YASHIMA PROTOCOL!" the miniscule redhead bellowed, Glynda's expression went from shocked at Nora's plea to horrified at the situation to rigorously imposed calm

"I'll contact Dew Gayl, her ship is always on standby. She'll send someone faster than any of the other aerial platforms. If she isn't leading the strike team personally then you have full authority to take command"

"The Yashima Protocol?" Nora insisted. Goodwitch sighed and shook her head

"I can't authorise that Nora, not for a lone team….as much as it pains me to say it, the Yashima Protocol is for code red emergencies only" with that Nora's eyes narrowed and fists clenched as she turned on her heel and stalked towards the terminal where she silently hoped their would be a transport within the next few minutes. As she exited the main doors of the academy she nervously muttered to herself

"This is not happening"

* * *

"No way!" Eagle exclaimed, wide eyed with awe "Ruby Rose actually invented those?"

"Yep" Penny nodded, popping the P in a way she'd unintentionally learned from the scythe wielder being discussed. Team FADE had returned to their mission, logging the seemingly infinite instances of damage caused by whatever monster it was they were searching for while simultaneously keeping their eyes open for any sign of the Grimm itself. Eagle had chosen to fill the silence in the way that to her seemed to be the most sensible option, barraging Penny with questions about Ruby. The news that Ruby Rose had been the one to take Poly-Tech Nanobots, one of Antonia Arc's personal favourites amongst her inventions; tied with the _'Arc Reactor'_ , and turn them into a form of ammunition and that she was currently working on a project that involved integrating them with forcefields had left the blonde utterly awestruck.

"That's so cool"

"Ruby is sensational" Penny nodded, smiling from ear to ear while privately deciding she was going to tell Ruby and Qrow exactly how much of an inspiration Ruby was to the girl, it may hopefully help ease some of the inevitable tension when the truth about her parentage was brought to light.

"Aunt Ruby's a bad-ass" Felix chuckled "Seriously, one of if not the most famous Huntress in the world, master inventor and weapons designer, she bakes the best cookies and used to let me and Corey stay up late when she was babysitting us"

"Hey" Arctus called from slightly further ahead where he and Diamond stopped to examine something "We've got more damage over here" Penny quickly made her way between the blonde teens and took in the several feet long gouge in the wall

"Whatever it is it's got some really big claws" Arctus noted with a concerned glance

"I don't think this was claws" Diamond answered as she studied the wall intently; Penny cocked her head slightly and motioned for the silver haired girl to continue

"There's only one mark, that's been the case with most of the places we've seen" Diamond explained, Penny nodded in agreement "The places with multiple marks have all had overlapping gouges, like something hit repeatedly. On top of that anything with claws this big wouldn't be able to move through the tunnels, it'd probably be trapped in the places where the sewers and power grid connect….I think we're looking at something with either horns or a really big tail spike, way bigger than a Deathstalker stinger"

"Very well reasoned" Penny was genuinely impressed, from what she'd seen thus far Diamond Sustrai-Black had the makings of an expert scout or tracker, skills that any Hunter would need.

"I'll log the damage" Arctus noted

"Hey big guy do me a favour and shine some light on this" Diamond asked, the Bear Faunus created a small Glyph in his hand, casting more light than his Scroll would have.

"This was done recently" Diamond said bluntly, Penny had reached the same conclusion

"There's still dry dust in the gouge, it would be damp by now"

"So which way then?" Felix growled eagerly, he and Eagle having caught up

"We continue on" Penny answered "It must be heading in the same direction as us or we'd have either seen or heard it by now" with their course agreed on the five of them began moving once more, Eagle quietly deploying Sentinel. Almost half an hour passed without incident before they reached what could best be described as a focal point, several tunnels and their attendant masses of cables intersecting

"We're not splitting up" Felix stated firmly

"Agreed" Penny's emerald eyes narrowed in suspicion "Whatever we're tracking has been here, we just need to determine-"

 _RAAAAAAAARHH!_

The air itself seemed to be torn asunder by the bellowing roar, though the sound did little to help the Hunters as it reverberated in the tunnels so much that it's original location was a mystery

"Think we determined something" Felix noted as he readied his swords, Penny drew her own blades a fraction of a second before the wall beside her exploded and something trampled over her in its' furious onslaught, the copper haired Huntress frantically rolled aside as Sentinel opened fire at whatever beast was lurking within the cloud of dust and falling rubble.

"Sentinel stand down!" Eagle ordered "No point firing blind"

"Let it come to us and be ready to surround it" Penny murmured

"I'll hold it in place" Arctus suggested as the beginnings of a Glyph formed in the hand not holding his broadsword. Then the Grimm came into view, lumbering from the cloud of debris its' arrival had left on its' hind legs and its' knuckles like a gorilla would. At full height the beast would have perhaps reached fourteen feet in height, currently it was hunched over as ceiling of the tunnels was too low to accommodate such a size. It was made of the same obsidian substance as the rest of its' kind with chitinous bone white armour enveloping its' torso in a series of overlapping plates that bore an uncanny resemblance to a knight's armour. it's forelimbs were encased disproportionately large and muscular, the forearms and fists studded and scarred masses of armour, one only needed to look at them to imagine the catastrophic effect of its' blows. The Grimm's head was larger than a mans' torso and bovine in appearance, smoke billowing from its' nostrils while bloody eyes regarded the Hunters, the bone armoured skull was complete with a pair of horns each easily six feet long, the clear cause of much of the damage that Team FADE had found

"That" Penny dispassionately informed the students in her care "Is a Minotaur" before Felix could demand to know how that something that size had managed to _sneak_ into the tunnels the Grimm charged, and all thought not related to survival were pushed aside.

* * *

Team NEON's situation following the roof of the building they were using as shelter being blasted apart could be summed up as a disaster using good fortune to propel itself.  
They had been lucky that the Boarbatusk had only crashed through the roof and not utterly collapsed the building, even more so that it hadn't directly hit any of their sleeping forms, good luck pushed itself even further when Nyanza, who had been awake and alert at the time managed to place an armour piercing round directly between the Grimm's eyes.  
Then the disaster had struck again when Ren led the shell-shocked teens out of the remains of the building, directly into a waiting mass of Grimm. The five of them had fought tooth and nail to break free of the tide of teeth and claws that washed over them, the moment they thought they were free of the Beowolves a flock of Nevermore swooped overhead, their bladed feathers burying themselves in the ground around them while at the same time the Alpha Beowolf entered the fray, the thing was unnatural, it walked on two legs and Ren had watched it direct its' pack with a series of gestures before he attempted to remove it's head, the Grimm parried three attacks before knocking him back with ease.

Good fortune had shown itself once again when Olivine and Helios managed to clear a path, the golden armoured teen tearing Nevermore from the sky with his manipulation of gravity while the minute Huntress deployed Buster Bravo and laid waste to everything in her path.

The small victory had turned to ash when the Alpha proved it's ability to think by singling out Olivine as the greatest threat and lunged under her guard, it was a small mercy that the mechanical exoskeleton around her right arm had Ether a few moments to intervene before the Grimm's fangs could tear his partners' arm away completely; as it was the exoskeleton was ruined leaving the weapon unable to fire and Olivine's right arm was a twisted and bloody mess having been broken with a sickening crunch.

In the moments it had taken the Alpha to reorient itself after Ether had managed to hurl it through a window Team NEON had fled, Helios giving the order to split up. Ren had stepped in as the senior Hunter and their teacher but Helios had shouted him down, telling him to take Olivine and use his Semblance to hide until he could get her to safety; he was going to give the Grimm a false trail to follow, Nyanza had stepped up told the scarlet haired boy in no uncertain terms that he wasn't going anywhere alone, they were partners and that was final.

Such were the events that led to Helios and Nyanza flitting from building to building, heading in a vaguely consistent direction, both were exhausted, aching and carrying several small cuts and bruises from their engagements with small groups of Grimm

"They still on our tail?" Nyanza panted out, wiping sweat and grime from his brow as the first rays of weak winter sunlight crept through the shattered window of the first story room they were currently taking refuge in

"Of course they're still on our tail" Helios growled "It's just whether or not we can see them"

"No sign of 'em yet" Nyanza muttered as he peered below, searching for any sign of the living darkness that was the creatures of Grimm moving through the shadows

"Now we have to concern ourselves with our escape" Helios sighed "I wish you'd stayed with the others Nyanza. Surely you realised I was never intending to double back and regroup; it's too much of a risk while Olivine is injured"

"Thought you might say something like that" Nyanza gave a grim chuckle "Noble and stupid, textbook heroics….y'know they wouldn't give you a statue if you got eaten by Grimm down here right?"

"Then why did you come? I highly doubt a last stand is your style?" Nyanza casually cuffed the taller teen around the back of the head, smirking at Helios's utterly stunned expression

"You're right it's not, but friends don't let each other do dumb shit alone. I've got a plan"

"You….You have a plan?" Nyanza chose to ignore the disbelieving tone

"Ren's Scroll is military spec, he can get through the signal jamming in here. We don't have to meet them for evac, we make our own way out and contact him. There're gates scattered around the perimeter of the exclusion zone"

"You forget the small inconvenience of us being hunted"

"Nah" Nyanza's smile became something truly evil "The walls are covered in giant artillery pieces, we let the Grimm chase us out into the open. We'll get lucky and avoid the shelling, they won't" Helios stared at his partner in silence for several moments

"Nyanza you're a lazy, degenerate irritant sometimes; but never let me convince you that you're not one of my best friends" Nyanza would never admit it, but hearing that from Helios meant a lot to him. The feline merely rose to his feet and rolled his shoulders back, pistols finding their way to his hands

"Come on Heely, nobody dies today. Let's make a break for it" the redhead nodded and the pair of them leapt from the window down to the ground and immediately sprinted in the direction of the edge of the exclusion zone. They must have made enough noise to attract the Grimm as before long the shriek of Nevermore sounded behind them and above, Helios made to turn and employ his Semblance against them; Nyanza called to him

"Keep running, I've got 'em" without looking the bushy tailed Faunus fired his pistols over his shoulders, pale green eyes glowing with the light of his Semblance; each shot found its' way to a vital area of a Grimm, throats, eye sockets and wing joints were blasted apart with ease as the pair of them continued to run

"I see the wall!" Helios exclaimed as the towering fortification came into view, the street coming to an abrupt halt almost quarter of a mile before the wall; piles of rubble and debris indicating where building had been shelled to deny cover to any Grimm that approached "No sign of a gate!"

"We'll have to hug the wall!" Nyanza shouted back, then a movement in corner of his eye caught his attention "Ah shit, Heely we've been flanked!"

"I see them" Helios shifted Olympus Enforcer into its' Tommy Gun form as the pair of them reached the last of the standing buildings, the pack of Beowolves leaping into view snarling and thrashing. They'd been on the streets to either side of the one Helios and Nyanza were fleeing down. Before Helios could fire the ground beneath the first Beowolf exploded with a deafening explosion that left nothing remaining of the Grimm but wisps of fading darkness

"Damn those are some big guns!" Nyanza gasped, barely able to hear himself over the ringing in his ears as he and Helios stumbled hastily through what had quickly become a killing field; the Faunus's Semblance keeping them from sharing the Grimm's fate. Nyanza's eyes widened as he watched a Deathstalker that had against all odds managed to scuttle close to them through the barrage, claws and glowing stinger poised for the kill

"HELIOS!" He called out, giving his partner just enough warning to turn and increase the gravity acting on the monster to such a magnitude that it's exoskeleton shattered and it's own stinger was embedded in its' back. Nyanza's momentary lapse in concentration cost him, a Beowolf pounced and was shelled out of existence barely a foot away. Helios watched in horror as his partner sailed through the air, collapsing in a crumpled heap some distance away. He sprinted through the shelling, caring nothing for the fact that without Nyanza's Semblance he was utterly exposed to the artillery's wrath

"Nyanza? Nyanza can hear me?" he skidded to a halt, returning his weapon to it's sword and shield form

"Can barely hear anything" the now dust covered feline croaked out before a coughing fit racked his body while his Aura visibly flickered before failing "Think that cracked a couple ribs, still too lucky to die though" the weak laugh that escaped Helios died out quickly as he saw a lone figure striding purposefully towards them, the Alpha that had savaged Olivine

"Think you can take it?" Nyanza choked out as he tried and failed to rise

"On it's own, probably" Helios answered "Here and now…." he trailed off with a shake of his head. As if it had heard the admission the Alpha charged forwards, sprinting at them rather than bounding on all fours like its' pack-mates. The chorus of artillery deafened Phobos to the sound of the trio of Bull-Heads approaching behind it; one of the remaining Nevermore however did manage to spot them and dived to intercept the first salvo. Phobos was sent skidding across the cratered ground as the avian Grimm was obliterated in an explosion of pink mist. Nyanza and Helios both gaped in surprise

"Letting Grimm chase you into a trap, gutsy but could've been executed better. Now let's smash!" was how Nora greeted her students as she landed in a crouch, having leapt from the first of the trio of craft.

"The others are safe, they're en-route to Halo right now" Ren added as he landed beside his wife. Then in unison Magnhild and the Storm-Flowers were unleashed, cutting through any Grimm that managed to weave between artillery shells. Phobos struggled to it's feet, letting loose a primal roar of rage and defiance before turning and bolting deeper into the exclusion zone, the rest of the Grimm following in short order.

"Are we going after them?" Helios demanded. Ren shook his head gently

"We're not risking any more injuries. We know what the target is now, New Vale's defence force can perform bombing runs"

"We might have to have next years' initiation in the Emerald Forest, but hey nostalgia am I right?" Nora beamed before turning to the pair of students; Helios and Nyanza braced themselves, preparing for the litany of reasons that they should be reprimanded. Both of them were stunned when the small woman gently hauled Nyanza to his feet before pressing a fist to each of their noses with a weary grin

"Boop"

* * *

The Minotaur simply refused to die. Penny had regretfully informed Team FADE early on the fight that she hadn't encountered one of these before, they were not native to Atlas. With no recorded data and strategies at their immediate disposal the five of them had been simply unloading with everything they had, to frighteningly little effect. Another problem was that, while far from agile or graceful the Minotaur was fast; it's momentum and sheer strength allowed it to plough through walls with ease, giving the Grimm an advantage in terms of mobility.

"OH COME ON!" Eagle demanded with an incredulous gesture more suited to losing a round of a video game than their current life or death battle as Sentinel's munitions pattered harmlessly off of the thick armour ridges on the monsters back and flank as it turned. She and her team-mates alongside Penny were still in the nexus point formed by the meeting of a dozen or so tunnels; each of them trying to deliver a decisive blow. Eagle's failed attack was followed by Penny firing one of her laser pistols, the searing beam of light narrowly avoided the Minotaur's eye; the result being that the beast was merely infuriated rather than blinded. It faced them and let loose a deafening roar as it charged

"SCATTER!" Felix bellowed, Diamond sprinted directly at the Grimm

"Arctus, platform!" compliance came in the form of a shimmering Glyph between herself and the Minotaur which Diamond leapt onto and somersaulted from, her feet touching the ceiling and engaging her Semblance. Dimensions were inverted around her and Diamond crouched down allowing the Minotaur to pass over her head, shattering the Glyph effortlessly. Bringing the scope of Lex Talionis to her eye and snapping off a trio of shots, the scream of rage and pain confirming that she'd found her mark between armour plates. She collapsed and replaced her weapon as she sprinted along the ceiling towards the Minotaur, which was now tearing the walls apart in its' attempt to turn and face her. Diamond managed to grab its' horns, her Semblance extending to the Grimm and warping dimensions around it; as the floor became the ceiling it fell upwards with a crash that caused the dim lighting to flicker and sent clouds of dust into the tunnel.

Yet the Minotaur still lived.

"Dude really?" she demanded, the Minotaur's response was to thrash wildly; throwing Diamond both from it and the ceiling. The Grimm fell to the ground with a crash as she rolled to a stop and struggled to return to her feet several feet down the tunnel

"Oh shit" she dead-panned as she realised from the way the Minotaur was positioning itself that it was going to charge, and there was very little room to escape

"GET AWAY FROM HER" The Grimm turned at the noise. Saw blade Glyphs ricocheting from the tunnel walls striking it in several places, managing to score grooves in its' bony armour confirmed the identity of her rescuer

"What're you doing?" Diamond demanded

"I've got a plan" Arctus assured her. The Minotaur turned, smoke billowing from its' nostrils as it charged the Bear Faunus. Arctus shifted Gefroren-Erbe into its' plasma gun form, time seemed to slow to a crawl for Diamond as she watched him stand his ground and fire twice; the weapon reducing tissue and bone to a glowing molten mass. As the Minotaur reached him, horns levelled at his chest Arctus was suddenly no longer there, instead he was being pulled back by Sentinel's arms retracting on their cables while maintaining their grip on him. Diamond almost cheered, then the Minotaur lashed out, it's bony fist connecting with Arctus's skull and sending him crashing into a wall, he was dragged across the floor the rest of the way to Sentinel where he struggled to rise.

"Stand back!" Penny ordered as she took in the horrific plasma burns inflicted to the monsters' chest and left shoulder "It can be hurt but it's still dangerous. Leave this to me" she charged forwards and weaved under a wild assault from the Grimm, her pistols becoming swords in her hands and finding their way between armour plates; inflicting damage in small but continuous amounts. The Grimm's retaliation was brutal and unexpected, it brought it's face close to Penny's and as the copper haired Huntress made to fall back it let loose an ear piercing shriek, breathing a jet of fire that engulfed her as it did so

"TRY THAT WITH ME ASSHOLE!" the furious bellow was followed up by Felix ploughing into the Minotaur with all the strength he could muster, swords sheathed as he delivered a right haymaker to its' burned flesh. The Grimm staggered back, roaring in defiance before giving the Lion Faunus exactly what he'd asked for. The focal point of tunnels they fought in was bathed in flames once more. The Minotaur felt something akin to shock or whatever such monsters felt in its' place when a figure wreathed in golden flames with skin made of molten rock stepped through the inferno. The fire stopped and it made to gore Felix with its' horns but found itself unable to do so, against all logic the Faunus caught the protrusions and used them to hold it in place, the Minotaur attempted to rise to its' full height but couldn't

"Felix! Hold it still and we'll take it down!" Diamond called to him from where the rest of the team had regrouped. The Minotaur thrashed and brought its' monstrous fists down against the floor of the tunnel, Felix's Semblance-clouded mind realised what was about to happen a moment before it did; the Minotaur had enough primal cunning to understand that if it couldn't get its' adversary off of the ground then taking away the ground would suffice. The floor cracked and as the Minotaur surged forwards, Felix slid backwards. He fought the Grimm every inch of the way until eventually his back collided with the opposite wall and his Balrog state failed. Exhaustion washed over him as the Minotaur drew back and as he tried his best to prepare for the inevitable he became vaguely aware of a cyan light growing in intensity behind the Grimm

"Huh, light at the end of the tunnel" Felix allowed himself a small smile, it seemed fitting somehow to go out with a pun that his mother would have loved. The Minotaur lunged forward, it never reached him. Felix watched in stunned silence as it stumbled forwards, thrashing in pain, roars reduced to hacking gasps and sputters while Arctus stood triumphantly on its' back; blood trickling from a gash along the side of his head and his sword buried in the Grimm's armour, the blade glowing cyan. It took Felix several seconds to make sense of what happened

"You can use the plasma cell while it's in sword mode, I forgot about that" he managed to croak out as the adrenaline began to wear off and tremors shook his body while the Grimm finally began to fade away "WHAT THE FUCK TOOK YOU SO LONG?"

"I got bounced off a wall man" Arctus mumbled, rubbing the back of his head and looking bashful as he sheathed his sword. Whatever scathing retort Felix intended to give was halted by Eagle and Penny sprinting over to him, Diamond not far behind.

"Are you okay?" his Aunt demanded, seemingly unperturbed by the fact that she was covered in scorch marks

"I thought you were gone….I don't wanna lose my best friend" Eagle mumbled, lower lip quivering until Felix pulled her into a hug

"I'm good, probably never gonna look at bacon the same, but I'm good" Felix tried his best to still his shaking hands "Mission accomplished right?"

"Almost" Penny nodded as she pulled her nephew into a hug the moment Eagle let go "You performed sensationally, you should all be proud of yourselves. The only thing left to do is log the rest of the damage caused by the Grimm….Including this whole area"

The response to this was a mixture of groans, muttered curses and hysterical laughter.

* * *

The small boat moved through the foul waters of the sewage system silently, it's engine having been muted some time ago. Eventually it slowed to a stop and the trio travelling aboard it disembarked. The poor lighting offered by the weak bulbs was little challenge to Faunus senses

"This place is vile" Hellion grumbled as she stroked Marauder, the bird perched on her armoured left forearm and preened itself

"But it will take us to what we want" Carcharodon rasped out from behind his hood. Finding an outlet for water that wasn't recycled had taken the Shadow Cadre some time, but once they had, positioning their stolen ship in place and using one of the lifeboats to enter the sewers had been child's play; to make matters easier for them Onyx had managed to ingratiate himself with the other sell-swords renting their services, there was apparently something about the axe wielding feline that drew people to him.

"Raffia, wait here" the Shark Faunus ordered, seeing his smaller companion's incensed look he cut off the objections before they could form "I would do this alone if I could. Know that I don't doubt you're capabilities, I never have. I need you to guard our escape, we can swim if this boat is sunk but our cargo can't"

"And you need Hellion as a scout" the Axolotl Faunus spat bitterly "Fine….It's not as if there's going to be anyone worth pitting myself against anyway" Hellion and Carcharodon shared a glance, both of them trying not to roll their eyes; their smallest companions' martial pride was always something of a sore spot

"Take Marauder" Hellion held out her arm, the bird of prey hopping onto Raffia's shoulder. She answered his questioning stare "I'll use my Semblance of the rats, there're bound to be thousands down here….I'm not risking him in a firefight"

"We'll be back soon if all goes to plan" Carcharodon breathed out

"Then we get our weapons and we can move on" Hellion added, the Shark Faunus gave her a feral smile that displayed his rows of jagged fangs as he produced a map from the folds of his cloak

"Then justice for those we lost" he paused, taking a moment to centre himself "It's time to begin"

 **Authors Notes:**

So I said I was going to take a break this week, nope.  
Woo that was intense.  
Second mission down….and much like the first mission, it's only going to go downhill.  
I've signed up to a RWBY OC Secret Santa project, so there may be a week with no chapter at some point, but at the very least I'll have the Vol.2 arc finished by the end of the year.

So let's summarise:  
See that's why Phobos is scary, it has his pack airdropped in silently.  
If anyone needs clarification Ren's Semblance masked them from the Grimm, Ren took first watch. The reason Phobos found them eventually is because Ren fell asleep when Nyanza took over.  
Boarbatusk bombshell….that was a thing that my mind produced.  
Diamond Dust will always be adorable to write, seriously they were never going to get X-rated in a damp tunnel underground with Penny literally only a few feet away; just cuddling for warmth.  
In The Downward Spiral, Blake and Yang do in fact share a sleeping bag during the Mountain Glenn mission.  
Infinipede and Shadow-Stalkers are another Downward Spiral call back, readers of that story know that Penny is not exaggerating about the Shadow-Stalkers. They are lethal.  
Penny still uses the _"I was only injured, the reports of my death were an error that couldn't be corrected while the CCT was down"_ to explain away how she's alive after her original body was destroyed.  
What if I told you we will see Ciel Soleil in this story, you won't guess where.  
" _Wonder how their mission's going"_ Uh huh, any excuse to think about Helios.  
Pyrrha would have loved Helios. He's a little antisocial but we can work on that.  
Domestic Renora is always fun to write.  
Nora's ringtone for Ren. I demand RT make it canon at once.  
Glynda's morning routine is to levitate a classroom, just 'cos. Could sort of be considered a callback to when I showed Winter's training routine in Downward Spiral.  
The Yashima Protocol, fans of Evangelion will recognise the reference to 'Operation Yashima' and considering what Nora's Semblance is, you should have a good idea of what's gonna happen. We'll see the Yashima Protocol in Vol.3.  
Since a reviewer asked what Ruby does in her spare time I answered, She's a Huntress and takes on covert missions for Qrow so she doesn't get a great deal of time off; but when she isn't working she's being a great mother to Summer and TJ, baking (Like Summer) and inventing, because I wholeheartedly believe that if Ruby wasn't a Huntress she'd be some sort of scientist or engineer.  
Remember in initiation that Diamond could tell that another team had passed through the area she and Arctus were in because the shell casings on the ground hadn't corroded, she's got an eye for detail.  
Yeah, I decided one Greek monster wasn't enough. Have a Minotaur.  
Team NEON honestly had no hope of winning a fight against Phobos and it's pack after being caught off guard like that, escape was the best option.  
Helios and Nyanza bonding, sort of.  
Helios's plan is actually one Adam Taurus used to escape the Emerald Forest in The Downward Spiral.  
Note that other Grimm nearby will actually kamikaze themselves to save Phobos.  
Diamond charging straight at the Minotaur was pretty bad-ass.  
Arctus & Eagle/Sentinel tag team move was also pretty bad-ass.  
If you're emotional about the fact that Felix was perfectly ready to go out with a bang and a pun, good. You should be.  
Arctus hasn't actually done the plasma sword trick since initiation where he used it on the Dungeon-Master; it actually burns out some of the workings of the weapon, so he won't have a plasma gun until he gets back to Halo to repair it.  
Oh you thought this was going to end happily? You haven't been paying attention.

Thank you to FluffyFirefly, Arkanes Shippou, TigerRose, FleetOfWarships, Ferrous, ShadowAlex2000, JollyTheImmortal, SumoSnipe and Araniladin for their reviews on the last chapter.  
The whole thing about the "Faunus dies first" is actually a play on the "Black guy dies first" trope in horror films, which is what Diamond's muttered comment was about.  
No no no, Helios's light session is a few hundred push ups and sit ups IN FULL ARMOUR.  
Chekhov dual wield _s (Although I think I peaked in The Downward Spiral with Yang making a pun about Chekhov, in an instance where the Chekhov's gun, was also a literal gun).  
_ Hope that answered your question about Ruby.  
No I think Felix's hair-trigger will be something that's addressed a few times over the course of the story as he grows and matures.  
If the Rat-King was underwhelming it's because it wasn't the actual boss of this level, it was just an idea I had that I wanted to fit in. I hope the Minotaur was more to your liking.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	26. Capture

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 26: Capture**

Antonia Arc yawned deeply as she subjected her reflection to a meticulous inspection in the mirror of her her hotel room, followed by turning her neck allowing it to a satisfying crack. At forty four years old and being an individual who routinely prioritised completing tasks above such trivialities as food and sleep, she was beginning to show signs of her age.

"No time for coffee" she grumbled under her breath as she made her way to the door. Her flight had arrived in New Vale from Atlas during the early hours of the morning, allowing her only a few hours sleep before her first appointment of the day; she was required in person at the primary production facility of a company that Poly-Tech was in the process of acquiring. Personally she hoped that the tour of the site might actually refresh her; she'd found herself stagnant of late, a mind that previously had been a continuous wellspring of ideas had been dulled and preoccupied by both the monotony of running a corporation rather than being in a laboratory and on the front lines of science, pushing technology to new limits; and recently an almost perpetual feeling of dread regarding what would happen when she told her daughter that Qrow Branwen was her father.

As she made her way through the corridor of the admittedly luxurious hotel towards an elevator Eagle occupied her thoughts and she found herself fishing her scroll from the pocket of her business suit, her display picture was one of her holding her daughter when they both much younger; from before Antonia had sent her to live with her grandparents.

"Please don't hate me" she sighed to herself, before idly wondering to herself which of her lab assistant she'd picked up the bad habit of talking to herself from. She debated sending Eagle a text message letting her know that she was in New Vale before eventually deciding against it; it was Tuesday and her daughter was most likely in class, Antonia would simply visit Halo Academy in person later and have a much needed talk. She intended to keep her promise to Qrow and be the one to tell Eagle the truth, she only hoped that her only child wouldn't sever what painfully few ties they had afterwards.

She exited the elevator and stepped into the reception area of the hotel, eyes scanning the faces of the individuals milling about before finally spotting the person she sought

"Blanche" hearing her name called Antonia's personal aide turned to face her

"Good morning Miss Arc" the young woman clearly fought the urge to curtsey, apparently she was a member of one of Atlas's upper class families and had spent her childhood being instructed to act as such; Antonia found the gestures off putting.

"I got you a coffee, six sugars and milk as usual" Blanche was disgustingly cheery for someone who didn't drink coffee, Antonia herself occasionally experimented by replacing milk with energy drinks; Blanche continued "After our meeting at Novus incorporated we'll have an hour for lunch and then-"  
"Clear my schedule" Antonia cut across her bluntly before chugging the still burning liquid

"I, erm….Miss Arc are you feeling okay?" in the few years Blanche had been employed by Poly-Tech she'd never known the woman before her to take a day off without being expressly ordered to do so by a medical doctor; and even then it was after a discussion wherein Antonia would point out she held more doctorates.

"I'm feeling fine Blanche, it's just rare that I get to come home. I have family that I haven't seen in….Oum it's been too long" Antonia's expression betrayed her sadness at the realisation for a brief moment before she masked it "We're here on Novus Incorporated Lien, but after we're done with them I'm going to go and pay my daughter a visit. She's a student at Halo Academy and I still haven't met her team, my parents tell me they're good kids; Oum I want to see my parents before we leave here"

"I'll take care of that now Miss Arc" Blanche nodded "Shall I have any issues that require immediate input forwarded to Professor Eldritch?" her assistant, despite the usual air of professionalism she tried to maintain gave Antonia a knowing smile. Whenever Antonia Arc was working on her latest marvel of technology it was a safe bet that Professor Ozymandias Eldritch would be nearby helping, he was the closest thing to regular social interaction Antonia seemed to have and if Blanche were to hazard a guess, her employer may just take the professor up on his offer to _'Call me Oz'_ one day.

"Thank you Blanche, remind me to give you a raise. Are Novus's representatives en route?"

"No, we're meeting them at their site just outside of the capital. They sent some….individuals to form a security detail, they'll be escorting us there"

"Then where are they?" Antonia took note of the suddenly distasteful expression on the younger woman's face

"The receptionist had one of them wait outside, they didn't fit the decorum. The rest told the receptionist in the most profane terms imaginable what they though of this establishment" Antonia raised an eyebrow at that before heading towards the frosted glass double doors of the entrance. Stepping out into the winter cold she spotted a black limousine on the curb, the group of people stood around it were clearly the aforementioned security detail. Antonia instantly realised what the problem had been

"The receptionist took issue with the Faunus"

"Quite rightly so, I mean look at-"

"None of that" Antonia's tone became harsh "I am a woman of science and I have no time for ignorance and scaremongering, racism is the product of both. You're not in Atlas now Blanche. No doubt this establishment will hear from Blake Xiao Long before the end of the week" the young woman nodded, head down in silent shame as she did so

"Miss Arc?" a gruff voice enquired, Blanche gulped. It was the Faunus and she found herself wondering if their hearing was as good as she'd been told. Then she realised just how young he seemed to be, certainly younger than herself. He stood at six foot six with messy black hair and a poor attempt at a beard, his fur lined clothes and the tribal tattoos adorning his forearms painted a picture of primal savagery in her mind, only worsened by the monstrous double bladed axe slung over his back. Antonia however seemed unperturbed

"Indeed, good morning. To whom am I speaking?" the Faunus grinned and held out a hand which Antonia promptly shook, Antonia noticed that his fingers were adorned with cat like pads, as well as unusually sharp nails

"Onyx Ursabane Ma'am"

* * *

Halo Academy's on site medical facilities were equipped specifically cater to those with an unlocked Aura and the rather unique combinations of injuries those individuals acquired while combating the creatures of Grimm or facing off against each other. That is to say it was well stocked with painkillers and mild Aura stimulants, the general consensus among medical professionals being that as long as the injured body part remained attached then it could be healed by Aura eventually, although scarring was still common.

"I'm sorry" Helios hung his head in shame, he'd heard one of the nurses complain about it being unhygienic for him to be with his team right now but the glower he'd given in response had seen the woman off. He'd made his way to where Nyanza and Olivine were the moment Goodwitch had allowed it, the fact he was still covered in grime, dust and dried blood and clad in his armour was unimportant

"Sorry? Helios you put yourself on the line to get me out" Olivine's pale lilac eyes were concerned as she tried to make herself comfortable, repositioning herself to accommodate her right arm which had been set and was now in a cast and sling

"He's gonna be like this all day" Nyanza rolled his eyes "He's just pissed he didn't get to have an honour duel with the big bad Alpha-" Helios watched as his partner's chuckles devolved into pained coughing as he clutched at his broken ribs

"Helios" Olivine sighed "In the politest way possible, stop being a dumb ass. I got bitten by a Grimm; we're Hunters. Shit happens man. Ether, babe, tell him" Helios turned to the only other member of Team NEON not currently hospitalised. Ether looked utterly drained, both physical and mental exhaustion written plainly on his face. Ether was spared having to answer by the sound of someone else entering the room

"Ollie! Oh my Oum what happened to you child?

"Mission didn't go exactly to plan, it'll heal" the woman, whom one could easily have assumed was Olivine's mother by her appearance alone hurried over to her, fussing for a few moments before rounding on Ether

"What foolishness did you kids get yourself into?"

"Beowolves, over a hundred of 'em. Caught us while we were sleeping and ran right over us. I didn't get to Ollie fast enough Miss DeGrasse I'm-"

"Nonsense boy, I'm sure all of you did what you could. And I've told you to call me Fern"

"We did" Olivine sighed, accepting her Mothers' concern as good naturedly as she did everything else "Ether and Professor Ren got me to a medical evac while Helios and Nyanza led the Grimm away. In fact this is the first time you've met these two right?"

"Bless your hearts" Helios looked thoroughly uncomfortable at the gratitude and couldn't force himself to meet Fern DeGrasse's gaze; seeing this Ether decided to step in

"Miss….Fern, I think me and Helios need to head back to the dorm; we need showers at the very least. Ollie I'll be back later" he leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead

"Don't I get one?" Nyanza mocked  
"Nah, I don't know where you've been" without waiting for the inevitable comeback he placed a firm hand on Helios's armoured shoulder and led his team leader out of the medical facilities and into a deserted hallway; classes were in session for the day and unless a sparring match went awry they would have a few moments of privacy

"What's wrong?" he demanded "And don't try and put the emotionless bad-ass act on with me Helios, my sister does it better when promoters try ripping us off" It was a testament to both how exhausted the Mistrali felt and how much his temperament had mellowed while away from his people that he didn't merely backhand Ether for his tone. What escaped Helios was a single choked sob

"You all could've died today and I should have done better" the scarlet haired teen wiped his eyes and forced his composure into place "If the Nikosi sent a scout party and they returned with fifty percent injuries and failed to kill the Grimm they were hunting, the leader of that scout party would be considered a disgrace to our people….I should leave, I'm not fit to-"

"You're not going anywhere man" Helios stiffened awkwardly as his team-mate pulled him into a hug, clearly holding back tears of his own "Ollie doesn't blame you for the way things went. Nobody does"

"You should-"

"But I swear to Oum" Ether's tone darkened as he stream-rolled over Helios objection "That if you ever lie to our faces about regrouping so you can head out on a suicide mission-"

"It was my decision to make!" Helios snapped "If I have to lead then I have to be the one to make sacrifices. I will not be sacrificing any of your lives"

"AND YOU THINK WE WANT TO GO TO ANIMA AND EXPLAIN TO YOUR PEOPLE THAT WE LET YOU GET YOURSELF KILLED!" Ether barked. Helios was frankly stunned, he'd never heard Ether angry before, his next words were disjointed and hurried as he tried to control his temper "Fuck man, sorry I didn't mean to snap….I love Ollie and seeing her hurt; I'm just not-"

"I understand, no offence taken" Helios answered calmly

"Come on, let's head back to the dorm. We both look and smell like death" he led the way while Helios was seemingly lost in thought behind him; eventually mumbling out

"I mean so much to you that you'd find the Nikos tribe if something happened?"

"Bro, are you fucking serious right now? Of course we would" Ether's tone was beyond exasperated "You're a fucking hard-ass sometimes….I mean seriously who wakes up at five am on a weekend to train in the cold; but you're our friend. Hell I'm sure Team FADE would say the same" Helios needed to take several moments to compose himself, not trusting his voice not to waver

"I….I really needed to hear that, I didn't realise just how much. Thank you"

"You're welcome man" Helios paused, deciding that he needed a less emotional conversation and searching for a topic; one easily presented itself

"How do you think Team FADE are faring on their mission?" he missed the eye roll and smirk Ether responded with.

* * *

"Can't believe they made us eat outside" Arctus snorted as he sunk into the seat beside Felix. After hours of logging damage and picking off what small Grimm remained after their battle with the Minotaur Penny had led Team FADE to an access point, much smaller than the one that they had entered the power grid through; they had resurfaced in what had appeared to be a disused and cordoned off shed located in a small town on the outskirts of the city. Penny had decided that they had more than earned a break and so a late breakfast was on her; the cafe they'd arrived at had been a welcome sight. The relief had been short lived when the owner point blank refused to have the Hunters inside, through Team FADE had begrudgingly accepted the argument that they literally smelled like a sewer and it was going to drive out the other customers.

"Nice to have some fresh air though" Felix replied through a mouthful of food, he had predictably ordered a truly monstrous creation; bacon, sausages, cheese and eggs in the same sandwich with at least two different sauces that Arctus could see. The Bear Faunus watched his cousin take another bite and realised something else, Felix's hands were still shaking

"You okay man?" after a few moments of chewing, buying time to think of a response he answered

"A little shaky, I'll be fine"

"Dude, I think we all are….that was insane" Diamond interjected as she, Eagle and Penny returned with their own orders; taking empty seats at the benches outside the cafe

"It was….memorable" Penny nodded, earning herself a series of small smiles; there was just something about the way the copper haired Huntress phrased things that made it hard not to chuckle. Felix's Scroll vibrated in his pocket, his fit of laughter at whatever message he'd received got everyone else's attention

"Team NEON are back at Halo" he explained, showing them the message which consisted of a picture of Nyanza in a hospital gown giving the camera a rude hand gesture, beneath the image was the caption _'I lived bitch'_

"Why is he like that?" Eagle gasped from behind her hands "Seriously, why?"

"I don't think medical science has figured it out yet" Felix shrugged, he'd long since given up trying to understand his long time friends' personality quirks

"What about you guys?" Felix asked "You all okay?"

"Head's pounding, should be fine though" Arctus grunted as he swallowed his current mouthful, the side of his head was indeed a mess of bruises and dried blood.

"Poor baby" Diamond teased while leaning up and kissing the gash running along his temple "Yeah I should be okay, just pretty sore everywhere"

"I'm fine" Eagle shrugged "Honestly Sentinel did more work….again"

"Hey" both Felix and Penny answered at the same time, Felix let his Aunt continue

"You did everything that was required of you. You are just as valuable to you're team as everyone else"

"She's right" Felix gently punched her shoulder. The five of them enjoyed their breakfast for a while, simply glad to be out of the claustrophobic and rancid gloom below their feet

"How much work do you think is left to do?" Diamond asked as she finished her meal, Penny looked thoughtful

"Potentially we could be finished by-hold on" she was interrupted by her Scroll, withdrawing the device her eyes widened at the caller I.D. A pre-recorded S.O.S, answering it she put the call on loudspeaker

"All available Hunters, this is a code red! I repeat code red! Novus Incorporated is being attacked, unknown assailants; armed and dangerous! Guards and defences are being over-run, we can't evacuate!" Penny closed her Scroll, a wave of guilt washing over her as she saw how exhausted the teens looked and realised the order she needed to give

"Code red's aren't optional. Novus manufacture technology that can't be allowed to fall into the wrong hands…."

"So we're back to kicking ass then!" Felix growled as he leapt to his feet, the remains of his breakfast forgotten

"Can we get there in time?" Eagle seemed unsure

"A site like theirs will have it's own connection to the power grid, if we go back underground we might be able to get into the building undetected" Penny explained. The four students shared determined looks and readied their weapons, Felix turned to his Aunt

"Let's go"

* * *

"Pathetic" Carcharodon snarled, his voice a hoarse and haunting whisper as the Red Waves sheared an automaton apart. He and Hellion had prowled through the tunnels beneath New Vale, Hellion's Semblance allowing her to see through the rats that scurried around them eventually leading the to a ladder which their maps confirmed would lead them to their prize. They'd burst into the facility with blades drawn only to be disoriented by the alarms that were already blaring, obviously Onyx had started without them. The two Faunus had split up to find their comrade, learning in their search that this factory produced the mechanical sentries Onyx was so fond of ridiculing. These particular automatons seemed less durable than the ones they'd seen in Atlas.

The distinctive booming report of Jotun Fang sounded out nearby and Carcharodon set off in the direction of the gunfire, blades relieving two more machines of their heads as he weaved between them. Sprinting through brightly lit, minimalist corridors of the offices away from the factory floor he eventually found Onyx. The Puma Faunus had shifted Jotun Fang back into its' axe form and was currently facing off against a trio of living opponents; nowhere near skilled enough to be Hunters yet not dressed as security guards, sell-swords if Carcharodon had to guess

"Took your time" Onyx noted, his cheery tone in stark contrast to the carnage he was wreaking upon his opponents and surroundings

"Who the fuck are-" one of the hired guns tried to demand of Carcharodon, the lapse in concentration costing him dearly; Onyx's axe colliding with the man's Aura between his shoulders and sending him smashing through the nearest wall. Carcharodon sprinted towards one the remaining fighters, they levelled their shotgun at his chest and hit nothing but air as the Shark Faunus sank into the floor with the use of his Semblance. The scant few seconds the hired gun spent looking around in confusion was enough for Carcharodon to re-emerge from a shadow on the ground behind him and put his victim in a choke hold.

"This is insulting" Onyx grumbled as he picked the final mercenary up, a single paw around his head and slammed him into the ground with a sickening crunch "More metal men, more cowards, more weaklings"

"I don't know how you stomach them" Carcharodon rasped softly as he dropped his now still opponent, the Puma Faunus shook his head in disgust

"No matter how much time I spend with them, I'll never understand them" their brief discussion was brought to a close by the sound of metal on metal as several pairs of mechanical feet marched towards them. A squad of a dozen of the machines Novus Incorporated was producing stepped into view. Their bodies a dull cream colour, except for in places that hadn't yet been painted revealing just how new and untested these creations were. They were humanoid and spindly, each with a small backpack like device attached to their rear with an antennae protruding upwards, their heads were odd sloping shapes and when they raised their weapons, clutching the laser rifles in three fingered hands the lead machine spoke, its' synthetic tones providing final proof that it was nothing more than preprogrammed commands

"Targets located. Lower your weapons and stand down. Roger Roger" Onyx and Carcharodon spared each other a look, each of them obviously affronted at the calibre of their latest challengers

"I think this one is already broken" Onyx snorted before unleashing his Semblance, he bellowed and the air itself seemed to warp and distort with the force of the shock wave he produced. The lead machine was left sparking feebly on the ground. As the others struggled to rise, their thin legs kicking weakly, a blizzard of knives filled the air

"We don't have time for this" Hellion sighed as she strode into view from behind the robots, which were now motionless save for the odd random twitching. Carcharodon nodded in agreement before turning to Onyx

"Where are their weapon smiths?"

"Hiding in a _'Panic room'_ " he spat the word with venom, the idea of running scared from a fight anathema to him.

"Do you know where?"

"On the other side of the factory floor" Onyx growled "They intend for us to have to fight their toys until we're spent. They know how to burrow into their nests if nothing else"

"Nothing stays hidden from me" Carcharodon assured his ally "I need you and Hellion to create a distraction" the Puma and Dragonfly Faunus shared savage grins

"Gladly"

* * *

Antonia Arc was one of the many scientists crammed into the panic room Novus Incorporated had on their premises in case of an attack such as what had taken place. A small group of security guards, obviously woefully unprepared were positioned near the sole entrance; their weapons trained on the reinforced Atlesian steel door. When the Puma Faunus among Antonia's security detail had without warning turned on his colleagues then proceeded to start blasting anything that moved to shreds with the obscenely large artillery weapon that his axe doubled as, spewing threats and profanities the whole time; Blanche had taken her employers hand and ran.

"The prototypes are getting annihilated!" one of the scientists exclaimed as they monitored events outside through a tablet, they couldn't see the battle taking place but the steady stream of _'Contact lost'_ notifications as machine after machine fell to the attackers was all the evidence needed.

"We're gonna die in here, we're all gonna die in here" Blanche whimpered

"No. We're not" Antonia stated firmly "We managed to send an S.O.S, Hunters are already en route. As abysmal as Novus Incorporated defence robots clearly are, there's at least enough of them to hold a defensive line. Now stop panicking, we're outside of New Vale's walls and we don't need Grimm on top of everything else"

"Maybe the Grimm will eat the Faunus?" Blanche looked disturbingly hopeful at that prospect

"Don't be ridiculous" Antonia forced herself to remain as calm as understanding as possible; several more tense minutes went on, the air filled with the frantic mutterings of cliques of workers huddled together, the sounds of combat drawing steadily closer outside, growing from dull thuds of weapons discharging to actually being able to hear the demented laughter of their attackers and the sound of steel being torn asunder.

"They're in the automated section of the factory floor" the scientist monitoring the streams of information from the one side battle informed the security guards

"Are there any more 'bots you can let loose?"

"Unfortunately not" the scientist answered with a shake of the head "Most of what's out there right now doesn't even have a power supply fitted. It's just empty shells" the guards shared nervous glances, the obvious head of the security team letting out a slow wavering breath

"Okay team, we defend the civvies. Looks like we're gonna have to head out there. Set the door to relock ten seconds after opening and-"

"That won't be necessary" the panic room was filled with terrified screams and bodies pressing together as the mass of people recoiled in unison. Standing in their midst was a living shadow that was swiftly forming a being; liquid darkness oozed from the minute spaces between the panels of the rear wall, pooling on the floor and rising up. Antonia watched in detached horror as the shadow solidified; forming a six foot three figure she assumed to be male, clad in hooded black robes obscuring the majority of the intruders' face, leaving nothing but rows of jagged fangs on display. Attached to the mans' forearms were a pair of double edged blades, curved and serrated with points that reached beyond their owners' elbows and fists. There was a moment, barely a few seconds while the newcomer surveyed the huddled scientists, technicians and admin clerks from behind his hood, what little of his face could be seen remaining inscrutable. Then one of the security guards charged, Antonia would never know what convinced the young man to try and bring the stock of his rifle against his adversary's face rather than simply shoot, what followed was a series of sickening wet snapping sounds, drowned out by screams of pain as the guard was disarmed and three of his four limbs were broken; the screaming stopped when his head was smashed into the rear wall of the panic room with devastating force, thin trails of blood trickling from the point of impact

"Oh my Oum, oh my Oum we're gonna die" Blanche whimpered as tears streamed down her face, Antonia's heart went out to her; it was clear that a sheltered life in Upper Atlas had given her no clue how to react to such a confrontation

"He's still breathing" the older woman murmured, both to Blanche and the chief of security who had visibly paled at the sight of their colleague being so brutally and casually dispatched. The intruder stepped forwards and spoke, their voice a menacing rasp

"I am Carcharodon Gore, Captain of the Shadow Cadre of the Frost River. I will say this once, all of you can die here today but none of you need to" another brave soul stepped forwards, Antonia recognised the woman as somebody who had spoken during one of the earlier presentations; she faltered when Carcharodon Gore's blade found it's way under her chin

"What do you twisted sons of bitches want?" she demanded, Antonia could of swore she saw his razor filled maw twist into a small smile

"I need one of you" a small pause, seemingly for effect to allow the information to sink in "You make weapons, regardless of how little fight your metal men put up. One of you will be leaving with me as I have need of your skills. I'll allow you to choose amongst yourselves" it was less than a second before pandemonium started, Antonia inwardly realised that she shouldn't have been surprised; but the cacophony of people willing to offer each other up in sacrifice to save themselves was appalling to her

"Him! Take him, he's the guy who builds the lasers the robots use"

"Take her she designed the new prototypes!"

"I just work in an office, I can't actually build-"

"Take the assembly line workers!"

"Please, I've got kids at home!"

"ENOUGH!" Antonia's bellow cut through the noise and all eyes turned to face her, including, she presumed those of Carcharodon

"Miss Arc what are you doing?" Blanche sniffled, Antonia stepped forwards without answering and spoke directly to the hooded man

"I am Antonia Arc, head of Poly-Tech and the new owner of Novus Incorporated. These men and women are under my employment"

"So you wish to choose one of them?" Carcharodon drawled. Antonia's eyes narrowed

"You misunderstand me. These people are under my employment _and my protection_ " she took a deep breath to steady herself "Arcs protect what's important. I nominate _myself_ " her hands trembled as Carcharodon stepped forwards, reaching into the folds of his robe, a moment later she was blinded by a dark sack being placed over her head. Though she still heard the words her captor whispered to her

"You are by far the bravest person I've encountered in this Kingdom. I promise you that no harm will come to you"

* * *

"They went that way!" were the only words Team FADE and Penny needed to hear. They had made their way through tunnels at a frantic sprint. Upon reaching the ladder that would have led them to their target they were greeted by the sight of a wounded and bleeding security guard who was unable to stand but still struggling to pull a comrade from the putrid sewer water they'd been cast into. The guard had pointed the Hunters in the direction of the assailants and Team FADE had barrelled after them, a warning echoing behind them

"They have a hostage!" this only urged the five of them onwards faster. After what seemed like an eternity they reached an exit point, dim light from the overcast sky outside visible in the mouth of a small cave. What drew their attention was the small boat harboured at the edge of the narrow path they were racing down and the people in and around the boat. A figure they guessed to be a woman, a sack concealing her face was on the boat, hands bound behind her back with a familiar Puma Faunus guarding her. The three remaining members of the Shadow Cadre were already rushing to meet them in battle

"Three against five, we can win this!" Felix asserted, trying to keep his nerve. Raffia must have caught sight of Diamond, the Axolotl Faunus weaved between his comrades with Hydra Macabre at the ready and a truly insane glint in his eye

"I WANT THE BITCH WITH THE GLAIVE!"

"Cover me!" called to Arctus as she rushed forwards, Lex Talionis is it's close combat form in her hands. Arctus nodded and created a Glyph between the two groups while Diamond's Semblance allowed her to propel herself along the wall and ceiling, landing behind Raffia and forcing him against the glowing barrier as the pair of them exchanged blows. The second figure to reach them was the Shark Faunus Arctus hadn't actually faced off against in their previous encounter with the Shadow Cadre, Carcharodon seemed to merge with the wall and Arctus instinctively flung his arms in front of his face in expectation of a surprise attack; his opponent reappeared beside him, his almost liquid body reforming as he tackled the Bear Faunus into the filthy water of sewers, Arctus saw his Glyph flicker and fail as he fell.

Frigid, murky and stinking water enveloped Arctus, Carcharodon's left arm finding it's way around his throat while his right arm was drawn back to deliver a lethal slash, Arctus had mercifully managed to keep his grip on his sword and managed to lock their blades together while fumbling with his free hand in one of his many pockets. The Shark Faunus clutching at him wore a cruel smirk, inky black eyes seemingly unhindered by the dirty water, those same eyes widened in shock as Arctus managed to draw an Ice Dust crystal and crush it beside his head, the water was frozen solid and Arctus kicked Carcharodon away, his head encased in ice. Breaching the surface of the sewer water and taking a gulp of air he saw that while his team-mates were indeed pushing Raffia and Hellion back it wasn't enough. The small boat that Onyx was piloting had begun to move, their prisoner still aboard. The water was breached once more a Carcharodon burst from it's surface, evidently having escaped his icy prison

"FALL BACK! WE HAVE WHAT WE CAME FOR!" the moment the order left his lips the Shark Faunus dived below the surface, vanishing from view entirely

"Another time!" Raffia cackled as he leapt into the air, his first kick catching Diamond square in the chest and slamming her against the wall, the second connecting with her chin and being used to propel himself backwards into the water. Arctus wasted no time on futile attempts to track the smaller Faunus and instead climbed back onto dry land and rushed to his partner's side, she was bleeding from gashes in her left side and right shoulder

"You okay?" Diamond spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground

"Nothing too deep, he's good though"

"GRAB HER!" Felix roared as he rushed at the last remaining member of the Shadow Cadre; Hellion was sprinting after the boat, clearly not as proficient in the water as her allies who had already managed to catch up and were climbing aboard. Hearing the demand for her capture the Dragonfly Faunus withdrew several of her throwing knives and turned to hurl them; smoke billowed from the handles of the projectiles as they sunk into the ground and Hellion allowed herself a confident grin; they'd accomplished their goal, the Shadow Cadre would soon set sail once more and justice would be done. The her world became nothing but pain as a flash of searing green light lanced from the smoke, passing over her left shoulder and burning through her upper left wing. Hellion screamed in agony as burning gossamer fluttered to the ground before her. The owner of the laser pistol that had cleaved one of her Faunus attributes in half strode forward, the copper haired woman whose green eyes were currently filled with cold fury. Hellion's feeble attempt to stand was met by a firm kick to the chest and a laser pistol pressed against the back of her head.

"Felix, I have an Aura collar in my pack in case of emergency. Find it" Penny ordered as Team FADE reached her

"Got it it" Penny loomed over her prisoner with malice that seemed horrifically out of place to those who knew her

"Your hostage, who were they?" Felix returned and quickly locked the Aura dampening collar in place and as the final vestiges of her Aura's protection were denied to her Hellion let out a low hiss of pain against her will

"Answer me" Penny demanded

"We needed someone who understands your technology. Her name was Antonia Arc" the air seemed to leave the tunnel in an instant, Felix's eyes widened in shock as he turned and sought out his partner. There was a metallic clang as Eagle dropped her sword and sank to her knees, her expression blank as there was no one emotion that could convey the feeling of her entire world collapsing around her.

 **Authors Notes:**

And that, ladies and gents, is how you fuck with people.  
Next chapter is the end of Vol.2 bearing in mind I have a one shot to write for a challenge….I may not start Vol.3 until the new year; also Vol.1 was 15 chapters and Vol.2 will be 12….that is exactly the same as The Downward Spiral, weird.  
So if this the second part of the trilogy that is the first year, and the protagonists just took an L...is this the "Empire Strikes Back" Arc?

Anyway, let's summarise:  
Giving Antonia Arc a little character, so she's something other than _"Eagle's Mum who didn't tell Qrow that they had a daughter".  
_ Antonia Arc needs more coffee than Ruby to function.  
When a Doctor tells Antonia she needs a rest her response is _"But are you sure though, 'cos I've got more doctorates"_ let that sink in.  
Professor Ozymandias "Call me Oz" Eldritch. Yes that's foreshadowing; for stuff that'll be happening in Third Year. I play the long game and no it won't happen the way you think.  
Two things of note, firstly no amount of time in Atlas will make Antonia turn in a racist douche, secondly Blake is well known because while she may be the head of The Coalition in New Vale, she doesn't send lawyers or representatives to deal with companies that pull some dumb shit; she goes in person.  
Toe beans is back people.  
Oh look we're meeting another Mum….In my head Fern DeGrasse looks and sounds like one of my old friend's Mum.  
So Helios actually has some seriously deep seated doubts in his abilities….I wonder if we know another first year Team Leader who's actually insecure behind their bad-ass image….  
Also "I wonder how Team FADE are faring" yes that is a direct parallel to Felix's comment about Team NEON last chapter, 'cos I know how all the Battle Cat shipper are gonna love that.  
I have actually made and eaten Felix's sandwich and I regret nothing.  
Yeah Felix is probably gonna want to talk to Neptune about the Minotaur.  
" _I lived bitch"_ that is all.  
I think that even if most Hunters are Freelance there has to be an understanding with the Kingdom's government that there are some jobs that they're legally required to take if called upon.  
For Novus's robots, think Star Wars Battle Droids "Roger roger!"  
Carcharodon's entrances are always needlessly extra, because while he might be the current leader of a group of hardened veteran raiders, he's still 18/19.  
Let's be honest you know that most people are actually cowards when it comes down to it, they'd sell each other out in a second.  
Admit it, Antonia Arc might not be a Huntress but she's still pretty damn bad-ass. That scene was actually inspired by Morgan Freeman in The Dark Knight Rises.  
Also, Carcharodon fully intends to keep his word, the Shadow Cadre do have some standards.  
Oh yeah, Raffia wants payback on Arctus for the arm he had to regrow and Diamond for impaling him and shooting him in the back of the head.  
Kinda feel like I copped out with most of the fight happening off screen while Arctus was underwater, at the same time it was five on thee in what was effectively a narrow corridor; it would have been less epic fight scene and more just them ploughing into each other.  
Nice save from Penny….Hellion's wing will regrow eventually but damn that hurt like fuck.  
Poor Eagle, her Mum was right there and she didn't know until it was too late.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Araniladin, Arkanes Shippou, ShadowAlex2000, FleetOfWarships and Ferrous for their reviews on the last chapter.  
No, Sentinel is just from the south. Shoot first and ask questions never.  
Nora is indeed Nora.  
Getting the pacing right when you have different storylines running in tandem is a lot harder than it looks.  
I love how much people love Eagle, she originally started out as something of a filler character when I was planning the first few chapters but she evolved into something so much more.  
Erm. Eagle actually met Ruby when Team FADE were heading to their mission, she flew the Bull-Head and gave Eagle a cookie, which caused her to fangirl.  
Okay just from that description the Russian Night Witches deserve their own film. Hell make a couple of them lesbians as a middle finger to Vladimir Putin.  
My friend, I have been part of the RWBY community and writing again for less than a year and a half, there is no way you could have been reading my work for three years.  
Ridiculously unlikely you say? Hear that? that's the sound of regret….they also met each other at the end of Vol.1 remember, Raffia skewered Arctus's leg.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	27. Aftermath

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 27: Aftermath**

The Shadow Cadre had escaped, taking their prisoner with them. After a futile attempt by Felix and Diamond to chase after their boat, Arctus covering Penny while she restrained a captured Hellion Eudialyte, Eagle standing in horrified silence. Penny had declared their mission over and had the Team sent back to Halo Academy for immediate debriefing and mandatory medical checks while she delivered their own captive to the authorities.

It had been several hours, the pale winter sun setting behind steely grey clouds and Eagle Arc was currently sat on the sofa in Ren and Nora's living quarters; hands trembling as she sipped a mug of tea; tear tracks staining her face her red and puffy eyes threatened to spill more. Stood beside her was Felix, the Lion Faunus giving her concerned glances which mirrored her honorary Aunt and Uncle's

"So what now?" Eagle managed to sniffle out "We've gotta be able to do something right?" Ren and Nora's eyes darted to each other, both of them privately wondering how much to tell her. Nora decided to give her the truth

"Right now nobody has any leads" she saw Eagle's crimson eyes narrow and quickly continued "Penny has known your Mum for years, she's already out their looking now. Flax and Daisy are already joining her, with those two Bull-Heads and contacts they'll find her before you know it"

"Your Aunts Victoria and Citrus will be searching by tomorrow, Hellebores will be here as soon as she can. They'll find her Eagle, I promise" Ren added. Eagle seemed to consider the news for a moment before she rose to her feet, the news that her Aunts were joining the search having the exact opposite effect to the one intended

"I'm gonna help" she stated bluntly "I'm going back to those tunnels. If we need a lead then I'm going to go down there until I find it. They must have dropped something in the fight" she took several determined strides towards the door, only to find herself held firmly in place by Nora's grip on her shoulder

"Aunt Nora, get off me" Felix couldn't help raising an eyebrow as he discreetly positioned himself between his partner and the exit, her voice was lower and more menacing than he'd ever heard it

"Eagle please" Ren insisted "We're asking you not to do anything reckless-"  
"THEY KIDNAPPED MY MUM!" the hoarse scream of desperation broke the hearts of everyone hearing it, but Nora refused to relent

"And we have one of them" the older Huntress answered flatly "And they know it" the proverbial cogs could be seen turning in the ivory armoured teens mind and when she spoke the ruthlessness of her statement stunned Nora

"Then tell me where the one we caught is. I'll beat the answers out of her if I have to"

"Eagle don't be-" Nora found herself quickly interrupted

"You asked me before if I had it in me to kill someone, right now yeah! I think I do!" turquoise eyes widened and Eagle pulled herself free of the strong grasp on her shoulder and stomped towards the door

"Eagle I'm not letting you go out there like this. I can't"

"What if it was one of your Mums Felix?" Eagle demanded

"Then you'd be stood here doing exactly what I am and you know it" there were a few seconds that seemed to last an eternity where bloodshot crimson eyes bored into deep navy blue

"Just let me go Felix" Eagle's voice cracked as fresh tears welled up in her eyes "Please" the shorter blonde ran his hands through his dirty mane of hair

"Look, sleep on it and tomorrow when-" he was silenced as he collided with the door, vaguely aware of the gasp of shock from Nora and Ren pulling Eagle away from him. He hadn't even seen Eagle move before she'd lashed out in blind fury

"Felix oh my Oum I am so sorry" Felix's natural instinct to respond in kind was forcefully pushed down as he took a deep breath and wiped the blood dripping from his nose away with the back of his hand. Eagle had broken down completely at this point, utterly unable to look him in the eyes while her shoulders shook with silent sobs.

"I'm gonna let that slide" Felix breathed out as he pulled her into a hug "Because I know how I'd react if it was Yang or Blake, but you can't go Hunting them down like this. They've managed to take us every time we've met, if you try and fight them all when you're not thinking straight I don't even wanna think about what they'll do….I don't wanna lose my best friend" hearing the same words she'd said to him only hours earlier, though it seemed far longer removed what little fight she had left in her. She clutched onto Felix's shirt and cried into his shoulder until Ren gently laid a hand on her shoulder

"I can use my Semblance on you, but only if you want me to" after an almost imperceptible nod from Eagle Ren focused himself, the pair of them appearing washed out in sepia tones as Ren's Semblance not only masked emotions from the creatures of Grimm, but allowed him to take a portion of someone's rage and grief into himself. The effect was instantaneous, the girl who'd been running on fumes and anger for the last several hours collapsed forwards, passing out from fatigue. Felix and Nora catching her

"We'll put her on our bed, she can sleep there for a few hours" Nora murmured "How's your face?"

"She's got one hell of a punch" Felix admitted with a grin. While the pair of them manoeuvred the now unconscious Eagle into the bedroom and placed her on the bed, a knock at the door could be heard. Felix pulled the sheets over his partners' sleeping form and stepped back into the living room, shocked to be greeted by the sight of a familiar grey haired and grizzled man stroking his beard with one hand while using his scythe as a cane in the other

"Uncle Qrow?"

"Hey Stranger Danger" Nora added with a weary smile

"Stranger Danger?" Felix enquired

"Long story and I'm not telling it" Qrow growled "I was just telling Renny here that I heard the news about Toni. Haven't seen her in years but I'm not sitting this one out"

"You're coming out of retirement?" Felix was honestly gob smacked, Qrow Branwen had been retired for as long as he could remember; the fact that he may actually see another of the living legends he called family in action was almost enough to be considered a silver lining, _almost._

"Yeah for a one off" Qrow grunted before regarding his nieces son "How're you holding up Fluffy? I came to get contact details for Toni's sisters but I promised Yang I'd check in on you while I was here" he was obviously pointedly ignoring the still drying blood adorning his nose and various burns and cuts from his mission

"Yeah I'm okay considering" Felix shrugged "Should probably go see if Arctus and Diamond are out of medical yet, he had to get a shot battery after he got knocked into the sewers"

"Smells like you did as well" Qrow noted suspiciously

"Yeah well, I didn't have any open wounds at the time so-"

"Medical, now" Qrow's tone made it clear that he would here no argument "I don't care if you're squeamish about needles, get some antibiotics at the very least. And find your sister, no doubt she'll worry about you as much as your mothers"

"Wasn't squeamish about needles when I got my ink" Felix grumbled somewhat childishly before sighing "Fine, I'm going. Professor Ren, can you let Eagle know where I am if she wakes up?"

"I'll make sure she knows" hearing this Felix left Ren and Nora's small apartment leaving the pair of professors to regard Qrow

"So what're you really here for?" Nora demanded with predictable bluntness

"It does seem a bit odd that you'd come here for contact details for the Arcs" Ren added, Qrow merely shrugged, silently wishing he still had the old flap he'd given to Yang years ago

"I haven't seen any of Craven and Ivory's kids in years, don't have current Scroll numbers. I know you two are here, I know you're Arcs by adoption. Felix is here and he was involved in this mess and if I'm getting back into the game I suppose I should probably give Goodwitch some fair warning; Oum knows there's probably gonna be some kinda mess for her to clean up after this"

"I suppose when you put it like that it does make sense" Ren sighed "I'll show you to Goodwitch's office, I can transfer the details of the Arcs on the way"

"Thanks Renny" as Qrow turned to leave he caught sight of bright yellow blonde hair from the bedroom, the door having been left ajar. The old Huntsman forced himself not show any of the rush of emotions that came over him; his daughter was mere feet away from him, coping with the abduction of the only parent she'd ever known and he was standing here doing nothing. Silently Qrow promised himself that whatever his feelings were for Antonia Arc he would bring her home and make this mess right, for Eagle's sake.

* * *

"WE HAVE TO GO BACK!" Raffia's bellow echoed in the steel walled room whose dim lights flickered overhead casting everything in a dingy yellowish hue, the target of the Axolotl Faunus's fury was his captain; Carcharodon had removed his hooded robes and was currently pacing the room irritably

"We'll find her Raffia, but we can't turn around now. There'll be Hunters-"

"Then we massacre the Hunters!" Raffia spat, caudal fins adorning the side of his flattening against his skull "We've been too kind to these _Skoulikia_! We lost enough in Mistral and we bled enough in Atlas, no more Car!"

"Listen to yourself" the Shark Faunus snarled "Massacre Hunters? Have you forgotten the wounds they've dealt you?"

"So we do nothing?" Axolotl demanded furiously

"We wait" Carcharodon hissed, cutting his insubordinate follower off "We follow the plan. Our prisoner makes our weapons useful. We can hold her life over the Kingdom's head, trade her for Hellion-"

"Trade? You want to bargain with these people?" Raffia's expression was one of utter disgust "As if the Kingdoms can be trusted! You've gotten soft Carcharodon, this would never have happened while Mizu was captain-" his tirade was silenced by a hand closing around his throat, his feet leaving the rusting steel floor and his back colliding with the wall forcing the air from his lungs. Carcharodon bore down on him, fangs bared as he held the smaller Faunus in place

"Make no mistake Raffia, that no matter how durable your Semblance makes you; if you ever use my sister's memory in the wrong context again I _will_ find away to hurt you" in his berserk rage the current leader of the Shadow Cadre failed to notice the heavy footsteps thundering towards him until he found himself pulled away from the wall, causing Raffia to fall. Rounding on whoever dared to lay hands on him and deploying his blades he found himself facing Onyx Ursabane; the Red Waves were promptly retracted

"Car, enough….I miss Mizu as well, I miss 'em all" the Puma Faunus breathed out. Carcharodon simply stalked away from him, returning to pacing the cramped room and glowering at Raffia as much as his pure obsidian eyes would allow. After finally managing to force his ragged snarling breathing under control he focused on Onyx

"What of our prisoner?" the gargantuan young man ran his hands through tangled and messy hair, concern evident when he spoke

"She has quarters and food, I've tried to assure her that we have no intentions of harming her. I don't like this Car; it isn't our way….I think we've meddled in things we shouldn't have"

"I think you might be right" Carcharodon finally admitted "But we've come too far to turn back. We stay the course, we get Hellion back and then we set sail"

"I'll still follow you" Onyx assured him "Nothing will change that"

"So will I" Raffia hissed "We'll have our vengeance"

"We will" Carcharodon agreed "But right now we have a more pressing issue, the Kingdom will soon find this ship if we stay here"

"Stealing another may be easy" Onyx growled "But moving our supplies, weapons and prisoner without detection might not be"

"I have no intention of giving up this ship. It's our home now, even if it does pale in comparison to the _Despoiler Kraken_ ….which is why you won't like what I'm suggesting" the Shark Faunus showed a rare moment of uncertainty before continuing "We're going to disguise it as a wreck" there was a moment were it seemed that Raffia might fly into another unhinged rant at the idea but the Axolotl Faunus managed to control himself. Onyx let out a mournful sigh, his tone sounding as though he'd been asked to put an ageing family pet out of its' misery

"You want me to be the one to break her"

"I want her to _look_ broken, she still needs to be seaworthy at a moments' notice" Carcharodon corrected "I already have a hiding place in mind"

"The other grounded hulks we saw on our approach?" Onyx guessed, earning himself a nod of confirmation

"I trust you asked the locals about them?"

"Of course" Onyx chuckled "They call it the broken coast. Ships that were destroyed during the last war, Vale was where it began. When the fighting started the people ran the way they always do, many of them ran into the Grimm and had no Hunters to protect them….The wrecks have all been picked clean and the locals pay them no mind"

"Then we should be left in peace until we need to move" Carcharodon mused "Onyx we can't be more than twenty miles away from this 'Broken Coast' take us in slowly. Raffia I need you on the prow, with Hellion captured we lack our scout. Keep watch for anything moving in the water" as his remaining two followers nodded and silently left to carry out their orders Carcharodon finally allowed himself to relax, he physically crumpled under the weight of his decisions while repeating a mantra to himself in a desperate hiss, struggling to make himself believe

"Justice will be worth the cost, justice will be worth the cost….It has to be"

* * *

Arctus and Diamond were the only ones currently occupying Team FADE's dorm, exhausted and leaning against each other while watching the snow falling outside as it caught the light. After leaving the academies' medical facilities with a plethora of antibodies in their bloodstreams at the nurses insistence they'd returned and showered, then tried to process the events of the last forty eight hours

"You're sure you're okay?" Arctus murmured, his eyes lingering over the bruised skin of his partners' jaw; a considerable amount of his face and stomach was covered in mottled yellow and purple bruises but that bothered him far less than the idea of Diamond being injured

"Big guy I'm fine" she assured him for the umpteenth time with a roll of her eyes "Couple of shots and a couple of stitches that'll probably be out tomorrow when my Aura recovers enough"

"Sorry, sorry. I'm just worrying about everything" the Bear Faunus sighed, as Diamond pulled his arm a little tighter around her and squeezed his hand Arctus couldn't help the way his eyes roamed over her, a little of the bandage covering the gash in her shoulder was visible beneath the overly baggy T-shirt she was wearing, as was a considerable amount of flesh that he struggled to tear his gaze away from until something occurred to him

"Isn't that one of my shirts?"

"Might be" Diamond mumbled "I'm keeping it though" Arctus had no problem with this and gently pulled her closer and planted a soft kiss against her bruised jaw. Diamond's response caught him by surprise, one moment he was sitting, the next he was pinned down with his girlfriend straddling him and kissing him

"Hey" she breathed out as they eventually broke apart "Mind if I sleep here tonight, I mean actually sleep, not make out all night….It's cold and I know you're gonna laugh at this but I think we could all use a hug right now" Arctus held her close and rested his forehead against hers

"Yeah we could….You think Eagle's gonna be okay?"

"Honestly" Diamond sighed apprehensively "I'm not sure, but we're gonna do everything we can right?"

"Of course" they found themselves interrupted by Arctus's Scroll

"This is becoming a running gag" Diamond growled, Arctus chuckled as he reached for the offending device

"Believe me I'm thinking of 'losing' it" then he saw the called ID and that it was a video call, he answered immediately "Hey Dad"

"Hey kid" Gangrel's expression became unreadable at the sight of the person currently sharing his son's bed "Diamond right? Merc's kid?"

"Yeah" Diamond confirmed. Gangrel nodded

"I was on a few deployments with him in the war" Diamond could tell that something was being left unsaid but the older Faunus had turned his attention to his son "Arctus, we need to talk in private"

"I'll go" Diamond offered

"Nah it's fine" Arctus assured her as he clambered off of the bunk "Dad hold on a sec" he crossed the room in a few paces and opened the window, climbing onto the ledge he cast a Glyph outside which he stood on and allowed to carry him onto the roof where he tried to make himself comfortable; the freezing temperatures enough to make even the Atlas native shiver

"So, what's up?"

"I know about Antonia Arc's kidnapping, I heard you were there. What happened? Are you okay?"

"Cuts and bruises mostly" Arctus shrugged, exhaling slowly "We got word about the attack while we were still on a mission, the attackers were the same group that stole those weapons from the Scavenger Guild-"

"The copycat bandit tribe?" Gangrel growled rubbing the scar under his left eye "Well that'll be why we haven't found 'em in Mistral"

"They're not copycats" Arctus corrected, realising he should have given his father this information much sooner "There's a student in my class who's part of the Nikos tribe. These guys call themselves the Shadow Cadre of the Frost River, he knew the name. As far as we know they're the last surviving members of their tribe"

"Then what the fuck are they doing in Vale kidnapping scientists?" Gangrel demanded irritably "Fuck, what were they doing in Atlas? No Anima tribe has ever been that brave before"

"Did you ever find out who the other group was?" Arctus asked, Gangrel shook his head

"No….And this is classified but, as far as we can tell all the bodies we recovered look like they might have been part of this tribe. All of them had tats that we couldn't match up to any gangs. So whoever the other group were they're capable of mowing down trained fighters"

"Holy Oum" the younger Faunus gasped

"Yeah" Gangrel grunted "This is as far as you go kid. I need you to call your team off for me"

"Dad I'm on a team with Antonia Arc's daughter-"

"I know, I know. Which is why I hate asking, I know you want to be out there" Gangrel lamented "I mean for fuck sake, Toni Arc is half the reason your Uncle Rover is still alive and she's the _only_ reason Rover and Missy can have a kid. How are they by the way?"

"I haven't actually seen 'em recently" Arctus admitted somewhat guiltily, his dad gave him a somewhat annoyed glance

"Anyway, as I was saying. You need to stay out of it from now on"

"Dad-"

"No" Gangrel growled "Winter gave me the green light. Antonia Arc knows more than a few of Atlas's state secrets. I'm most likely going to have to order some questionable shit, I might have to send undercover black ops agents into a Kingdom we're allied with. You cannot afford to get caught up in this and I can't do my job if I'm worrying about you getting caught in the crossfire"

"Fine" Arctus grumbled after a tense silence "Fine, I'll stay out of it"

"Trust me I know how you feel kid….I know how your Grandpa used to feel now as well, Oum I regret the trouble I caused him"

"Just catch these ass-holes Dad"

"That's the plan hopefully everyone can stick to it" the older Faunus gave a weary chuckle and a yawn, metallic clawed fingers of his cybernetic left arm becoming visible behind his head for a moment "Anyway, I'm gonna have to call it a night. Tomorrow is gonna be eventful"

"Night dad" Arctus halted, catching a second glimpse of his fathers' prosthetic "Did you let Athena paint your nails?"

"Yeah, so?" Gangrel shrugged, extending the claws out to their full length and displaying that they'd been coated in a pale purple nail polish, one of his daughters' favourite colours. Arctus couldn't help but laugh at the sight

"Yeah yeah keep laughing. I'll tell your sister about how you were snuggled up to your girlfriend"

"Dad what the hell?" Arctus gasped, utterly horrified at the notion. Athena-Jade Slate with that information at her disposal, would be impossible to deal with. Gangrel merely laughed in response

"Get some sleep kid, you look like you need it. Nice talking, one day we'll be able to actually have a chat without it being work related I promise"

"Let's hope so" Arctus sighed "Night Dad" a moment later the call ended and Arctus was left alone on the snow covered roof of Halo Academy, admiring the view of sprawling metropolis below him illuminated by it's own countless neon signs and floodlights. Eventually he rose to his feet as created a Glyph, as nice as the view was he would much rather be holding Diamond right now.

* * *

Eagle had been woken up when her honorary Aunt and Uncle entered their bedroom, Lie and Nora Ren had told her she was more than welcome to spend the night on their sofa but Eagle had declined, Team FADE's dorm may have been on the other side of the campus but it wasn't that far of a walk. She'd hoped the quiet and solitude would help her manage her thoughts, it hadn't. Beneath the immediate spark of unfamiliar rage every time she thought about the Shadow Cadre there was a deep, seemingly limitless well of fear that seemed to freeze her blood in her veins at the thought of her mother; whatever issues there were between the two of them Eagle very much loved Antonia and the thought of anything happening to her was terrifying. Besides the consuming fear and anger there were other emotions to grapple with, a feeling of uselessness and guilt; the latter caused by her lashing out at her partner. She'd never intended to hurt Felix but she'd lost her self control

"Hey" as if summoned by her bleak introspection Felix was suddenly in front of her, evidently having been returning to the dormitory himself; Eagle being so caught up in her own thoughts had failed to notice him until he was only a few feet away

"Hey" she mumbled back eyes downcast as she was unable to meet his gaze, not when his face was still bruised from her punch

"I suppose there's no point asking if you're okay….but how're you feeling?"

"Like a jerk and failure and you probably agree" Eagle found herself blinking as her eyes began to sting, fresh tears threatening to fall, she aggressively wiped them away while muttering to herself "No, we're not doing this again" Felix pulled her into a hug and the taller blonde allowed herself to cry into him for a few moments while he tried to soothe her

"Nobody thinks that Eagle, nobody. And we're gonna fix this, I don't know how but we will"

"Thank you" the taller blonde managed to choke out between sobs before releasing her grip on her partner and pulling away

"Come on, let's go" he motioned to the hallway and Eagle realised that she was closer to the dorm that she'd thought, the two of them continued on in silence until they reached their destination. Opening the door they found Arctus and Diamond sharing a bed, the two of them obviously cuddling beneath the sheets

"Okay break it up" Felix teased, though his exhaustion was evident

"Dude fuck off" Diamond shot back through a yawn "We were half asleep" the pair extricated themselves from each other and Arctus pulled himself up into a sitting position while taking care not to hit the bunk above

"Where were you?"

"Some stuff needed taking care of" Felix answered quickly, saving Eagle the stress of having to explain anything. The Lion Faunus's eyes narrowed as he steeled himself "So, we all know what happened. We all know who did it. What now?"

"You want us to look for the Shadow Cadre?" Diamond asked with a raised eyebrow

"You're damn right I do" Felix growled "We're getting Eagle's Mum and then we're breaking some heads" Eagle's sudden burst of hope expired quickly

"The Professors aren't going to want that, they won't help. My Aunts will tell me to sit this out I guarantee it"

"My Dad called" Arctus sighed "He wants us to stay out of it as well, Eagle's Mum is important enough that Atlas may be sending Specialists over….you didn't hear that from me"

"That's something though" Eagle desperately searched for a silver lining, Felix was not so easily dissuaded

"And? We're giving up 'cos we were told to? By people that didn't even know who the Shadow Cadre were until we started digging" Diamond was the first one to answer

"As my Dad always said; It's only a problem if they catch you. I'm in" Arctus predictably followed

"What the hell, it's only a treason charge. Yeah I'm in" Felix nodded in approval

"Okay, I'll talk to Corey and the rest of Team CLIR. We should probably involve Team NEON as well, Helios might have some answers" he paused turning to Eagle "This is your call though, you wanna call this off and we'll do it" Eagle's crimson eyes filled with tears again as she looked at her team-mates. When she'd first arrived at the academy she hadn't dared hope she'd find such an amazing group of people. She cracked a broad smile and gave a watery chuckle

"You guys are the best friends anyone could ever have….I'm in. Let's save my Mum"

* * *

Atop one of the countless half demolished buildings contained within the ruins of Vale's exclusion zone a lone figure was perched on a snow covered and partially collapsed roof. Crimson eyes glowed a little brighter as a snarl of frustration escaped Phobos; the target of the Grimm's irritation was twofold. Firstly the barrier between the Grimm and the prey, the wall of the exclusion zone and the gargantuan weapons mounted upon it had felled dozens of Grimm barely twelve hours ago. The problem that the wall presented had so far proven insurmountable, aerial attacks were brought down just as quickly the moment they drew close.

The second problem was far more curious. Phobos had begun to hear voices, or rather a single voice which seemed to come from all directions at once while yet at the same time being clearly within the Grimm's own head. A low sultry and insistent voice whose singular demand Phobos was compelled to act on, only to be hindered by the impassible obstacle of the wall and its' defences. Phobos cocked its' head, ears upright in a canine fashion as the voice resonated through the Grimm's very psyche once more.

" _Come home my child. Come home to Mother"_ The concept was alien to the beast, nevertheless every fibre of Phobos's being was devoted to escaping this prison and leading the Grimm to freedom and slaughter.

"Soon" Phobos growled out the single word before turning and bounding along the roofs of the blasted streets, further away from the searchlights of the Kingdoms' defences and the countless neon pinpricks of the hive city beyond, further into the moonlight ruins until the sounds of growling and snarling could be heard below. Phobos glanced down at the living tide of obsidian flesh, claws and fangs. Above him countless Nevermore cawed and screeched, their forms barely visible save for their glowing eyes.

Phobos gave the closest thing to a smile its' fanged maw would allow, the pack lost to the Hunters and the wall was unfortunate but it had been nothing but scouts. Below, stretching out in and around ruined buildings as far as the eye could see was the real threat; almost ten thousand creatures of Grimm waiting for orders as they stood watch over a spawning pool as more of their kind clawed their way free of its' viscous inky depths.

"Soon" Phobos repeated.

 **Authors Notes:**

So, that's the Vol.2 finale. Just capping off the action scenes and setting things up for Vol.3  
I think this might be the last chapter of this story for 2017. I'm going to working on a story using somebody else's OCs for a RWBY Secret Santa project next week, so watch out for that.  
Also fuck the FCC with a million cacti and petrol for lube; not connected to the story but we're all thinking it aren't we.

So anyway, let's summarise:  
I'm sorry for hurting Eagle, I can hear my readers sharpening the pitchforks from here.  
May be bringing some more of the Arc sisters into this.  
"Stranger Danger" is a Downward Spiral callback.  
Qrow coming out of retirement. You know we're all gonna enjoy this.  
Nora isn't stupid, hyper and basically a puppy with thumbs yes. But not stupid; she knows Qrow doesn't just turn up randomly. He did need the Arcs contact details and he did want to see Goodwitch but he also wanted to see Eagle.  
The Shadow Cadre are just as distraught at losing a member.  
Raffia is clearly the most reactionary and unstable of the antagonists, also the most likely to go off the rails.  
Still teasing the Shadow Cadre backstory.  
Mizu is one of the deceased members of the Cadre I mentioned in an earlier chapter, surprise, she's Carcharodon's sister and the former leader.  
Yeah Arctus is never getting that T-shirt back.  
" _This is becoming a running gag"_ another case of Diamond almost breaking the fourth wall.  
Gangrel having to choose between not being a hypocrite to his son and his job which is effectively national security.  
"That's the plan hopefully everyone can stick to it" is actually another callback to the Downward Spiral, it was Gangrel's line to Blake before they tried to disrupt the White Fang Dust shipment.  
Yes the six foot eight Bear Faunus with a cybernetic arm and a service record the size of a phone book lets his daughter paint his nails.  
Felix and Eagle's friendship is a pleasure to write.  
You didn't really think Team FADE were going to be sitting anything out did you?  
" _Come home my child. Come home to Mother"_ don't expect me to pay this off for a long time. But those of you who read the Downward Spiral can probably guess how this will play out, especially if you can work out the connection with Ozymandias 'Call me Oz' Eldritch _.  
_ Oh yeah, Phobos doesn't have a pack. Phobos has an army.

Thank you to ShadowAlex2000, FleetOfWarships, Ferrous, Arkanes Shippou, LightningDusk, FluffyFirefly, SumoSnipe and Araniladin for their reviews on the last chapter.  
I don't have any concrete plans to destroy Sentinel, I won't rule it out though.  
Yes I have plans for Eagle and Hellion.  
Seeing animations of my OCs weapons would be amazing.  
You know I feature the dankest memes.  
I'm glad people seem to like Antonia Arc, we'll be seeing more of her.  
There are never enough Battle Droids to make a real difference.  
Dread Pirate Toe-beans seems to be a fan favourite.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	28. New Plans (Vol3)

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 28: New Plans**

The days following Antonia Arc's kidnapping at the hands of the Shadow Cadre had passed at a tortuously slow pace, every hour that passed without information seemingly lasting an age; a fact only exacerbated that the professors seemed to instinctively guess that Eagle would not only want to hunt down her mothers' captors herself but that she would be able to convince her team-mates to assist her. The professors, while unable to prove anything had still found ways to prevent Team FADE from contributing, something that they would no doubt argue was for the teens own good; this assertion seemed hollow; Especially when the preferred method of restraining them was over the top punishments such as detentions for laughably minor infractions.

It was following one such detention, an attempt on her teachers' part to bolster her admittedly slipping grades that Eagle Arc trudged through the snow that had accumulated away from the main pathways of the anti-gravity platform that housed the campus, grumbling to herself in a manner that most people who knew her would find disturbingly out of character. Eagle made her way beyond the outdoor training facilities, finding them currently unoccupied, and went beyond what most students considered to be the back of the campus; making her way to the very edge of Halo Academy and climbing over a guardrail that mercifully wasn't icy. With a huff she sat down, knees drawn up against her chest and pulled her hood a little tighter around her head to keep the biting cold from her ears. For almost two weeks Eagle had been coming to this spot after needing somewhere to try and process the fact that her mother, however distant their relationship had been, was missing. It was somewhere she could rant and rage and let her anger out without her friends worrying. Right now Eagle was simply enjoying the view, directly below was the exclusion zone, the total darkness of the blighted ruins standing in stark contrast to the multicoloured and ever changing lights of New Vale around it, growing seemingly more ostentatious and extravagant by the day as the Kingdom prepared itself for the upcoming festival. The interplay of light and darkness was only heightened by the snow which fell below Halo Academy, giving it the appearance of being pulled into the hungry shadows of the Grimm infested nightmare below. It was beautiful, in a bleak and somewhat terrifying way. Eagle appreciated it, it seemed to capture her mood. After a few minutes of losing herself in the view the tall blonde felt her Scroll vibrating, dragging her back to her senses suddenly enough that she needed to frantically reach out and clutch at the railings she'd climbed over. Taking a few moments to slow her breathing she plucked her still ringing Scroll from her pocket and looked at the caller id, a smile finding its' way to her slightly numb lips despite herself as she answered the video call

"Hey Aunt Hell"

"Hey kid" the familiar messy blonde undercut of one of Eagle's favourite aunts and the first person Eagle had asked with questions about her own sexuality came into view, the lenses of the goggles resting atop her head having frosted over in the cold "I've got Vicky with me as well" the second oldest of the Arc sisters came into view behind the youngest. Victoria was still tall and muscular, the epitome of what a Huntress should look like in her gleaming white and gold armour, gargantuan war hammer slung over her back; the image somewhat lessened by the utterly exhausted look in her eyes and the almost desperate way she took a drag on her cigarette

"Aunt Vicky I thought you'd quit?" Eagle chided with a huff, nobody in the family was sure when the former tournament fighter had picked up the habit, only that it had been after Jaune Arc's death

"I did, then this happened….I need something to keep my hands busy until I can wrap 'em around some throats" she admitted with a hollow laugh

"Still no sign" Eagle seemed to crumple dejectedly at the news

"Nothing yet-" Victoria found herself interrupted by her youngest sister, the baby of the family notorious for the fire she seemed to have inside her

"But we'll find 'em, we'll bring Toni home and then kick their asses from here back to Anima!" Hellebores saw that Eagle still looked unconvinced and her expression softened "I know you want to be out here. I know, I get it-"  
"It's been two weeks and you haven't found anything!" Eagle surprised even herself with the way she snapped at her Aunt "I'm sorry-"  
"It's fine" Hellebores waved her off "Trust me I know how much it hurts. Me and Vicky are gonna call it a night but Flax, Xiangya and the twins are gonna head out in the Jackrabbit while we babysit Honey….Oum bless Flax, he's been running himself into the ground for us"

"Your Uncle Xiangya is from Anima, he's dealt with the tribes before" Victoria interjected "He's certain the Antonia is still alive. The tribes rarely if ever go to such lengths to kidnap someone just to dispose of them without even offering terms for their return"

"I guess" Eagle shrugged "I just wish you'd let me help. I can't sit here and wait for-"

"No" Victoria Arc's tone mad it clear that the decision was made and her iron will was not to be tested "This is not a mission for students"

"Aunt Vicky I know we couldn't stop them before but-"

"Stop it" Eagle was silenced and wiped away the tears welling up in her eyes at the perceived implications before Victoria continued "Nobody is blaming you or any of your team for what happened. You did everything you could and more than anyone had any right to ask; but this is not a mission I can let you take. I'm not going to look for my sister just to tell her that something happened to her daughter in the process….I buried Jaune Eagle, I'm not burying you" Eagle found herself unable to argue, Victoria Arc never spoke about her brothers' death, so instead she simply pouted

"Fine" Hellebores took the Scroll back and gave her niece the brightest smile she could manage

"Hey, I've gotta call Flax for a lift. We'll talk soon okay?"

"Okay" the screen faded to black before Eagle's display picture flickered back into place as the video call ended, leaving her alone with her thoughts once more. A single wordless groan of desperation escaped her

"Yeah, that's how I've been feeling as well" Eagle sat bolt upright, a blush already creeping across her face before she recognised the voice of her team leader, partner and best friend. Felix hopped over the guard rail with far less caution than Eagle was comfortable with watching. The Lion Faunus shook snowdrops out of his messy, dirty blonde mane as he made himself comfortable next to her and peered over the edge at the Kingdom below, letting out a low whistle

"Nyanza mentioned that Helios saw you coming this way a couple nights in a row" Felix answered the question Eagle had been about to ask "Apparently Helios didn't come and see if you're okay because he's actually terrified of heights. Looking at this drop I can't say I blame him….You okay?"

"Just heard from my Aunts, still nothing" Eagle mumbled, sinking even further into the confines of her hoodie. Felix reached up and slung an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a one armed hug, allowing her to rest her head on him. He was after all Yang Xiao Long's son and hugs were a staple of dealing with problems. Their closeness had actually led to one of the few things Eagle had managed to genuinely laugh at in the last two weeks; a fellow student whose name she couldn't remember had mistakenly assumed that she and Felix were an item, the blondes, neither of whom were attracted to the opposite sex in any way merely stared at each other in silence for a few seconds before collapsing in hysterics.

"I've just been with Nep….Counsellor Vasilias" Felix said conversationally "If you want I can arrange a session for you, just for you to have somewhere you can get things off your chest without having to sit out here in the snow"

"I don't need therapy Felix" Eagle growled "I just want my Mum back. I'm not the problem here"

"Just an offer" he raised his hands defensively and Eagle winced internally at how harsh her comment about therapy could have sounded to someone who was struggling with their own anger issues

"I'm sorry"

"It's fine" Felix assured her with a playful punch to the shoulder "Besides, we both know that the teachers have been keeping us busy at all costs but I heard from Corey earlier, she wants to talk to us in the library"

"She's found something?" Eagle's crimson eyes seemed to light up at the news

"Sounds like it" he nodded, a wide smile displaying his overlong canine teeth "Come on, the canteen is still serving dinner. We don't want you half starved when we find the Shadow Cadre"

* * *

Situated in one of the many tower complexes that comprised New Vale's capital city, a tower remarkable only for it's relative dinginess and the lack of flamboyant lighting adorning its' exterior was the New Vale Correctional Compound, a smaller tower than any of the colossal structures that housed the law abiding citizens of the city the compound was surrounded by an electrified fence and armed security while each of the notably few bridges leading from nearby towers to its' upper layers were fitted with heavily monitored security checkpoints, at least two of the dozen or so battle ready airships patrolling the Kingdoms' skies at all times were positioned to respond to an incident at the prison and so far, since it's construction there had been no escapes.

The inside of the tower was broken up into several distinct facilities in ascending orders of security, the ground floor actually contained a walk in rehab centre that citizens needing help could either check into willingly or be ordered to do so by a judge, above that were several stories of youth offenders, then individuals tried as adults for their crimes, each level separated by sex until the highest echelons of the prison were reached; the maximum security wing was situated behind reinforced blast doors and was intended to hold rogue Hunters and other Aura users in the event that the Aura dampening collars that each of the inmates wore failed, this area due to the rarity of such criminals being brought in alive to face justice was far smaller than the other sections and was cohabitation, though cellmates were always strictly of the same gender.

It was against this bleak backdrop that Rhodium Torchwick was directed to small table under the supervision of two guards, clad in an orange jumpsuit that clashed horrendously with his hair, his hands being cuffed in front of him as an extra measure of precaution in the presence of civilians. Reaching the table he made himself as comfortable as possible in one of the frail plastic seats around it and gave the exhausted and beleaguered looking woman sat opposite him a warm smile which showed of the teeth he'd lost at the hands of a Hunter he'd learned from news reports was named Felix Xiao Long in addition to the still fading bruises mottling most of his face

"Hey Ma"

"What on Remnant have you gotten yourself into this time? Look at your face Rhodey!" she gasped out

"It's fine, it's fine….I actually lost the teeth a while back. That's why I asked you to bring that thing, did you get it?"

"Yes and the security here nearly threw a fit when they saw it" Candy Cain, mother of one of the most feared gangsters in New Vale huffed as she reached into a handbag that had been thoroughly rifled through by the prisons' guards, finally producing a small jewellery box which Rhodium hastily opened and withdrew a new set of white gold covers for his teeth from, hiding the chipped and missing teeth from view

"Thanks Ma" he gave her a much more winning smile this time "Just tell me which guard it was, I'm sure I can call a favour with someone a few levels down; have his hands broken with a serving tray"

"Don't you dare Rhodey!" She snapped "Why do you have to be like this? Oum damn it boy, you're ruining your life!"

"Ma it's really no problem, I'll be out soon. I've got a couple lawyers on stand by for stuff like this; I'll be home in a few months"

"No you'll be back on the street selling drugs and guns and Oum knows what else in a few months and don't _'Ma'_ me like we don't both know it's the truth" Rhodium's heart broke when he heard her voice wavering, making his mother cry was one of very few things he regretted

"Ma-"

"No Rhodey" Candy sniffled "I can't do this any more. I can't watch the little boy I did my best to raise turn into….Whatever it is you've become, I don't know and frankly I don't want to any more. I wish I knew how to make you see sense but I don't. I wish I'd done a better job with you-"

"Ma you were the best-" she cut across him, tears streaming freely from her eyes as she lamented

"I wish I'd never told you whose son you were. I should have lied every time you asked me about your father and never let you hear the name Roman Torchwick….But here we are, you're a gangster like your father and I can't sit here and watch you ruin lives any more Rhodey. I'm finished"

"Finished?" Rhodium's voice was a hoarse and unusually panicked stammer. His mother had already risen from her seat and was making her way towards the exit, as soon as he managed to process that fact he made to grab her; only to be restrained by a pair of guards

"MA!"

"I'm sorry Rhodey, this hurts me more than you can possibly imagine" she hadn't turned around, not trusting herself to be able to say the next words if she could see his face "But I have no son" Rhodium felt as though freezing water had been poured over him, he was utterly numb as he found himself frogmarched out of the visiting area by the wardens, their jibes falling on deaf ears as tears streaked down his face. It wasn't until he'd been led down several corridors of cell blocks into a general population recreational area and felt the cuffs be removed from his wrists that he returned to his senses. Wiping his eyes and taking a single deep breath, taking all the anguish threatening to overwhelm him and swallowing it, allowing himself to understand it terms that made much more sense to him; namely a deep festering rage. His shaking hands clenched into white knuckled fists and he gazed around the room, sizing up his fellow inmates to see who he could victimize without his Aura until he was dragged from his thoughts by a friendly but unwelcome nudge to his shoulder, he rounded on whoever was brave or stupid enough to touch him until he saw the familiar face of his cellmate; a Weasel Faunus possessing every ounce of cunning of the animal he shared traits with

"You good boss?"

"Yeah, real good" the redhead snarled savagely. In a sense it was true; his mother disowning him had rid him of the last person whose opinion of him he actually cared about, it was almost freeing "I've got a few things that need taking care of though, I need you to run a few messages for me"

"Can do" the Weasel Faunus known only by his prisoner number and nickname within the compound of 'Tricky' was eager to please, something that Rhodium exploited to its' fullest extent

"The screws that brought me back in" he nodded in the direction of the wardens in case his cellmate was unfamiliar with prison vernacular "Spread the word that I'll smuggle in one package of anything for whoever stabs 'em" Tricky gave him an alarmed glance which was quickly hidden

"Okay yeah, what else"

"There's a few of my old crew in different wings. I need the word spreading that the plan to take over is still happening, I still want Melanie Malachite's spot at the top. Everyone in here needs to send word to the rackets they were involved in; I'll be home soon and I want my businesses running like clockwork when I get out"

"Anything else" Tricky was ready to leave and attend to the task he'd been given

"Yeah" Rhodium's face morphed into a truly evil smile "Officer Brindle Bordeaux of New Vale Police Department. I want his family found. Just 'cos I fucking hate cops" Tricky nodded and made his way hastily out of the recreational room, leaving Rhodium to find a way to kill some time before he was escorted back to his cell. Looking around the room once more he saw a handful of inmates playing cards, the fact that they were all humans made it an easy decision; he hated gambling against Faunus he was sure they could practically hear the lies and bluffs forming in his head

"Cut me in" he ordered, a quick glance upwards and a nod from the dealer saw the redhead being dealt a hand, very few people sought out a confrontation with Torchwick after all. Before the next hand could begin one of the other inmates at the table happened to glance upwards at a nearby walkway

"Is that new chick still in solitary? Who the fuck did she kill?" the incredulous demand was met with laughter from all except Rhodium, the redhead was struggling to believe his eyes. Being escorted back to the isolated cells of solitary was a familiar Faunus; dark skinned with jade eyes and a distinctive tribal tattoo adorning her upper left arm while two pairs of wings protruded from her back between her shoulder blades, the upper left wing being clearly injured. Rhodium instantly recognised one of the two Faunus who had sold him the truck that had led to a world of trouble and eventually his arrest

"Bitch should have just killed me. Anyone here got any favours they can call in with the screws?"

* * *

Arctus Slate suppressed a shiver and pulled his jacket a little tighter around himself, idly considering the idea of actually purchasing a jacket with sleeves at some point during the winter. Shaking off the few snowdrops that had already managed to land on his now perpetually messy hair and shoulders he made himself comfortable in his current position, sat on the roof of Halo Academy almost directly above Team FADE's dormitory. Felix had attended a counselling session soon after classes had finished for the day whereas Eagle had been asked to stay behind to discuss her grades which had been struggling for what were, as far as Arctus was concerned, obvious reasons. The Bear Faunus had received a text message a short while ago from his cousin informing him that Corvid wanted to talk to Team FADE in the library and he was going to go and find his partner, hearing this Diamond had postponed the assignment she was working on and decided she needed a shower; the music blaring from the bathroom could still be heard faintly from the roof and was not at all conducive to holding a conversation over the Scroll, rather than turn it down Arctus had simply used a Glyph to exit the dorm via the window. Taking his Scroll out and opening it he decided to make this a video call rather than audio only, a few moments of dial tone later he was rewarded by the image of Rover Tan appearing on his screen, the light brown skinned canine Faunus's hair having grown into a small afro in addition to the beard he was clearly growing

"I can tell what you're about to say and shut the fuck up" Rover chuckled

"Hello to you too Uncle Rover" Arctus smirked "Seriously though what on Remnant is that on your face? Does your mask even fit over it?" the man he considered his uncle by virtue of being part of the same Team as his father at Beacon merely shrugged

"Yeah yeah, me and Missy are good for money but we've got a kid coming. Can always save more money so I stopped going to the barber every other week"

"How is Aunt Missy?" Arctus enquired "Dad was asking after both of you"

"Ask her yourself" Rover turned and called over his shoulder "Hey babe, Arctus is on the Scroll" the reply was unintelligible from Arctus's side of the call but he could hear movement in the background and before long his honorary aunt had entered what appeared to be the kitchen of the Tan household. Her hair was it's natural chestnut colour for possibly the first time in Arctus's life rather than the bubblegum pink she dyed it; more noticeable however was the prominent bulge of her pregnancy; her mismatched eyes, one vibrant green one yellow seemed to light up at the sight of Arctus on the screen

"Hey Hun, how're things at Halo?"

"Could be better" Arctus shrugged, following up with the reason he'd made the call when he saw their concerned glances "You know about Antonia Arc right?"

"Yeah" Rover sighed "Had to talk Missy out of suiting up. Half a mind to tear the Kingdom down to look for her myself….We owe her" he tapped the centre of his chest, where the pale green light of the Aura regulator grafted into his ribcage shone through his clothes; the device had been designed and implanted by Geppetto Polendina and Antonia Arc, the latter being the one to finally find a work around for the side effects of the device and give Rover and Antonia a chance at children

"We're the best search and rescue team in the Kingdom and everyone knows it" Artemis muttered "If I could be out there without risking the baby I'd be out there right now"

"You know I'm on a team with her daughter right?" Arctus asked, hoping that he be able to convince them to help his cause, the hopes died quickly

"I know that look on your face" Artemis sighed "It's the same look your Dad has when he's convincing himself to do something stupid"

"We can't sit on the sidelines and do nothing. Even if Dad wants me to"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa" Rover shook his head "If Gang put his foot down then I'm not letting you come out on patrols with me even if I do join in the search. Anything happens to you he might actually kill me"

"Come on Uncle Rove-"

"We didn't say we'll do nothing" Artemis interjected "It's not like it'll be the first mess Rover's gotten you out of this year right?"

"Missy what are you doing?" Rover looked genuinely concerned

"You're right, we do owe Toni; we owe her everything. If her daughter wants to help look for her then we let Team FADE search. Arctus we're can't give you information, but we can make sure anything you find is acted on quickly and Rover can spread the word to turn a blind eye to whatever your team is doing"

"Yeah, yeah I can do that" Rover sighed "It's gonna mean calling in some favours and if your dad or Oum forbid Weiss find out then you're on your own"

"Thank you" Arctus grinned while internally grimacing at the thought of his mother learning of his plans to utterly disregard direct instructions from everyone who'd told him to leave this to the professionals. Seeing his aunts bulge again he couldn't help but ask "So do you know what you're having?"

"No" Artemis shook her head vehemently "We've waited years for this, we don't want to spoil the surprise. They're going to be perfect anyway"

"Can't wait to meet 'em" Arctus beamed, he thought he was a pretty good older brother to Athena-Jade, even if studying in New Vale meant that he saw far less of her now and he rarely ever saw Aunt Ruby and Penny's children, having a new cousin would be fun. Then he caught sight of the time on his Scroll

"Hey, I just realised I've gotta be somewhere soon so…."  
"No problem, get going" Artemis chuckled "And tell your Dad we said hi"

"Will do, I keep meaning to visit"

"No worries" Rover grinned "We'll probably see each other soon" before Arctus could ask what the Husky Faunus meant the connection ended; instead he merely shrugged and used a Glyph to carry himself from the roof back into Team FADE's dormitory, where a song from Kurt Cocaine was playing loud enough to drown out the sounds of the shower. Arctus smiled to himself as he wondered absent mindedly if Diamond actually was actually headbanging in the shower, it wouldn't surprise him. Deciding he needed a distraction lest his mind take the image of his girlfriend bathing and run with it in a completely different direction he took Gefroren-Erbe from the stand in the corner of the room where the team kept their weapons and began inspecting the surface of its' black blade for imperfections, not that he would perform any maintenance here, only Eagle seemed to be able to get away with that. Before too long the music was abruptly silenced and the door to the bathroom was opened, Diamond Sustrai-Black sauntering out of the steam filled room clad in grey sweatpants, impossibly fluffy socks and a black tank-top as she towelled her hair dry

"Hey babe" she greeted Arctus, making her way over to his bunk and making herself comfortable beside him and leaning into him; Arctus turned to face her, arms snaking around her waist and pulling her a little closer

"Hey"

"Really" Diamond rolled her eyes before giving him a wink "The second I get out of the shower….Or were you just thinking about me in there?"

"Well I...Um-" Arctus's face flushed scarlet as he stammered, Diamond put him out of his misery by pushing him backwards so she was on top of him and leaning close

"Maybe you'll have to join me sometime" whatever Arctus intended to say in response was lost as she brought her lips crashing against his, her hands wrapping around his shoulders only to move to his chest as Arctus's own hands drifted lower, grabbing her rear. They remained like that for perhaps a minute for Diamond seemed to remember they had somewhere to be and pulled away, eliciting a small groan from Arctus

"You poor thing" she teased with a soft laugh before clambering off of the bed, taking her partners' hand in hers as he joined her

"I was enjoying that" Arctus grumbled as they made to leave, suddenly realising something "You're going without shoes?"

"Yeah why not, it's not like I have to worry about dirty floors….in fact" without explanation she ducked under his arm and clambered onto his back "I'm actually still exhausted from class, you can carry me" Arctus laughed and happily obliged, deciding that any physical contact with Diamond was a good thing and after the way the professors had seemingly been singling Team FADE out he would take as much of a good thing as he could get.

* * *

Felix and Eagle made their way into the library, what little conversation that had been taking place between them halting the moment the almost supernaturally hushed atmosphere washed over them. The pair of blondes cast their eyes around the truly awe inspiring shelves filled with tomes of ancient knowledge, the most advanced research papers on any subject that could possibly pertain to combating the creatures of Grimm and a wealth of fiction as even the stoic Professor Goodwitch knew that her students needed to take a break sometimes. Scattered amongst the countless rows of towering shelves, the library taking up three floors of the Academy, were several tables filled with students who were mostly studying both alone and in groups. It was from one such table that a tightly scrunched up ball of paper was thrown, striking Felix on the side of the head

"The fuck bro?" the Lion Faunus demanded, flinching when he realised that he'd spoken far too loudly and several heads had turned in his direction. Shrugging the attention off while Eagle hid her blushing face in her hands beside him he stepped towards the culprits, one of the three members of Team CLIR clearly working on a group project involving a Grimm that from the diagrams alone Felix could safely say he never wanted to encounter

"Little Lady went looking for a book, think she's at the back somewhere" Rusty drawled pointing towards a specific aisle, Felix nodded in understanding and made his way in search of Corvid, Eagle close behind. Before long the pair found Corvid Xiao Long with a table to herself, leaning back on the rear legs of her chair and resting her feet on the edge of the table while she flipped through the pages of a technical manual with the unimpressed expression of someone who knew they could improve the designs they saw

"Hey" she intoned, barely more than a murmur

"Hey Sis"

"Hey" Felix and Eagle took two of the seats around the table

"Are Arctus and Diamond coming?" Corvid asked

"Should be on the way, give me a sec" Felix replied pulling out his Scroll and quickly dialling his cousin only to be rewarded with the sound of it ringing nearby

"Really dude?" Diamond's unimpressed sigh could be heard close by, Felix ended the call and fought the urge to laugh. The trio waited less than a minute for the final two members of their impromptu meeting to arrive and take seats

"Hey, what's up?" Arctus add, evidently trying to downplay the embarrassment of his Scroll ringing in the library

"I've been doing some looking around for you guys" Corvid answered quietly "Made a breakthrough"

"You know something about my Mum?" Eagle struggled not gasp loud enough to draw attention, the hope igniting in her flickering out the moment she saw Corvid's apologetic expression and shake of the head

"No, sorry" she paused a took a deep breath before continuing "I managed to get hold of Mousey, my contact with the Scavenger Guild-"

"The sons of bitches who pulled guns on us?" Felix demanded

"Yeah….I'd be happy with never seeing 'em again either" Corvid admitted "But the fact is that they're still looking for the Shadow Cadre, only they still think that they're in Mistral. The Scavenger Guild might be a bunch off dicks but they only want their guns back. It doesn't matter who finds Antonia Arc as long as she gets found. So I've arranged a meeting

"I'm coming with. You're not going alone" Felix stated flatly, his sister saw the determined glint in his eye and knew it would be pointless to argue

"I'm coming too" Eagle chimed in folding her arms. Corvid merely sighed

"Fine; I've got another meeting with someone who can help as well….Melanie Malachite" there were a few moments of tense silence; Felix knew Miltia Wukong, formerly Malachite reasonably well through his friendship with her daughter; he also knew however that her twin sister was a very different individual

"What did you have to promise her to get this?" Felix asked, his genuine fear for his sisters' safety evident in his tone

"Nothing" Corvid shrugged "Me and Rusty started asking questions, turns out Rhodium Torchwick was bringing all those guns into the city because he was planning to start a turf war against Melanie. I just floated the idea that by being the ones to take him off the street Mel might actually owe Team FADE a favour"

"Calling in a favour on a mob boss" Diamond raised an eyebrow "That's gutsy….Might just work though. I know a lot of gang members in Mistral, image is everything and having a reputation for not paying any kind of debt is bad"

"I spoke to my Uncle Rover earlier….the guy who got us out of the Exclusion Zone that time" Arctus added "He's promised to talk to a few Hunters and police officers he knows; we'll hopefully have a little bit of leeway when we're doing….whatever it is we have to do"

"Oh my gosh" Eagle mouthed out, hope and excitement welling up inside her once again "You guys are so amazing….We're first year students and we're just sat here like comic book villains talking about getting international and possibly criminal organisations, the mob and the police to all do favours for us-"

"Thank Oum we're the good guys right?" Felix snorted

"I might know some other people who could help" Diamond spoke slowly, carefully considering her words as her friends looked at her expectantly "My Mum does a lot of charity work and I used to help out at soup kitchens and food shelters all the time; Mum always said there's more ways to make a difference than being a Huntress. I've been thinking about volunteering at a shelter in New Vale for a while now but it's just occurred to me; the Shadow Cadre have to be getting food from somewhere and if they're not selling anything they've stolen then maybe that's how they're eating and we can get people to keep an eye out"

"That's brilliant" Arctus beamed "Not just the getting homeless people to act as lookouts….Mind if I come with you?"

"Sure" Diamond's face split into a wide smile, honestly the fact that Arctus wanted to help her help people meant a lot

"Okay then" Felix grinned "So you two are heading to a soup kitchen, me Corey and Eagle are gonna go talk to the mob. When are we doing this?" Eagle's crimson eyes seemed to light up

"Tomorrow's Saturday and none of the Professors have found a reason to confine me to the campus" Felix and Corvid shared a look and nodded

"Tomorrow night it is….what's the worst that could happen?" Corvid's question earned her a groan of displeasure from her brother.

* * *

Hellion Eudialyte sat in her cell, alone as expected. Since her capture by the copper haired Huntress whose weapon had burned away part of one of her wings the Dragonfly Faunus had been kept separated from the other inmates of New Vale's prison system. Her meals were at different times and the guards constantly stationed outside of her door remained silent unless they were barking orders at her. The Aura dampening collar clamped around her neck was not only drastically slowing her recovery to levels that while considered normal by most people, were utterly pathetic to the raider; the worst part however was the denial of her Semblance. Hellion spent a considerable amount of her time seeing the world through the eyes of either her bird of prey, Marauder or one of the animals whose mind she entered when acting as a scout. Being confined to her own body for almost two weeks while simultaneously being kept in isolation felt to her like a particularly inventive form of torture. Hellion folded her legs under herself and closed her eyes, taking deep slow breaths and repeating a mantra to herself in a barely audible whisper

"I will not be beaten. I will not be beaten. I will not-" she halted as she heard the door to her cell being unlocked, a departure from the well established routine. As she opened her eyes she caught a glimpse of the long corridor her cell was situated at the end of and the lack of wardens currently patrolling it before the doorway was filled by three looming figures

"Is this a breakout?" she enquired, voice somewhat croaky from lack of use. The figures entered her cell and a glimmer of reflected light alerted her to an improvised blade the man at the front of the group was carrying

"Torchwick sent us" there was a single moment where time seemed to stand still for Hellion, the name Torchwick bringing a vague memory of a red headed gangster from New Vale to mind; Hellion quickly decided that this was in fact _not_ a break out and lunged into action.

Then all hell broke loose.

The man with the prison shiv lunged as Hellion leapt off of her bed, the blade missing her by millimetres, her response was precise, swift and brutal. Her left hand flew at her attackers face, thumb finding his eye socket while she grabbed his wrist with her right, then she brought her knee against his elbow until his screams of agony were joined by the wet snapping of bone breaking. She stole the blade from his grip as she threw him aside and onto her bed, burying it in the collarbone of the second attacker, a woman wielding a small length of steel piping, kicking her firmly in the stomach and grabbing her roughly by the sides of the head Hellion rendered her assailant unconscious by driving her face through the sink at the opposite end of the miniscule cell, cutting into her own hands in the process. Her victory was short lived and her world exploded into pain as her face collided with the mirror, she saw her attackers reflection and her own bloodied face in its' fractured surface; the last of the trio was a large man with a skinhead and countless tattoos who seemed to be unarmed. The follow up attack came in the form of a wild left hook which Hellion easily ducked under and delivered an elbow to his stomach, the man responded with a backhand and haymaker that sent her staggering back towards the door with blood pouring from her broken nose. Taking a jagged fragment of the sinks' remains the man charged her and let loose a furious bellow; Hellion lunged forwards to meet his slash, stepping inside his guard she grabbed his arm and flung her shoulder into his chest while sweeping his legs out from under him and using his own momentum to hurl him back into the door frame. She had no time to appreciate the rapid role reversal as he was on her again and she let out a sharp hiss of pain as the broken porcelain in his hand tore a gash from her right shoulder across her collarbones

"Give up and I'll make this quick" he grunted, Hellion's only response was to plough into him, forcing him back against the door frame and pinning his right arm to his chest before headbutting him with bone shattering force, she brought her head back for a second strike only for his free hand to tangle itself in her hair. Hellion wasted no time with futile exclamations of pain or surprise, she'd spent her whole life fighting and knew that sometimes survival far outweighed honour; with this in mind she spat directly in his eyes before unleashing a flurry of punches at his kidneys with one hand while desperately trying to prise the jagged fragment he'd slashed her with from his grip with the other; eventually she managed to wrestle her prize free and the bald man released her hair in favour of throwing a punch at her face. Hellion leapt back, giving the man use of both of his arms which he tried desperately to use to grab her with as she launched herself at him again. It was a futile attempt and his scream of pain echoed around the cell as the fragment in her hand found its' way into his eye in a spray of crimson, only to be cut off abruptly by the door of the cell being slammed into his face with as much force as the Dragonfly Faunus could muster, then slammed again and again until the mans' face was an unrecognisable mess of blood and broken teeth when he collapsed to the ground with a sickening gurgle. Hellion staggered back, hands shaking with adrenaline and breathing frantically; a pained whine alerted her to the man whose arm she'd broken trying to pull himself upright on the bed she'd thrown him onto, an overhand to the temple changed that, though Hellion chose to make sure with several punches to the back of the head. Her heart had barely begun to slow its' rapid hammering in her chest when the sound of footsteps approaching reached her ears, several people all them running. Stalking towards the woman whose face had been utterly ruined by its' collision with the sink she ripped the prison shiv from her flesh and flung the cell door open. She was greeted with the sight of roughly a dozen inmates, perhaps more. Several were armed and by the threats and challenges hurled Hellion's way it was plain to see that all of them wanted blood. Hellion smirked and stepped out into the corridor twirling the weapon in her hand confidently, it wasn't one of her own knives but the weight was familiar and reassuring

"I am Hellion Eudialyte of the Shadow Cadre of the Frost River….Face me and die"

 **Authors Notes:**

Okay first of all let's discuss the elephant in the room, new username. I've made a new Tumblr so I changed my name on here to match, new year, new name, new volume and all that jazz.  
Secondly I'll be honest I don't think Weiss is gonna die but if she does I'm dropping the show completely. I'll carry on writing this story but I'll be refusing to acknowledge canon.  
Thirdly, welcome the fuck back. The break between the end of the Vol.2 arc and this has felt huge. If anyone hasn't read it yet I wrote "Team SHRD: Counter Attack" in the break for the RWBY OC Secret Santa project, featuring OCs from Cassandra55.

Also thank you to RNJRSupportSquad for the artwork based on Chapter 24 that they made as part of the challenge.  
Also thank you to FluffyFirefly for the GIF of Hack/Slash.

Now let's summarise.  
Yeah the Professors are stalling Team FADE by any underhanded techniques they can think of. Come on Ren and Nora remember their time at Beacon and they know exactly what's gonna happen. They're doing it with the best of intentions though.  
Yeah Eagle's grades have plummeted noticeably in two weeks. She's got a lot on her mind.  
A reminder that Halo is actually above part of the exclusion zone itself, and that's gotta be one hell of a view in the dark when it's snowing.  
More of the Aunts, Aunt Hell is back, I think I only mentioned the fact that she's the first person Eagle came out to in the Authors Notes last time, so here it is in the chapter itself; also Victoria Arc, if you read The Downward Spiral then you know she's the only person in the world who can give Nora Valkyrie hammer envy.  
" _I buried Jaune Eagle, I'm not burying you"_ Ouch. Just fucking ouch.  
Helios Nikos, total bad-ass is scared of heights….although considering how high up Halo Academy is I can't blame him.  
Seriously I can't imagine any child raised by Yang and Blake in a loving household not being ready to hug someone literally one hundred percent of the time.  
The idea of someone thinking Felix 'Total Bottom' Xiao Long and Eagle 'Useless Lesbian' Arc were an item is hilarious to me but in all honesty, if you haven't got a friend that you're that close with, get one.  
New Vale puts all of of its' prison population in one place in case of another breakout like the ones staged in the battle of Beacon; they don't have to track people down they can just have the ships stationed above it open fire.  
Rhodium's back. Of course he's gotten himself a new Grill, the old one would have been taken when he was arrested.  
" _With a serving tray"_ Long live Kali Belladonna's spirit.  
I actually felt bad for Rhodium writing that scene.  
Yeah Rhodium would definitely have a prison warden stabbed just for taking the piss out of him.  
Rhodium Vs Bordeaux cos Rhodey is not forgetting the Narc who wormed their way into his crew….Also "I fucking hate cops" is still Rhodium's slogan.  
Rhodium just saw Hellion. Dum dum dum.  
Rover Tan has let his fresh fade grow out and Artemis's hair isn't dyed. These are strange times.  
I love that Artemis can just take one look at Arctus and know he's gonna do some dumb shit, just because Arctus and Gangrel have such similar faces.  
Bless the R & A of Team GRAP  
" _We'll be seeing each other soon"_ Foreshadowing  
Kurt Cocaine….I'm going to keep making that joke.  
I headcanon that Emerald Sustrai wears fluffy socks to bed because Mercury's legs get cold. That tradition is alive and well in her daughter.  
Arctus and Diamond are adorable together and you know it.  
Actually gave the library a description because you didn't get one the last time we were there.  
The Scavenger Guild are making a comeback.  
You have to admire Corvid's sheer gall, she went to the almost undisputed head of New Vale's underworld and told her _"You owe me"  
_ Eagle's got a point. Team FADE have an impressive amount of influence for a group of seventeen and eighteen year old students.  
" _There's more ways to make a difference than being a Huntress"_ I think Diamond actually has a lot of causes that are personal to her, dealing with inner city poverty and the crime around it is one of them. Also a good chance for Arctus to learn how privileged he really is.  
I realised when I planned out this chapter that putting Hellion in solitary would actually be the worst possible thing for her.  
Yeah that fight was nasty, it was supposed to be. I wanted a deliberately jarring tone shift from the fantasy violence of people with Auras being flung through walls and getting back up to people without them having bloody and visceral brawls.  
The fight was inspired by Punisher fighting the guys in the cell block in Daredevil season two, not in a shot for shot way but in spirit.  
The real question is do you really think Hellion, a scout, can fight a dozen people or more without her Aura while already injured?

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Araniladin, FleetOfWarships, Arkanes Shippou, ThePrimeWolf, Ferrous, FluffyFirefly and TigerRose for their reviews on the last chapter.  
We will actually see how well Phobos's army fares against Nora before the end of this volume.  
Yeah Arctus's T-Shirt is the first casualty of this story, taken before it's time.  
Your ideas about the voice in Phobos's head may well be correct….and they are indeed not good.  
The Shadow Cadre's backstory will come in a few chapters, it also actually lines up the second year story arc.  
I'll give a spoiler now and tell you that I have no plans to kill Qrow.  
The "I am your father is coming"….what if I told you Qrow has a Molly Weasley moment?

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	29. Deals With Devils

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 29: Deals With Devils**

Felix had awoken early, still managing to get a respectable amount of sleep the previous night despite the thought of meeting the Scavenger Guild and Melanie Malachite weighing on his mind. He'd originally intended to wake his team but decided against it. There would be little hope of waking Arctus for several more hours anyway, his cousin was notoriously lethargic during the winter, something he claimed was part of being a Bear Faunus and the fact that his father and sister seemed to suffer with it to differing extents lent some weight to the assertion. Diamond had taken to sleeping in Arctus's bed since sharing a sleeping bag during Team FADE's second mission, the excuse she gave was that Mistral was a lot warmer than New Vale and she wanted to keep warm; the fact was that when Felix had hopped down from his bunk the silver haired sniper had been sound asleep nuzzling into Arctus's neck while draped across him beneath the covers. Felix thought they were too cute together to disturb and simply took a photo which he then sent to both of their Scrolls, though how she could sleep through her partners' snoring was a mystery Felix lacked the willpower to solve. Eagle was equally adorable while she slept though for different reasons, his fellow blonde slept clutching onto her three foot tall stuffed Ursa. Felix had made the easy decision to get some early morning training in, forgoing a shower and deciding that he'd get one when he returned. Currently the Lion Faunus was making his way towards Halo Academy's training facilities, his sensitive hearing picking up the sounds of other students who'd obviously had the same idea. Entering the gym he saw a handful of older students, nobody he recognised though if the still healing cuts and bruises some of them sported were any indication he would have guessed that they were third of fourth years recently returned from a mission. In a more secluded corner of the gym was a more familiar group of students and rather than simply warming up and making his way towards the weight benches or a punchbag like he was originally planning Felix approached them; Ether was the first to see him and gave a small nod of recognition before returning his attention to Olivine and the punches she was throwing at the mitts he wore

"Ollie got her cast off" he observed as he gave Nyanza a fist-bump

"Yeah, it was actually her idea to come down here this early. She doesn't think she can punch properly with her right any more and obviously Heely wasn't gonna say no" the bushy tailed feline snorted as he continued to spot for his partner

"What is he actually doing?" Felix asked quietly, he couldn't tell exactly what Helios was trying to achieve but it was clearly taking a lot of concentration as he sat on the ground cross legged with his eyes closed and sweat dripping from his brow while surrounded by weights totalling half a ton

"Aura training" Nyanza said simply before explaining "You know he can actually decrease gravity as well as increase it right? it's part of his landing strategy….well he's trying to make those weights float"

"Holy Oum" Felix breathed out, he hadn't know that Helios could do what Nyanza was claiming and was genuinely interested to see if he could pull it off. A vein could be seen pulsing on Helios's forehead as his jet black Aura visibly crackled around his body; Felix felt a strange weightlessness, similar to the feeling of an elevator stopping suddenly but lasting far longer and his eyes widened in surprise as he watched first Helios himself begin to rise from the ground before being followed by the weights he was attempting to exercise his Semblance on, half a ton was lifted several inches from the ground before Helios was spent and both he and the weights returned to the ground with a crash that the sound of Olivine and Ether's cheers did nothing to hide

"That was cool" Felix grinned as he helped Helios to his feet, allowing the redhead to lean against him to support his weight "Really cool"

"Heely is a man of focus commitment, sheer will-"

"That" Helios interrupted with a slight slur "Is from John Wicker….Don't have me sit through those movies and then plagiarise them in front of me"

"Did he just _get_ a pop culture reference?" Nyanza gave Felix a disbelieving stare before turning to Helios and pretending to wipe away a single tear "I'm so proud" By this point Felix was shaking with laughter

"I'll have to thank Professor Goodwitch for the idea of training myself that way. I still can't invert my Semblance for long….It makes me dizzy" Helios explained, realising that he was still leaning against Felix as he did so and taking a step back more quickly than was strictly necessary; something that Nyanza picked up on but merely smirked silently at.

"Hey, while you're here. Is there anything else you can tell me about the Shadow Cadre?" Felix's voice lowered conspiratorially "You heard about Eagle's Mum right?"

"I did" Helios growled "And when you move against them be sure to let me know. The Arcs and the Nikosi have some history"

"Will do" Felix grinned, displaying his prominent canines; the thought of having Helios in his corner making him feel more comfortable about the situation for some reason, he continued "Corey managed to get in touch with some people who might help look for 'em, so I just need to know anything that might help find 'em"

"I'm sorry" Helios sighed "The Shadow Cadre themselves are something of a myth and the tribe they hail from roamed the furthest northern regions of Anima; my people tend to stay away, it's a bleak place, little work, little food. Between the natural cold and the Ice Dust deposits almost everything is frozen"

"Damn"

"All I can say for certain" Helios mused thoughtfully "Is that their attacks were always at sea or near water. The Frost River leads out into shipping lanes between Mistral and Atlas and that's where they used to raid….draw them inland if you can"

"That and take me with you" Nyanza added with a smirk "Making these ass-holes make mistakes is the only time I'm gonna help either of you two _'get lucky'_ " there was something about the way he said the last two words that made Felix and Helios share an exasperated sigh even as their cheeks coloured slightly, something that neither of them would acknowledge

"So" Felix decided to move away from the subject "Sparring match when I've warmed up?"

"Gladly, Fluffy" Nyanza watched as his partner and one of his oldest friend from Patch walked away, shaking his head in amusement and stunned disbelief at their sheer density before turning to Ether and Olivine who were watching the interaction with interest and mouthing a single word

"Hopeless"

* * *

The sun was gradually setting over New Vale, almost hidden behind the sprawling maze of steel, glass and neon which formed the Kingdom's capital, casting everything in a dull golden glow reflected from countless surfaces. The guards stationed at the various perimeter checkpoints of New Vale Correctional Facility were undergoing a shift change, unaware that as the newcomers were settling into their positions for the evening an exchanging pleasantries they were being observed from a distance with malicious intent and ruthless opportunism. Raffia Dirge let a low guttural snarl as his hand instinctively reached for Hydra Macabre, the Axolotl Faunus eager to bury his sword in the flesh of any who opposed him, all he needed was an opening where enough backs were turned. Fins flattened against the side of his head in agitation and the diminutive raider fought the urge to pace restlessly in the alleyway he watched from, knowing better than to risk making any sound that could give away his position. Time seemed to pass slower than he thought possible and he silently wished that he had Hellion with him, her Semblance would have made finding another entry point easier and her presence seemed to ease the minds of the rest of the crew; she was an essential part of the Shadow Cadre, of his family and the people that had taken her would suffer. Just as Raffia's fury was reaching a fever pitch and he began to debate simply drawing his sword and charging, throwing caution to the wind and letting his Semblance protect him while he cut down his enemies a towering presence made itself known behind him. Raffia had barely a moment to process the cold feeling of dread and the plummeting of his stomach before he was grabbed and his body seemed to cease to be.

"Imbecile" Carcharodon hissed as he pinned Raffia against a wall by the throat, the smaller Faunus's legs kicking in a futile attempt to free himself. Being carried by the Shark Faunus's Semblance was an unsettling experience to say the least, one that spending their entire lives together had done little to make more tolerable, it felt as if ones entire body were made of water and subject to currents controlled by Carcharodon's will. Casting his eyes around Raffia realised that they were in a different alleyway, though how far they were from his original position was anyone's guess. With a snarl that displayed his Faunus trait, rows of impossibly sharp teeth Carcharodon dropped him to the ground and regarded Raffia with a mix of anger and disappointment, his body language conveying what his liquid black eyes could not

"I sent you for food. You didn't return" Raffia rose to his feet

"That was their prison. That is where they're holding Hellion!"

"Is that the task I gave you Raffia?" Carcharodon's voice was a tense hiss, his irritation clearly growing; as was Raffia's

"FOOD CAN WAIT! WE KNOW WHERE SHE IS NOW!"

"DO YOU?" Carcharodon demanded "Did you see them bring her here? Do you know which cell in that tower she's in? Do you have someone loyal to you inside that I was unaware of? Or do you just have far more spirit than patience little one?" his tone softened with the last question, though it did nothing to soothe Raffia

"We have to do something-"

"We have to be cautious and strike with precision" Carcharodon cut him off bluntly "We'll have Hellion returned to us, by force if needs be; just as soon as our own-"

"SHE'S PLAYING YOU FOR A FOOL CAR!" Raffia bellowed furiously, amazed that the Shark Faunus couldn't accept the fact that since they had captured the Arc woman she'd done nothing to bring them closer to their goals. Carcharodon took a moment to centre himself and Raffia knew that he was fighting the urge to simply beat him bloody

"She's being difficult, her defiance is impressive if inconvenient. Onyx will convince her….He's what the Kingdoms call a _'people person'_ " Raffia could almost hear the derisive snort Hellion would have given their leader if she were present, but he also knew that she would follow Carcharodon's orders and finally relented. His next words coming out in a hollow murmur as his shoulders sagged

"We can't lose anyone else"

"We won't" Carcharodon assured him as he placed a hand on his shoulder "Now come, we still have a job to do. Onyx is little use to anyone if he's complaining about his own stomach"

* * *

Felix's customised muscle car, the Killer Bee, purred as it manoeuvred through the early evening streets, the sound of it's engine offset by the thumping bass coming from within and Felix couldn't help the cocky smirk he wore as heads turned to admire his pride and joy even if he was hidden behind tinted windows

"Next left and it's on your right halfway down the street. Can't miss it" Corvid instructed him over the sound of the obnoxiously loud music while Eagle lounged comfortably in the back seat, accepting that her partners' sister was probably the only person who could remove her from the shotgun position that was usually reserved for her.

"Got it" Felix nodded as he brought the vehicle onto the correct street, almost coasting to a stop outside the venue of their first meeting of the evening; Arctus and Diamond had been in the car when they departed from Halo Academy on an airship but had been dropped off elsewhere in the city. Felix killed the engine and the trio climbed out of the Killer Bee, surveying the location the Scavenger Guild had agreed to send a representative to; a decidedly upmarket coffee shop just outside of a small and relatively exclusive shopping centre in an upper middle class district, several dozen stories above the ground

"A bit of a step up from the Bear" Felix noted with a raised eyebrow as he surveyed the pastel tones and potted plants visible through the windows of the coffee shop, a distinct departure from Melanie Malachite's base of operations

"I _espresso_ told them I wanna meet somewhere like this, less likely to turn into a gunfight" Felix merely sighed at the particularly weak pun before opening the trunk and retrieving Hack and Slash, sheathing them while Eagle took Sentinel and affixed the shield to her arm

"Yeah well, I'm not taking chances"

"I see that" Corvid snorted "You brought a whole _latte_ ammo" Eagle cracked a small smile despite her tension, Felix gave a groan

"Just go and find 'em" Corvid led the way and affected the most sweet and innocent tone she could manage when a clearly panicked member of staff hurried over to them

"Excuse me, I'm looking for an older cousin of mine. He told me he'd have the back room?"

"Oh I see" the young woman's tone faltered "We don't normally allow weapons inside, but since you're with Mister Clip….This way please"

"So sorry about that, last class of the day was combat training" Corvid lied fluently and if the way her eyes roamed over the woman leading them into a private room were indication she would be returning to this establishment in the future. Felix saw this and nudged her, silently mouthing out a single word

"Behave" Corvid merely stuck her tongue out and winked. A moment later they reached their destination and were led into the back room of the coffee shop, the waitress leaving behind them. At the head of a large table and surrounded by men and women in suits whose hands were already at their holsters; remarkable only by how well he seemed to fade into the background despite ostensibly being the centre of attention, was Mousey Clip

"There's _bean_ a misunderstanding" Corvid paused for effect, continuing the moment the first groans at her humour left someone's lips "When I said public place I meant actually public, not the back room like we were going for a quickie"

"Fuck sake Sis" Felix grumbled, deciding that was a mental image he could have gone his whole life without, he could almost feel Eagle beginning to blush behind him. Without waiting to be offered Corvid took a seat and motioned for the pair of blondes to do the same. Mousey motioned to his goons and they seemingly reluctantly released their grip on their weapons, now that Felix thought about it some of them seemed vaguely familiar.

"Gotta say I'm surprised Corey. I think you and your brother made your opinions of the Guild pretty clear last time….and I don't know you" he added, nodding to Eagle

"Eagle Arc. Antonia Arc's daughter" that got a reaction, though it seemed both the councils of New Vale and Atlas, as well as Poly-Tech itself had been pressuring the press not to disclose too much, the world knew that the scientist turned CEO had been abducted. Mousey cleared his throat awkwardly

"Sorry to hear about her, truly I am. Your family are good people kid. I met old Craven once back in-"

"We know who has Antonia Arc" Corvid interrupted, stormy grey eyes narrowing. Mousey seemed to pale, a business sense honed through years of shady dealings telling him that he was about to be coerced into something

"Corey despite our misunderstand last time, the Scavenger Guild aren't the mob and we certainly aren't the police. We retrieve and sell items of historical importance-"

"And you still haven't retrieved those four laser batteries that you lost and tried to pin on us have you Mousey?" Corvid had clearly been waiting for the perfect moment to show that she held all the cards in this discussion "They were taken by the Shadow Cadre, apparently they're part of a tribe on Anima"

"They're meant to be dead!" Mousey sputtered. Seeing the confused and suspicious glares coming from the trio of Hunters sat opposite him he decided to give them at least a little of the truth "They were pirates but the occasionally traded things that they'd stolen and had no use for with some of the coastal settlements. They hit something that the Atlas branch of the Guild was shipping to Mistral. In response the Mistrali branch convinced one of those settlements that perhaps it would be better if the Frost River tribe weren't around any more….We had no direct involvement of course, just floated an idea"

"So this is your fault!" Eagle was on her feet, hand flying to her sword before any of Mousey's hired muscle could reach for their weapons. He raised his hands in surrender

"Hardly, I only know about it because I have enough sway in the organisation. I can't tell Mistral how to handle their own criminals"

"Well now you can help deal with 'em" Corvid snarled as she gently tugged Eagle back into her seat "They've got your guns. They've got Antonia Arc. They're in New Vale somewhere. Find 'em" Mousey visibly sagged in his seat and took the cup of coffee that had been in front of him the whole time, downing it in one

"Corey, I'll do what I can but I can't promise anything"

"My patience is getting _ground_ down" she snarled back with as much menace as she could muster, Mousey threw his hands up in desperation

"After we trashed her bar Melanie Malachite came down hard on us Corey. I'm probably gonna be out of work in a few months if this carries on! Nobody with info talks to us, nobody sells to us and if we can find something the local muscle don't wanna take the job. We've been blacklisted Corey; I can't get a pair of antique dog tags, and I mean pre great war, to sell at an auction and you think I can track down people whose whole way of life is _steal shit and vanish_?"

"So we're wasting our time here" Corvid sighed leaving her chair and turning on her heel; Felix and Eagle had barely fallen into step with her when Mousey called after her

"I'll make you an offer Corey, take it or leave it" Corvid didn't turn around but she did stop walking, allowing him to continue "They're gonna leave New Vale eventually, I can send word to all the other branches and have every pirate port in Remnant watched. We can make sure nobody who deals in human trafficking gets hold of Antonia Arc. But I want you back as a subcontractor" Corvid turned and saw the determination in Felix's eyes, knowing that if she agreed that he would no doubt join her; then she saw the hope written on Eagle's freckled face and the decision was made for her

"You deliver first Mousey. When Antonia Arc is safe then I'll take jobs for you, take it or leave it" Mousey smirked as he heard his own words thrown back at him

"Pleasure doing business Corey"

* * *

Diamond had led Arctus through dimly lit streets, each flickering street light illuminating graffiti proudly proclaiming the names of street gangs who claimed ownership of the bleak cityscape; though Diamond had regarded it and snorted, identifying it as the handiwork of teenage boys with more testosterone than sense. Diamond hadn't been to this area of the city before, a slum situated within the lowest levels of one of the poorer tower complexes; but she'd researched during lunch that day and knew inner city poverty well enough to know where to find the homeless shelter she intended to volunteer at, the Mercy Foundation had a good reputation by all accounts she could find. Arctus had been at her side trying his best to not let just how far from his comfort zone he was show too plainly

"How's that soup coming?" Diamond called over her shoulder as she served sandwiches, after arriving they'd been thanked and put too work in the kitchen by the grateful and exhausted looking staff who'd honestly been expecting them to serve a search warrant

"Just about done" Arctus answered her, somewhat dazed as he was snapped from his own thoughts. A moment later he felt Diamond's arms slide around his waist and her weight pressing softly against his back as she murmured softly

"What's wrong big guy, you've been quiet since you got here"

"I just-" Arctus trailed off, trying to hide the shame creeping across his face "I didn't realise just how bad it was. I knew I was really well off; my Dad grew up poor in Lower Atlas, he remembers when Hunters just wouldn't bother coming to certain calls. I just thought things had changed y'know….with all the progress Remnant's made people shouldn't still be living like this" his words earned him a kiss on the cheek

"Yeah, it sucks" Diamond admitted with a sigh "Dust is still expensive, living inside the walls is always gonna be expensive and there's more people than jobs….But it's getting better"

"I don't wanna make this about me, but I mean look at the people here….My sword alone could probably pay rent for two years and get 'em off the street. Kinda makes me feel dirty having so much when people have to go hungry"

"You are so sweet sometimes" Diamond laughed "Come on, you wanna help we can start by at least making sure everyone gets a hot meal tonight" as Arctus began pouring the first bowls of soup a small commotion on the other side of the serving hatch between the kitchen and dining hall caught Diamond's attention, an influx of distressed looking individuals; one of whom was muttering furiously about the 'Little bastard with the ears'

"Hey" Diamond motioned for one of the people seeking a warm meal to come closer and continued in a hushed tone "I don't want to assume anything, so is that guy okay? He hasn't taken anything has he?"

"No" the dour looking woman grunted "I know who he means, the little bastard with the ears and his friend. One of 'em's a big guy, ears is a tiny little thing. We think they've gotten out of prison recently, he's got a tat down the side of his face and their clothes are a little ratty"

"Trouble causers?" Diamond sighed, a rowdy drunk making their way to a homeless shelter and having to be escorted out was an unfortunately common experience

"Last few times they were here they came, took all the food and left" the woman explained with a sour expression "We're all hard up here but there's no excuse for some people- And here they come" Arctus made his way beside Diamond as a pair of men stalked into the dining hall, one the same height as the Bear Faunus with his face hidden behind a hood, their eyes widened at the sight of the other. The ears which he'd been identified by were in fact the caudal fins adorning the sides of the Axolotl Faunus's head, the tribal tattoo adorning the left side of his head and sword slung across his back identified Raffia Dirge plainly.

"Remember me ass-hole?" Arctus growled as he leapt through the serving hatch, hand flying to Gefroren-Erbe as he heard Diamond deploying Lex Talionis behind him. The taller Faunus beside Raffia lowered his hood with one hand while clamping down on Raffia's shoulder when the other, revealing the bald and tattooed skull of Carcharodon Gore. The Shark Faunus paid no mind to the press of bodies rapidly trying to escape the room, instinctively sensing that things could go horrifically wrong at any moment

"We didn't come here for bloodshed. Not today-"

"I did. I'm gonna collect on that arm you owe me" Raffia hissed

"You have Antonia Arc" Arctus growled, moving slowly to give his partner a better shot

"And you have Hellion" Carcharodon rasped, deploying the Red Waves but making no attempt to attack either of the students "I can promise my prisoners' safety, can you promise the same?" there were a few moments of tense silence before Diamond answered

"She'll be treated like any other criminal. She won't be harmed" Carcharodon nodded slowly and took a step back, abyss like eyes narrowing as Diamond trained her rifle on the centre of his chest

"Think carefully Huntress. If I die plans may change. Tell whoever you answer to that as soon as your weapon-smith has completed her task I'll be willing to negotiate terms of an exchange" the Shark Faunus paused for a moment, Arctus's hand clenched a little tighter around his weapon before he spoke again "Until then…." he trailed off and both Arctus and Diamond's eyes widened, a shot rang our from Lex Talionis, passing through Carcharodon's body as his Semblance caused it to ripple like water; the shark Faunus dropped something from his hand and Arctus hastily cast a Glyph in front of the exit as the dining hall was filled with acrid black smoke

"Fuck!" Diamond spat furiously as the smoke eventually cleared, revealing that the members of the Shadow Cadre had vanished.

"Shit" Arctus muttered, sheathing his sword "Hey can you go tell the staff here what just happened. Let 'em know that the police are already looking for those two. I'm gonna let Felix know what happened"

"Sure" Diamond huffed, evidently still on high alert. As she left Arctus withdrew his Scroll and paused for a moment before making a quick decision. It took him almost no time to find details of how could donate wirelessly to the charity running this shelter from his bank account; he hoped that the two thousand Lien he transferred would make someone's life better, at least it would make up for the trouble that had found its' way here.

* * *

On the ground level of New Vale the narrow grid of streets between the tower complexes were awash in the neon glow of the gargantuan metropolis and the Killer Bee moved slowly through streets that were still bustling with pedestrians despite the lateness of the hour. Pulling to a stop outside of their destination Felix and Corvid shared a tense glance before the elder sibling gave some words of caution

"No weapons in here. Not this time" with that she, Felix and Eagle exited the muscle car and made their way towards the entrance of the Bear, the low thumping bass of the music within more felt than heard from outside. As they drew close a pair of security guards in black suits with red tinted sunglasses barred their way

"You don't look old enough. Got ID?"

"We're here for a meeting with Miss Malachite" Corvid's calm assertion caused a palpable change in the atmosphere and the trio found themselves being thoroughly searched for weapons; a precaution that most patrons of the establishment did not have to endure

"Come with me" one of the barely distinguishable henchmen turned and walked inside, leading them away from the bar and dance floor, even away from the private room their ill fated meeting with the Scavenger Guild had taken place in. Felix, Corvid and Eagle found themselves led into an area that few outsiders ever saw; Melanie Malachite's office.

"Ma'am" the henchman stood to attention as he entered the extravagantly decorated room, clearly Melanie's home away from home as well as her workspace.

"Wait outside" she breathed out calmly, ushering the trio of teens inside and indicating towards seats that were already waiting for them

"So" Melanie's tone was one of utter comfort, nothing would happen in her kingdom unless she willed it and she knew it "Two of you were involved in a gunfight in my private room, then you demand, not ask, demand a meeting because apparently I owe you something. Miss Xiao Long I'd be stupid if I didn't expect Blondie's kids to be ballsy but that's honestly impressive"

"Thank you for your time Miss Malachite" Corvid was honestly torn between trying to maintain eye contact or keep her head lowered when talking to the mob boss. She knew Miltia, the owner of one of Patch's most popular bars and wife of it's chief Huntsman was well liked by all on the island, her twin however seemed to exude danger like a fragrance

"Don't ruin the image" Melanie sighed somewhat condescendingly "Yang walked into my Uncle's bar and trashed it when she wasn't even a Beacon first year and Blake actually hid out in our private bunker with us for a while after the fall. You've got some pretty big boots to fill, but I'm willing to humour you. What do you want"

"Rhodium Torchwick was preparing to start a turf war against you when we brought him in" Corvid gestured to the blondes beside her

"The last people to go to war with the Syndicate were the White Fang. We're still here, they're not" Melanie countered with a smirk. Felix decided to interject, trying a more personal approach

"The people we're looking for are the same people that glassed your niece in your sisters' bar" the statement hung in the air for a moment and Melanie's jade eyes narrowed

"You" she pointed at the Lion Faunus "You're the one who buys my weed from Amethyst at knock down prices but won't give her a second glance. What, too good for her?"

"Too gay for her" Felix shrugged, Melanie's response was a defeated sigh

"Well there goes that angle, can't be angry at that. You pay full price next time or I'm gonna have your hands crushed"

"Yes Ma'am" Felix didn't dare talk back, not here

"So this crew that we're apparently both looking for, what's in it for you?"

"They kidnapped my Mum. Antonia Arc" Eagle spoke up, voice faltering as the relatively sheltered teen struggled to function of the mob boss's raw menace

"Well" Melanie leaned forwards, clearly interested now "That makes it a high stakes table, you had my curiosity; now you have my attention"

"They're a group of pirates from Anima" Felix began "We've seen four of them, all Faunus. They're the same people that robbed the Scavenger Guild"

"Wait" Melanie seemed thoughtful, slowly remembering details of that whole debacle "That was an inside job….One of them is a big guy with a shit beard and toe beans right?"

"Yeah-"

"They were here!" Melanie spat venomously "They put hands on my family and then come into my bar to do business….Oh I'm gonna make an example"

"Um Miss Malachite" Eagle dared to speak, gulping audibly "I just want my Mum back. I don't want be part of any turf wars or any of it….I just want her back" Melanie's expression softened despite her reputation for extreme ruthlessness; few people still active in New Vale's underworld remembered exactly why the Malachite twins had been raised by Hei 'Junior' Xiong, Melanie remembered her and her sister being far younger than the Huntress in front of her and desperately crying for her own parents return. She forced all emotion from her face and took a deep breath before focusing on Corvid, since she'd called the meeting she would be the one terms were offered to

"So, long story short. You want to sic my people onto these pirates and rescue the missing scientist like this was an action movie" Melanie snorted before taking a moment to consider "Okay, I'll bite. I'll have my people do the rounds. But you owe me a favour and when I call it in you _will_ honour it"

"What was Torchwick, a freebie?" the words were out of Felix's mouth faster than he could stop himself. Melanie calmly got up and walked slowly around her desk before dragging Felix unceremoniously from his seat and delivering a kidney punch that left him curled on the floor gasping for breath

"Don't do it" Melanie warned, blades deploying from her heels as Corvid made to leap into action. Felix used the edge of the desk to drag himself to his feet, still clutching at his side

"Now apologise" Melanie smiled sweetly

"Sorry….Miss Malachite" the Lion Faunus forced out through clenched teeth, expression murderous.

"Don't look at me like that, if I didn't know your family I'd have done something permanent kid. Never talk back to me in my own office" she disregarded Felix and turned her attention to the elder Xiao Long "So, what's it gonna be? A favour for a favour seems reasonable" for the second time that night Corvid found herself searching for answers on Eagle's face, currently her expression was equal parts horrified, furious and concerned; yet beneath it all there was clearly still the hope that this might bring back her mother

"Fine" Corvid sighed "I still have missions to take for the year, that's the only reason I'll ignore your call"

"Good, I'm glad you can recognise the best offer you're going to get" Melanie's tone turned icy "Now get the fuck out of my office" the trio wisely did as they were told, though Corvid privately debated staying in the bar for a while as she felt she needed several stiff drinks after that experience. No sooner had they made it out into the cold night air than Felix's Scroll began to vibrate in his pocket, taking it out he saw that the call was from Diamond and answered

"Hey what's up? What? Where?….Send me the address I'll bring the car around now!"

* * *

Qrow Branwen was situated in his personal base of operations hidden beneath his laughably ordinary facade of a home. The myriad screens showing countless security and hidden camera feeds from across Remnant being roundly ignored in favour of the Scroll call currently taking place and the bottle of bourbon at his desk which grew more appealing with every word he heard.

"Right. Thanks for this; give me a day to arrange something. I'll be there in person tomorrow" Qrow's tone was one of exhaustion as he paced agitatedly; ending the call he collapsed into his chair with a groan, hands running through grey hair. After taking a few moments to compose himself he turned to his surveillance system and began frantically typing, it took him roughly five minutes to find what he sought; footage from solitary confinement in New Vale Correctional Facility, dated at the previous night. The grizzled old Huntsman was no stranger to violence of the worst kind but even Qrow blinked in shock more than once as he watched the Dragonfly Faunus rampage through her entire gang of attackers, blood being visibly sprayed and spattered across the walls until eventually she was brought low by a blow to the back of the head when one of the inmates managed to get behind her, at this point she found herself set upon and beaten by those still capable of doing so until the prison guards finally arrived to take control of the situation; the window they'd clearly been bribed into giving the attackers having closed. All in all it was a bloodbath, three attackers had entered Hellion Eudialyte's cell while another dozen had been inside. Of the fifteen, four had died of their injuries so far while the rest suffered a litany of broken bones, lacerations, stab wounds and internal bleeding. The call the Qrow had ended had been from Poly-Esther Scarlatina, a doctor at one of Vale's hospitals who had spent several hours trying to stabilise Hellion after she'd been rushed into her operating theatre in critical condition. Qrow poured a glass of bourbon and downed it in a single mouthful before weighing up his options, coming to the conclusion that there was only one thing he could do he opening his Scroll and began dialling

"Glynda, I need a favour"

 **Authors Notes:**

First of all, before we discuss anything else; in the Authors Notes of the last chapter I thanked FluffyFirefly for making some artwork of Hack & Slash. That was incorrect, it was actually FleetOfWarships who made that, my bad.

Secondly, tomorrow is the new episode….Weiss isn't gonna die, not when they've been teasing Jaune's Semblance and they had a line from Raven about her having seen people come back from the dead before. But at the same time if Weiss dies we riot.

Anyway, let's summarise:  
If you're awww-ing at Team FADE being adorable when they sleep, good.  
Yeah, I hadn't actually shown Helios's landing strategy before; he can decrease gravity….I'm gonna have some fun with that.  
"John Wicker"….If you thought I have shame you were wrong.  
All the Battle Cat shippers….just be patient.  
Nyanza is still a shit post and it's fun to write.  
Antonia is being uncooperative, good for her.  
I love that Carcharodon has complete faith that Onyx can talk anyone into anything if they're left alone with him for long enough.  
The scene with Carcharodon and Raffia is actually a little insight into Raffia's state of mind, behind that berserker image he's angry, grieving, desperate and a little self destructive.  
Ah the puns, have you missed them? I've missed them.  
Also Corvid has no chill at all.  
Corvid casually rolled up and took control of that meeting.  
A tiny little bit more backstory on the Shadow Cadre, I promise you'll get the full story soon.  
Arctus is rich and he knows it, but he's also a little sheltered and naive in some ways. His heart's in the right place though.  
The Shadow Cadre, with their tats and bad attitude, look to most people in the city, like they just got out of prison and that made me laugh when I thought of it.  
I don't think Raffia is going to forget Arctus burning his arm to the bone….ever.  
Carcharodon's Semblance can make him effectively bulletproof, he used that way in the fight with Flax as well.  
The whole Shadow Cadre carry smoke bombs at all times.  
Melanie gives no fucks at all.  
The turf war between the White Fang and the Black Bear Syndicate in the Downward Spiral was downright nasty; Melanie is obviously forgetting that in retaliation for a drive by shooting on Velvet, Adam had the Malachite twins locked in Junior's bar then burned it down.  
Toe beans. That is all.  
Yeah, Melanie is pissed, rightfully so.  
We all knew somebody was gonna be dumb enough to say something to piss her off. Of course it was Felix.  
And now Team FADE and Team CLIR are in debt to the mob, all for a good cause.  
Poly-Esther Scarlatina, Velvet's little sister was only a kid in the Downward Spiral; she's a doctor now.  
Also yes the Scarlatina siblings are Velvet, Flax and Poly-Esther because I have no shame.  
Hellion is currently in intensive care after the end of the last chapter; also worth noting that those four casualties are the first time we've actually seen a member of the Shadow Cadre kill someone.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Araniladin, TigerRose, Arkanes Shippou, CanadianCavalier, FleetOfWarships, FluffyFirefly and Ferrous for their reviews on the last chapter.  
I think we can all agree new RWBY content is the best way to start the new year.  
Yeah Arctus is used to the cold, doesn't mean being sat at what is realistically pretty high altitudes with no jacket on during the winter is comfortable.  
Raid 2 was also an influence.  
What if I told you that the get Eagle a girlfriend campaign is already secretly underway.  
I don't have plans for Rhodium's mum, but then again I didn't actually have plans for Rhodium beyond his first appearance; then I realised I could work him into the third year storyline.  
Corvid is a bad-ass amongst student hunters, Melanie would demolish her and they both know it.  
Yeah Arctus having the same 'Up to something' look as his dad and Rover just seeing straight through it was fun.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	30. The Day After

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 30: The Day After**

The room, to those occupants who were conscious and aware of it had the same harsh, glaring lights and overpowering smell common to all hospitals, a smell of medicine that did nothing to inspire faith in the medicine itself. The occupants of the room consisted of half of a dozen armed guards, prison security rather than police, all of whom seemed to be enjoying the fact that their authority had been temporarily extended beyond the confines of New Vale Correctional Facility. While the guards stood at ease, weapons hanging from their shoulder straps rather than being in hand, their gaze remained watchful as if they expected the other two occupants of the room to turn on them at any moment. One of the individuals currently subject to their paranoid scrutiny was Poly-Esther Scarlatina, younger sibling to the admittedly far more famous Flax and Velvet; her Faunus heritage was much less obvious than theirs, a small cream furred tail which barely protruded from a hole in her uniform and slightly larger than average front teeth, however beyond the lack of rabbit ears adorning her skull anyone who knew Velvet Scarlatina would see the resemblance between the sisters instantly. The last occupant of the room was currently laid on a hospital bed, dead to the world. A fact which Poly had mixed feelings about

"I'm still not happy with this, this is more than the recommended dose" she huffed in the chief guards' direction "And whoever made the decision to let that wing heal naturally while she wore a dampener should be fired"

"Look Doc" the chief guard waved her off dismissively "I get that you take your job seriously, but she killed four people. As far as I'm concerned you could give her enough sedative to make sure she never wakes up and you'd be doing as all a favour"

"No she'd be doing you specifically a favour" the low voice caused all six guards to turn in alarm, hands instantly flying to their weapons; nobody had heard Qrow Branwen enter. The older man stalked into the room, using his scythe as a cane and looking to the guards every part the legendary bringer of destruction that he was rumoured to be while fixing each of them with an icy stare.

"Branwen" the chief guard managed to compose himself, though he noticeably seemed to be stood to attention "What're you doing here-"

"Relieving you of your duty" Qrow's calm tone almost dared the guards to be stupid enough to challenge him; predictably one of them was, equally predictable was the fact it was the rookie of the group; a young woman with hair cut short in attempt to give inmates nothing to grab if it came to a physical confrontation

"You can't do that!"

"Really now" Qrow's eyes narrowed and his face morphed into a smile that held no warmth of happiness "Because I have video evidence that says I can. Video evidence of you smuggling in drugs to other inmates at Torchwick's request"

"Now you listen-" Qrow turned on the guard that had interrupted

"You having some very inappropriate relations with your inmates" he then turned his attention back to chief "And you meeting with Torchwick an hour before you called the guards away from solitary confinement so his crew could do this" he finished as he gestured to the unconscious form of Hellion Eudialyte laid on a hospital bed

"So what's it you Branwen?" the chief guard demanded furiously "She's just some fucking Bandit bitch who sailed too far. Who cares-"

"That bandit bitch" Qrow snarled, resting the blade of his scythe against the mans' jugular and watching him pale at the realisation that none of his comrades dared move to help him "Was involved in the kidnapping of Antonia Arc. Now you tell me, since you're so smart, if Torchwick's crew had killed her what would happen to Miss Arc"

"Oh" what little complexion he still had drained away as the implications made themselves clear in his mind

"Exactly" Qrow took a deep breath as he removed his scythe from the mans' throat "I'm gonna give you two hours to get out of Vale; all of you. Then I make sure that video evidence finds its' way into the right hands. Get out of my sight" all six of the security guards hastily made their way out of the secluded room that the lone Faunus was being treated in, revealing that there were two more Huntsman waiting in the corridor with hands on their weapons. Poly couldn't helping gaping in surprise at the identity of the youngest

"Flax? What're you doing here?"

"Seems everyone owes Qrow a couple favours" Flax Scarlatina smirked as he entered the room, beside him was Scarlet David who was calmly sheathing his sword, having drawn it in case the guards weren't compliant "Besides, I wanted to make sure you were okay"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Poly raised an eyebrow "She's out cold-"

"Because Rhodium Torchwick wanted your patient dead and those guards are corrupt enough to kill a witness and say the prisoner did it when their Aura dampener was removed" Poly paled at the realisation, physically distancing herself from her patient

"Oum Flax, how do you and Velvet deal with living like this all the time?"

"I mean Grimm are at least honest about it" the elder Scarlatina sibling shrugged before giving Hellion Eudialyte a disgusted look "So that's her then? She killed four people and put another eleven in hospital, all that on top of Antonia…..Oum she's a piece of work" Qrow stepped closer to the hospital bed and gave her a critical once over; her dark flesh was still marred by several lacerations and discoloured by bruising almost from head to toe whilst bones that Aura was healing faster than naturally possible were still held in place by splints

"How long until we can move her?" he asked, his calm tone masking the maelstrom of thoughts and emotions inside his head.

"It's gonna be a few more hours at least until she can be discharged. I'd suggest waiting until the Aura Dampening Collar can be put back on and the sedatives wear off. You don't want her to wake up and react unpredictably in transit"

"I can't believe Goodwitch is okay with this" Scarlet sighed, what they were preparing to do seemed anathema to everything the Headmistress stood for

"You'd be surprised" Qrow murmured "We both worked for Ozpin and we were both involved in some pretty shady shit before the war. I pulled up everything I can find on the tribe she comes from and showed it to Glynda. They've never attempted an aerial attack before and the students won't know she's there. Glynda gets it, the Anima tribes are loyal to their own so now we have to keep out prisoner out of harms way in case anyone they've crossed takes a shot at her and they decide to retaliate"

"Fine" Scarlet relented "I can't say I'm happy with it, but I trust Goodwitch"

"I know what you mean" Flax muttered, waving at Hellion "She's the reason my wife can't sleep at night, even my daughter knows something's wrong. I fought her people a few months back….I didn't realise how young they were"

"Don't get emotional Flax, it won't make the job any easier" Qrow warned, inwardly laughing at his own hypocrisy as he gave Hellion another glance and tried to stop the bile rising in his throat and hands trembling at the realisation that this hardened killer was really a beaten girl who was barely older than his own daughter.

* * *

Team FADE were utterly exhausted. Eagle and Corvid had held onto the interior of the Killer Bee for dear life as Felix tore through the streets at breakneck speeds to find Arctus and Diamond. Upon finding them the five teens had prowled through the lowest levels of New Vale in search of the Shadow Cadre themselves or any indication of where the illusive raiders were hiding; by the time they were finally willing to admit defeat there were no flights heading back to Halo Academy until the morning. Felix had driven them to an airship terminal where they had milled about fuelled by caffeine, junk food and fading adrenaline as he explained the results of the meetings with the Scavenger Guild and Melanie Malachite to his team-mates who had been absent.

Finally, before the sun had yet risen the first flight for the day had carried the five teens back to their airborne campus where they had at least had time to shower, change into their uniforms and enjoy breakfast before being beset by their fellow students and the workload that came with being a student of the Hunter Academies. Corvid had told the younger students in no uncertain terms that she was going to her dorm and waking her for anything less than a life of death emergency would prove fatal. Team FADE, perhaps unwisely decided to try and plough through their tiredness.

Which led to their current situation of exiting the library, each of them suffering from monumental migraines after forcing themselves to work on assignment after assignment. Turning a corner on the route back to their dorm they were confronted by a sight that quite frankly took a while to process and would have done even if they were properly rested. Professor Ren, the embodiment of calm and composure pinning Professor Nora against the wall and kissing her passionately while her legs wrapped around his waist and hands tangled in his hair

"OH MY OUM. NO NO NO NO NO NO NO, THIS IS NOT HAPPENING!" Eagle's frantic tirade as she covered her eyes was enough to get the attention of the teachers, Ren hastily putting Nora down

"Eagle, I….we were" the fact that Lie Ren seemed to be struggling to find words spoke volumes to how mortifying the situation was to all involved

"We were just looking for you" Nora chirped unabashedly

"Where were you looking, in his mouth?" Felix snorted, earning himself a punch in the ribs that was only somewhat playful from Eagle. Nora continued on as if he hadn't spoken

"I was going to offer some help with those test sheers you need to retake, we couldn't find you so we checked your site access card on the system; you didn't come home last night" there was no accusation in Nora's tone yet growing up with Corvid had left Felix ready to cover for someone if needs be

"My fault, needed to fill the car up and the usual place was closed. By the time I'd managed to find another gas station we'd missed the last flight" if either Ren or Nora suspected anything they gave no outward signs, Nora merely wrapped an arm around Eagle and frogmarched her back towards the library that Team FADE had just left

"Come on, we're gonna get you back into the straight A student we know you can be. This is happening!" Ren stopped and gave the remaining teens a pleading glance before following

"I'd really appreciate it if you can forget what you saw"

"Oh don't worry we'll all be trying" Diamond muttered before she Felix and Arctus continued on their way back to their dormitory. Before they could reach their destination Felix received a text message that made him groan in resigned annoyance

"What's up?" Arctus asked, preparing for news about Melanie Malachite's demands which thankfully didn't come

"Corvid's awake and back in the workshop" Felix sighed "Lux wants me to come and help out, she's determined to get the Omega Wing up and running again as soon as possible….She's apparently just disintegrated half a bench by testing the new shield generator"

"See you later" Arctus chuckled "Be careful man" Felix merely grunted in response before turning and leaving

"Come on big guy" Diamond yawned, taking his hand and pulling him in the direction of their dorm "If anyone else wants a favour from us we just turn our Scroll off"

"Agreed" the Bear Faunus grinned.

Before long they finally managed to return to the safe haven from stress that was their dormitory, both of them realising how completely drained they were; something they both agreed was unacceptable on a Sunday. As they debated putting a movie on and curling up together, both knowing that they would be asleep before it ended, Diamond's scroll rang

"Ignore it" Arctus groaned

"Hang on" she murmured, the number seeming familiar. When she answered Arctus only heard her side of the call which made deciphering any meaning all but impossible. What he could tell however, was that when the call ended Diamond's eyes were alight with happiness and she wore a smile that seemed to stretch from ear to ear

"Big guy you didn't tell me you donated to the Mercy Foundation after we left" she laughed, sauntering over to where he sat on the edge of the bed

"Is that what that was about?" Arctus was honestly a little confused, Diamond's smile widened even further

"That was the Mercy Foundation offering us jobs. I mean unpaid volunteer work, but they want us to act as official Hunter grade security guards. We were requested specially after last night"

"So wait?" Arctus's eyes widened as a thought hit him "Does this mean we have an actual job to our name now instead of just training missions?" the thought brought a toothy smile to his own lips, it was definitely a mark of pride for any student, let a lone a first year to be specially requested for a job that required Hunters. Diamond nodded in confirmation as she positioned herself on his lap

"Come here" she murmured with a soft laugh as she cupped his cheeks and pulled him into a slow kiss, coaxing a low rumbling growl of contentment from him; the sound made her shiver and without thinking she'd pushed him backwards and leaned down, continuing the kiss while straddling Arctus's waist

"Babe" he managed to pant out between kisses, his hands trailing down Diamond's lower back

"Don't worry" she whispered, turning her attention his neck and peppering several light kisses "The others won't be back for hours" hearing that any reservations Arctus may have had vanished and he repositioned himself on the bed, allowing both of them to get more comfortable. Diamond used this an opportunity to pull the black tank-top she wore over her head and cast it aside before resuming her previous slow passionate kissing of Arctus's lips, exploring his mouth with her tongue while his hands roamed over her now exposed skin. The Bear Faunus finally took the initiative, hands cupping Diamond's breasts through her bra while he trailed kisses down her neck and collarbone, tearing ragged gasps from her as his sharp teeth grazed her flesh

"Can I?" his whispered request needed no clarification and Diamond hastily unfastened her bra and discarded it before tangling her fingers in his shaggy locks as he took a sensitive nub into his mouth and slowly swirled his tongue over its' surface. Diamond was reduced to groans and half formed curses, cut off each time Arctus found a new nerve to pleasure. Before long she found herself grinding against him, one of his legs between her thighs as he leaned up to kiss and suckle at her breasts. Desperately in need of more friction she unfastened the pants she wore and pulled them down a little, too impatient to remove them completely, this caught Arctus's attention and Diamond capitalised by taking one of his hands in hers and pulling it beneath her underwear

"Touch me baby" her words came out in a needy whine and Arctus eagerly did as she asked, his inexperience quickly becoming apparent, though Diamond remedied this by lacing her fingers through his and showing exactly where and how to touch her. The Bear Faunus took her lower lip between his teeth and paid close attention to what caused her to moan into his mouth the loudest. Before long Diamond found herself bucking and thrashing against his hand, planting sloppy and uncoordinated kisses on any part of his pale flesh she could reach until he took one of her breasts in his free hand while curling his fingers back on themselves inside her with the other; Diamond climaxed with his name on her lips and collapsed, shuddering against his body as her thighs clamped around his hand, her release coating his fingers. It took her a few moments to catch her breath as she rode out her orgasm, then she pulled Arctus close and planted gentle kisses on his cheeks while she gazed at him through half-lidded eyes

"That was great"

"Promise you enjoyed it?" a small blush crept across the Bear Faunus's face "I haven't done this before-"

"Babe" Diamond silenced him with a kiss "You were great" she pulled his arm around herself and nuzzled into him, fully preparing to allow herself to drift off into a fully contented sleep until something occurred to her; she hadn't returned the favour. Planting yet another kiss against Arctus's lips she fumbled with his belt buckle, breaking apart just long enough to give him a sultry smile as her hand dipped below his waistband, then she leaned close and whispered in his ear

"Just relax and enjoy this babe" taking his earlobe between her teeth she wrapped her hands around the surprisingly thick stiffness she found and gave a few experimental jerks, taking note of the way he growled in pleasure. Settling into a steady rhythm Diamond decided she was going to conduct a symphony out of those sounds before she was done.

* * *

Eagle Arc stepped out of the main entrance to the academy, relishing the way the cold fresh air hit her face; managing to at least momentarily relieve some of the bone deep weariness she was suffering from. She'd been surprised when Nora had simply walked by the library and led Eagle to her and Ren's living quarters; the two professors did indeed want to make sure that she was performing at her best academically, they also wanted to make sure that Eagle herself was coping. Eagle had found herself with several textbooks and a cup of Uncle Ren's tea thrust into her hands and countless assurances that they were here whenever she needed her. With a little coaxing from Eagle, Ren admitted that some of her other Aunts had been in touch with concerns of their own about how she was handling the situation regarding Antonia Arc's abduction. The freckled blonde had been forced to lie to Ren and Nora and assure them that she had every intention of doing as they asked and letting the professionals conduct the search. Eagle loathed herself more and more with every lie that passed her lips and when she finally departed was in desperate need of somewhere to clear her head before returning to the dormitory.

"Hey" Eagle breathed out as she came to a stop before one of the golden statues that lined the road to the entrance, resting against the plinth it stood on and staring upwards at the image of Jaune Arc, the uncle she knew through stories alone; the statue leaning out to the one beside it depicting Pyrrha Nikos

"How did you do it Uncle Jaune?" she sighed "You came here with no transcripts and still ended up a hero….How did you lie to the people you love all the time" her words began to take on a bitter edge, in all honesty Eagle had never really considered that aspect of her late Uncle's story before. She was however, spared the indignity of ranting at an inanimate object whilst alone in the dark by the sound of an approaching craft, turning her head in the direction of the sound of wing mounted Dust engines she was greeted with a familiar sight; Flax Scarlatina's personal transport the Jackrabbit was making its' way around the perimeter of the airborne campus to the terminals to land; seeing this Eagle began a light jog in the same direction with a bright smile tugging at her lips.

Slowing to a regular pace, suffering from no more than a slight shortness of breath she reached the terminals and made her way towards the only transport currently manned as it's side hatches began to slide open

"Hey uncle Flax" the Rabbit Faunus in question promptly hopped out of the craft and made his way towards her wearing a nervous expression

"Hey Eagle, what're you doing out here?"

"Just needed some air, studied tell I gave myself a headache" she shrugged, cocking her head to the side as she took in how uneasy her uncle looked "What's wrong? Is it about my Mum?"

"No" Flax's ears rabbit twitched, a sign that Eagle had learned to be suspicious off since childhood when she pestered him about where her birthday presents were hidden "I just need you to go back inside for a sec, I'll catch up with you in about an hour or so I've just gotta bring-" he trailed off, realising that Eagle had stopped listening; her eyes focusing on something over his shoulder. Eagle's knuckles clenched as she saw the figure being led off the Bull-Head, initial surprise at the sight of someone being escorted from her Uncle's craft in cuffs by a pair of armed Hunters turning to deep boiling rage that demanded release as the recognised the dark skinned young woman with hair that faded from magenta to deep indigo, piercing jade eyes and four gossamer wings adorning her back. Eagle saw Hellion Eudialyte and her world was reduced to a red haze as she charged

"Little canary" Hellion sneered, feigned composure as best she could when she saw the familiar blonde rushing towards her "As much as I've missed your pretty face I don't think the Hunters will-" she found herself silenced as the older Huntsman, the one with the scythe, simply stepped aside and allowed Eagle to deliver a punch that sent Hellion spinning and crashing to the ground, with her Aura dampening collar in place and no way to brace herself while cuffed she suffered the full brunt of Eagle's furious haymaker and was left spitting out several mouthfuls of blood; her attempts to force herself to her feet cut short by hands roughly gripping the back of the prison jumpsuit she still wore and smashing her face first into the side of the craft she'd been brought here aboard, she was turned around and had only the briefest glimpse of her attackers enraged, tear streaked face before another blow connected with her skull with enough force to leave her seeing double for a few seconds after

"WHERE'S MY MUM?" another punch "WHERE IS SHE?"

"Qrow we should stop this" one of the Hunters, Hellion couldn't discern which as she struggled against the barrage of punches raining down on her

"Not yet. She's got every right to be angry, let her get it all out"

"Oum's sake Qrow she's gonna kill her!" those words, coinciding with yet another earth-shattering blow finally caused something to snap in Hellion and despite her lack of Aura she surged into action. Eagle's next punch connected with steel and left the blonde with bloody knuckles as the Dragonfly Faunus ducked under it and threw her body against Eagle with as much force as she could muster, creating enough space to perform a handstand uninhibited by her cuffs and lock her legs around her attackers neck, Eagle found herself hurled face first into the side of the Jackrabbit with a resounding clang and the feeling of blood flowing from her nose

"That's it!" one of the Hunters lunged into action. Eagle realised with a start that it was Scarlet David, resident of the academy and that as he dragged Hellion away he injected her with something, Eagle guessed it was a tranquillizer of some sort given how she instantly began to lose the will to fight

"Flax, talk to her for me" Eagle, the blood no longer pounding in her ears leaving her in a state of dizzy aftershock, couldn't account for the pleading tone and desperate look in the older mans' eyes as he helped Scarlet carry the now prone Hellion Eudialyte towards the academy

"That-" Flax sighed as he handed Eagle a rag to gingerly wiper blood from her face with "Was not clever. But I get why you did it, considering some of the shit I did before the war I can't blame you either"

"What is she doing here?" Eagle demanded, voice wavering as tears that had begun during her onslaught continued to fall. Flax looked at his niece, heart breaking at the sight of her and decided to give her as much of the truth as he could, grand schemes and conspiracies be damned

"She was attacked at the prison she was in. We're keeping her here so that her people can't rescue her and so that nothing else happens to her….We don't know what might happen to Toni if she gets shanked" Eagle's crimson eyes widened and Flax had know way of knowing that she was inwardly trying not to show signs of abject terror at the realisation that the leader of the Shadow Cadre had promised her mother would receive the same treatment as Hellion

"I nearly did something stupid" she eventually managed to force out in a strangled sob

"I don't know what Qrow was thinking" Flax admitted as he gently pulled her into a hug and let her cry on his shoulder "But I need you to promise me something Eagle, I need you to promise me you won't go looking for the prisoner"

"But she knows where my Mum is" Eagle demanded

"Eagle" Flax sighed "I don't think she does. The tribe she comes from; they're nomads, they move all the time. Wherever they were hiding when she was captured, they've already left" the news washed over her like icy water and the fact that Eagle knew several parties were now invested in finding the Shadow Cadre proved little comfort. Sensing that her uncle still needed an answer from her

"Fine, fine I won't go looking for her" she snarled out, Eagle truly hated lying to the people that were important to her.

* * *

Arctus found himself woken by the sound of the dormitory door opening, light from the corridor outside finding its' way in. Several failed and garbled attempts to speak later he was answered by Eagle's voice and were he more aware of his surroundings the hollow tone would have concerned him

"It's just me, I'm going to bed. Talk tomorrow" there were a few minutes where the only sound in the room was that of Eagle changing for bed, Arctus facing away from her quietly hoping that human night vision, something he always had trouble accounting for, wouldn't allow her to notice the fact some of Diamond's clothes were still on the floor by his bed. Eventually Eagle clambered into her own bunk with a deep shuddering sigh, the kind made by someone who'd recently been crying and Arctus was forced to take notice

"Hey, you okay? If you wanna talk-"

"It's fine Arctus. Thanks" Eagle mumbled. Arctus let the subject go, laying in silence as sleep remained elusive long after the sound of the blondes' breathing had become slow and regular. Arctus's eyes naturally focused on Diamond who lay next to him, still topless beneath the sheets; the pair had intended to shower together that evening, however they had ended up simply falling asleep wrapped around each other before even Felix had returned. The Bear Faunus made himself comfortable, idly brushing away a few strands of hair that had fallen in front of Diamond's face and simply watched her sleep while he thought about their relationship.

When he'd first met Diamond he'd been instantly attracted to her, she was in his mind, stunning beyond words and seemed to exude an effortless confidence that made it all but impossible for him to keep his eyes off her. That had soon grown into friendship and partnership, he trusted Diamond without question and had found himself acquiring her tastes almost by osmosis the more time he spent around her. After working with her at the Mercy Foundation however Arctus was struck by just how passionate she was about causes that mattered to her and her almost instinctive ability to know where and how to help, frankly he was in awe of her. Mulling these thoughts over in his head Arctus was left with a question, one he wasn't sure he had an answer to. Realising that sleep wasn't going to come he carefully slipped out of the bed, taking care not to wake Diamond and found his Scroll before making his way out of the dorm, moving silently as he padded along Halo's corridors until he found a secluded place where he could make a call. The question was who could he turn to for advice, his Father would have answers but would most likely be busy. Uncle Rover and Aunt Artemis had a child on the way, he didn't want to bother them. Uncle Whitley's advice would be dubious at best; then it hit him.

There really was only one person he could ask.

* * *

Blake Xiao Long, formerly Belladonna, was doing something she wished she could do far more often; sleeping beside her wife. Working for the Coalition often saw her sleeping in hotels both on the mainland and in other Kingdom's and while Yang was more than understanding both of them would have preferred that the current arrangement be constant; that being Yang behind Blake with her arm slung around her waist holding the feline Faunus close, their legs still somehow intertwined beneath the sheets. The moment was ruined when Blake's Scroll rang, it's harsh tones echoing in the bedroom and waking both occupants; Yang's mumbled and barely coherent protest was muffled as she buried her head in Blake's neck, Blake herself gave an almost feral growl as her eyes opened and searched out the offending device

"Just put it on mute" Yang whined, hoping to influence the decision with a soft kiss against Blake's neck

"It's Arctus" Blake answered with a sigh "I've gotta answer this" Yang nodded in understanding, if Arctus was calling it could be urgent, she braced herself for the worst as Blake put the call on loudspeaker, audio only

"Hey Aunt Blake"

"What's wrong? Is Felix okay? Corvid?"

"Yeah, yeah everyone's fine" Arctus seemed confused, comprehension dawning on him with his next words "Oh sh-I mean oh sorry, I didn't realise what time it was….I was calling because I need some advice" Blake took a long breath to steady herself, she loved her nephew dearly, she really did. But she really did not appreciate being woken up in the early hours of the morning for less than an emergency. After a moment she sighed

"Sure, what's wrong?" Arctus remained silent and Blake's sleep addled mind seriously questioned if this was some kind of prank until he spoke again, nervousness creeping into every syllable

"How do you know if you love someone?" another brief pause "I kinda think….I think Diamond might be 'the one' y'know?" a muffled squeal came from behind her as Yang clamped her hand over her mouth, her prosthetic had been removed for the night

"Oh my Oum I think that's the sweetest thing I've ever heard" Blake could almost feel Arctus's embarrassment at the realisation that his confession hadn't been made privately, rolling over she briefly kissed Yang's lips

"Can you go make some tea while I talk to him" she murmured; when Yang nodded and got out of bed, smiling the whole time, Blake turned her attention back to Arctus; her inner romantic eagerly finding its' way to the surface

"Love's a pretty serious word to be throwing around….tell me more"

* * *

Phobos stalked through the darkness of the exclusion zone, a pack of perhaps a dozen or so Beowolves at the Alpha's back. The weeks since the Hunters had wandered into Phobos's domain had been almost catastrophic for the burgeoning legions of Grimm; the bombing and strafing runs from New Vale's warships had cut down vast swathes of their numbers in a persistent campaign that had lasted over a week.

But the Kingdom had made a critical error.

Phobos still lived. The Alpha prowled in search of more places for the packs of Grimm being spawned to refill the ranks to take shelter, the long abandoned buildings proving little defence against the weapons levelled against the Grimm. As Phobos sniffed the sniffed the ground the faintest traces of residual emotions hung in the air, something alive had been here, something had fought to stay alive; letting out a low guttural snarl Phobos gestured and the pack of Beowolves began sniffing everything nearby. Phobos knew the trail was almost certainly cold, with so few living beings entering the exclusion zone, most of them feeling some emotion in the extreme those that did tended to leave their presence behind for longer. A mournful howl demanded the alpha's attention and Phobos made it's way over to whatever the Beowolf had found, intelligence far greater than that of the Grimm around it being put to work at the sight of a crater far deeper than those left by the Kingdom's aerial assault.

"Hunters" Phobos snarled as the memory resurfaced, a memory from another Grimm, the first to encounter the Hunters that had marked the start of their troubles; a minute female with an oversized weapon. She must have left this crater in her wake when she destroyed the Grimm

"Come" Phobos demanded, leaping down and gazing around in confusion. It seemed that the hole wasn't simply a gouge in the ground, rather an opening to something that had been there all along. Setting off in the direction it knew the nearest of the Kingdom's walls to be, Phobos followed a pair of warped and twisted metal rails that had been left to rust beneath the ground years ago; had the Grimm any reason to have been familiar with train tracks it would have recognised them easily. The cavern Phobos and it's pack found themselves in bore scars of a battle, empty shell casings could be seen littering the ground and on the ground around them several bodies wearing white vests and masks had been left for rats to pick clean. Searching beyond that the pack came to something that caused Phobos's glowing eyes to widen; a solid wall of concrete filling the cavern from floor to ceiling. The Alpha may not have been intelligent in the manner most sentient beings were, but what intelligence Phobos did have, combined with low cunning and predatory instinct allowed it to guess what lay beyond this obvious attempt at a defence.

Phobos growled out a single command that echoed ominously in the confines of the underground tunnel

"Start digging"

 **Authors Notes:**

Managed to get this one out a little quicker than I thought, nice. Also there may be a small break at the start of next month due to the Monty Oum Project coming around again. I wrote the one shot "Get FNKI" last year and feel like contributing again.

Anyway let's summarise:  
I love than old Qrow just Batman's the fuck out of people, enters without a sound and growls them into submission.  
Yeah Hellion got fucked up.  
Qrow's emotional state is probably not the best right now.  
Okay I don't know where the Ren and Nora thing came from, but I honestly imagine that Nora can talk Ren into anything given time and would love the idea of sneaking off and making out in secluded corridors the way they never got a chance to as students.  
Also Eagle's reaction is priceless.  
Felix is 110% down to give an alibi at a moments' notice. Get yourself a Felix.  
So Arctus and Diamond will be in the shady part of New Vale fairly often now.  
So yeah, we're changing this story to an M rating. I won't be overdoing it with smut scenes (Probably) but if I feel like one isn't out of place then I'll write it.  
Also Diamond having a slight voice kink confirmed  
The problem with having a big family like the Arcs is that they can look out for you even when you don't want them to.  
Qrow can't be the parent he wants to be yet, but he can at least let Eagle let off some steam on one of the people responsible for her problems.  
Yeah Eagle is not in a great place.  
Flax was actually in the White Fang for a little while in The Downward Spiral, when Junior ordered a drive by shooting on Adam where Flax and Velvet were caught in the crossfire Flax begged Adam to be allowed to go on the retaliatory attack, despite the fact he was thirteen at the time. So yeah Flax gets it.  
Eagle is most definitely going to go looking.  
Headcanon that Faunus are never exactly sure how good/bad human senses are and sometimes massively overstate how bad human night vision is.  
If you didn't "Awww" at the Blake and Arctus conversation, you're a liar.  
So some of that ten thousand strong Grimm horde Phobos had at its' disposal has been destroyed, not all of it and the numbers are being replenished daily.  
Yes the hole that Olivine blew into the floor became a plot point, trust nothing, foreshadowing is everywhere.  
Yes those were the tracks towards Mountain Glenn, the train was removed after the battle and the tunnel was sealed off by the Kingdom (They also left the White Fang bodies down there as a final 'fuck you') now Phobos has found it and realised that there's a way out.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Araniladin, TigerRose, Arkanes Shippou, CanadianCavalier, Ferrous, Rskuat, FleetOfWarships, ShadowAlex2000 and FluffyFirefly for their reviews on the last chapter.  
The thing is, when you get the Shadow Cadre background, some of Raffia's berserk rage will make sense.  
It's Helios that warps gravity not Hellion.  
I love how much people love the Xiao Long siblings.  
I will gratefully accept your high praise.  
Oh I have a Melanie Malachite reveal that will fuck with the Xiao Longs' even more planned.  
No, Dark Eagle is unnatural, cinnamon roll Eagle is the best Eagle.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	31. Darkside

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 31: Dark Side**

It had been roughly weeks since Eagle Arc, alongside her partner had agreed to Melanie Malachite's terms, their assistance when she called on it in exchange for her vast criminal network being turned to the task of locating her mother. In those two weeks they'd heard nothing, making it almost a month since the scientists' abduction at the hands of the Shadow Cadre. Eagle found herself continuously distracted in lessons by the thoughts of her missing mother and anger towards everyone involved, only worsened by nerves at what she'd found herself embroiled in. That distraction was something of a problem at the current moment in time as today was Friday, more importantly it was the last lesson of the day on a Friday

 _Combat training_

"Eagle BLOCK!" Felix's frantic bellow from his position at the front row of seats got her attention, inadvertently taking it away from her opponent. Eagle was struck in the chest and hurled from her feet, the force of her opponents' attacks dragging her along the surface of the protective shielding that encased the sparring area. The sensation was an odd mixture of sandpaper on skin and numbing tingles.

"Get up" Sable Lepida, the _'S'_ of Team PSTL snorted as Eagle rolled to a stop and forced herself into a crouch. Her opponent was almost her opposite, tanned, blue eyed and wearing almost no armour; her outfit leaving flesh on display almost as a taunt, as if she knew nobody could land a hit on her. Sable's weapon of choice was a double ended halberd, which could separate and form twin axes or launch blades forwards on chains. Currently Sable had reconnected the halves of her weapon behind her back and was now twirling her polearm expertly, putting on a show for the crowd as she continued her teasing

"Come on Arc, you and your partner are meant to be some of the best in class. What happened, your little cyber-pets' batteries run out?" Eagle knew, intellectually, that Sable was just teasing; Teams FADE and PSTL were on fairly amicable terms if not exactly friends, however something in the blonde snapped and she charged forwards with a furious roar

"That's more like it!" Sable cheered, thoroughly enjoying herself as she sprinted forwards to meet Eagle in the centre of the enclosed arena. Sable held her halberd one handed, as if to throw it like a javelin and Eagle raised Sentinel, her droid still in shield form mounted on her left arm; crimson eyes widened as she realised she'd fallen for a feint when Sable leapt into the air, her feet connecting with Eagle's shield with enough force to rob her momentum. The athletic girl back-flipped into the air, her weapon breaking apart in her hands before launching the blades at sentinel and retracting the chains they were attached to as she landed. The attempt to deprive Eagle of her shield would have worked were Sentinel a more conventional weapon, as it was Eagle's freckled face morphed into a confident smirk that served as too little warning too late for Sable

"Sentinel, release" the droid mounted on her arm complied with the order and detached from her arm; mostly. Sable staggered back as the shield suddenly came flying towards her at greater speeds than she'd anticipated. Sentinel connected with her chest and Sable fought to keep hold of her weapons as the air was forced from her lungs, this proved to be a mistake when Eagle retracted Sentinel. The claws that formed the droids arms were still attached to her armour, connected by strong cables; Eagle turned as the shield was pulled back towards her and as Sable's weapons were still hooked in place she found herself dragged from her feet and ground into the surface of the protective shielding in a brutal reversal of her own earlier move. With the cheers of the crowd still ringing in her ears Eagle continued her assault; Sable had been sent crashing to the ground as she completed her about turn and she used her momentum to eject Sentinel from her arm, the droid shifting into combat mode before hitting the ground

"Doot da doot!" Sentinel's singular optic flashed animatedly and the droid held it's clawed arms up, as if it knew it were the real star of this bout

"Looks like he's not out of battery" Eagle noted coldly.

"Ah crap" Sable had no chance to offer anything more poignant as she was forced on the defensive, superhuman reflexes being pushed to their limits when Sentinel's compact mini-gun began to fire and she attempted to block what she could with the blades of her twin axes. It was an impressive display, her limbs a barely visible blur while the air around her was filled with sparks as metal collided with metal and ricocheted; however this left Eagle completely free to attack and the blonde took advantage; sprinting around the perimeter of the arena with her sword at the ready. As she drew close she used the shielding as a springboard, wincing slightly at the uncomfortable feeling it caused; Sable had only the briefest moment to wonder why Sentinel had stopped firing before Eagle's downwards thrust connected with her shoulder and sent her skidding across the arena floor to the sound of thunderous applause. She didn't get back up

"Eagle Arc takes with win!" Nora announced proudly, through a mouthful of popcorn as the shield began to dissipate around them "Sable Lepida's Aura has been knocked into….Holy Oum Eagle you took her Aura out completely" Eagle sheathed her sword and shuffled her feet guiltily as Sentinel trundled over to her, bleeping and chirping triumphantly before reattaching to her arm and shifting back into shield form. Nora drew close and leaned up to whisper in her nieces ear.

"That was really cool, your Aunt Vicky would've loved to see that….Just be careful okay, it's only a sparring match" Eagle left the arena beaming with pride at the idea that she could fight well enough to impress Aunt Vicky, a veteran of the tournament circuit. Returning Sable's thumbs up to show there were no hard feelings she made her way over to where the rest of Team FADE were situated and hearing that the next match would involve none of them she collapsed into her seat with an exhausted sigh

"So how did I do?"

"I'm so glad you beat her" Diamond snorted "Her weapon couldn't be any more clearly based on my Mum's if she tried" the exaggerated eye roll and shake of the head she gave in the general direction of Team PSTL got a laugh before Felix chimed in

"Really nice finish, extra flashy-"

"Even if that downward stab is clearly one of mine" Arctus chuckled, earning a playful shove from Eagle

"Oh be quiet, you did not invent that….Sword over your back and I bet you can't even do the Branwen defence"

"And you can?" Arctus challenged, Felix cleared his throat to get their attention and get the conversation back on track

"Yeah, really nice win….but what was going on at the start of the match Eagle? She got you into the yellow, you never usually take hits like that" a cheer from their classmates at a particularly acrobatic dodge from Nyanza, followed up by a series of blows that showed just how much training with Helios was paying off. Eagle used the distraction to consider her answer before speaking

"I couldn't focus, I was thinking about…..other stuff"

"I swear if you tell me it's 'cos she was cute" Felix sighed jokingly, managing to cause a blush to creep across Eagle's cheeks with the usual ease. His tone became more serious and he leaned closer conspiratorially, Arctus and Diamond following suit "Is it about you, y'know. Looking?"

"Yeah" Eagle breathed out, nodding slightly. The day after her altercation with Hellion Eudialyte she'd told her friends what had happened and while all of them had their concerns, all of them could understand the way she'd lashed out. Felix had proven himself as the best possible friend Eagle could ever have asked for once again, by offering to help her look for where Hellion was being detained. Eagle's face became a smile that spoke of pure determination

"I know where they're keeping her. I've been looking at blueprints of the academy in the library and checking them against where we've looked. There's only one place she could really be"

"Me and Arctus are working tonight" Diamond mused "I know you want to do this, but if you wait until we've got the night off then all four of us can go, give you some backup" both she and Arctus looked apologetic, Eagle didn't begrudge them their volunteer work in the slightest; on the contrary she thought it was something they should both be proud of.

"Actually" the freckled blonde mumbled "Felix can you give me an alibi if anyone asks where I am tonight?….I want to do this alone. Just me and her" they were briefly distracted by Nora announcing the end of the current sparring match before Felix gave her a concerned stare

"Eagle….I don't like this, like at all" seeing her expression crumple he took a deep breath "Promise me you won't do anything you regret later" her freckled blonde nodded

"I won't. I just want answers. I won't even go into the cell or whatever she's in"

"Okay" Felix accepted, clearly still uncomfortable with the idea "I'll cover for you if anyone asks. Just be careful" with that the Lion Faunus stood up and made his way into the arena where both Nora and his opponent were waiting impatiently; he twirled Hack and Slash while his tail swished behind him enthusiastically, the last thing he saw before the protective shielding reformed around the arena was Eagle mouthing a silent _'Thank you'_

* * *

The late winter sun was setting on the horizon, partially obscured by clouds from which a fine drizzle descended; it's rays giving the constantly rippling waves a golden glow. In most instances it would have been a peaceful, almost serene setting. For Carcharodon Gore the view did nothing to abate his temper which had been becoming harder to control with each passing day; the ship that his people had stolen in Atlas had been damaged in ways that offended the seafaring raider to his core and hidden amongst the similarly abused hulks of the 'Broken coast' outside of New Vale and idle thoughts of what he could achieve with these ships if he had enough people to crew them filled his head while he kept watch from a shaded area of the deck; those thoughts soon led down paths the Shark Faunus was desperate to avoid as he remembered when his tribe did have the numbers to command an entire fleet. Eventually his forlorn musings were interrupted by the sound of rusted door hinges protesting and the heavy footfalls of Onyx Ursabane

"Do you have any good news?" Carcharodon rasped out, hope and barely restrained fury vying for dominance. Onyx's shake of the head was all the answer he needed

"A month and she hasn't cracked" the Puma Faunus grunted "She's refusing to help us. I told if she doesn't then we'll take another of her people. She laughed in my face Car, told me we wouldn't be able to do it again"

"She's right" Carcharodon snarled "Wake Raffia, tell him take watch. I'm going to deal with this"

"Car" Onyx warned his old friend as the Shark Faunus lowered his hood and made his way below deck "Be careful with your temper….we're not savages. We've compromised enough" Carcharodon's only response was a low hiss of frustration; Onyx was one of very few people who had ever earned the right to chastise him in such a way, Hellion was another. The rest were dead.

Carcharodon's footsteps reverberated through the dimly lit and dingy corridors of the vessel and he was once again struck by just how pitiful this ship was in comparison to the Despoiler Kraken, the ship he'd never captained but had been his pride and joy nonetheless. Eventually he reached the cabin whose door was locked from the outside, the cabin acting as a jail cell for his prisoner. Just looking at it made Carcharodon's abyss like eyes narrow in disgust, silently loathing the steps he'd been forced to take. Forcing his emotions under control he unlocked the door and entered the cabin

"Back for more….Oh the king of the pirates this time, have you tried putting a patch over one of your eyes?" Carcharodon fought the urge to give her a grin that displayed his rows of jagged fangs. Onyx had reported that Antonia Arc had remained mocking and defiant for the entirety of the month she'd been their captive, seemingly filling long hours with inventive new ways to insult his crew; frankly the Shark Faunus was impressed, her attitude spoke to a bravery and iron will that few possessed

"I see my crew weren't exaggerating, you still won't concede-"

"No. I won't" Antonia snapped, rising to her feet from the small metal framed bunk decorating her cabin "You want me to make weapons for you? Arm raiders that attacked my Kingdom, where my family live?….You may as well just throw me overboard with weights tied to me or however else it is you like to dispose of prisoners" Carcharodon gave her a furious snarl, a flick of each wrist deploying the Red Waves; Antonia's eyes widened and she reflexively stepped back as the curved and serrated blades unfurled along his forearms

"I have never!" Carcharodon spat venomously as he stalked towards her "Killed someone who was unarmed or restrained, you think me a coward! Like you Hunters?" as Antonia backed into a corner, hands visibly beginning to tremble the Shark Faunus realised he was doing exactly what Onyx had warned him against, his old friend was right, far too many compromises had been made already and he would not sacrifice his self respect by brutalising an unarmed woman old enough to be his own mother

"My apologies" he hissed as his blades collapsed, his voice notably quieter now "I mean you harm….But you will do as we ask"

"I will not-"  
"I give you my word that I have no interest in raiding this Kingdom any more than I have to" Carcharodon's words silenced her and he pressed on "Just as I gave you my word that no harm would come to you if you came willingly. I've honoured my terms, it's time for you to do the same" Antonia stared at him intently, trying to read inscrutable features while Carcharodon did the same; she looked worn and thinner than she'd been when she boarded, her hair was a mess and several strands of grey could be seen amongst the blonde which he wasn't sure had been there before. Finally she spoke

"What is it you want? Those weapons….they're not for stealing from ships. They're for sinking them" Carcharodon paused, debating lying or simply remaining silent before it occurred to him that this was the way forward. Something with too many negative emotions attached to it for Onyx to discuss with a prisoner, the truth; unfiltered and unashamed

"I want justice" Carcharodon rasped out, voice barely above a whisper "Justice against those in Mistral and Atlas who betrayed and murdered my people….Have you ever lost family?"

"My brother died in the battle of Lower Atlas" Antonia admitted, Carcharodon nodded in understanding

"I watched my sister die in Atlas, Mizu Gore….I only hope I can be half the captain she was one day" he told her bluntly "The war was before my time but my people know of it, the Shadow Cadre are the children of the White Fang after all-"

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Antonia launched herself at him, only for Carcharodon to effortlessly sidestep and deliver an elbow strike to the back of the head which left her struggling to stand, she was not a trained fighter the way her sisters were after all. Carcharodon continued as if the interruption hadn't happened

"When the White Fang were defeated in Lower Atlas they fled, Adam Taurus had been in the process of arranging trade deals with my people. We traded those survivors, their weapons for safe harbour amongst us. Almost without exception the White Fang left my tribe as soon as we reached a port city, leaving almost three dozen Faunus children and their mothers in the tribe behind….My sister and I had the same father and neither of us knew him"

"Oh" Antonia had finally managed to pull her self onto her bunk, the news that the Faunus before her had never actually interacted with a member of the terrorist organisation she blamed for their part in her brothers' death was enough to convince her to at least listen.

"The rest of the Frost River tribe viewed us with suspicion, naturally" Carcharodon sighed "The children of outsiders who ran from a war they started and then abandoned their own children. Perhaps we'd be just as weak willed….then as we grew the elders saw our potential, we grew large and strong enough to fight younger than their own children, our better senses and reflexes; we were the perfect recruits-"

"They made child soldiers" Antonia gasped, utterly disgusted. Whatever she thought of Carcharodon and his crew in particular the concept was abhorrent to her. The Shark Faunus puffed out his chest and stood a little taller

"They made us the vanguard of the fleet, the first and only warning our enemies receive. The Shadow Cadre are not scared and broken children, we are warriors….and they were our family, they loved us" Carcharodon's voice grew more prideful with each word, until it cracked "And then we were betrayed"

"What happened?" Antonia asked, honestly this tale was such a departure from the monotony of her captivity she was listening with rapt attention. Carcharodon's expression darkened

"The fleet docked at a port that we'd traded with in the past. The Despoiler Kraken, my sisters' ship remained at sea in search of new prey….the fleet never returned. The next day we arrived at the port to find the still smoking remains of our ships being stripped for parts and raw steel….every man woman and child aboard had been placed in a mass grave"

"Another tribe?" Antonia dared to ask

"Hunters" Carcharodon snarled, the single word contained more venom that the scientist had ever heard

"Hunters would never-"

"Harm children? Kill someone while unarmed or after they surrendered?" Carcharodon laughed bitterly "The coast of Anima is a far harsher place than you realise, the Kingdom of Mistral's influence doesn't reach as far as they like to think. The Shadow Cadre understand that harshness….we burned their port and killed everyone who dared raise a weapon against us; three Hunter teams died that night" there were several moments of tense silence before something occurred to Antonia

"You said your sister….it was in Atlas?" She didn't have the courage to openly talk about her death in case Carcharodon's temper was pushed too far

"It was" he admitted, voice wavering a little before he managed to master himself; a task Antonia could easily see was becoming more difficult "After our people were massacred the Shadow Cadre had no direction, until we heard talk from an Atlesian sailor. We aren't the only descendants of the White Fang. It took almost a year but Mizu managed to contact their leader and form an alliance of sorts….It seems fate wasn't done toying with us. We attacked a military shipment and they turned on us. Our ship, our home, was destroyed and I watched people I'd known my entire life die….I watched when my sisters' head was taken from her body. I've never run from a battle like that before; my first order as a captain was a retreat"

"You want weapons to fight people who claim to be a splinter group of the White Fang?" Antonia asked carefully, processing the tale she'd been told and methodically picking out any useful information

"I don't care for the Kingdoms' politics" Carcharodon spat "I'll paint my ship red with the blood of those who betrayed us and if that benefits those in power then so be it" before Antonia could respond to the disturbingly savage sentiment they interrupted by a frantic pounding on the door of the cabin, Carcharodon opened the door revealing Onyx, whose battleaxe was already in hand

"Raffia spotted Grimm leaving the water, some are prowling the other hulks as if they know we're here….Some are headed inland, towards the nearest village" Carcharodon's pure liquid black eyes failed to convey the conflicted emotions running through him. Casting a glance over his shoulder he saw Antonia Arc staring at him expectantly and realised that his choice here would be influential. He deployed the Red Waves

"Tell Raffia to remain on the ship, be ready to defend it. We'll handle the Grimm"

"That's all I needed to hear" Onyx Ursabane; Lord of ale, mountain breaker, thunder-fist, speaker to gods and husband to Grimm chuckled darkly. Combat was something that made far more sense to him than the minds of the people born in the Kingdoms after all.

* * *

"Boy I'm surprised you even need that ladder, you're just one ridiculously tall slab of muscle"

"Yeah he is" Diamond muttered, hand flying over her mouth as she realised that she'd just said "Dude what is wrong with me?" Arctus blushed and fidgeted awkwardly while the first speaker cackled with delight. She was Hickory Pardus, standing at five foot two yet demanding utmost respect the dark skinned woman with tied back braided hair and prominent facial scars had been a fighter in the militia groups that helped take back Vale from the creatures of Grimm; now she was a shift manager at the Mercy Foundation, which made her Diamond and Arctus's boss. While it was relatively quiet at the shelter, evening meals having already been served Hickory had requested the pair help her decorate the shelter for the rapidly approaching Centenary Festival

"Okay that's the banners up" Arctus said as he hopped down from the stepladder he'd been using "What's next?"

"I've got some fliers for part time jobs that are available over the festival. Might help a few of the souls here get back on their feet; Oum knows it's not just for the rich folk at the top to enjoy. Plenty of people down here bled for this Kingdom"

"There are Hunters here?" Arctus asked

"Anyone can have a run of bad luck Big Guy" Diamond shrugged

"There've been a handful of Hunters here over the years" Hickory confirmed with a sigh, taking out a packet of cigarettes as she did so "A lot of old soldiers pass through, plenty of them got worse monsters living in their heads than the ones they fought….A lot of peoples' lives were destroyed in the Fall, you're both too young to remember it but there're plenty of people who never managed to pick up the pieces"

"But things are getting better though right? I mean we have a counsellor at Halo now so students know how to cope with the being Hunters" Arctus tried to sound hopeful, Hickory gave him a small smile as she exhaled

"And that's great, gotta keep moving forwards and all that….But it's not enough; somebodies gotta be down here holding things together and not a lot of people from well off backgrounds like you two want to do that"

"Hey I'm not-" Diamond's protest was softly rebuked before it could begin

"Honey unless you stole that weapon of yours, you're well off compared from to everyone living on the ground to a dozen levels up the hive. No matter though your hearts are in the right places, now come on let's get this job finished so- what is it?" Hickory's attention was instantly taken by one of her staff running into the corridor where the three of them had been decorating, visibly frightened

"The new girl, a few of the long term residents have cornered her….This looks like it could get nasty, it's only verbal now but-" Hickory waved her off

"Slate, you're a big guy….Go talk some sense into 'em for me would you boy?"

"Uh yeah sure" Arctus set off after the young woman who was hurriedly making her way back towards the scene of the unfolding incident; making the decision to leave Gefroren-Erbe sheathed on his back. It took roughly a minute to reach the sleeping area from which a cacophony of curses and accusations was spewing. Arctus stepped ahead of the member of staff leading him and entered, his voice a booming bark; subconsciously mimicking the few times he'd heard his father showcase his authority

"EVERYONE CALM DOWN RIGHT NOW AND EXPLAIN WHAT'S GOING ON!" his voice silenced them all, perhaps a dozen dishevelled and obviously homeless individuals forming a tight semicircle in a far corner of the sleeping area ceased the furious tirades they were simultaneously assaulting the person they'd cornered to. After a brief moment of regarding him suspiciously one of them called out

"We caught this bitch stealing!"

"I wasn't-" a voice from the back of the group was instantly shouted down

"I CAUGHT YOU IN MY BAG! DON'T LIE TO ME!"

"Enough!" Arctus tried to keep some control of the situation, realising that stealing from people who had so little was both deplorable and liable to provoke violent retaliation "Let her out" reluctantly the small crowd parted, the residents having at least enough respect for Hickory to comply with the Hunters she'd hired. The woman accused of theft stepped forwards, tall with deep scarlet hair and almost golden eyes, possibly in her late twenties. Her clothes while clearly cheap didn't have the worn out quality most of the other residents did, a surprising amount of muscle visibly bulging beneath them; Arctus's acute sense of smell made something else clear to him, she didn't have the lingering smell of damp and smoke the seemed to cling to the majority of those unfortunate enough to find their way into the Mercy Foundation. Realising something was clearly amiss he stared her down

"Theft is grounds for being banned from the foundation, they said you were caught red handed"

"Was looking for a Scroll charger" the accused woman mumbled defensively, eyes darting around the room; setting off more alarm bells in Arctus's mind

"Come with me please"

"Am I being-"

"Just come with me please" scowling, the young woman did as she was asked and followed Arctus as he led her towards a currently unused office. As soon as the door closed behind them he rounded on her

"Who are you?"

"My name's Kafsi-"

"No" Arctus growled "Who are you. You're not homeless. Nobody staying here even has a Scroll" the tension in the small room was palpable, Arctus's eyes homed in on her hands as her knuckles clenched, preparing to strike before she finally relented with a snort.

"I suppose I should have expected you to make me, considering whose kid you are" golden eyes rolled at his nonplussed expression "Special Operative Kafsi Asteri, reporting for duty" she punctuated her words with a mocking salute and Arctus's mouth hung open

"You're an Atlesian Operative? And you're here stealing from homeless people?"

"I'm here investigating Antonia Arc's disappearance-"

"You were going through their stuff illegally, I'm gonna have to report this to the shift manager" Arctus informed her

"You're a naive little boy" Kafsi spat "The suspects have been here in person. The suspects are known to infiltrate local criminal and mercenary groups. Crime and poverty go hand in hand whether you want to admit to the girlfriend that's clearly the real reason you're here or not. Somebody here knows something and I wonder how Commander Slate would feel about his son interfering with my objective" Arctus bristled at that, feeling a sudden and unfamiliar urge to lash out at the accusations which was only held in check by the knowledge that he presented no threat to an Atlesian Special Operative. He did however have another option

"Commander Slate grew up in Lower Atlas, I wonder how he'd feel about one of his operatives being made by a first year student and then proceeding to give them sensitive information; all while spouting the same bigoted crap he spent years fighting against" the two of them regarded each other in uneasy silence, eventually broken by Kafsi

"I'll report my lack of results to Commander Slate. But don't worry I won't be back here to bother the underclass again" with that she slipped passed him and marched out of the office in the direction of the buildings exit. Arctus knew that he needed to return to Diamond and Hickory and explain the situation to them and most likely deal with a mountain of paperwork, he neglected that task in favour of sinking into an office chair and resting his head in his hands trying to come to terms with the fact that things had once again become vastly more complicated.

* * *

Solitary confinement was beginning to take it's toll on Hellion. Since being moved to a cell which was admittedly more comfortable than her previous accommodations somewhere on the floating building which, even while being transported by the Hunters, she'd been unable to stop herself gasping in amazement at. The entrance to her cell was a barred door allowing anyone standing in the corridor outside to see her, yet she still had an abundance of privacy as the only people who came down here were the members of staff bringing food, all of whom remained silent and stared at her with open disgust, the Hunter who'd arranged her transfer had visited a handful of times over the last two weeks in an attempt to get answers; Hellion had remained resolute and given him nothing, despite the need for some sort of interaction almost pushing her to talking.

Now she needed to get out.

Taking deep breaths to steady herself while her dragonfly wings fluttered nervously Hellion looked at the object in her hands and considered her plan. It was risky to say the least; Carcharodon would call it reckless; Mizu would have cuffed her around the back of the head and told her not to be stupid. But none of them were here. She knew from her time in New Vale's prison that the Aura dampening collar still clamped around her neck monitored her vital signs and relayed them to whoever was detaining her; she also knew that there were plenty of craft coming and going from this logic-defying floating fortress. Hellion's plan was simple in essence; force her jailers into a position where they would have to remove her collar, disable them and flee to the docking bays where she would compel a pilot to get her anywhere but here. The difficultly was with the first step, Hellion lacked the tools or the specialised knowledge to trick the Aura dampening collar; which was why she was now staring at the improvised blade she'd made clutched in her right hand pressing against her left wrist. With a slow exhale she dragged the blade downwards barely half an inch before recoiling at the sight of blood welling up from the wound, she'd been injured in battle countless times before but this was different. Heart hammering in her chest, breath fast and shallow she screwed her eyes shut and pressed the blade against her flesh once more. Before she could attempt her task again her cell was filled with a sound that made her open her eyes and take notice; turning to face the door she saw a familiar tall, blonde and armoured Huntress frantically picking the lock and rushing inside

"Oh my gosh what are you doing?" Eagle demanded, crimson eyes wide in shock and terror at the sight of Hellion preparing to carve her own flesh "Give me the knife, right now!" she marched over to where the Dragonfly Faunus sat at the bunk that had been provided, without thinking Hellion rose to her feet and prepared to defend herself; without her Aura it was laughably easy for Eagle to simply take the knife from her hand and stare at her in utter confusion

"Why?" the lost expression on her freckled face was something Hellion frankly thought was adorable, before the memory of their last encounter surfaced in her mind and she gave a cruel smirk

"Little canary you'll have to be better conversation than that, _'Why'_ is usually something I hear from conquered and pillaged-"

"Why were you trying to hurt yourself?" Eagle demanded, hands shaking with emotion now

"Oh you innocent little-" Eagle cut Hellion's retort off, apparently unable to stop herself now she'd started

"Why did you kidnap my Mum? Why did you steal from the Scavenger Guild? Why is your whole life based on hurting people….Why are you so evil?" realising she'd started to tear up she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Hellion had been shaken by the mention of her mother, now she looked at Eagle she could she the resemblance between her and the scientist Carcharodon and Onyx had captured; the Dragonfly Faunus debated treating the young woman before her the same as any other jailer demanding answers, realising that she couldn't, she needed to talk to someone before her sanity slipped from her grasp completely.

"We took the scientist because she may be the only chance we'll have to see our people again" her words a low murmur, filled with equal parts hope and bitterness

"But….your people are gone" Eagle breathed out managing to catch Hellion off guard. She hadn't been expecting her to know anything about the tribe

"Carcharodon doesn't think they were all killed" she whispered "I believe him, he wants the weapons because he wants a crusade and revenge for what happened to us….I'm following him because if there're any of the Frost River tribe left out there then this will be the beacon that brings them out of hiding. Besides, they're the only family I have left" Eagle was stunned, she hadn't really been expecting a truthful answer and the one she'd received forced her to look at Hellion if a different light. Were the Shadow Cadre criminals, yes; was she still furious beyond belief with them, most certainly, but Eagle would hypocritical if she said she couldn't relate at least a little considering the amount of rules and instructions she was flaunting just by being in Hellion's cell

"They wouldn't want you to give up" she mumbled eventually, causing Hellion's Jade eyes to narrow "Don't, don't do this again. Please" Eagle gestured at the makeshift knife she'd confiscated before pocketing it

"I'll get out of here one way or another little canary" Hellion hissed, some of her earlier mocking tone returning for a moment before being snuffed out "I need to, being trapped here is driving me insane….It's been so long since I went without my Semblance, since I've been able to experience flying"

"You won't" Eagle asserted bluntly "You won't get out. I can't let you….But if you promise me that nothing will happen to my Mum, then I promise I'll come back here when I can and give you some company. I don't know if you'd like that but I don't want you to hurt yourself"

"Your mother won't be harmed. We've never taken prisoners before this it isn't our way….We're raiders, not savages" Hellion's tone was affronted at the mere suggestion "And I'd enjoythat" Hellion watched as Eagle's expression became an uneasy smile and the blonde walked backwards towards the door to the cell; still not willing to let the Faunus out of her sight

"I have to go, I'm not even supposed to be here right now" Eagle explained as she relocked the door behind her. It was only when she'd made her way down the corridor, footsteps fading into the distance, that Hellion realised that her cell had been open the entire time and she'd been too distracted talking to the admittedly cute Huntress to try and escape. Sinking down onto her bunk she began to giggle, eventually breaking down into hysterical laughter that her crew mate Raffia Dirge would have been proud of, the sheer absurdity of what had just happened beyond hilarious to her.

* * *

Though Antonia had no way of keeping track of the passage of time in the cabin doubling as her cell, The Shadow Cadre had been astute enough to destroy her Scroll before bringing her aboard their ship, she knew it had been hours since Carcharodon and Onyx had left to fight Grimm and there had been no sign of them since. She was contemplating which would be a worse fate; for the entirety of the crew to have been killed, leaving her to die of thirst in the small room, or for Raffia, who had been ordered to hang back, to have survived; Antonia could tell that the captain acted as the only real control for the Axolotl Faunus's violent and hate filled urges. Though Antonia idly wondered how much of it could be attributed to grief which had no real outlet, she doubted that the culture that her captors hailed from put much stock in things like mental health and stress management. She shook her head, silently admitting that such thoughts were all distractions from the decision she'd made since Carcharodon's departure and time to process the information he'd given her. Antonia was snapped from her musings by the horrendous grating protest of her cabin door opening, revealing Onyx Ursabane holding a plate of meat of some description; she noticed he limped as he entered

"I doubt this is something you'd eat willingly normally, but I'm no cook" the Puma Faunus grunted "My father to do things with steel and Dust that most people in my tribe can only dream of….food, not so much" he added with a surprisingly soft chuckle; Antonia assumed that his father was one of the White Fang who had fled Atlas, being an exception to the rule in that he stayed with the tribe and raised his child, the weapon slung over his back leant credence to the theory. Her focus was redirected however, when Onyx stepped into the dim light of the cabin. Antonia gasped at the blood staining half of his face, having spilled from a series of lacerations along his right temple and brow and matting his scraggly beard, he'd obviously continued fighting long after his Aura had been depleted

"Oum-" Onyx must have seen how shocked she was, because he laughed heartily at her expense

"This? This is a scratch! Sobek caught me with its' tail….if it had let its' jaws do the job they were made for I might have a wound worth the story behind it!" Antonia was taken aback, not by way the Shadow Cadre, Onyx in particular seemed to thrive on the thrill of combat; but how like one of her sisters he'd sounded, she could easily imagine her younger siblings uttering those same words when her mother fussed over their latest injury. It made her next words come a little easier, though she still had more doubts and reservations than she was used to, people had always made far less sense than science to her

"An infected wound isn't worth the story either, get that treated….After you take me to the captain"

"You want to speak with Carcharodon?" Onyx growled, suddenly paying much more attention, greenish yellow eyes almost shining with focus in the gloom

"I want to offer terms" Antonia said slowly "His word means a lot to him. If he gives me his word that I'll be released afterwards, that nobody is harmed needlessly and that you leave New Vale, never to return afterwards….Tell him I'm willing to do what he asks"

 **Authors Notes:**

I'm not one hundred percent sure about the way this chapter ended up, I'm sort of in a creative bottleneck in that I have all the plot points I've been setting up and I know what I want to happen. It's just a matter of getting there without dropping too much exposition-via-talking and looking like the first episode of a badly dubbed Shounen Anime, which I'm not sure if I accomplished here.

Anyway, let's summarise:  
Felt like adding the fight scene at the start just to give us some action this chapter, and to remind everyone that Eagle is more than just the delivery system for Sentinel. She's a capable fighter in her own right.  
You'd forgotten about Sentinel having retractable cable arms, hadn't you?  
Nora still brings a tub of Popcorn to class on Fridays.  
"The Branwen Defence" anyone who follows me on Tumblr will remember that, I posted the headcanon that the thing Qrow does where blocks without actually unsheathing his sword is actually really well know and has been named after him, every Hunter with a sword has tried it at least once.  
That's the problem with the campus being an airborne platform, there's only so far down you can go; no room for secret basements.  
You've gotta admire Antonia's resolve, not many people would've been kidnapped and help out for a month.  
It's worth noting and reminding everyone that the Shadow Cadre never really wanted to kidnap anyone, they just saw it as necessary evil.  
" _I have never k_ _illed someone who was unarmed or restrained"_ notice that he didn't see he's never killed anyone.  
And there it is, that's how the Shadow Cadre are Faunus in an Anima tribe. A callback to comments made in The Downward Spiral about Adam wanting to negotiate with the pirates.  
Remember the Scavenger Guild were robbed by the Shadow Cadre, their response was to "Suggest" that something needs to be done. The result was the Frost River tribe being exterminated, with the exception of the Cadre who weren't there at the time.  
There are other White Fang spawn out there….But that's a second year story arc, although it does tie up the loose end of who the other group mentioned in Chapter 01 were.  
" _I'll paint my ship red with the blood of those who betrayed us"_ was bad-ass and you know it.  
Haven't used Onyx's titles for a while.  
A couple new characters introduced at the Mercy Foundation, Hickory is basically Arctus and Diamond's boss, I might make her a recurring character depending on how well received she is; she's _very_ loosely based on Grace Walker from Wolfenstein.  
The moment Diamond realised she's not as rags to riches as she likes to think she is.  
Remember, Arctus's dad was the leader of his team at Beacon, was a ranking officer in the White Fang and led operations in the war. He just doesn't act like the authority figure at home so it's rare that Arctus gets to see that side of him.  
Arctus's new and improved bullshit detector. I'd honestly put it down to being partnered with Diamond; remember in initiation when she spotted that the shell casings on the ground were still fresh.  
And our second new character of the day is Special Operative Kafsi Asteri, who is quite frankly a bitch. Yes we'll be seeing her again.  
So yeah, Team FADE are trying to find the Shadow Cadre, Arctus just had to interfere with an Atlesian Operative who was doing the same thing, kinda damned if you do, damned if you don't situation.  
The Shadow Cadre live away from civilisation unless they're raiding and trading; even then it's usually small ports, so naturally the sight of Halo Academy up close is game changing for Hellion.  
Yeah Hellion is desperate, she doesn't do well in isolation. She didn't do any lasting injuries to herself though.  
Okay it's partially self interest because the Shadow Cadre have Antonia. But can we appreciate how Eagle Arc is at her core, just a good person who wants to help everyone however she can.  
Now Eagle is the useless lesbian, but Hellion just missed a chance at an escape because Eagle had her attention…..that's pretty useless lesbian behaviour if you ask me.  
Also, I try to make Onyx endearing in his own way.  
Antonia is gonna give the Shadow Cadre what they want.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Araniladin, Arkanes Shippou, TigerRose, FleetOfWarships, ShadowAlex2000, FluffyFirefly and Ferrous for their reviews on the last chapter.  
I'm glad everyone enjoyed the smut….Just feel like pointing out Arctus only got a hand-job, I feel like a few people think things went further than they did.  
If I remember rightly I delivered in The Downward Spiral….  
Yeah, Blake is the go to person for these kind of issues.  
Oh the Omega Wing will be back….I might actually mention it and save it til the finale though.  
None of the team pressed Eagle because Felix and Diamond were asleep and Arctus had just woken up, he also didn't see her face.  
Oh no this isn't the Breach 2. The Breach was a disorganised mass of Grimm bursting out a single hole that could be used as a choke point….Phobos is smarter than that.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	32. Friday

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 32: Friday**

A week had passed since Antonia Arc had made a decision that still troubled her in the moments she was alone, her conscience whispering to her that this was a mistake, though since Carcharodon Gore had agreed to her conditions and she had in turn promised to make his stolen weapons operational she had spent a lot less time alone; the Shark Faunus had put her to work alongside the Shadow Cadre's resident engineer and jack of all trades. Antonia continuously tried to chastise herself, warn herself that she was beginning to show signs of Stockholm Syndrome every time she found herself laughing along with one of the Puma Faunus's admittedly poor taste jokes, it was to no avail. After so long in near total isolation, to be working with an inquisitive, if not educated mind was refreshing to say the least. She'd learned that Onyx had been the only member of the Shadow Cadre currently aboard to build their own weapon, Raffia having allegedly won his and Carcharodon's arm mounted blades being a gift from the elders of the tribe. Progress had been slow however, the first obstacle to overcome was the sheer age of the weapons and the state of disrepair they'd been allowed to fall into.

 _BOOM_

Antonia reflexively ducked beneath the workbench, as the small workshop aboard the stolen ship was rocked by the force of an explosion. As the ringing in her ears subsided she became aware of another sound, that of Onyx coughing and sputtering. Opening the door to the workshop to let some of the thick smoke produced in the mishap out she turned to what she supposed was her current colleague and treated him to a derisive snort

"You touched the overflow capacitor didn't you? What did I specifically tell you not to do?"

"Don't talk to me like a child" Onyx growled as he clambered to his feet, the blast having hurled him back several feet

"You are a child" Antonia countered flatly "I have a daughter your age and I'll be honest, if I had her working with me this job would have been done by now"

"Then maybe we should go and find-" Onyx never got to finish the sentence as Antonia had strode around the workbench and slapped him with as much force as she could muster; as someone who'd never been trained as a Huntress it admittedly wasn't much and Onyx merely laughed

"I think you're getting comfortable on this ship, perhaps when we let you go you won't want to leave. You're turning into a savage"

"Don't be ridiculous" Antonia snapped before turning her attention to the weapon they'd been working on, the first of the four gargantuan cannons each larger than the people repairing them and spread across several work stations. Her expression remained neutral as she surveyed the damage, the metal was even more warped and blackened than it had been before and the vital component Onyx had been attempting to work on had been reduced to an unrecognisable mess. Before she could chastise Onyx further for the mistake the sound of footsteps, clanging on the metal surface of the corridor outside could be heard drawing closer. Carcharodon arrived in the workshop, surveying the smoke filled room in silence while Raffia slunk in behind him wearing a mischievous smirk directed at his crew mate

"I take it things are going well" Carcharodon's deadpan delivery was too much for Raffia, the Axolotl Faunus breaking down in hysterical laughter, gesturing at Onyx wildly who in turn cracked a reluctant smile

"Well I think I've managed to identify the problem" Antonia explained

"Do your years of experience tell you that it's a smoking fucking wreck?" Raffia cackled. Antonia chose to ignore him, remaining as businesslike as possible in her current situation

"The problem is the power supply. You have enough Dust stockpiled but no way to regulate the power output. The fact that the overflow just exploded doesn't help matters"

"I don't know some of the words you use" Carcharodon admitted with a shake of the head "Answer me plainly, are you telling me that you can't honour our agreement?" Antonia tried her hardest not audibly gulp in fear; she'd realised that the Shadow Cadre were violent pillagers and proud of it, but they had something of a code of honour in which she could tell failing to honour ones' word would have consequences

"I'm telling you that if you try to fire that weapon now that it will tear your ship in half and you will die in the blast. I can make the laser batteries work _if_ you can get me the parts to repair it"

"I think she's lying to us" Raffia hissed, eyeing her suspiciously. Antonia was slowly coming to realise that a blunt response would always be more effective and appreciated than excuses to her captors

"I think that if you stole weapons from people who trade in antiques and expected this to be easy then you're an idiot" Onyx snorted and gave what Antonia was a little surprised to realise was an approving nod at the response. Carcharodon hissed in frustration before rasping out his solution

"Then you'll show me on a map of New Vale where I can _find_ what you need"

"Remember our agreement" Antonia warned, forcing herself to sound assertive. Carcharodon's pure black eyes allowed just enough expression for to know that he'd rolled them at her

"Nobody will be harmed unless they raise a weapon against us. Beyond that their fate is in their own hands" he turned to Raffia "Prepare yourself, you're coming with me….My patience for this Kingdom is wearing thin, we strike tonight"

* * *

Felix noticed that the sun seemed to be setting somewhat later than it had been, a sign that winters' freezing grasp on the Kingdom of New Vale was slowly being released. He was currently sat in the bleachers around the academies' outdoor training area, a pungent aroma hanging in the air around him as he finished off the last of his bags of weed; privately deciding that after meeting Melanie Malachite, Amethyst Wukong's supplier, that he would be kicking the habit if for no other reason that spite. He'd finished his classes for the day on a high note, a spectacular victory in a two on two match alongside Eagle against Aqua and Quartz of Team AQUA; a brief session with Neptune wherein the councillor had told him that he was happy to see Felix making progress at containing his temper under pressure. In all honesty, the end of Team FADE's first year was looming in the near future and despite the abduction of Antonia Arc and the complications that it had brought, Felix felt good about they way things were going. Even being in debt to Melanie Malachite could be overlooked right now

"Sweet fucking Oum I'm high" the Lion Faunus muttered to himself as that last thought crossed his mind, tail swishing lazily he put out the joint and flicked it somewhere it wouldn't be noticed. Rising to his feet and stretching out he pondered what to do with his Friday night, in truth he hadn't explored nearly as much of the gargantuan city below as he had intended to when he first arrived at Halo; then he caught sight of someone jogging below

"You've gotta be kidding me" he muttered to himself before whistling to get the attention of the jogger. Easily distinguishable by his heavily tattooed skin, spiked scarlet hair and the gleaming golden bracers which he never seemed to remove even when the rest of his armour was absent, was Helios Nikos. Hearing Felix's attempt to get his attention the redhead made his way upwards through the rows of the bleachers seats and made himself comfortable, as if the jog hadn't taxed him in the slightest

"Do you ever get tired?" Felix enquired with a teasing edge to his voice, in truth he was genuinely impressed as Helios had participated in combat training earlier that day as well

"My stamina has been commented on before" he shrugged

"I'll bet it has" Felix snorted before pausing and burying his head in his hands at the realisation of how his words could be interpreted. After looking up and seeing that Helios was reclining peacefully in his seat Felix found himself somewhat mesmerised by his arms, left on display by the tank-top he was training in the intricate designs whose meanings he could only guess at ranged from below his bulging biceps to his shoulder blades and collarbones, laid over them was a web of scar tissue in various sizes

"Something wrong?" Helios murmured "You started looking at my tattoos and went quiet" Felix sputtered, desperately trying to think of a response that would save him from embarrassment

"Just wondering how you're not freezing, Diamond's from Mistral and she's been complaining about the cold for months" he paused and gestured to the stylised lion head tattoo on his upper arm and added "Besides I've been thinking about getting some more ink myself-"

"Just please no more cheap imitations of Anima tribal styles" Helios snorted "I'd be offended if it wasn't so funny" the Lion Faunus was reduced to grumbling barely coherently under his breath

"I mean it" Helios gesticulated "Each of my markings has a distinct meaning behind it, they're not just to be copied because they look _'cool'_ "

"So….If I knew the meanings?" Felix trailed off, allowing the sentence to hang in the air. Helios smiled, green eyes shining in the setting sun

"I will teach you them myself" he paused for a moment "But not tonight. I was outvoted and Team NEON are heading out to experience some more of the Kingdoms' nightlife. No doubt I'll end up dealing with the consequences of them being unable to hold their liquor"

"Well we can't all casually drink Nikosi paint stripper" Felix chuckled, remembering his single brief experience with the brew that Helios still continued to swig in class, unknown to the teachers

"Why not join us?" Helios asked, seeming to falter for a moment, the rare look of uncertainty seeming as though it had no business on his face "I mean, your Team are welcome to come as well"

"Definitely" Felix nodded, his words sounding a little too eager in his own ears "I mean, I can get in touch with the others and see who's free tonight. But yeah, I'll meet you later" Helios nodded as he rose to his feet

"Well, I'm going to finish my jog; meet us at the Bull-Head terminals in two hours Fluffy" as the redhead left Felix was left staring vacantly after him, the buzz of the weed slowly leaving him allowing him groan wordlessly to himself as it dawned on him that he'd been acting like an idiot for some reason.

He realised with a start that he reminded himself of Arctus, before his cousin and Diamond had finally started dating and then dismissed the notion immediately. He did not have a crush on Helios….That would just be ridiculous.

* * *

Corvid Xiao Long roamed through New Vale's streets alone, the breathlessness afflicted her during the flight from Halo Academies' campus abating. She'd been forced to rush from the workshop where she'd lingered a little too long after class back to her dormitory to shower and change before running for her flight. Her current surroundings were something she was still not quite used to, far more affluent and modern than either her home in Patch, which while comfortable was still far from the metropolis that was New Vale, or her usual haunts in the capital which were almost exclusively dive bars and seedy clubs in the lower levels of the hive complexes. Corvid took a deep breath and closed her steely grey eyes for a moment to steady herself before continuing onwards, only to be halted by the sound of her Scroll. Pulling the device from her pocket she saw her brothers' name and answered

"Hey Fluffy, what's up?"

"Just wanted to know if you're free tonight, Team NEON are heading into the city and were looking for people to come with"

"So you needed an Omega Wingman?" Corvid snorted, giving a knowing glance at the device in her hand despite the call being audio only, Felix made a noise that sounded as though it were masking a slew of curses directed at her before speaking again

"Really sis, really? That's what I get for trying to hang out"

"Oh come on it was too good to pass up" Corvid chuckled, leaning against the wall of a small business as she spoke "Because we both know exactly who you're thinking of now you've said it"

"For Oum's sake Corey-"

"Alright, alright I'll drop it" she sighed "Even though it's obvious, like a big NEON sign"

"Are you coming or not?" Felix grumbled

"Nah, sorry Team CLIR are all busy tonight-"

"I was hoping we'd have chance to hang out before your next mission" Corvid's expression softened

"I promise we will, it's still a couple of weeks"

"Alright fine….just don't slink off without saying anything like you did last time" Corvid tried to ignore the somewhat hurt tone in her brothers' voice

"Fluffy. We'll hang out, promise….I miss having my awkward brother with a crush around"

"Oh fuck off-"

"Bye Fluffy" Corvid ended the call, satisfied grin on her face at the sound of her younger sibling laughing in response to her teasing. Pocketing her Scroll she continued towards her destination; she'd been telling the truth when she said that Team CLIR all had previous engagements that evening. It was Lux and Rusty's one year anniversary and the couple would most likely not be returning to the campus until the next morning at the earliest. Iris had told Corvid excitedly that her father was in New Vale, considering that he had stayed on Menagerie after her parents divorce Iris saw very little of the man and wanted to make up for lost time. Corvid herself also had plans that brought a confident smile to her lips as she adjusted her hair a little, using her reflection in the window of the coffee shop door as a mirror before stepping inside. It was the same coffee shop the meeting with the Scavenger Guild had taken place in; Corvid spotted her just leaving a table, the waitress who she'd since learned over the course of her increasingly frequent visits to the establishment was named Celadon, a small hickey visible just above the collar of her uniform from their last rendezvous. Corvid waited, leaning against the counter and trying to project a feeling of calmness. Eventually the waitress caught sight of her and seemed to light up at the sight of the Huntress, blowing her a kiss and mouthing silently

"I'll get off soon" Corvid winked and mouthed out a response that left a blush creeping across her date for the nights' face

"Yeah you will"

* * *

"Will you focus, please" Diamond sighed with a roll of her eyes, the illusion of annoyance shattered by the soft smile tugging at her lips

"I am focusing" Arctus answered distractedly, his attention consumed by the small Glyph rotating in his left palm as he crushed a fire Dust crystal in his right, slowly his Semblance took on the blazing red hues of the Dust and the Bear Faunus focused, slowly a shape began to rise from the surface of the Glyph; forelimbs first, followed by a snout which sniffed the air curiously. Within moments Arctus had summoned a miniature Beowolf in his palm, the whole construct glowed with the same fiery light as the Dust powered Glyph it had been conjured from, which had been the purpose of the experiment, though far smaller than his few previous successful attempts at summoning it was also far more highly detailed and without the particular properties of his mothers' patented Eco-Dust could be considered a breakthrough

"Holy Oum it worked!" he fought to keep his voice down, Diamond kissed his cheek gently

"Great now can you stop playing with Fire Dust in the library before you blow something up" Arctus watched the Beowolf, seemingly made of condensed fire for a few more moments before allowing the Glyph to shatter into countless dissipating embers, his pride at the achievement still evident

"Okay fine" he chuckled "Admit it's cool though"

"It's cool" Diamond laughed "How're you gonna use it though?"

"I'll find a use for it" He shrugged, somewhat defensively before Diamond took his hands in hers and pulled him towards the shelf that housed the books they needed

"Well maybe you'll find something in these books" she suggested, they had a Grimm studies assignment to be handed in soon that both Eagle and Felix had already finished, between volunteering at the Mercy Foundation and the fact that Arctus had been quietly trying to develop more applications of his Semblance he'd neglected the task. Diamond was embarrassed to admit it but she'd intended to finish the paper the previous night only to get roped into a video game tournament against Eagle, not only had she made no progress, she'd been utterly thrashed by her team-mate who seemed to develop an unimaginably ruthless streak when a controller was in her hands, much to Felix's amusement.

"Thanks" Arctus smiled, taking the books Diamond wanted; she tried to hide it but he'd realised how much the small gestures like carrying her books or bag between classes made her smile and privately decided make as many such gestures as possible. Diamond's response was to cup his cheeks and pull him down into a kiss, only to halt things as they began to head in a more heated direction

"Big guy not here, I don't want us to be _'that'_ couple" she laughed, arms looping around his shoulders "Come on, we're not Ether and Ollie" that got a snort from Arctus, the members of Team NEON were notorious for the extremity of their public displays of affection, allegedly having been disciplined by Goodwitch personally after she caught them in a compromising position. Arctus was left with his own thoughts for a moment as Diamond led him by the hand back to the table they were working at in a quiet corner of the library, which was already less crowded than usual owing to it being a Friday evening. After his conversation weeks ago with Aunt Blake he was more sure than ever that he was in fact, utterly in love with Diamond Sustrai-Black. The problem he was having was telling her, he wanted to make the moment something special and no such opportunities had presented themselves; he also had the sneaking suspicion that he'd fumble his words and make an idiot of himself.

"You okay babe?" Diamond's voice snapped him back to reality "You zoned out for a sec"

"Yeah, yeah I'm good. Sorry" he took the seat next to Diamond only to be distracted by his Scroll before he could open the first book from the small stack they'd brought with them

"It's Felix" he told Diamond "Wants to know if we're working tonight, He's going into the city with Team NEON in a couple hours, asking us to come with"

"I mean we could probably get a really rough outline done in an hour or so" Diamond mused, seemingly giving the offer serious consideration

"Yeah but we'll only end up doing this all weekend if we don't do it now….As much as I enjoy watching you dance" Arctus answered

"True" Diamond sighed "Tell him we'll pass….Hey I wonder if he's managed to persuade Eagle into going?" a hopeful smile crossed her face as she voiced the afterthought

"Still salty about losing….what was it eighteen matches in a row?" Arctus chuckled

"Dude shut up" Diamond replied with a snort and a playful shove "I'm just saying if Eagle goes with him then that means we'll have the dorm to ourselves for the night" Arctus's pale blue eyes widened in understanding, face splitting into a toothy grin as he whispered conspiratorially in his girlfriends' ear

"Professor Bronzewing would take a half finished essay and be understanding about it right?" Diamond tried desperately to cover her mouth to muffle her laughter before slapping his shoulder. In truth it was a sentiment she shared, the two of them hadn't had any opportunities for any kind of intimacy lately, either or physical or just each others' company without an assignment or volunteer work being part of the equation. Leaning into the Bear Faunus she whispered in his ear

"Dude you're a dork, but I like the way you think"

* * *

Hellion exhaled slowly, still clad in the orange jumpsuit she'd been given at New Vale Correctional Facility; though she knew her own clothes and knives were somewhere on the campus. The upper half of the jumpsuit had been removed, exposing the scar where the slash to her collarbone and shoulder during her fight with Torchwick's goons. She wore the wound with pride, another trophy from another battle. The Dragonfly Faunus ran through familiar motions as best she could in the limited space of her cell, performing each series of strikes against an imagined opponent with practised efficiency; a downward elbow strike intended to break a collarbone and separate a shoulder followed by her left hand moving to hold the enemies' head secure while she delivered a palm strike with her right that would force the cartilage of the nose upwards with lethal effects. She did all of this with her eyes closed; she and the rest of the Shadow Cadre had been taught by the elders of the Frost River tribe and since being given command of their ship, Carcharodon's sister Mizu had ensured that they kept to the regimen strictly; it was said by other members of the tribe that it was impossible to catch a member of the cadre off guard, their skills had been honed to the point they could dispose of an adversary with a single well placed strike without needing to see them. It was hyperbole of course, as Hellion's reaction to the sound of the bars of her cell being rattled proved. Jade eyes opened in a flash and she turned, ducked and reached for one of her throwing knives in a single motion; only to find it absent, the Dragonfly Faunus's wings fluttered in embarrassment, she knew her weapons had been taken but her instincts remained

"Little Canary" her silky voice gave her an aura of collected calmness she hadn't truly felt since her capture

"Hey" Eagle smiled at her, the freckled blonde wore a departure from the pristine armour that Hellion now associated with her, clad instead in a pair of grey sweatpants and a form fitting black tank-top with a bag hanging from her shoulder "I promised I'd come back and I'm sorry it took me so long, I haven't asked if I'm allowed but since I'm not even supposed to know you're here I doubt I would be. I'm gonna stay on this side of the bars today if that's okay? And I'm rambling aren't I?"

"It's not as though I have any other company" Hellion noted, making herself comfortable in a cross legged position on her bed. She distrusted those not of her tribe out of habit, on some level she knew that Eagle wanted something from her but frankly she'd take what companionship she could find in her current situation; the fact that said company had a pretty face and the physique of a warrior just sweetened the deal

"So erm, what were you doing?" Eagle tried to find a way to start an actual conversation with the captured raider "Just practising?"

"Exactly" Hellion's smile was somewhat cruel despite her best efforts for it be otherwise "I will leave this cage eventually, my people are going to need me to still be able to fight"

"I'm not going to argue with you about it" Eagle sighed "I brought you a book, I don't know how often I'll be able to visit you like this….I thought you might enjoy it" rummaging in her bag she failed to notice the way Hellion's expression became one of sadness for the briefest of moments before she hid it

"What's the book about?"

"It's the stories of the first ever team of Hunters….They say it's based on the true stories but I think they took some liberties"

"Hunters" Hellion snorted "Trying to convert me to your cause little canary?"

"No I- I mean it's just….Why do you call me that?" Hellion's eyes twinkled in the lighting of her cell, expression equal parts mischief and satisfaction at the sight of the blush colouring Eagle's freckled cheeks

"Because you're yellow and adorable and I like the way it makes you blush" Hellion answered simply, hopping from her uncomfortable bed and sauntering over to the bars of her cell as she continued "And I wouldn't have earned the title _'Queen of a thousand ports'_ if I couldn't make make even a Huntress come back for more….though _'thousand'_ is more of an exaggeration than your book" her hand slipped through the bars and plucked the book in question from Eagle's grip while the blonde was distracted, her face flushed almost the same deep red as her eyes. The art of driving the unsuspecting to distraction and capitalising on the opportunity was something she thoroughly enjoyed; though the current object of her interest seemed so innocent it was almost unfair. Eagle squirmed under Hellion's gaze, she was sure that the Dragonfly Faunus was flirting with her despite the fact that it was the first time she'd been the subject of such advances; and frankly she had no idea how to respond to it, her confusion was only worsened by the knowledge that Hellion had played a part in her mothers' abduction. Thankfully she was given a distraction in the form of her Scroll vibrating audibly in her gym bag. Retrieving it she saw the text message from her partner and smiled at its' contents. Her first and only experience with nightclubs had given her a positive outlook on them and despite his many glaring character flaws Felix's friend Nyanza was fun to hang out with, something she suspected she'd be doing tonight as the only people who didn't seem to realise that Felix and Helios were fond of each other were Felix and Helios themselves.

"Trouble?" Hellion asked, wings twitching agitatedly at her back

"No, the opposite" Eagle grinned "But I'm gonna have to go. I still had some energy to burn after combat class so I went to the gym, now I need to shower and change….I'll try and visit again soon" Hellion nodded silently in understanding as Eagle turned away and stretched, working out a crick in her shoulder. The action caused Hellion's wings to abruptly still and her eyes to widen, she lacked the words to fairly describe the sculpted muscles of Eagle's back and shoulders; they were simply a work of art. Watching the Huntress leave Hellion slowly shook her head and forced herself to focus on the present, giving the book Eagle had given her a single annoyed scowl before placing it on her bed and returning to the techniques she'd been practising before Eagle Arc had managed to thoroughly distract her.

* * *

Carcharodon Gore unknowingly found himself mirroring his captured crew mates' training regimen as he brought his first down against the collarbone of a rough looking man in overalls trying to swing a crowbar at his chest, the man had evidently never had his Aura unlocked, a fact evidenced by the audible shattering of bone and agonised scream as the crowbar flew from his grip, his arm left dangling limp. Carcharodon gripped his would be attacker by the back of the head and brought his arm back, preparing to deliver a fatal follow up strike; a sibilant hiss escaping his lips as he remembered his promise to Antonia Arc. Clenching his fist he simply punched the worker attempting to defend the premises in the throat and hurled their limp form into a pile of cars that had been stripped for anything useful and then crushed. Antonia had told them that this was a scrapyard, apparently the people living under the protection of the Kingdoms' protection had so many resources at their disposal and so few real threats that they could simply throw away whole vehicles without concern, it was a notion that had baffled the members of the Shadow Cadre to whom the news seemed almost too far-fetched to be believed. Another fool attempted to halt his advance only to be easily disposed of, he'd promised the scientist that no harm would come to the people here unless they attacked first; he was almost thankful that so many of them had chosen to fight and give him the justification he sought, in his mind taking something of as much value as the parts he sought without fighting for them seemed cowardly. They'd attacked the scrapyard at night Raffia had approached directly pretending to be lost as he made his way through the main gate, Carcharodon's Semblance had allowed him to enter quietly and make his way towards the small building that contained the administrative office, a light inside confirming that there would be at least one person present who could expedite the search. As he'd made his way through the maze of rusted steel, tires and broken and discarded furniture the sound of Raffia's ruse failing had reached his ears; shouting followed by screams of pain and calls for help. It was then that the Shark Faunus had decided that fair combat with the workers wouldn't be breaking his promises.

Stalking through corridors of compacted and otherwise ruined cars, which Carcharodon was disgusted at as he realised there was enough steel going to waste here to build at least one new ship, he strained his senses for any clue as to which direction the next attack would come from; his lips peeled back into a cruel smile that was all fangs as he picked up the sound of laboured breathing ahead. There was a blind corner formed by walls of wreckage, they attempted to catch him unawares; continuing at his previous pace he moved forwards giving no indication that he'd discovered them but mentally prepared himself, in the darkness human eyes would fail to see the faintest rippling of the edges of his form as Carcharodon prepared his Semblance to be used at a moments' notice

"NOW!" Announcing themselves like imbeciles the attackers, surprising Carcharodon with the fact that there were two of them leapt from the hiding place and gave up their advantage, sawn-off shotguns at the ready. Carcharodon activated his Semblance a moment before their weapons discharged; buckshot passed through his body as it rippled like murky water, the Shark Faunus winced slightly with the knowledge that he would most likely be coughing up residue for days. He continued forwards, forcing himself to keep somewhat calm and not deploy the Red Waves as he knew that if he did he was lose himself in the bloodlust

"Stop right there freak!" one of the gunmen bellowed, voice wavering as he did so; Carcharodon's blood felt as though it were boiling in his veins with rage at the coward who had the nerve to threaten him. Before he could charge the two of them a furious roar of a challenge sounded out and the gunmen turned, before either could fire the diminutive form of Raffia Dirge lunged at them; the Axolotl Faunus had obviously used the piles of scrap metal as a springboard to hurl himself into the air, Hydra Macabre in its' flail form plucking the shotgun and several fingers from the hands of the first attacker, while his knee collided with the skull of the second, catching the second mans' weapon by the barrel he turned and swung it at the temple of the first, leaving the man who'd been clutching at his ruined hand laid unconscious on the ground; the second man tried to rise only for Raffia to, in a single fluid movement, discard the shotgun sheathe his weapon across his back and perform a somersault that saw him landing with his knee crashing against his victims' sternum. Then the rain of punches to the mans' face began, the air filled with dull thuds and demented cackling until Carcharodon placed a hand on the smaller Faunus's shoulder; Raffia rose to his feet, panting to catch his breath and surveying his handiwork, blood and broken teeth coated the ground around his victims' head.

"These weaklings aren't our target" Carcharodon reminded him, pointing at the admin office "They are" with no further resistance against them the pair stalked towards the building in question, the door being removed with a single kick. The single occupied office wasn't hard to find, the panicked whimpering of the person cowering within clearly audible to the Faunus's senses

"These people are worse cowards than the Mistrali" Raffia spat viscously "It would be a kindness to the world to remove them from it"

"I gave my word" Carcharodon answered bluntly, ending the discussion "Wait here" without further hesitation he activated his Semblance and rippled through the door of the office and cast his eyes around, finding nothing. He was forced to silently agree with Raffia as the realisation that the manager was hiding behind the desk hit him

"Get out and face me"

"Do you know who you're messing with?" a terrified voice demanded "You're gonna die for this! We're protected!" Carcharodon didn't respond verbally, he simply strode forwards and grabbed the desk before hurling it across the room, revealing the coward

"Your protectors have failed you, your life is in my hands" the Shark Faunus smiled, showing his fags "Now tell me, will I leave here tonight with what I came for, or will I leave here with your scalp?" the incoherent whimpering was all the answer he needed.

* * *

It was the early hours of the morning and Melanie Malachite was predictably located in her office above her club, the dull thud of bass from below ensuring her that though it may be winding down for the night, the establishment was still open and making her money. The raven haired Mafioso was currently double checking the books to ensure that none of her accountants or captains were on the take, naturally the accounts were written in code but ever since learning that the upstart Rhodium Torchwick had had a narcotics officer working in his drug business she'd been meticulous to the point of obsessive; the fact she was somewhat inebriated didn't help the situation.

"Can't trust any of 'em" she muttered to herself, slurring slightly as she debated pouring another glass of vodka; even Uncle Hie would leave soon, she could sense it. The gangster turned politicians' constant pleas for her to leave this life behind and find a more respectable way to live were a clear warning sign. She was mercifully distracted from her slowly festering drunken anger by a knock at the door of her office followed by the nervous voice of one of her underlings

"Boss, I know you said not to be bothered but this is important" Melanie frowned, adjusting her feet beneath her desk and deploying the blades mounted in her stilettos before pausing and thinking better of the idea. She was against physically punishing members of her own crew for their mistakes, it lowered morale

"Come in" the young woman that entered wore the sharp business suit and red tinted sunglasses of the Black Bear Syndicate, a holdover from when Uncle Hie, known to most as Junior, ran things. Her face was pale and etched with dread; Melanie's eyes narrowed, it was bad news then

"We just had a call from our breakers yard….They've, they've just been attacked" Melanie took a moment to digest the information, of all of the Syndicates' front businesses the scrapyard seemed one of the least likely to be attacked, it was used mainly disposing of evidence and acquiring cars for jobs that had already been written off. Her Jade eyes narrowed as a thought occurred to her

"Is this Torchwick's idea of getting brave? 'Cos if this is his way of sending a warning shot he's gonna get a wake up slap…." she trailed off allowing her underling to speak

"I don't know boss, the guy running the night shift there was in shock. Most of the guys were beaten half to death, he said they threatened to scalp him if they didn't get what they want"

"Scalping, that's a new one" Melanie noted, Rhodium had been known to have his goons remove fingers from people who didn't pay debts but this was either an escalation or something else entirely. Pondering for a few moments she eventually settled on a course of action

"Have the police showed up?"

"They don't have a warrant yet" the underling answered, Melanie nodded "Good. You have a blank cheque, make sure they don't search anything"

"And Torchwick's crew?" Melanie treated her to a truly vicious smile

"I'll deal with that in the morning. I've got a few people I can call"

 **Authors Notes:**

Okay so this chapter was mainly filler, but the ending sets up a few things for the next few chapter and hey, who doesn't love the occasional bit of fluff.  
I think I'm finding my way out of the creative bottle neck I was stuck in, I know where the start and end points are and the line between them isn't fuzzy.

Anyway, let's summarise:  
I like the idea of Antonia slowly integrating into the Shadow Cadre before her inevitable return to normal society though I doubt she'll be getting tribal tats like theirs.  
Also, I only mentioned the crew members currently aboard but Hellion makes her own knives, her and Onyx are the only two members of the Cadre to make their own weapons.  
Raffia in this scene was a pleasure to write.  
Felix is kicking his weed habit….just to deprive Melanie Malachite of maybe twenty Lien a month.  
" _My stamina has been commented on before"_ Damn Helios.  
Helios looking at Felix's tattoo and just rolling his eyes and sighing is hilarious to me.  
Helios still gets shit-faced in class and nobody has noticed.  
Battle Cat Shippers, you may begin squealing now.  
Corvid puns, we've all missed them.  
Corvid went back to the coffee shop from a couple chapters ago and hooked up with the waitress; because she can.  
Arctus has a new trick….That'll have some fun uses.  
Diamond Dust is and will always be cute.  
Hellion just being casually bad-ass.  
Hellion flustering Eagle just for fun is great to write.  
And all Eagle had to do to turn the tables was stretch.  
You'll find out why Hellion seems annoyed by the book.  
I love the idea of the Shadow Cadre hearing about things like Scrapyards and Food banks and being stunned, because the ports and coastal towns that they raid are far from rich everything there gets reused. The idea that some places have so much of the things they need that they can afford to just throw things out is amazing to them.  
Raffia is a beast when he gets started.  
Melanie is a lot more vulnerable in private.  
You know exactly who Melanie is going to call.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Araniladin, TigerRose, Arkanes Shippou, FleetOfWarships, Ferrous, Unstoppable Cyborg, FluffyFirefly and ShadowAlex2000 for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Funnily enough if anyone was intended to have a Captain America homage in their fighting style it's Arctus, he can actually bounce his Glyphs off of surfaces into an opponent.  
Kafsi is going to turn up again, don't you worry about that.  
I'm glad everyone seems to like the backstory for the Shadow Cadre.  
Spoilers but don't worry; they're not a big bad and will continue to be part of the story for its' duration.  
Also, to the people who ship Eagle and Hellion….Same.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	33. An Offer They Can't Refuse

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 33: An Offer They Can't Refuse**

Late morning sun filtered through the curtains of Team FADE's dormitory and Arctus's eyes fluttered open slowly, blinking his surroundings into focus despite protests from a sleep addled mind that seemed to demand rest incessantly during the winter months which were thankfully drawing to a close. The dominant sound filling the room was his cousins' snoring, the laboured breathing a sign that Felix had probably drunk too much while exploring the Kingdom's nightlife and would most likely be regretting it when he woke up. Beneath Felix's bunk was Eagle, utterly hidden from view beneath the mass of blankets and stuffed animals that buried her. The Bear Faunus shook his head slightly before turning his attention to a weight pressed against him that he was becoming happily familiar with, that of Diamond's sleeping form. Their covers had been kicked down at some point while they slept and the T-shirt she slept in, which Arctus held no illusions about ever getting back, had ridden up, giving him an exquisite view of her toned legs, hips and well defined abs. Reaching down he pulled the sheets over them and draped his arm over his Partners' waist while snuggling as close to her as possible without waking her; unsuccessfully, Diamond grumbled something incoherent while lacing her fingers through his

"Morning beautiful" Arctus murmured, kissing her cheek

"What time is it?" she croaked out sleepily, her voice as husky as it always was in the morning

"About ten thirty, want me to get you a drink?" Diamond merely rolled over and planted a gentle kiss on his lips while hooking her leg behind his, Arctus brushed aside a few stray strands of hair that had fallen in front of her eyes and rested his forehead against hers

"If they're not awake then just stay here babe" her request was followed by more kisses, feather light against Arctus's lips which were happily returned, one of his hand running through her hair while the other slowly made its' way beneath her T-shirt and tracing her hip, making her moan softly into his mouth. The moment was utterly ruined by the sound of thunderous pounding against the dorms' door

"For Oum's sake dude, every fucking time" Diamond growled, burying her head into her partners' chest. The knocking continued, eventually being enough to drag Felix into the waking world just as the person responsible called out

"FLUFFY COME ON, OPEN THE DOOR!"

"What the fuck Corey?" the Lion Faunus griped as he hopped down from his bunk clad in a vest and his boxer shorts, rubbing bleary eyes and clearly wincing in response to a headache. He opened the door and gave his sister a baleful stare

"Seriously first thing in the morning-"

"It's practically noon" Corvid shot back, rolling her steely grey eyes before catching sight of Arctus and Diamond "And I hope you kids used protection"

"There is nothing that can protect you from me if you don't shut up" Diamond grumbled, voice muffled due to her still being laid face down against the Bear Faunus. Corvid merely grinned.

"Seriously what do you want?" Felix growled, before letting loose a jaw cracking yawn, Corvid turned to Eagle who had finally emerged from her cocoon of blankets

"How much did Fluffy drink last night?"

"A lot….like way more than he should have" the taller blonde shrugged "Seriously I'm surprised he only fell over trying to dance that one time"

"Hey I can dance" Felix defended "I just wasn't expecting Helios to be able to….Seriously, the guy didn't even know how to use a Scroll before he got here. He shouldn't be able to learn new dances that fast"

"Oh my Oum, your crush is feeding into your competitive streak. This is adorable" Corvid laughed, doing something that very few people would ever dare and even fewer would get away with by ruffling her brothers' curly mass of dirty blonde hair

"I don't have-"

"Anyway" Corvid cut him off "I just had a call from Melanie" the atmosphere in the seemed to change perceptibly

"Does she know something?" Eagle's voice was a mixture of hope and trepidation

"She didn't say. She Wants to meet me and Felix as soon possible….so now"

"Right, let me just-"

"No Felix, now" Corvid insisted "Get dressed, you can get a coffee on the way and a shower when you get back. We need to go" Seeing how uneasy his sister was with the situation was enough to snap Felix out of his alcohol-fuelled daze.

"Okay. I'll be ready in five"

"Thank Oum" Corvid sighed, stepping out of the dorm and treating them to one last parting comment as she closed the door "And put some fucking pants on"

* * *

Melanie leaned back in her chair, making herself comfortable and tapping well manicured nails on her desk; exuding calm control of her surroundings and an oppressive menace as one of her underlings escorted in the pair of teens she'd summoned, in truth she'd much rather be sleeping off the effects of the previous nights' drinking but business waited for no-one. She nodded to her underling who stepped out of her office without a word and closed the door. Melanie was left to privately size up the Xiao Long siblings as they approached her.

"You took your time" she noted bluntly

"Stopped off for breakfast" Felix's tone was a clear challenge as the Lion Faunus rolled his shoulders back and cracked his neck. Melanie treated him to a small lopsided smirk while internally weighing up the pros and cons of beating the Lion Faunus to within an inch of his life for his constant inability to show proper respect; she decided against it, if only because it was never a good idea to invite Yang Xiao Long's fury.

"So what did you need to see us about Miss Malachite?" Corvid asked, clearly trying to keep the peace as she nudged her brother and gave him a glare, the two of them managing to have a silent conversation through a series of glances and expressions until Felix finally relented and gave up the false bravado. Melanie waited a moment before clearing her throat to ensure she had their attention before answering the question

"I have some intel on the Shadow Cadre-"

"Awesome, where are they? we'll"

"Interrupt me again kid I'll pull those big teeth of yours out" Melanie smiled sweetly at Felix whose jaw snapped shut with an audible click "As I was saying, I have a little bit of info. But I've also got a little problem of my own that needs taking care of, so it's time for you to keep up your end of the bargain" Melanie knew she shouldn't have enjoyed watching the Faunus struggle to keep his temper as much as he she did, but she couldn't help herself, watching people realise they could do nothing only reminded her of how powerful she truly was. Felix took several deep breaths as his fists clenched at the fact progress and the chance to help his partner was being held over his head

"Fine" the word was a harsh hiss, forced through clenched teeth "What do you need us to do?"

"See here's the thing; while I've had my people looking for a missing scientist I haven't been been paying attention to what's going on in my own back yard, now said back yard has a little weed growing in it. Torchwick's crew, he's still managing to run things from inside; you're gonna go do a little gardening for me

"We're not killing anyone" Felix informed her, it was telling that Corvid remained silent; apparently she shared the sentiment

"I wouldn't waste a favour on having a few nobodies put in the ground, the hives are full of nobodies, I'd be no better off" Melanie reached into the top draw of her desk and withdrew a rolled up map of the continent of Vytal, smoothing it out on her desk she tapped a series of small fishing villages to the north, some almost as far as the jagged mountains which Team FADE's first mission had taken them across

"When you bagged Torchwick he must have been coming back from one of these backwater holes. We've had a _thorough_ look around but none of his stuff is there now. I've got a tip off that says he's bringing in goods from the South"

"What, from Vaccuo?" Corvid asked, Melanie's response was a simple snort

"As if any of the big five cartels over there would waste their time with him" she shook her head and indicated to a highway leading from the Kingdom of New Vale to a moderate sized settlement in what was largely deemed a no-go area in the dense forests between the Kingdoms

"There's an old military airship terminal here" Melanie explained "Holdover from when the logging industry first picked up there and the defences weren't built, it was meant for an emergency evacuation if the place was attacked by Grimm. This is where he's bringing goods in, get 'em air dropped in the middle of nowhere then drive 'em into the city to avoid the security"

"So you want us to hit a supply run" Felix surmised "Okay we can do that, when….and what's he bringing in?"

"Now you're getting it" Melanie cooed "It's tonight, three trucks should be coming into the city around eleven; catch them further down the road so there's no interference. Word is that there's a couple crates of imported guns, but the majority of the shipment is Booster"

"The drug?" Corvid raised an eyebrow

"Oh you've tried it?" Melanie asked conversationally

"No we blew his factory up months ago"

"Well done, hasn't slowed him down much. Which means he's getting outside help from somewhere" Melanie fished a pack of cigars from her draws and decided to dismiss the teens "Anyway, you know what your job is. Come back tonight after you've finished and I'll let you know what I've got on your people" she exhaled, the thick smoke blown in their faces serving as a rude yet unmistakable cue to leave. Corvid placed a hand on Felix's shoulder and led her brother out of the office, the pair of them remaining silent as the Lion Faunus's temper continued to bubble and fester below the surface; finally coming to a head when they left the establishment only to find a pair of Black Bear Syndicate members inspecting the Killer Bee

"Oi!" Felix's shout caused them to turn around just in time for the mobster nearest to the muscle car to by grabbed by the scruff of the neck and hurled several feet down the road, they're comrade attempted to intervene only for Felix to step into their personal space, clearly spoiling for a fight

"Just go" Corvid ordered, the mobsters did so allowing the Xiao Long siblings to climb inside the vehicle, Felix letting out a long sigh as he slumped in his seat

"So….nice to see the anger management sessions are paying off-"

"Fuck off Corey" Felix bit out, expression softening "Sorry sis. I just hate this y'know, I just wanna help….how the fuck have we ended stealing drugs to deliver them to the mob?"

"I know it sucks….But I Mala-might have an idea"

"That was abysmal" Felix sighed, finally starting the engine. Corvid folded her arms and pouted

"Do you wanna know the plan or not?"

"Fine I'm listening"

* * *

It was dark as the Killer Bee prowled along a single winding stretch of road beyond the Kingdoms' defensive walls; the only sounds filling the vehicles interior were the roar of the muscle cars' supercharged engine and the patter of the light rain against the wind-shield. Team FADE sat in tense silence as they approached their destination, Corvid's plan had been hard to sell to Felix's team-mates, Diamond especially having an instant distrust of anything involving the drugs Torchwicks' crew were bringing in; the deciding factor had been blunt assertions from both Felix and Eagle that they would be acting with or with out the support of Arctus and Diamond.

"Is that them?" Eagle asked nervously indicating to a light at the side of the road further ahead

"Yeah" Felix nodded, bringing the car to a stop behind the white van already waiting for them

"Let's do this then" Diamond breathed out "As much as want Booster off the streets, I'm still worried about this"

"Me too" Felix admitted before climbing out of the car and making his way to the passengers' side window of the van where Lux was situated, Iris being the one driving

"Hey, Corey and Rusty are in the back….We're definitely doing this then?"

"Haven't got a choice now, everything's been arranged" Felix shrugged "How did you manage to get a company car for this?" the Lion Faunus gestured to the side of the van which was emblazoned with the logo of Lux's fathers' construction company, the purple haired teen merely grinned

"Told my Dad I was taking an off the books mission involving a drugs bust" Lux chuckled at the disbelieving looks he was getting "What can I say, my dad hates drug dealers with a passion. He poured me a drink and told me to go knock some heads" the conversation was cut short by the sound of the rear door of the van opening and the remaining half of Team CLIR disembarking, Felix turned to his sister

"Where's-"

"It's taken care of. Don't worry" she assured him

"Hey….where's the Omega Wing?" Eagle asked

"Still not quite finished" Corvid admitted begrudgingly "About ninety five percent, I don't wanna risk it though….We don't need a mishap tonight"

"Agreed" Diamond breathed out, rolling her shoulders back and mentally preparing herself for what would no doubt be a difficult fight

"So how're we doing this?" Felix asked quietly, happy to default to Corvid's leadership. She pulled out the secondary weapon she'd been relying on in its' pistol form and thought to herself for a moment before speaking

"Trucks are gonna be coming in single file. I stop the convoy and when they react Lux lights 'em up then you, Eagle and Rusty follow us in and deal with Torchwick's crew"

"What about me?" Arctus asked

"I want you covering people with your Semblance" Corvid answered calmly, clearly having thought out her plan of attack beforehand "Diamond take position and snipe, leg shots if you can just in case anyone doesn't have an Aura. Iris you know what to do" the telekinetic member of Team CLIR nodded silently before drawing Venus Rising and resting the head of the oversized mace on the ground.

"Um, guys….I can see headlights" Eagle warned them, her apprehension evident

"Well" Corvid exhaled, cracking her neck as she shifted her pistol into its' sword form "Time to go be a mother trucker" with that she strode forwards with a determined scowl on her face directly into the first of an oncoming trio of trucks. Horns blared and tires screeched on wet tarmac as the driver attempted to avoid the young woman who'd seemingly wandered in front of the vehicle. Corvid braced herself arms folded across her chest, activating her Semblance as the truck failed to swerve aside and ploughed into her immovable form, the sounds of warping steel and shattering glass filling her ears.

"Holy shit" Diamond mouthed, she and Eagle being one of the only people who'd never seen Corvid's Semblance in action before were left stunned as she simply let the truck hit her, only for its' entire front end to crumple and bend around her as it was forced to a screeching halt; the second and third trucks of the convoy desperately swerving to avoid the first; as they came to a stop the air was filled with the shouts of the men and women within the vehicles as they leapt out, weapons drawn

"Lux!" Corvid bellowed, her partner needing no further instruction and sprinted towards the loose formation of enemies, body being lit from within and the air being filled with a high pitched whining noise which grew to a deafening crescendo as he unleashed his Flash-Bang Semblance. The other Hunters, having been warned in advance, had closed their eyes and covered their ears to give themselves some measure of protection from the onslaught, Torchwick's goons had not been so lucky and several of them were either currently on the ground clutching at their eyes and ears in agony or staggering around disoriented; this wouldn't last long and Corvid chose to capitalise right away, rushing to the nearest gangster and sending them to the ground with a running haymaker while calling out to her allies

"Show 'em why we're All Stars….Smash Mouths!"

"You heard the little lady!" Rusty barked as he charged into the fray, his revolver 'High Noon' already in hand and returning fire to the mobsters who had chosen to risk shooting while still blinded, his rounds hitting hands, shoulders and legs with cruel efficiency. Team FADE and CLIR found that their victory would not be as easy as first thought when another dozen or so mobsters leapt from the rear of the third truck in the convoy carrying weapons of far greater destructive force than the pistols and shotguns the goons they'd been dealing with were carrying. Arctus, Diamond and Iris had been hanging back as instructed and the Bear Faunus's eyes widened in shock as one of the new attackers calmly levelled a grenade launcher and fired in Lux's direction; a hastily constructed Glyph bore the brunt of the blast while Diamond aimed and fired Lex Talionis, revealing that the gangster hadn't unlocked their Aura when they fell to the floor clutching a wounded their upper arm; another gangster made a panicked dash for the weapon, only to be knocked aside by Eagle who ran and swung her shield in a wide arc; who in turn needed to be covered from heavy machine gun fire, another of Arctus's Glyphs flickering in front of her as bullets pattered harmlessly against its' surface. The gunman was tackled to the ground by Felix, the Lion Faunus hadn't drawn Hack and Slash instead he simply beat the man unconscious with a flurry on punches to the face. Arctus watched on from the sidelines, fighting the urge to draw his sword and run into the battle he shot a glance at Iris

"Where the hell are they getting guns like that from?" Iris was partially distracted, having detached the drone that formed the head of her mace and extended the shaft into its' staff form; her Semblance was controlling the drone while its' cameras fed a constant stream of images to her Scroll, images of the contents of the trucks; countless crates filled with all manner of weapons and ammunition. Frowning she mentally propelled the drone towards the next truck in search of what they came for while managing to spare enough attention to answer the question

"You're joking right? Go outside of any major city and you can find big guns, usually it's obsolete parts from a defence system that's-"

"ARCTUS! COVER FELIX!" Diamond's yell cut the conversation short, the Bear Faunus flung a Glyph between Felix, who'd just choke-slammed a gangster into the ground and the man aiming a crowbar at the back of his head, the brief moment it bought was enough for Felix to disable him

"I can't keep track of everyone" Arctus admitted with a growl, then an idea struck him and he withdrew a Fire Dust crystal while conjuring a smaller Glyph in his free hand "Diamond cover me a sec" then he focused, trying to block out the sounds of the ongoing battle until the blazing red Beowolf emerged from the Glyph, growing to the size of a large dog as it leapt to the ground

"Dude, what on Remnant-" Diamond mouthed out only for Arctus to give her a wink that would have been infuriating from anybody else then turn to his construct

"Now go!" The blazing Grimm silently bounded over to where Felix was holding his own as best he could, Aura flickering visibly as the mobsters showed far less restraint in their attempts to remove the threat than the Hunters were. The Lion Faunus stared at the construct in confusion before turning to Arctus, his expression silently demanding an explanation

"Power up" Arctus explained "Go Balrog!" Felix looked at the Grimm once again, before shaking his head and mouthing back

"Not here"

"Oh you've gotta be-" Arctus trailed off before turning his construct on a mobster readying what appeared to be a rocket launcher, its' footfalls made no sound and they were given no warning when the burning Beowolf simply exploded, hurling them several feet into the air. Arctus turned to Diamond with a smile "Told you I'd find a use for that"

"I've got all the evidence we needed, phase two of the plan is starting now" Iris informed them, Diamond was about to congratulate her until she saw another of the seemingly impossible amount of attackers sprinting towards the trucks

"That one's making a break for it"

"No she's not" Iris answered bluntly as she held out a hand and turned her Semblance on them, the woman found herself hurled into the air and then several feet down the road with the power of telekinesis. Iris then grit her teeth and turned to Diamond and Arctus "I'm gonna make sure they don't reach the trucks which means we're probably gonna get swamped, cover me" with that she focused herself, hair whipping around her body and asphalt cracking beneath her feet as her Semblance was pushed to its' extreme and all three trucks were hoisted into the air simultaneously

"Whoa" Arctus breathed out, struggling to think of anything else that could be said. As predicted those gangsters not already dispatched turned their attention to Iris, Arctus shielding while Diamond returned fire; Corvid, Felix, Eagle, Lux and Rusty taking advantage of their distraction and taking them down hard until a sound familiar to all them began to fill the air

Bull-Head engines

"Drop your weapons and get on your knees with your hands behind your heads! We have you surrounded!" the voice that bellowed from above them into a megaphone was that of Brindle Bordeaux, the Mastiff Faunus leaning out of the lead of a squadron of Bull-Heads while the sirens of approaching police cars could be heard in the distance. The mobsters looked nervously to one another before their resolve collective shattered and they obeyed the order.

Exactly as planned.

Several cables were deployed from the Bull-head above, which Officer Bordeaux used to make his way to the ground, flanked by several armed officers in full riot gear. Corvid approached him, casting a glance to her team as she did so

"Iris you can drop the trucks now. Lux, Rusty make sure she's okay" with the all clear given Iris allowed several tons of steel to crash to the ground and allowed herself to stagger forwards in exhaustion, her team-mates catching her and walking her to the van they'd arrived in. Corvid watched all of this before addressing the narcotics officer she'd enlisted as part of her plan

"You get the photos?"

"Yes we did, over half a millions' worth of Booster, a lot of weapons and they were caught red-handed. This is all gonna be destroyed before it can fall into anyone's hands" he held out a hand for Corvid to shake "Good work Xiao Long, very good work" the moment was ruined by one of the mobsters, who was currently having their hands cuffed behind their back, calling out

"Hey Dough-Boy!" the name made the colour drain from Brindle's face "Hey Bordeaux! Hey, I'm talking to ya, ya mutt! Ya know the boss is gonna kill you for this right? You're dead, your wife is dead, your kid-" the tirade ended when an officer brought the butt of their rifle down against the gangsters' temple

"Get these ass-holes out of my sight, medical attention then the cells" Brindle spat before turning to Corvid "I'm still gonna need your team to come down to the station with me, strictly for paperwork. This can't be totally off the books" Corvid nodded in understanding

"Fine, I'll come and Team CLIR will be in the car; they go home though" she indicated to the first years

"Corey-" Felix's objection was cut short when Corvid leaned in and whispered in his ear

"Go to the Bear and tell Melanie that the Narcs who went deep cover on Torchwick knew about the shipment. She still gets most of what she wants" her smile turned mocking "Tell her from me that nobody is gonna be getting as high as a Mala-Kite on Booster for a while" Felix in his exhaustion struggled to contain his laughter

"Yeah, don't worry I'll be sure to pass the message on" with that he turned and indicated for the rest of Team FADE to follow him to the car.

* * *

The four first year students fought to keep any trace of their shared uneasiness from their faces as they were escorted towards Melanie Malachite's office. When the Mafioso within gave her permission they entered and two of the four Hunters were taken aback by the sight of an unexpected second person in the lavish office. She looked far more professional and frankly imposing that the last time Arctus and Diamond had seen her, black leather boots and gauntlets in contrast to a stark white uniform featuring a coat with twin tails that reached to below her knees, pristine plating over her chest, upper arms and wrists and a pair of blades hanging from her waist, a sabre and short sword. Special Operative Kafsi Asteri's golden eyes narrowed at the sight of Team FADE

"What is she doing here?" Diamond demanded, venom creeping into her voice at the sight of the Specialist, from what admittedly limited information she had on her Diamond could already surmise that the older woman's way of thinking was anathema to her

"You know her?" Felix asked, he would have to wait for an answer as Kafsi herself simply disregarded them and turned to Melanie Malachite who had been watching them with some amusement

"I told you not to involve these children-"

"First of all" Melanie drawled out, turning and meeting Kafsi's gaze; it was a credit to the specialist that she didn't flinch under the scrutiny "Nobody _tells_ me anything. You can ask, politely. Just 'cos I know your boss doesn't mean you can come in here and give orders"

"In Atlas the proletariat know their place" Kafsi's words were cause for wide eyes and disbelieving glances all round; both Diamond and Melanie seemed to be struggling to contain their anger until Felix spoke up

"Okay, can somebody please tell me what the fuck is going on here?" Melanie beckoned Team FADE come closer, as they did so she stared at them intently, her suspicion evident as she indicated towards Arctus and Diamond

"I don't know these two. Where's your sister"

"My team" Felix answered dismissively, trying to disguise the fact his heart was hammering in his chest at the lie he was about to tell to one of the most prominent gangsters in the Kingdom "And Corey had to go file some paperwork with the police-"

"You were caught?" she demanded, Felix tried to look apologetic

"The Narc that worked his way into Torchwick's crew turned up with a lot of support. We managed to pass it off as us acting on an anonymous tip. So we couldn't bring you the Booster but Torchwick isn't selling it either….Hell he lost a lot of guns and people tonight as well" Melanie seemed to consider for a while before nodding in acceptance

"I can work with that, not bad kid. you're no Yang but if you wanna make more money than those Scavenger Guild fucks are paying then I might be able to find a job for you" she took a moment to smirk at just who disgusted by the idea Felix seemed before continuing "Anyway, you kept up your end of a deal so-"

"Malachite I must remind you that-"

"I must remind you" Melanie interrupted Kafsi and rose from her chair, stepping into the Specialists face "That you are in my house. I'm not my uncle, I don't tolerate disrespect"

"This is a mistake. I'll be reporting to my superiors" Kafsi finally looked away and Melanie gave her a derisive snort before turning to Team FADE

"So, full disclosure; I may have told a little white lie when I said I'd start looking for Antonia Arc"

"What?" Eagle's voice was a mix of fear, desperation and anger that was almost painful for her friends to hear. Melanie merely grinned "Because I was already looking for her. See Special Operative Asteri here came to me about a week or so before you did and told me that Atlas are making me an offer I can't refuse. Comply or vanish. But see the thing is, I don't like working for free so when you came and asked me to do something I was already being forced into….well, business is business" Team FADE shared a series of glances, each of them clearly angry at the deception but silently agreeing that the sting of being played would be worth it in exchange for information that could bring Antonia home safely

"Okay fine" Eagle muttered "What do you know about where my Mum is?" Melanie returned to her seat and made herself comfortable

"I don't know. What I do know is where the Shadow Cadre were; they hit a scrapyard I have some money invested in"

"A scrapyard?" Eagle was momentarily baffled, Melanie continued

"They turned up and roughed up the staff; the fuckers came with a shopping list of parts they wanted, turns out we had most of them lying around"

"Parts?" Arctus's eyes widened as the dots connected and everything seemed to instantly make sense to her "The laser batteries they stole….they need parts to get them working!"

"That's why the kidnapped my Mum!" Eagle exclaimed "They need her to make weapons for them"

"So if we can figure out what else they need then we can-"

"You can inform those actually qualified and capable" Kafsi interjected "Arc if you wish to see your mother safe again then do the sensible thing and stop interfering" the callous and almost bored way Kafsi spoke was enough to infuriate Team FADE, Diamond looked more angry than Arctus could recall seeing her, everything about the specialist seemingly tailor made to offend her; Felix's tail swished agitatedly behind his back as he took a single step forwards only for Eagle's hand to clamp down on his shoulder, her face resolute

"Don't waste your time on her, she's just a playground bully with a uniform. We've got what we need" with that she steered her team towards the door, hoping to be out of the presence of such cold-hearted people as soon as possible; that hope was reduced to embers when Melanie called after them

"Oh and kids, don't worry about the Booster. I've got someone in the evidence room ready to pick it up for me. I only need a sample" Diamond came to a halt, her team-mates stopping when they saw she'd broken away and was already stalking back towards the mobster

"You need a sample for what?" Diamond's tone promised danger, yet Melanie seemed to wilfully ignore the threat as she continued

"I can't find Torchwick's supplier, so I'm gonna get reverse engineer it; it's too good of a product to not get in on-"

"YOU BITCH!" Diamond shot forwards, all sense of self preservation forgotten as her hatred of the drug and anyone who sold sent her into a blind fury, her clear path towards Melanie's desk was brought to a halt as Kafsi unsheathed her short sword, the blade finding its' way beneath her Diamond's guard and being pressed against her neck

"Understand this, I don't care about Antonia Arc and I don't care about New Vales' junkies. I'm here for my career, which would be stained less by killing you than it would be by letting an informant be-" Kafsi never finished her sentence, instead she was forced to fling herself to the ground as a bolt of glowing pale blue light tore through the space she'd occupied. Kafsi, Diamond and Melanie all turned to see the source of the attack; Arctus was stood with Gefroren-Erbe in hand in its' rarely used plasma gun form, barrel smoking. Kafsi looked from the weapon to the hole blasted into the wall, its' edges molten and glowing. Her next words came out in a strained hiss that lacked any of her usual authority

"I will see you hanged for this" Melanie, seemingly in a state of shock that mirrored the condition of Team FADE, including Arctus himself regarded the situation and gave a single order

"Get the fuck out of my office" the teens hastily complied and all but ran out of the establishment in fear.

* * *

The Killer Bee came to a stop inside Halo Academy's on site parking facilities. Team FADE had managed, against all odds, to secure a flight back to the campus that would accommodate the car; though the journey had been far from pleasant owing to the oppressive silence and tense atmosphere between them, the radio hadn't been turned on leaving each of them with nothing to distract them from their own thoughts. As Felix killed the engine and clambered out the car his team-mates followed suit, Diamond swiftly making her way around to the drivers' side and grabbing Arctus's arm to get his attention; watching the pair of blondes continue on without them she met his gaze, concern evident in her cherry red eyes

"Can we talk for a minute?"

"Yeah sure, what's up" Diamond took a moment before answering, pacing somewhat agitatedly until she was sure there was nobody else within earshot then turning to him and demanding

"Dude what the fuck was that back there?"

"She pulled a sword on you so-"

"So you used an illegal weapon on her? Dude, do you have any idea how trouble you've just gotten yourself in?"

"What are you even angry about?" Arctus demanded "We're partners, I had your back. It's what I'm supposed to do"

"And I'm trying yo have your back!" Diamond shot back, rapidly becoming infuriated by the fact Arctus just didn't seem to understand "But you just attacked an Atlesian Specialist, that was beyond reckless-"

"What and rushing the Mafia Queen of New Vale wasn't?" Arctus asked incredulously; Diamond grimaced, well aware that her own actions had been ill advised

"She's gonna start selling booster, she's gonna be able to sell more than Torchwick could and kids are gonna die because of it Arctus and we gave her everything she needs"

"And as fucked up as that is I'm not gonna let something happen to you because of it Diamond, I love you!" the words were out of Arctus before he could stop himself and hung in the air for a few moments, the parking lot being deathly silent before Diamond shook her head

"Don't you _dare_ " her tone was harsh "Don't you dare try and play that card just because we're having an argument Arctus" the Bear Faunus recoiled as though he'd been slapped at her words

"Babe, I-"

"Don't babe me" Diamond cut him off, turning on her heel "Y'know what Dude. I'm trying to keep my partner safe; if this relationship is making us act like idiots and stop us from doing our job then maybe we need to rethink it. I'm going to bed" as she left Arctus stared after her, utterly numb as the reality of what had just happened sunk in.

 **Authors Notes:**

I can already hear the mob of villagers with torches and pitchforks coming. I embrace it.  
I've already got Chapter 34 planned out but I might take a break for a week after I write it just to stop myself from getting burned out.

Anyway let's summarise:  
I think the way the different members of Team FADE sleep reflects their characters a little, Felix sprawls and snores, Arctus and Diamond snuggle and Eagle is cocooned in blankets and buried under a mountain of stuffed animals.  
Also yeah, Diamond has lady abs.  
" _There is nothing that can protect you from me if you don't shut up"_ Diamond is many things, a morning person is not one of them.  
Headcanon Helios can dance. If you've seen the scene between Damien Wayne and Beast Boy in that Teen Titans animated movie, the scene at the carnival….I'm imagining Helios and Felix dancing to be a little like that, but gayer.  
Felix really does need to stop trying to act hard in front of Melanie, he's gonna get fucked up.  
So Torchwick's hook up for the Eco-Dust he uses to make Booster is coming from outside of New Vale, and we know it's not Vaccuo.  
Remember that Diamond is the only one who's really seen what the drug Booster does to people first hand, the rest of them dislike it on principal, she hates it.  
I promise we'll see the Omega Wing again before the end of this Volume.  
" _Mother trucker"_ that is all.  
Yeah Corvid's Semblance is at least as OP as Felix's. She just stopped a moving truck by standing in front of it and letting it hit her.  
Yes I made a Smash Mouth pun. No I don't feel shame.  
Here's the problem that Hunters have when fighting civilian criminals, they can't go all out without risking killing someone; they work best against Grimm and other people with unlocked Auras, otherwise it's like using a broadsword when you should be using a scalpel.  
So Arctus's new Fire Dust infused summon has two uses; remote explosive or he can use it in a support role and power up Felix's Semblance.  
Felix was in the right for not using it there though, he would have broken someone in half if he'd gone Balrog.  
Corvid arranged for Bordeaux to hit the drug shipment at the same time as Team CLIR and FADE, they keep up their end of the bargain to Melanie but at the same time keep the drugs off the street.  
Problem is of course that Torchwick's crew know Bordeaux.  
I told you Kafsi would be back, bet you didn't think it'd be here though.  
And it's schemes on top of schemes this chapter. Melanie basically played Team FADE by making them promise a favour for something in return that she was actually going to do anyway. Kafsi had already strong armed her into working for Atlas Intelligence.  
You didn't really think Melanie Malachite was gonna get played by a bunch of teenagers did you?  
So yeah Kafsi really is a bitch, think of her as the consummate Slytherin, in the worst ways.  
Also, a throwaway line from Ironwood in Vol.3 to Qrow "If you were one of my men I'd have you shot" basically confirms that Atlas does indeed have the death penalty. If Arctus was anyone else Kafsi's threat might actually have had some weight behind it.  
Arctus and Diamond's argument was actually originally going to be a lot worse, but I genuinely couldn't write it without it seeming OOC; the crux of it is that they're both super ready to protect their partner without considering that their partner might jump in and do something stupid to protect them  
All I can really say is; don't worry.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Araniladin, FleetOfWarships, CanadianCavalier, TigerRose, ShadowAlex2000, Arkanes Shippou, Unstoppable Cyborg, Ferrous and FluffyFirefly for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Also thank you to Boodawg for giving this story it's 200th review on FF Net on an earlier chapter.  
Oh please if pining and snogging was enough to distract teenagers then nobody would ever graduate. Give the kids some credit.  
The funny thing is I don't even really have a back muscle fetish. I'm just catering to the lesbian readers from Tumblr.  
I gave Eagle and Hellion the ship name "Tamagotchi" after those little cyber pet things, because of Sentinel and Marauder (Also Ganymede would work for the same reason and an extra Overwatch reference since Sentinel was partially based on Bastion) SumoSnipe has offered 'Broken Wings' and 'Flights of fancy'.  
I love how much everyone enjoys shipping my OCs, also I'm really glad as a straight person that I'm doing my LGBT characters justice; seriously to my LGBT readers, if I fuck up then tell me.  
I'm glad I managed to make your weekend a little better.  
And as for Eagle and Hellion….without giving too much away; yes.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	34. We Need To Talk

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 34: We Need To Talk**

Arctus sat alone in Team FADE's dormitory, flipping through channels on the television as nothing seemed to hold his attention or force the jumbled mass of disconnected thoughts occupying his mind into something approaching order. He wasn't sure if it was late morning or early afternoon at this point. Felix had left stating that he'd had a message from his mothers and needed to head back to Patch, his cousin hadn't gone into specifics but his obvious unease made it clear what he was expecting to face when he arrived home. Eagle had offered to train in the gym or go for a walk with him as an obvious way to distract him from thoughts of the previous night; Arctus had politely declined as he currently lacked the motivation to do anything at all. He hadn't seen Diamond all morning, upon returning to his dorm the previous night she'd already been in her own bed and had awoken early, leaving for breakfast while Arctus was still asleep. The Bear Faunus's stomach plummeted at the thought of his partner and his hand twitched towards his Scroll which was currently charging nearby as he contemplated the idea of calling her and meeting up so that they could talk things out, despite the fact he had no idea what to say to fix the situation. Turning off the television in an acceptance of the fact that he would find no distractions there Arctus flopped down on his bed, reaching for his Scroll and searching for his earphones, the first song on the playlist he selected was by the band Raphael Lake, a band he associated with Diamond due to how much she enjoyed their music. Arctus was prevented from throwing the Scroll across the room by the sound of it ringing, the tone indicating a video call. The momentary spark of hope that it might be Diamond being extinguished when he saw the caller ID; it was a call he'd been expecting but was decidedly not prepared for

"Hey Dad" he murmured as the image of his father, in full uniform wearing an annoyed scowl appeared on the screen, the older Faunus wasted no time on pleasantries

"Normally I'd ask for your side of the story, but considering that there shouldn't even be a story as you promised me you'd stay out of this I'm not really in the mood" Gangrel Slate hated raising his voice to either of his children regardless of what mistake they'd made or rule they'd broken, Arctus knew this and realised that the fact his father seemed to be making a conscious effort not to lose his temper with him was a very bad sign indeed

"So you've heard from Kafsi then?" Arctus sighed, sitting upright and squaring his shoulders

"You mean that you committed a war crime by firing a plasma weapon at her, right after doing favours for the mob. Yeah I heard about that"

"We weren't doing favours for the mob" Arctus growled irritably "Okay, well we were but we were doing it to get information about where Antonia Arc is-"

"Contacting the current undisputed boss of the criminal element of New Vale and getting them to help; it's a good idea Arctus I'll give you that" Gangrel paused and sighed "The problem is I had the same idea, I lived in Vale for seven years, I know the Malachite family-"

"And the best you could send was Kafsi?" Arctus demanded incredulously "She doesn't care about finding-"

"Operative Asteri doesn't care about Antonia Arc as person" Gangrel interrupted "You're right, she's a nasty piece of work. She's made no secret about the fact she wants your Aunt Winter's job but she'll settle for mine. She's a bigot, a bully and a narcissist. She doesn't believe I'm capable of running the specialist branch and to be honest she's got all the makings of a megalomaniac-"

"Then why in Oum's name did you send her here?"

"Because" Gangrel growled out "She's got a perfect record, one hundred percent success rate. She may not care about Toni as a person, but she does care about her as an objective. She would have done the job and came home with bragging rights; but you chose to interfere"

"She attacked my partner" Arctus tried desperately to defend his actions

"No, she defended an asset _from_ your partner" Gangrel countered bluntly "And it still doesn't excuse what you did. I don't think you fully appreciate how much damage you've done" the older Faunus's voice rose with every syllable and Arctus couldn't remember the last time he'd seen his father so furious; even the time Arctus had found where Gangrel kept his weapons stored while at home seemed to pale in comparison. Hanging his head, shoulders slumping he mumbled out

"How bad is it?"

"If you were anyone else the death penalty would be a serious consideration, twenty years inside if not" the words hit Arctus like freezing water and Gangrel watched the way his sons' jaw dropped and eyes widened, seeing that he was beginning to understand before continuing "Thankfully me and Winter have managed to do damage limitation; paid service to the Kingdom after you turn eighteen. On my ship" Arctus seemed to perk up at that, his birthday was at the beginning of the summer vacation and the idea of spending some of it with his father hardly seemed a punishment. Gangrel seemed to be able to surmise his sons' thought process and growled at him

"Don't you dare think this is a fucking reward. Winter has two seats on the council, her brother and sister run the SDC, her brother in law is head of the specialist branch and everybody knows her and Matte, the head of the fleet, had something going on for a while. A lot of people think the Schnees have too much power and are a threat that needs to be dealt with. You just gave them proof" Arctus seemed to fold in on himself, he'd been away from the political machinations of Atlas's ruling class and frankly he hadn't missed them in the slightest, his fathers' warning seemed to serve as a stark reminder that he would never truly be free of them

"I'm sorry" Gangrel nodded and took a deep breath, evidently far from calm before speaking again

"Take the plasma cell out of your weapon and take it to Rover and Missy's place. They'll message me when you do" Arctus was dumbfounded at the request, momentarily forgetting who he was speaking to

"You can't be serious-"

"You clearly can't be trusted with it!" Gangrel snapped "You've got one mission left on the year and that's inside the city, I checked with Goodwitch. You can make do with your Semblance and your sword or you can make yourself a new weapon. If you don't appreciate how dangerous a plasma weapon is, or why they're only for use against Grimm then I can't let you run around with one" the younger Faunus bit his tongue, fists clenching in frustration as he wanted to protest but knew that it would be futile, he'd made a mistake and now he was paying dearly for it

"Fine"

"Good" Gangrel nodded, flexing the clawed fingers of his cybernetic hand "And this had better be the last I hear of this. Stay out of the Arc situation"

"I can't do that" the words left Arctus before he could stop them, surprising even himself with the boldness. Seeing his fathers' raised eyebrow, amber eyes boring into him intently through the screen he continued "I'm sorry but I can't. Eagle's a friend, I can't leave this to someone like Kafsi; not when I was the one who gave you intel on the Shadow Cadre in the first place" there were several moments of silence between them that the word 'tense' utterly failed to do justice, Gangrel eventually ran his mechanical left hand through his greying hair and let out a sigh that spoke to weariness beyond belief

"You're on your own then kid"

"Dad-"

"Arctus you're my son and I love you, but if you won't listen then there are going to be consequences. This isn't just us having a disagreement, this is you telling me you're going to interfere with a covert mission in another Kingdom. If you risk Specialist Asteri's mission you're on your own. If she has to use force to stop you then she can and will" Arctus didn't have enough false bravado in him to make a comment about looking forward to it, it was a fight he would lose and he knew it.

"I hope it doesn't come to that, but if I see a chance to get Antonia Arc home faster, then I can and I will take it….and I love you too Dad" silence reigned again after that, both men wishing they could make the other see reason but neither knowing how. It was Gangrel that eventually broke the silence

"I've gotta go, I still have reports to file and operations to co-ordinate….Oum I actually miss being in the field"

"Bye dad" the call ended and Arctus huffed, sliding off of the bed and to the stand Team FADE kept their weapons on, removing Gefroren-Erbe he examined the oversized blade and noticed several scores in its' matte black finish that would need to be fixed after he was done gutting the weapon. With a sigh he sheathed the sword and made his way out of the dorm silently wondering how much worse things were going to get before they got better.

* * *

Felix manoeuvred his muscle car through the streets of Patch, listening to the Killer Bees' engine purr as he drove away from the docks and the more developed areas of the island and towards the Xiao Long family home. Upon receiving the simple message _'Come home we need to talk'_ from Yang the Lion Faunus had immediately contacted his sister and been surprised to hear that Corvid had not been sent a similar message, though that was far from enough to abate his nerves. Turning the radio up a little louder he tried to clear his mind by simply drowning out his thoughts with heavy bass and a roaring engine as he decided to push the car a little faster now he was away from the centre of the island before finally bringing it to a stop outside of his home, the sound of his arrival no doubt alerting his parents that he'd arrived. Exiting the car his eyes honed in on something visible from the corner of the fence at the front of the house, The Pearl, Aunt Penny's personal Bull-Head was situated in the clearing just beyond the garage and back yard. Intrigued and feeling slightly better he made his way to the front door and knocked before simply letting himself in

"Hey Blake, Yang, I'm home!"

"FELIX!" he barely had chance to prepare herself before twin streaks of hyperactivity given form collided with his legs

"Hey" the chuckled as he lifted each of the twins in one arm and having a somewhat devious thought as he stared at the freckled faces and silver eyes of Tai-Jaune and Summer-Pyrrha "I think I might be in trouble, have either of you heard anything?" they both giggled at his stage whispered question before Summer answered with a shrug

"Drunkle Qrow was growling about something" that caused Felix to nearly drop them, setting the twins down carefully and refraining from swearing in front of them he made his way into the living room to see five people already waiting for him. Blake and Yang, Penny and Ruby, the wound she'd received before his initiation to Halo Academy had faded to a barely distinguishable scar across her face. The fifth person was Qrow. Felix fought the urge to audibly gulp when Yang turned to him and gestured to an empty chair

"Sit down" her tone wasn't harsh but still lacked any of the usual warmth that most people would associate with Yang Xiao Long. When he was sat Blake spoke up

"I think we all know what this is about, but would you like to tell us your side of things" as Felix feared, it was obvious that they knew about last night

"I think we do but before I start; what have you heard and from who? I just want to know what I'm being accused of"

"You just want to know how many names to leave out of it" Blake countered, this was far from the first time his family had needed to have serious words with him about his behaviour, his temper and skill in a fistfight was notorious on the island

"Okay yeah" he paused and contemplated exactly what he was going to say and found words pouring from his mouth seemingly of their own volition "I think I messed up Mum, I think I got my team over their heads in something"

"Oum damn it" Qrow growled

"Hey" Felix almost jumped as he realised that Ruby was suddenly beside him "It's okay, talk to us. We're trying to help"

"So was I" Felix chuckled bitterly "I just helped hook Melanie Malachite up with everything she needs to start selling Booster on an industrial scale" his head sunk, he didn't want to see the looks on their faces. It was Penny that spoke first

"It was my understanding that you'd helped out members of the narcotics division before? Would they not be able to deal with this?" the first response she received was open laughter from Qrow, before Blake explained

"Melanie Malachite inherited her crime syndicate from Hie 'Junior' Xiong; currently Councilman Xiong"

"Oh" Penny said simply, the fact that the former gangster had progressed far enough in the political arena to have a seat on New Vale's governing body spoke both to how much dirt he had on his opposition and how futile any attempt to have his niece stopped or brought to justice would be

"That doesn't fit" Yang murmured "Melanie called me this morning, she said she'd been thinking on it all night and finally decided that she wasn't going to have your whole team killed in alley but all debts and favours are settled" the fact that he was being spared the mobsters' wrath felt like a weight being lifted from Felix's chest, only to be replaced by another with the shame of being such a source of trouble

"Why would she be that angry with your team if you just gave her something that useful?" Blake asked, doing her best to keep the judgement out of her tone

"I think we're missing a more important question here" Ruby gasped as she placed her hands on Felix's shoulder "Felix why?"

"I was trading a favour with her" the Lion Faunus paused for a moment to collect himself "She has her people keep their eyes and ears open for any information about Antonia Arc; we hit a shipment of drugs that Torchwick's crew are bringing in, we thought we were just crippling the competition. We handed them over to the Narcs….then we found out that she'd be able to get her hands on it and Diamond lost it, tried taking a shot"

"Wish she'd took a better shot, New Vale would be a nicer place" Qrow grumbled "You fucked up kid, you fucked up real bad"

"I had to do something!" Felix shot back "All these Hunters looking for Eagle's Mum and nothing's happened"

"Nothing that you've been told, because you're seventeen and don't need to be concerning yourself with this" Qrow countered easily

"This isn't solving anything" Blake interrupted

"Neither is letting the kid run rampant" Qrow argued, rising from his seat "Look Blake, Firecracker I love you both but someone needs to talk sense to the kid"

"Hey!" Felix barked, stunned everyone in the room with the venom in his voice "First of all old man don't ever talk to my Mum like that again. Secondly why are you even here?"

"Because" Qrow stepped directly into Felix's personal space "I'm one of those Hunters whose life you're making difficult when you get the mob involved"

"That's enough. Both of you" Yang stepped between them and physically broke the two apart, just as Felix decided to throw another barb

"Why though? What did you sleep with Eagle's Mum back in the day or something?" the atmosphere in the room changed, everyone was suddenly silent and the tension was palpable. Qrow ran his hands through hair that had been grey for years and something clicked in Felix's mind, he was right

"Oh for Oum's sake, you've gotta be-" he trailed off as a realisation hit him like a truck, staring at his Great-Uncles' annoyed face it became clear that the deep crimson eyes currently narrowed at him were identical in every way to those of Eagle Arc "No, no way"

"Whatever you think you just figured out" Qrow snarled "You forget about it right now"  
"You're Eagle's Dad!" Felix gasped, sinking back into his chair "Holy shit!"

"Felix you can't tell her" Yang warned him

"I can't not tell her!" he shot back "Uncle Qrow what the hell? How could you not-"

"Because I didn't know!" he bellowed, frayed nerves finally snapping "I hadn't seen Antonia in years, I only knew Eagle existed when I saw a photo of your team!"

"Why haven't you told her?" Felix demanded, the urge to fight leaving him as he struggled to process the information

"Because Toni begged me not to" Qrow answered quietly "She wanted to be the one to tell her"

"Well that's not looking likely right now is it?" Felix sighed bitterly

"Yes it is" Ruby assured him "Because we're going to find her. We just need you to focus on your training"

"Kinda the last thing on my mind right now"

"Fluffy please" Yang breathed out "I get it, I know this is going to be hard to keep to yourself. But do you really think Eagle needs any more on her plate right now?" the Lion Faunus growled, knuckles cracking

"Fine. I'll keep quiet"

"Thank you" Qrow murmured as he gently squeezed Felix's shoulder before turning to Penny and Ruby "We need to go"

"We're co-ordinating the efforts to find Toni" Penny explained upon seeing Felix's confused face. He watched the trio leave, Ruby thanking Yang and Blake for looking after the twins as she did so and giving the children a hug and assuring them she'd be back later before leaving. The sound of the twins playing in the next room was the only sound while Felix sat in silence, waiting for either of his mothers' to speak. When neither of them did he finally sighed

"You're mad aren't you?"

"Oh I was furious Fluffy don't worry about that" Yang answered with a frown "But I got most of it off my chest telling Melanie exactly what would happen if she ever threatened my son again"

"What you did bothers us Fluffy" Blake added "But we understand that you did it with the best intentions. This needs to stop though, you need to keep your nose clean before you get into something you can't get out of" Felix remained silent, his experiences with Melanie Malachite had been something of a wakeup call for him; though he was still determined to help his partner in any way possible

"So on a lighter subject" Yang grinned, clearly sensing how uneasy Felix was "How's school? We heard from Corey there's a redhead you can't take your eyes off"

"Oh for Oum's sake!"

* * *

It was late afternoon as Diamond wandered through Halo Academies' corridors, a vague destination in mind as she did so. She'd not been back on the campus long after leaving that morning. Diamond hadn't wanted to deal with the fallout of the previous night and had left early only to run into Helios while meandering the campus with less purpose than she was doing now; the two of them agreed that they'd spent far too little time hanging out and reconnecting since being placed on separate teams and decided to head out for breakfast for a catch up that seemed several years overdue after the summer they'd spent together when Diamond moved from one of Mistrals' cities to another. Over the course of the breakfast at what Helios agreed was the best Mistrali place in New Vale Diamond had teased, prodded and fished for information in an attempt to confirm or deny whether the redhead had a slight crush on her own team leader; admittedly it had been a distraction from her own problems but had been interesting nonetheless, Helios hadn't verbally confirmed anything but his body language spoke volumes. Later on they'd been joined by the rest of Team NEON and somehow ended up at an arcade where Diamond had proceeded to thrash Nyanza at every game they played while Ether and Olivine won several handfuls of prizes for each other.

Then they'd decided to return to campus and double check the assignments that were due to be handed in the next day, leaving Diamond roaming the campus in the direction of the canteen. Breakfast had been hours ago and she was famished, the fact it further delayed a conversation that she was by no means prepared for also played a larger role in the decision that she wanted to admit to herself.

"Oh come on!" she gesticulated wildly for the benefit of nobody in particular when she arrived at the canteen only to find it closed, Sundays not having the same service for the students as weekdays. The silver haired teen made herself comfortable sat on the floor as she contemplated heading back to Team FADE's dormitory and clearing the air with Arctus or finding something else she could do to stall for time

"Oh this is fucking ridiculous" she muttered to herself, realising just how much of a coward she sounded to herself; yet barely a moment later a thought occurred to her. There was someone she hadn't spoken to in so long it was frankly a little shameful and whose advice Diamond would greatly appreciate. Withdrawing her Scroll she found the contact in question and decided to make it a video call, a few rings later she was rewarded when a familiar face appeared on her screen

"Dee Dee!"

"Hey Mum, how've you been?" Diamond beamed at the sight of a face that bore striking similarities to her own; Emerald's tied back hair was a pale mint green and her eyes were perhaps not as narrow as Diamond's but the relationship was undeniable

"Busy and a little annoyed that my daughter never calls" Emerald's answer came with a pout that was clearly for show

"I know I know, I'm sorry" Diamond sighed at her mothers' good natured teasing "I've been busy with training and volunteer work and getting to know New Vale"

"And boys, unless I misheard Merc" Emerald winked "And something about you blowing up drug factories….good work on that" Diamond's face fell at the praise

"Yeah well the mob are still gonna be selling Booster for the foreseeable" she muttered "And it was a boy, singular" there was a rustling sound and Diamond returned her gaze to the screen and saw that Emerald had made herself comfortable on her bed

"Details child, I must have them" Diamond chuckled despite herself

"Arctus Slate, my partner….I actually choked him out at the airship docks on the first day-"

"First impressions and all that"

"Oh my Oum shut up" Diamond laughed "He's great. Really sweet, tall, nice shoulders, gives the best hugs. He had this really adorable crush that was super obvious but he never acted on it. We just seemed to click naturally, saved each others asses a few times and were just always hanging out; I think it was after our first mission that I kinda realised I'd gotten attached to the dumb-ass"

"Glad to see you're doing okay over there Dee Dee, I know you're smart but I still worry about you. He sounds nice"

"Yeah he is" Diamond breathed out, trailing off in away that immediately gave Emerald cause for concern

"What's wrong?"

"We argued last night….You know about the whole Antonia Arc situation right?" Diamond was aware that both New Vales' government and Poly-Tech had tried to keep the story as quiet as possible but there was no conceivable way that Emerald Sustrai wouldn't have heard something

"Heard a little, she went missing right?"

"Kidnapped, a group of pirates from one of the Anima tribes. Well her daughter is on my team so we've been doing what we can to help-"

"Oh I don't like where this is going" Emerald interjected

"Mum please" Diamond huffed with a roll of her eyes "Well we had the idea of talking to one of the biggest mob bosses in town and trading a favour. That drugs lab that got blown up was run by her competition, we take out one of their shipments and she has her people keep their eyes open. It went well until we got back to her office and she basically told us we'd been played. I did something stupid, Arctus did something even stupider to try and help and we ended up arguing about it afterwards. Oh and he told me he loved me" Emerald took all of this in and massaged her temples while letting out a slow groan

"The sad part is I can't even say it was simpler when I was a student, there was a war and I was on both sides" the older woman allowed herself a small smirk at the thought before continuing "Okay so the whole mob thing is an issue we need a whole separate conversation for Dee. Look I get wanting Booster off the streets and I get wanting to help your team but everything about this seems stupidly risky. You've seen what gang violence looks like as much as I wish you hadn't….You know better"

"I know Mum but none of us could sit around doing nothing"

"You're a go-getter and a helper. I'm proud of you" Diamond swore if she rolled her eyes any harder that she'd be able to see the inside of her own skull, Emerald continued on regardless "Now about your boy troubles….How bad was it?"

"I said if being together is going to turn us into idiots then maybe we shouldn't be" the silver haired sniper mumbled

"Dee-Dee I love you but if that boy from Signal you dated for years proved anything it's that love will always turn you into an idiot" Diamond's only answer was a wordless groan of frustration "And do you honestly think working with your ex is gonna be any easier than learning how to work with your boyfriend and not let it interfere with the job?"

"I didn't think at all" Diamond admitted "I was just angry at everything. It's like he didn't get that he could have gotten himself killed"

"Oh this sounds familiar" Emerald laughed "Merc and I have had arguments like that a few times. Sounds like you've both got each others' backs to the point of not having your own"

"I mean kinda"

"You're an idealist at heart Dee Dee I get it, but arguments happen" Emerald sighed "I'm not saying take him back and let him be an idiot….I'm just saying maybe you two should have another talk now you've calmed down a bit"

"You're probably right" Diamond sighed, not wanting to admit that was in fact something she was putting off out of sheer apprehension though Emerald seemed to pick up on it anyway

"Merc's gonna be back soon, I sent him to pick something to eat up. I'll tell him you said hi. Try and call more often please, I miss you"

"Miss you too Mum" Diamond replied with a soft smile "Okay wish me luck. I'm gonna go talk to my dumb-ass"

* * *

Eagle had originally intended to let off some steam in a rigorous training session in the gym when she'd left the dorm that morning; her plans had changed when she ran into Team AQUA in the canteen, her classmates had informed her that while not exactly pleasant outside it was the best weather they'd had for a while and were planning on using one of the less known settings on the outdoor training area, redirecting the hard-light projectors and nanobot caches from their usual purpose of simulating Grimm attacks to creating an artificial assault course for a more varied work out, this had naturally devolved into countless fits of laughter and something Eagle realised as she watched Aqua Tsuyu and Quartz Murus interact like the lovestruck couple that they were was that her bumbling shyness around the frog Faunus seemed to have vanished almost completely. Eventually they'd parted ways, Team AQUA returning to their own dorm leaving Eagle in search of something else to occupy her time; she wasn't sure she wanted to return to her own dormitory until whatever was happening between Arctus and Diamond was resolved. She found herself in the fiction section of the library, searching for something to indulge her love of tales of heroism when she heard someone clear their throat behind her, turning she saw her honorary Aunt and Uncle and gave Ren and Nora a bright smile, remembering where she was and catching herself before she greeted them far louder than was appropriate

"Eagle can you sit down with us for a moment" Ren may have asked but in reality it wasn't a question. Eagle nodded silently and made her way to the nearest table, caught completely off guard by the situation. Ren and Nora sat opposite her and exchanged looks before Ren placed something on the table that under normal circumstances would have made her smile fondly but now made her stomach plummet; a copy of the tales of the first Huntsman.

More precisely, her copy. The one she'd left with Hellion.

"I think we both know what I'm going to ask you" Ren sighed "I was the one taking her meal to her last night and I found this in her cell. Eagle, what's going on?"

"Nothing" Eagle tried to sound innocent "I mean not really"

"Please don't lie to us" Nora sighed "You're not in trouble-" Eagle couldn't help but snort at that

"You shouldn't even know she's here" Ren added

"I saw her when Uncle Flax was bringing her here" Eagle admitted "I didn't mean to, I was just out trying to clear my head. I couldn't pretend I hadn't afterwards, I had to talk to her, I wanted to know why they took Mum" Ren raised his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose while Nora visibly sagged in her seat before reaching over and gently squeezing the blondes' hand

"I understand, I really do. When I lost my parents I would have done anything for answers so I feel like trash telling you that you can't be involved in this but it's for the best"

"No it's not" Eagle answered bluntly "We're Hunters. We fight the Grimm and uphold justice….whatever she's done she shouldn't be tortured the way she was"

"Tortured? I don't know what she told you but nobody has laid a hand on her" Nora was clearly affronted by the suggestion, Eagle explained

"Not physically but she's never been alone like this before; the isolation is torture for her" her voice dropped to a whisper "She was cutting herself when I first found her, that's why I went back. I can't sit back and do nothing about Mum being taken and I can't sit back and do nothing about this either"

"Oh my Oum" Nora breathed out, Ren looked physically ill at the thought of what he may have contributed to before speaking up

"We have to tell Goodwitch about this-"

"It won't matter" Nora sighed "Qrow asked her so it won't change anything, besides it's not safe for her to be in a regular prison"

"But still"

"I'm still here" Eagle interrupted with an annoyed pout "I told her I'd keep coming back and she hasn't hurt herself since. She talks to me" Ren and Nora looked first at their niece then to each other, a silent conversation clearly taking place between them

"She hasn't said a word whenever Qrow's tried to get information out of her" Ren finally admitted

"If we okay this you have to promise us you have to be careful" Nora added

"I promise"

"You stay on the outside of her cell and you take Sentinel with you every time" the redhead insisted

"Don't you think that's a little overkill?"

"No" Nora answered bluntly "I've seen those knives of hers, Qrow asked us to keep her stuff for her. I want a weapon on her at all times whenever you're near her"

"Will a camera do?" Ren asked with a wry smile "Her cell isn't actually monitored visually. I'll tell Goodwitch I want one installed"

"I'll take both" Nora's tone made both Eagle and Ren chuckle despite themselves

"So it's settled then?" Eagle asked hopefully

"It's not ideal" Ren murmured "But nothing about this is. You've always been smart and you've always done what you thought was the right thing. I've never had a reason not to trust you"

"Just promise us that if she tells you anything about where her friends are hiding that you'll talk to us. Please don't rush in without thinking"

"Okay I promise" Eagle nodded, it was a promise she had every intent on keeping. Recent events had proven that a more experienced opinion was sometimes needed. Nora gave her a weak smile and slid the book across the table before adding

"And next time give her a library book or something, not one of your old birthday presents"

* * *

Gangrel Slate reclined on the sofa in the living room of Schnee Manor gently and absent mindedly stroking Weiss's hair which had been let down when she arrived home from the SDCs' primary research facility, while his wife made herself comfortable leaning against him in a display that would no doubt have caused her Father to criticise her posture. Weiss almost snorted, ' _As if that would be the first thing he'd complain about'_ Athena-Jade had been put to bed for the night, though Weiss suspected her daughter would have slipped out of her bed by now and was most likely playing in the dark. Winter was almost never at the manor, her flagship was more of a home to her than the place she'd grown up. Whitley was elsewhere, Weiss was never sure of more than that, her brother could be at the SDC head office attending to business or he could just as easily be out committing the kinds of debauchery that would doubtless make the front page of tomorrows' gossip rags. Weiss herself had a busy day ahead of her and was currently enjoying a lamentably rare chance to just drift off in her husbands' arms. Her eyes opened slowly as she felt the towering Bear Faunus adjust himself and peer down at her

"Do you think I was too hard on him?" Weiss pondered for a moment, she'd been furious upon learning what her son had become involved in before managing to calm herself down and look at things objectively

"I'm glad it was you that spoke to him, you have an understanding of things like this that I don't. He needs to understand Gangrel"

"I know, I know. I kinda feel like a hypocrite though….what he did was stupid and dangerous but he did it to cover his partner who's also his girlfriend. I'd have done the same for you" he paused for a moment "Not that you'd actually need me to cover you" Weiss smiled and swatted his arm playfully while nuzzling in a little closer

"Dolt. You're a good Father Gangrel….far better than mine ever was"

"That bar's so low I tripped over it" he snorted in response, earning himself another playful slap before Weiss turned to face him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling his lips down to meet hers

"Try not to be away too long"

"I'll try" Gangrel promised, sighing with annoyance that his duties would see him leaving the Kingdom the following morning. He gently extricated himself from Weiss and answered her confused expression with a smile "I promised Athena I'd read to her tonight; she already told me I'm the suckiest for leaving"

"That's just unacceptable" Weiss managed to choke out through her laughter "The attitude is bad enough but must she butcher the language as well? Oum she is _so_ your daughter" Gangrel merely beamed with pride, as he did almost any time his children were mentioned

"I'll be back soon, she'll most likely want the story about the Maidens again….One day she's gonna ask why I give the Winter Maiden a Vaccuan accent" Weiss moved gracefully from the sofa, arms wrapping around her husbands' waist as she stood on her toes to whisper in his ear

"If you're going away then I want to do a lot more than cuddle…..I'll be in our room" Arctus watched her leave and began trying to figure out just how many pages he could skip in the book he was going to be reading to Athena-Jade without her noticing.

* * *

The nights weren't as cold as they had been previously, snow having given way to a fine misty drizzle which soaked deep into Arctus's clothes. The Bear Faunus was currently sat on the roof of Halo Academy above his teams' dormitory. He'd returned from Rover and Artemis's home almost an hour ago having left the plasma cell from his weapon in their keeping. He'd made his way onto the roof after returning and finding the dorm empty and feeling as though it were more of a prison than a home at that moment, it just felt far too small. He told himself he was sat outside in the rain because he needed to clear his head and because it had been far too long since he just enjoyed the view; in truth he was sulking and he knew it. Eventually he heard the sound of someone approaching, from below, and was left nervously fidgeting as Diamond came into view simply walking up the wall with the aid of her Semblance wearing one of her baggy hoodies to fight the cold

"Hey….You left the window open"

"Yeah it only opens from inside, I can't get back in if I close it" Diamond nodded in understanding before sitting down beside Arctus, a little space between them that they were both painfully aware of despite their best efforts to ignore the awkwardness

"I get it" she shrugged "More than once back home I had to break into my own building 'cos I got locked out while I was on the roof….I used to play bass to myself up there sometimes, I thought I looked kinda brooding and bad-ass" she admitted with a snort

"You've got a Coal-Metalman Z right?"

"Oh my Oum! You remembered that?" Diamond couldn't help a soft laugh that escaped her even as her eyes widened; Arctus merely shrugged and the silence between them quickly grew tense until Diamond took a deep breath and decided that the direct approach would be the best

"So let's talk about what happened last night"

"Diamond I'm sorry, I messed up okay" Arctus looked utterly dejected and Diamond instinctively moved closer to him

"Yeah we both did, I'm sorry too….Neither of us were thinking in Melanie's office. I saw red and attacked, you panicked and attacked. We just need to work on it"

"There's still a _'we'_?" he sounded frankly terrified, Diamond hesitated before continuing, the potential answer frightening her

"There is if you want there to be"

"Of course I do" Arctus's reply came quickly, as if the words were spoken of their own volition; Diamond's answer was to close the distance between them and rest her head on his shoulder while his arm found it's way around her waist

"So I told my Mum we're dating….no doubt my Dad will find out, you may want to write a will" Diamond noted jokingly, honestly just happy that things were going so well

"Great" Arctus chuckled "I'd promise not to pull a plasma gun on him but I don't have one now anyway"

"What?"

"Kafsi told my Dad what happened….he was beyond pissed, told me take the plasma cell out of my weapon and give it to Aunt Missy" Arctus frowned as Diamond burst out laughing "Thanks for the support"

"Dude I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing at her" Diamond managed to gasp out before utterly failing to compose herself and giving into another fit of laughter "I mean wow, I knew she was probably middle class but come on she actually went to speak to the manager" it took a moment but a grin slowly spread across the Bear Faunus's face

"Okay when you put it like that it's funny" he admitted "So are we okay?"

"Yeah we're okay" Diamond leaned up and kissed his cheek "Wanna stay out here for a while? I know you enjoy the view….even if it's not Atlas"

"Wait, you remembered that?" Diamond rolled her eyes and pushed him back, resting her head on his chest while Arctus laced his fingers through her. There was a peaceful silence for a few moments before Arctus spoke, his voice quiet and somewhat timid

"Hey….I didn't tell you I loved you yesterday just to get out of an argument with you. I just want you to know that. I really do love you" Diamond exhaled slowly, this part of the conversation was not one she had been looking forward to

"Big Guy, I don't want to say it back. Not yet anyway"

"I-"

"You're great, you really are" she assured him "I just need time, don't want to start throwing words like love around after a couple months. I'm not saying that I don't love you or I never will, I'm just asking you to let me get there in my own time"

"Okay"

"Okay? That's all?" Diamond had been expecting it to become an issue; Arctus squeezed her hand and held her a little tighter

"Dee take all the time you need, I'll be right here" she chose not to answer verbally, instead rolling over so that she was on top of him and cupping his cheeks "You're gonna tell I'm a dork right?"

"No" Diamond grinned with a roll of her eyes "You're a dumb-ass….but you're my dumb-ass" whatever Arctus intended to see in response was muffled by her kissing him

 **Authors Notes:**

You can all put the torches and pitchforks down now.  
Anyway, I may or may not be taking a week off of this story. I have a rough idea of what needs to happen between now and the finale of First Year but I want to take some time to get it all planned out.  
Also I had an idea for a Pokemon survival horror story that I might do something with.  
I got laid off a couple days ago so I've got a bit more free time to write but honestly I hope the situation doesn't last; either way don't expect the daily uploads of The Downward Spiral to make a comeback.

Now let's summarise:  
Poor Arctus, I'm imagining "No sunshine when she's gone" playing.  
Oh yeah, Gang is pissed; rightfully so.  
The "Unpaid service to the Kingdom" on Gang's ship is me setting something up for second year.  
I mean when you put it that way, the Schnee family does actually have too much power.  
Again, Gang is right to be pissed and he has a point.  
Arctus just directly put himself at odds with the entirety of Atlas's military; Gangrel is probably the proudest he's ever been but can't show it.  
The twins, since they're a fan favourite.  
If you remember in Chapter 2 Ruby had a slash across her face from a mission, now it's just another one of her scars.  
"We're trying to help" "So was I" damn, I could actually feel Felix's soul fracture there.  
Yeah Melanie is effectively untouchable, as far as we're aware the Kingdoms don't have an elected leader. The fact that Junior is now on New Vale's council makes her above the law.  
I know Qrow seems a bit of a dick in this chapter, he's dealing with a lot. Antonia is someone he knows and also the mother of a child he never knew he had which is a whole different situation, he's also still the one searching for the new Maidens and Wizard, then his nieces son decides to get involved with the Mafia; he's trying his best.  
Does it seem a bit too much like pot convenience that Felix figured it out like that?  
Just imagine that conversation between Yang and Melanie, it was glorious and we all know it.  
Had to end that scene on a lighter note.  
I haven't done as much with the fact that Helios and Diamond already knew each other as I could have.  
Nyanza's Semblance still doesn't extend to video games apparently.  
A Diamond and Emerald conversation, because I know you all wanted it.  
"My Dumb-ass" is a recurring thing at this point.  
So Eagle is over her crush on the leader of Team AQUA, character development….and I know certain people can guess where I'm going with it and are already squealing.  
I can't imagine either Ren or Nora being okay with Hellion being kept in solitary if they knew what it would do to her.  
So Eagle sort of has permission to interact with Hellion now.  
The trust that Ren and Nora have in her is great.  
Athena-Jade has no respect for bedtime.  
Whitely just being the personification of "Antics" is the kind of thing I'm here for.  
 _One day she's gonna ask why I give the Winter Maiden a Vaccuan accent…._ If you read The Downward Spiral you'll get it.  
The Weiss and Gang scene is mainly for the old readers who've been here since The Downward Spiral, but also Gangrel is leaving Atlas for a while, wonder where he's gonna turn up.  
Anyone else think it's cute that Arctus and Diamond randomly remember little details from their conversations with each other like that.  
Special Operative Kafsi _"I want to see your manager"_ Asteri.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Araniladin, ShadowAlex2000, TigerRose, FleetOfWarships, Unstoppable Cyborg, Arkanes Shippou, Ferrous and FluffyFirefly for their reviews on the last chapter.  
You really doubted me? Me off all people?  
Is it really arrogant if you know for a fact that you can't be touched, she's like Ozymandias in the Watchmen when it comes to this business.  
I have plans for Kafsi, they're not pleasant but I'm not going to explicitly say I'm killing her off yet.  
The thing about Eagle and stuffed animals has been mentioned a few times, Nora gave her a three foot tall stuffed Ursa for her birthday.  
Corvid's Semblance doesn't actually work that well with the Omega Wing, she needs to be on the ground and stationary in order to use it. Also the Omega Wing in battle suit mode is so big that not all of it is covered by her Aura, which is how the wing was damaged in the first place.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	35. Almost Normal

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 35: Almost Normal**

Team CLIR were currently in their dormitory, spending their last night at the academy for an uncertain amount of time in relative peace and quiet, attempting to mentally prepare themselves for their third and final mission of their second year. Their dorm was situated several floors below where the first years resided, more a matter of which dorms became available as students graduated than actual planning and though Team CLIR had spent most of their first year studying at Haven Academy in Mistral while competing in the Vytal Tournament it still bore several signs of their personalities. The beds were arranged at right angles to each other, Corvid and Iris having bunk beds along the rear wall while Lux and Rusty shared a bed, this gave them all a good view of the large flat-screen television mounted in the opposite corner courtesy of Lux. Beside the bunk beds was the stand which held the teams' weapons; the Omega wing taking up the vast majority while Iris's mace had to be rested against its' side to prevent tipping the entire structure. Closets, draws and a writing desk were forced haphazardly into whatever space was available around the perimeter of the room almost as an afterthought, the draws being littered in several knick-knacks that originated in Menagerie, gifts to Iris from her father. The walls were covered in a plethora of technical drawings and movie posters. Rusty's seemingly sole contribution was a small collection of photographs of the team ranging from snaps taken on his dates with Lux to a selfie Corvid had taken as they returned from their first mission as a team to a news article covering the first round of the Vytal Tournament which used a picture of the four of them standing victorious. If anyone asked Rusty simply said that his team was his family.

"Wanna call it a night or are we gonna try and marathon the trilogy?" Corvid asked as the credits began to scroll on the movie they had been watching

"Probably smarter to call it a night" Iris shrugged

"Which means she won't" Lux snorted, turning to face his partner from where he lay with his head on Rusty's lap

"Ass-hole" Corvid shot back with a good natured grin "I just can't believe how fast this year's gone"

"I know right" Iris chimed in "So who's doing what for the summer? I might be away for a few weeks" her eyes seemed to dart to Rusty a moment after she spoke, seemingly realising that it may have been a bad subject to bring up considering his home life

"I'm gonna be hanging with my twink of a partner and living a life of Lux-ury" Corvid smirked

"You're not the only one" Rusty grunted, confirming that he was in fact awake and hadn't fall asleep during the movie "Shall we tell 'em darlin'?"

"Tell us what?" Corvid eyed the two suspiciously, scanning their fingers for a ring that hadn't been there before and finding none

"I spoke to my parents about what life's like for Rusty in Vaccuo….they said they can't in good conscience let him go home to that. So Dad offered us part time work over the summer with the company and Rusty's gonna be staying with me"

"Wait, wait, wait" Iris's face morphed into a wide smile "You're moving in together?"

"Well we don't have our own place yet" Rusty noted "But close enough"

"Aww that's so sweet" she leaned over and ruffled both or their hair before turning to Corvid "Come on Corey I thought you'd have something for this"

"I know I feel like I should" she shrugged "You could say I'm getting Rusty….though not as much as Lux will be all summer"

"And there it is" Lux sighed, his words drowned out by the sound of his team-mates' laughter. Corvid was eventually distracted by the feeling of her Scroll vibrating in her pocket, removing the device and opening it her steely grey eyes seemed to light up

"From Celadon?" Lux asked upon seeing her expression

"Who are you and what have you done with Corvid Xiao Long?" Iris teased

"Oh fuck off" Corvid had expected the jokes from the moment she told her friends she was dating someone. Her forte was purely physical relationships, something she'd enjoyed several of while in Mistral but what was happening between her and the waitress was different and Corvid was finding herself very far from her comfort zone and enjoying every moment of it. She just stared at the text message notification for a few moments, torn between annoyance that Celadon was working tonight and thus unable to spend the last night before Team CLIR were deployed with her and a giddy feeling that the self proclaimed heartbreaker was utterly unused to at the idea that she was thinking about her. The latter emotion soon fizzled and died like embers in the rain when Corvid finally opened the message, expression becoming more distraught with every line of text until finally reaching an equilibrium of blank stunned silence

"Corey, you okay?" Lux asked, realising that something was wrong "Corey?" she was vaguely aware of Iris moving beside her and reading the message over her shoulder before gently pulling her into a hug

"No….I don't even….Damn. Corey I'm so sorry, do you wanna-"

"No it's fine" Corvid cut her off before hopping off the bed in search of her boots and making a point from hiding her face from her friends as she fastened them "No really I'm fine, it's better like this"

"Little lady it sure don't sound like it" Rusty made to rise from the bed he shared from Lux only for the purple haired teen to place a hand on his chest

"Let her be….Corey y'know we're here if you need us right?"

"Yeah of course" neither Lux or Rusty knew what the message had said but both of them could make an educated guess and Corey's false cheery tone was more unsettling than any amount of crying would have been. Corvid busied herself by attaching her hefty gauntlet to her left arm and pressing the series of commands that would remotely activate the Omega Wing; the drone which was finally fit for action came online and hovered several inches above the teams' weapon stand before following Corvid who was making for the exit, its' turbines running almost silently, having been improved as well as repaired

"Just heading out for some air" more of the false cheery tone

"You sure? We're shipping out tomorrow" Iris reminded her, Corvid merely shrugged

"Not tired" her words had barely left her lips before she left the dorm and began stalking along the corridors with her aerial drone following her. Eventually she turned her attention to her scroll and swiftly closed the message which she had no desire to read again. Hands trembling slightly she typed out a message of her own.

' _I could use some company. Wanna hang out?'_ she stared at the text and realised she wasn't exactly sure to whom she would be sending it. Perhaps one of her old flames who could interpret ' _Hanging out'_ as they pleased; the idea was quickly dismissed in favour of someone she thought may actually be able to lift her spirits. Felix.

* * *

Arctus and Diamond made their way through the neon lit streets off New Vale, the night sky illuminated by countless decorations celebrating the upcoming centennial festival in addition to the regular glow of the sprawling metropolis; in the week since their attack on Rhodium Torchwick's drug shipment the weather had improved somewhat; the night air was still cold but it was no longer raining on a near constant basis and while Diamond still used the temperature as an utterly unnecessary excuse for closeness to her partner and boyfriend Arctus found the climate enjoyable, warmer than Atlas yet not the clammy heatwave of New Vale's summer.

"Not a bad shift, happy for Chartreuse as well" Arctus noted, simply to break the silence. Diamond merely hummed in agreement, the young woman in question was a former militia fighter in Vale's defences during the war, barely sixteen years old at the time; she'd been offered a job as a cook on a ship which took regular voyages to Menagerie and would be leaving the Mercy Foundation; the other residents would miss her but all were glad to see one of their own getting their life back on track

"Dude it's awesome. I really hope everything works out for her" the Bear Faunus felt a sudden urge to kiss her so he leaned down to do so, heart beating a little faster when Diamond stopped him only to give him a sly wink and lead him down a small and disused side street between two of the gargantuan tower complexes, walls covered in graffiti and nay security cameras that had ever existed having long since been removed

"We haven't had any time alone all week" she answered in response to excited yet slightly confused expression, wrapping her arms around his shoulder while he gently pressed her back against the wall

"We've got time before our flight" she breathed out huskily before pulling him into a slow yet intense kiss which coaxed a low rumbling growl of pleasure from him as he returned the kiss, hands trailing upwards from her hips beneath her tank-top

"Thought you didn't want us to be _'that'_ couple" Arctus teased as they broke apart momentarily

"Dude shut up, or we can stop if you want?" Diamond teased back before curling her fingers in his shaggy hair and kissing his neck, gasping as his fingers brushed against a sensitive spot on her spine. The moment while enjoyable, was brief, Diamond stopping suddenly leaving the Bear Faunus more than a little frustrated

"What's wrong?"

"Grimm" her tone was suddenly deadly serious

"What?" the answer didn't make sense to Arctus, they were inside the Kingdom's walls and Grimm had no business being here. The two of them broke apart, Arctus following Diamond's gaze while she silently withdrew Lex Talionis. Arctus's eyes widened in shock, scurrying along the opposite wall with its' clawed feet cutting into the surface while it sniffed, seemingly in search of an entrance was a Plague-Bearer; the rat like Grimm was as long as his arm without including it's barbed whip like tail and sported a the spiny bone carapace common to all creatures of Grimm and oversized fangs which prevented its' mouth from closing

"Shoot it" Arctus, breathed out

"I don't know what's on the other side of that wall, I don't want to risk a stray shot hitting someone on the other side….get it off the wall for me" the Plague-Bearer against all odds seemed to be ignoring them, though this changed when the surface beneath it was engulfed in the glowing white of one of Arctus's Glyphs, severing the clawed tips of its' digits and sending it crashing to the ground below. The Grimm thrashed and shrieked in protest before tearing off as fast as it could on its' mutilated feet, a trio of Shot's from Diamond doing nothing more than pockmark the ground as it weaved around them

"Damn it. Come on!" she motioned for Arctus to follow her before sprinting after the Grimm

"Want to me set another Glyph up and box it in?" he offered

"No!" Diamond called over her shoulder "I wanna see where it runs to!" the pair of them chased the Grimm through the abandoned side street, following the light of its' four beady glowing eyes until it managed to make it's way out into a more open street, the two Hunters close behind until Arctus roughly grabbed Diamond's shoulder; a truck that had been about to hit her swerving, tires screeching and narrowly avoiding a collision. The silver haired sniper returned the verbal abuse hurled from the drivers window before frantically scanning the area for any sign of the Plague-Bearer

"There it is!" Arctus barked as the sound of tearing metal reached their ears, the Grimm had managed to use their momentary distraction to begin voraciously chewing through a manhole cover and begin forcing its' body through the hole

"I've got it" Diamond answered calmly, a single round from Lex Talionis bored a hole through where the monsters' spine would be, the bullet burying itself in the tarmac as it exited. Collapsing her weapon and replacing it under the sash she wore over her shoulder to cover her ammunition supplies she turned to Arctus

"What do you think Big Guy, wanna go check down there?"

"No" Arctus shook his head and thought for a moment "We tell Goodwitch. If anything it's just something we missed on our last mission that's found it's way to the surface" Diamond pursed her lips before conceding the point, the chances of Team FADE managing to exterminate every single Grimm that had managed to find it's way into the tunnels beneath the Kingdom alongside the Minotaur and Rat-King they'd faced were slim

"Okay" she then withdrew her Scroll and saw the time and simply clutched Arctus's hand, leading him sprinting in the direction of the Bull-Head terminal they needed to be at.

* * *

Felix stepped out into the brisk air, seemingly impervious to the chill as he made his way along the yellow brick road which paved the thoroughfare between Halo Academies' campus and its' own dedicated airship terminal; his eyes adjusted quickly and easily to the darkness allowing him to pick out the details of the golden statues lining his path, all of them students of Beacon who had fallen in the war; Felix knew many of their names and stories courtesy of his family. Making his way towards the airship terminals he looked for any sign of his sister who had asked to meet him here, eventually spotting her as the gleam of the overhead lights was reflected by the glossy black surface of the Omega Wing as it hovered beside her while she sat on a bench with her head down

"Hey Sis!" he called out as he approached, she didn't look up and instead merely waved. Felix shrugged this off and took a seat beside her, giving her aerial drone a grin which displayed his large canine teeth

"Sweet you managed to finish it, so what's up?"

"I'm shipping out tomorrow just thought you'd wanna hang….besides I was gonna ask if you wanted to test it out with me but there's no flights heading into the city" a quick glance towards the nearby electronic screen confirmed that she was correct, the only flights arriving at the terminal for the rest of the night would be returning to their hangars afterwards. Then Felix noticed that something seemed off with Corvid's tone, her voice was stuffy as if she'd been crying

"You okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine why wouldn't I be?" her words were punctuated with a sniffle and Felix turned and paid proper attention to her for the first time, realising that tracks stained her cheeks where tears had fallen

"Corey what's wrong?"

"Nothing, seriously I'm-"

"Come on for Oum's sake Corey it's me you're talking to" Felix gave her an exasperated sigh and Corvid slouched and remained in defiant silence for a few moments before speaking

"Fine" the word was spat with a bitterness Felix was unused to hearing "I was dating someone okay"

"Okay?" Felix waited for her to continue

"That coffee shop we met Mousey at, the waitress there, the cute one. She's called Celadon, she's a couple years older than me and she's awesome….It was going great, I was actually gonna ask her to come and meet you and our Mums when I got back from this mission"

"Whoa" Felix breathed out, he'd never known his sister to actually treat dating as more than casual fun, then the fact that she was speaking in the past tense registered in his mind and the dots connected themselves in his mind, his instantly becoming soothing "Oh no, sis….what happened?"

"She broke up with me" Corvid answered bluntly "By text"

"Text? What the- Nah who the fuck does she think she is? Fuck her she's not even worth being upset about. I bet she drinks pumpkin spiced latte as well" the Lion Faunus demanded indignantly, getting a watery laugh from Corvid

"I knew you'd know what to say. Read this" with that she withdrew her Scroll and opened the offending message which Felix proceeded to scan

' _Hey I know this is a bad time but I think we need to have this talk. I'm sorry Corey but I don't think I can do this. I know that tomorrow is only a training mission but I've still been worrying myself sick thinking about everything that can go wrong. I know that being a Huntress is your dream and I'd never ask you to give it up but the missions are only going to get worse and I can't spend my whole life worried about if the person I'm dating is going to come home safe. I'm so sorry but I'm not strong enough for this. You deserve better and I hope you find happiness Corey but I don't think it could ever be with me'_

"So she wanted out as soon as things got hard" Felix growled handing Corvid her Scroll back "Her loss. You'll meet someone else" Corvid merely shrugged

"Maybe, honestly I gave the whole dating thing a try….I don't see the appeal. Think I'll stick to casual"

"Hey do whatever makes you happy Sis" Felix shrugged, Corvid reached up and ruffled his dirty blonde mane

"Thanks"

"Do whatever makes you happy except touching my hair, don't do that" he grumbled

"You'd be lion if you said you don't love it really. So now we've got my tragic love life out of the way, what about you and your buff redhead?"

"Corey you are such a bitch sometimes y'know that right?" Felix sighed, getting a laugh from her

"Of Corv….Okay yeah that one was bad"

"And nothing's happening with me and Helios, despite what you told our Mums"

"But you like him" it wasn't a question

"He's….I mean….Look I don't know Corey, he's good looking yeah and I like hanging out with him but I'm not gonna ask the guy out just 'cos he's there"

"Hey you do whatever makes you happy bro" Corvid shrugged turning his own words back on him. The two of them sat in peaceful silence for a while, neither of them exactly sure how long, before Felix spoke up

"So you're shipping out tomorrow?"

"Yeah, last one of the year" Corvid confirmed "In theory it's gonna be a few weeks. I don't know any more than that"

"In theory" Felix sighed

"Grimm don't work to a schedule" Corvid shrugged "Hopefully I'll be back for the festival though"

"That's gonna be Team FADE's mission" he noted "All the first years are working security detail"

"Oh I am gonna embarrass you so bad" Corvid assured him with a devious smirk, the two of them shared a soft chuckle which slowly died down allowing Felix to give his sister a quick glance

"You gonna be okay Sis?"

"Yeah" she sighed "Yeah I'll be okay. It sucks, I liked her a lot but it Cela-don't matter"

"So you still wanna test the Omega Wing out?" Felix nodded in the direction of the academy "We can use the training area"

"Sounds like a plan" with that Corvid propelled herself off of the bench, the Omega Wing silently following her, Felix following suit as something occurred to him

"Wait….I'm not target practice right?" the lack of an answer was unnerving "Right? Hey Corey-" as the two of them left neither of them saw one of the last Bull-Heads of the night approaching in, it was perhaps for the best as Corvid may have been laughing with her brother but so soon after a breakup she was in no mood to deal with Arctus and Diamond as they left the craft hand in hand and giggling amongst themselves.

* * *

Eagle made her way along the secluded corridor in a floor of Academy between the parking lot and the control rooms operated my an unseen staff who operated the aerial platforms massive anti-gravity engines, she and her team-mates were quite possibly the only students who knew that Halo Academy had it's own small on-site detention facilities. It had been a week since Ren and Nora had begrudgingly allowed her to continue her previously secretive meetings with the captured Hellion Eudialyte though this was her first time returning to the Dragonfly Faunus's cell. Homework seemed to have increased drastically this last week and Eagle suspected that Aunt Nora may have had something to do with it, the redhead could be far sneakier than most people suspected when the need arose. As she walked, humming to herself she looked back on the week; the continued lack of progress in the search for her mother was disheartening but she'd stayed true to her word and not taken matters into her own hands any further. Things had returned to almost normal with the exception of the inexplicable strange looks that Felix had been giving her, she'd caught him staring at her wearing an almost worried expression several times but had thus far been unable to get an explanation from him; instead he assured her everything was fine and asked is she wanted to come to Patch with him the next time he visited his parents.

"Doot Da Doot!" Sentinel chirped, bringing her focus swiftly back to her surroundings. She'd reached the end of the corridor, Hellion's cell barely a dozen feet away

"Wait here" she patted her companion on his gleaming metallic cranium and closed the distance between herself and the bars, noticing that Ren had in fact managed to get a security camera installed

"Um, hey?" Eagle received no response, then she caught sight of Hellion sat beside her small bed, cross legged with her hands clasped in front of her while her head was slightly bowed. The blonde unconsciously chewed her lip as she took in the sight of the Dragonfly Faunus. Hellion's previously wounded wing had fully regrown though the attack she'd suffered in prison had left a scar which drew attention to her collarbones, her bust was slightly larger than Eagle's own and while she lacked Eagle's impressive musculature her arms were well defined, something made all the more noticeable by the tattoos adorning her left arm from the elbow to the shoulder and guessing from what her prison issue vest revealed, extended onto her chest a little as well.

' _You stop that'_ Eagle mentally chided herself, annoyed at just how susceptible to a pretty girl she was; but the fact remained that whatever severe complications existed, Hellion was distractingly good looking

"If you want something then take it, staring will get you nothing little canary" a smoky voice taunted and Eagle's cheeks coloured as she realised Hellion had caught her looking at her for what was probably far longer than was polite; she rose to her feet pushing deep purple hair out of her face, light brown skin coated with sweat and jade eyes regarding Eagle

"What were you doing?" Eagle asked, trying to shift the focus away from her own embarrassment

"Meditating" Hellion answered simply "Focusing my Aura as much as this collar allows"

"H-how have you been?"

"Imprisoned" she cast her eyes downwards, seemingly unable to meet Eagle's gaze as her wings shuddered; when she next spoke her voice was a harsh snarl "Your book was stolen, some pretty Hunter with long hair, glasses and a scar on his face. If I see him again-"

"Um, that's my Uncle….he actually bought me that book in the first place" Eagle was torn between being amused and flustered at the range of expressions Hellion's face went through before settling on a mildly annoyed scowl.

"Then I'll let him keep his hands" she huffed out, sounding less like the battle hardened fighter and experienced raider that Eagle knew her to be and more like she was sulking

"Thanks" she chuckled "Did you at least enjoy what you managed to read before it was confiscated?" Hellion's only response was to turn away completely, wings almost buzzing which Eagle was beginning to realise gave a clear indication of her mood

"Hellion?" the raider hissed something out, syllables rushing into each so fast that Eagle was left blinking confusion

"I'm sorry I didn't hear-"  
"I said I can't read!" she spat before taking a deep breath "Not in your language anyway"

"Oh" Eagle was left struggling to process the information. All four Kingdoms and the Faunus homeland of Menagerie had spoken the common tongue, based on the language of lands that had become Vale for so long that the records were almost lost to time; the only real indications of a time when this wasn't the case were those academics who studied the old languages and the fact that almost all towns and cities across Remnant were named in their respective Kingdoms' native language, as were many airships. Then Eagle realised with a start that she had actually heard Helios speak in his native tongue on more than one occasion

"I'm sorry" she gasped, explaining hurriedly "I didn't realise, I've only met one of person from the Anima tribes and they've never mentioned having problems so I-"

"What tribe are they from?" Hellion turned to face her again, expression equal parts curious and apprehensive

"Um, well his name's Helios Nikos if that helps?" Hellion's eyes widened

"The first son of the Nikosi is here?"

"You've met?"

"No" Hellion shook her head "His tribe are Mistral's lapdogs. They enforce the Kingdoms' law where they have no right, fortunately they never venture into the North. Though the stories have reached us….is he as skilled with a blade as they say?"

"I haven't seen him lose once all year" Eagle admitted. Hellion nodded silently, seemingly expecting as much

"But, um, would there be anywhere I can find you books in your own language?" Eagle asked, hoping to lessen how much of an idiot she currently felt

"Not that I know of" Hellion sighed "All of my people, most of the tribes in fact, can speak at least two languages but we don't all learn to read as children the way you do. I can read my own language fairly well but the only one of people left who can read the common tongue is Onyx. His father demanded it of him"

"But you're missing out on so much" Eagle was stunned, the idea of illiteracy was something she could barely imagine

"Books can lie easier than people and carry just as much bad news" the raider shrugged with a frown

"I'm gonna teach you" Eagle stated bluntly, puffing her chest up

"What?"

"I'm gonna teach you to read. Maybe books can lie, but there are so many stories out there that you've never had the chance to experience, that's just not fair so I'm gonna change it….if you want me to that is?" she looked sheepish as she finished speaking, Hellion stepped forwards and leaned against the bars of her cell, eyes twinkling with mischievously

"Little canary you are something to see when you get passionate" there something in the way she said the last word that made Eagle's heart skip a beat "I'd like that"

"R-Right, O-okay" Eagle stammered out "I'll be back when I can" with that she turned and all but fled the cell to hide the fact that her freckled cheeks had flushed crimson, Sentinel trundling after while Hellion's soft laughter reverberated through the corridor.

* * *

Rhodium Torchwick woke up with a start, though he was not one of the Kingdoms' most feared for criminals for nothing and instincts that had been honed over years of violence took over immediately as he leapt out of his bunk and threw a wild spinning kick, feeling his heel connect with something solid and hearing the thud of someone crashing into a wall he lunged back towards the bed and frantically pulled the improvised shank he'd made from two razor blades and a toothbrush from his pillowcase and advanced on whoever had managed to enter his cell unannounced; halting only when he heard a familiar voice

"Rhodey! Rhodey it's me….fuck!" the redhead came to a stop and reached for the light switch, the sight that greeted him was that of his cellmate slumped against the wall holding his cheek

"Tricky you dumb fuck, what're you doing?" he demanded while pulling the Weasel Faunus to his feet

"Was doing the rounds" he slurred out, reaching into the waistband of his prison uniform and producing several unmarked envelopes which Rhodium knew would be filled with Lien. His crew were slowly taking over New Vale Correctional Facility, cell block by cell block and Rhodium routinely sent his cellmate out after the wardens had enforced lights out to collect payment for the various forms of contraband that was being smuggled in on a daily basis, usually though Tricky managed to perform the task silently

"So what the fuck did you wake me up for then. I swear you wake me up then you better have brought a hooker in here 'cos somebody is sucking this dick"

"I spoke to some of the guys in Block D-M 10" the Weasel Faunus held his hands out as if this explained everything, choosing to ignore Rhodium's comment as he knew that the redhead most likely was not joking

"And? If you don't get to the point I'm gonna crack your fucking skull" Rhodium complained as he took the proffered envelopes and stuffed them, alongside his shiv in his pillowcase and flopped down on his bunk, fiddling idly with his Aura dampening collar. Tricky remained standing almost to attention as he continued

"Well one of the guys in there, he brings in shit that's not really worth anything y'know extra smokes, better food than the mess hall slop, that kinda shit. Well he's got a cousin who went away to college in Vaccuo who sent him these"

"I swear to Oum Tricky if you woke me up for a candy bar-" Rhodium fell silent as a small stack of photographs was dropped onto his chest

"We found 'em boss. Want me to call it in and have 'em dealt with?" Tricky sounded eager and pleased with himself.

"No" the redhead breathed out, a truly frightening smile crossing his face "Heading into Vaccuo and having people on witness protection whacked isn't gonna be worth the time or the effort. Get a copy of these made, send 'em to the mutt himself and make sure he knows who sent 'em" he made to hand the pictures back, taking one last look and committing the faces of the individuals depicted to memory. It had taken months but determination and persistence had paid off, he now knew where narcotics officer Brindle Bordeaux's wife and children and he planned to use that information to great effect.

* * *

Amidst the long abandoned and bombed ruins of the Exclusion Zone Phobos doubled over clutching its' skull in attempt to make the incessant demands of the unseen voice stop, the Alpha Beowolf found itself haunted by the constant barrage of demands to _'Come home to mother'_ more and more as time went on, yet was unable to act as long as the wall that kept the Grimm at bay still stood

"NO MORE!" Phobos shrieked as it lashed out a wall crumbling beneath its' claws, issuing a tortured and enraged howl that seemed to rend the air itself with its' intensity. Shaking its' head in an attempt to clear it the Grimm stalked towards its' destination, shoulders hunched and clawed forelimbs sagging enough to carve narrow gouges into the ground. Eventually Phobos reached one of the largest buildings still standing in its' domain, the faint residual traces of several emotions that permeated the place suggesting that it had once been a residential area; Phobos scaled its' damaged walls using empty windows and the remains of fire escape stairways to clamber to the roof and survey its' domain. The spawning pits from which more Grimm were be constantly being birthed remained hidden from the eyes and weapons of the Kingdom and the hordes had grown larger than they had been even before the Kingdoms' bombing runs. In the near total darkness of the Exclusion Zone Phobos could pick out the glowing crimson of the eyes of other Grimm and its' fanged snout formed something approaching a smile. Hundreds of Nevermore, Griffins and other winged nightmares lay in wait, roosting until the time came while thousands upon thousands of Grimm lurked through Phobos's domain, ready to be formed into the hammer that broke down the Kingdoms' walls.

"Soon" the Alphas' moment of pride was interrupted by something scratching at the back of his mind, a smaller Grimm whining for attention through the connection Phobos' shared with those under its' command. With a snarl the Alpha leapt from the roof of what had once been an apartment block, claws tearing into the surfaced of the wall to slow its' momentum; upon reaching the ground it sprinted in the direction of the contact, confronting a far smaller Beowolf with bone armour around its' cranium that seemed to be cracked and distended emerging from a hole that had burrowed into the ground

"What?" Phobos snarled the word slowly and meaning was forced into the lesser Grimm's mind before and answer was forcefully torn from it. The Beowolf had been part of something Phobos had been privately calling _'The chain of minds'_ upon finding the first barricaded tunnel into New Vale scouting parties had been sent to every corner of the Exclusion Zone in search of others, several had been found and Phobos had put its' forces to work clearing several paths into the Kingdom, this presented a problem, Phobos's influence did not extend far enough to prevent the Grimm from acting on their base instincts and savagery, ruining its' carefully laid plans. The answer came in the form of these weak Beowolf Runts that seemed to be able to act as rallying point, Phobos left one of them in each of the tunnels and channelled its' will directly into them which in turn forced the rest of the Grimm into obedience. The current problem that Phobos had been summoned for however was that one of the Grimm had been killed inside the Kingdoms' walls, a Plague-Bearer that had been burrowing upwards. The Alpha growled in annoyance before simply gripping the smaller Grimm and hurling it back into the tunnel

"Keep digging!" Phobos reasoned that it didn't matter, the plan was too far along and roots had been allowed to sink far too deep. The Grimm horde was almost ready, all that remained were a few key components and Phobos's vision would be ready to implement.

It had started out as a mere hunt, but as Phobos's mind and understand developed a new word suggested itself, one that seemed far grander and more fitting.

Phobos was planning an invasion.

 **Authors Notes:**

So that week hiatus didn't happen. Mainly because right after I said it ideas started occurring and I haven't managed to find a new job yet, so I've had free time.  
Now this seems like mainly a filler chapter but the next chapter is gonna be the lead up to the finale of first year and this sets up a few things. You'll see trust me.  
Also I think next chapter is actually gonna work out as being pretty Team CLIR centric which I'm sure some of you will love.

Anyway let's summarise:  
Thought the description of the organised chaos that is the Team CLIR dorm added a little touch, since the bunks that Team RWBY and FADE have aren't the standard and teams get a lot of freedom in decorating.  
Something good and pure for Lux and Rusty.  
Vulnerable Corey….because as bad ass as she is, she's still human.  
Diamond Dust being typical horny teenagers, 'cos why not.  
Grimm inside the Kingdom itself, only a small one but if you think this is anything other than a very bad sign you don't know my writing.  
Arctus's guess was reasonable, but mistaken.  
" _I bet she drinks pumpkin spiced latte as well"_ if your siblings don't roast your ex like this then you need new siblings.  
See there's a reason that Hunters end up with other Hunters so much, Celadon showcased it here; a lot of people can't handle the stress of that relationship.  
" _Do whatever makes you happy except touching my hair, don't do that"_ He is so Yang's son.  
Felix was indeed the target practice.  
People forget just how sneaky Nora can be.  
Felix hasn't said anything about knowing she's Qrow's daughter but he's acting weird and Eagle's started to notice.  
There hasn't been enough of Sentinel this volume.  
Eagle will always be a useless lesbian.  
Even Hellion thinks Ren is pretty, because we are ALL Rensexual.  
So the Frost River tribe can't read, with the exception of Onyx, which is ironic because he was originally intended to be based on Tormund Giantsbane for Game of Thrones but he's grown into his own character.  
Helios and the Shadow Cadre have never met but they've heard of each other.  
So Eagle is gonna teach….if she can stop being flustered and distracted for like five Oum damned minutes.  
Two razor blades and a toothbrush, that's how you make a prison shank.  
Rhodium truly is a pleasure to write.  
Of dear oh dear, Rhodey knows where Brindle's family are; and Rhodey _"Fucking hates cops"  
_ Phobos is still hearing voices, this is still set up for a much later story arc _(To be fair everything about Phobos is proof of concept for something in third year)  
_ Phobos has something like the Tyranid Hive mind from 40k and is using other Grimm as Synapses, it's acting as a more rudimentary version of Salem's control but it has nowhere near the area of effect.  
Phobos has decided it's time to either go hard or go home.

Thank you to Araniladin, SumoSnipe, FleetOfWarships, FluffyFirefly, Unstoppable Cyborg, Arkanes Shippou, ShadowAlex2000 and CanadianCavalier for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Yeah Arctus and Diamond were always gonna get back together, I just didn't want them to be a couple that has never had an argument or disagreement.  
Glad to see people liked the return of Gangrel _(It won't be the last time we see him in this arc)  
_ I try and make my interactions as real as possible and without blowing my own trumpet too much I think it's one of my stronger points.  
Oh Eagle is still useless, it's just more focused now instead of being _"Oh fuck every girl here is so pretty"  
_ Well Arctus still has his sword, though he made need to practice with it to get used to the new weight and he still has his Glyphs which he can use as a ranged weapon if needs be.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	36. Delta-Omega

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 36: Delta-Omega**

Atlesian Special Operative Kafsi Asteri strode purposefully towards the flames which firefighters were fighting to contain, she smell of smoke assaulting her nostrils. She wore a look of clear irritation which she made a point to hide behind a mask of pure stoicism whilst her mind continued to fill itself with the same disparaging thoughts; it offended her sensibilities that these foreigners she found herself surrounded by were unable to apprehend their own criminals, they were seemingly unable to guarantee their citizens any measure of safety at all; intercepting the call regarding this attack had been child's play, as had redirecting the Huntsman the authorities had originally intended to send to assist the emergency services and taking their place. She forced herself not to shake her head at the sight of the fire fighters scurrying around with their hoses, in Atlas if anything of any importance were subjected to arson it would have been put out by now with concentrated Ice Dust. Tightening the leather jacket with integrated body armour she was wearing instead of her uniform around herself as well as blue contacts over her golden eyes she approached a middle aged police officer whose uniform identified him as someone of authority

"Nimbus Grey reporting, what happened here?" she asked in a voice that was far removed from her own, breathless and childlike, she sounded like a far less experienced Huntress to whom arson might actually be considered outside of the norm, the name was one of many aliases she had identification for

"This place makes electronics, from what I've been told they've got some pretty big contracts with the defence sector" The officer exhaled slowly and shook his head "All we can tell so far is that the guards were taken out, they've been taken to hospital, and the place was most likely torched from multiple places….No idea if anything was taken"

"You think maybe corporate espionage and sabotage?" Kafsi ventured, she had her own suspicions which lay in an entirely different direction but she wanted to see what the authorities surmised

"Above my pay grade, I deal with street punks and that's about it" he shrugged simply, causing Kafsi to struggle with the urge to beat him bloody. In Atlas his words would have been taken as dereliction of duty and he would be punished accordingly.

"Were their any witnesses other than the guards?" Kafsi desperately wanted her suspicions confirmed so she could make some progress with her mission

"As it happens there was one, haven't gotten much out of her yet, she's a shaking mess"

"Was she taken to hospital?"

"Not yet, it's a Friday" the officer explained "Emergency rooms are gonna be packed, she's in the emergency triage we've set up to take the pressure off" Kafsi's disbelief at the sheer inefficiency of it all was forced aside as she plastered a warm smile across her face

"I'll speak with her now, I don't wanna give these bastards a head start on getting away with this" that much was true, though for different reasons than implied. As far as Kafsi was concerned foreigners could fight amongst themselves but the moment they attacked Atlesian interests there would be retribution. She turned away from the officer and made her way towards the small triage that had been indicated, in reality nothing more than a collection of large tents and marquees to provide cover; the individual she was seeking was made readily apparent by the trio of officers flanking her as if they expected the attackers to come back to silence her

"Can we help you ma'am?" the nearest officer, a tall woman whose hair was barely contained by her helmet, asked as she approached

"I'm the assigned Huntress, I'm here to speak to the witness….can we get a some privacy please?" the officer paused for a moment before silently gesturing to her two colleagues who followed her out of the tent leaving Kafsi alone with the witness. Again the specialist was stunned, the trust these people had was ripe for exploitation, it was a wonder any Kingdom other than Atlas remained standing if this was how foreigners acted. Forcing herself to focus on the task at hand she regarded the young woman before her, tear tracks stained her face and her hands shook; Kafsi had no sympathy or patience to spare

"Name?" the woman visibly flinched at the commanding tone and Kafsi fought the urge to roll her eyes

"Brandy Oak, I-"

"And what is your position within the company?" Kafsi's next question came the moment Brandy had given her name, cutting through whatever else she intended to say

"I, I'm a cleaner, miss-"

"My name is unimportant right now. I need to know what you saw in detail, now" Brandy was reduced to nervous and incoherent stammering, tears welling up in her eyes as she struggled to speak under Kafsi's glare. Within moments the Operative snapped at her "This is a matter of the Kingdoms' security! Speak or there will be consequences!"

"It was a Faunus guy okay" Brandy choked out "I was taking a smoke break outside and I saw him"

"Describe him"

"It all happened so fast, I didn't get a good look" the clearly traumatised woman took a moment to attempt to regain at least some of her composure "He was short, like really short and his skin had a pinkish tinge to it. Baggy clothes and a big sword on his back, little fins sticking out near his ears and a tribal tat on the left side of his face" Kafsi remained silent for a moment, it seemed that her instincts had proven correct

"And what was he doing when you saw him?"

"He was dragging Clayton, one of the security guards and there was smoke coming from the direction they'd-"

"That will be all" Kafsi interrupted, pieces of the puzzle connecting in her mind. There was no way that this attack was perpetrated by anyone other than the criminals she was searching for and they never operated alone which begged the question, if one of them was outside starting fires to serve as a distraction, then what were the others stealing inside. Knowing what this _'Shadow Cadre's'_ aims seemed to be and that this company had business with defence contractors Kafsi could make an educated guess. She simply turned on her heel and left the makeshift triage hurriedly slipping away from the crime scene, making her way through several side streets and alleys leading away from the now evacuated industrial estate before pulling her Scroll and making a call to a contact saved under a fake name

"Special Operative Asteri reporting" she was leaving a voice message "Commander Slate I regret to inform you that the targets have acquired military grade electronic components of an unknown nature. I believe this is to aid their goal of arming themselves with Atlesian weapons and that those weapons may soon be operational. Contacts within the criminal underworld have proven ineffective thus far, I request permission to resort to more enhanced measures" Kafsi waited until she had ended the report to let out a sigh, enhanced measures included physical and psychological torture and the destabilisation of another Kingdoms' government and infrastructure. Kafsi would gladly do all that and more to ensure Atlesian interests were kept safe but she knew that the authorisation would not come, the head of the Specialist Branch was a Lower Atlesian peasant and a weakling who empathised too much; in Kafsi's mind one could do their duty to their Kingdom or indulge their own feelings but not both and duty was far more important. She began the walk back to her current base of operations, breathing out a single sentence to herself as a reminder of why she carried on

"For the glory of Atlas"

* * *

When Corvid had first learned that Team CLIR would be spending their final mission of the year working alongside her Aunt Penny she had been utterly ecstatic. Not only would it provide the perfect distraction from her recent breakup; it had been something she'd wanted since she was a little girl sitting on Penny and Ruby's laps telling how she was going to build the coolest weapon ever and kill all the Grimm with it. Now, almost four weeks into her mission, bringing it to almost one week over the estimated time it would take Corvid would begrudgingly admit to herself if nobody else that the novelty had worn off. The mission sounded simple enough when one described it, Aquatic Grimm activity had increased to such a level that shipping routes were being affected and the Kingdom had decided to send a warship, the Tempest, captained by Dew Gayl to not only exterminate the Grimm but to find the, presumably underwater, Spawning Pool producing the monsters and eliminate the problem at its' source. Penny's private Bull-Head had been docked on the Tempest where she and Team CLIR would be performing scouting missions, bombing runs and boarding ships under attack as needed. The complications came when one factored in the sheer size of the ocean and the fact that an underwater Spawning Pool would be extremely difficult to find, finally on the early hours of Saturday morning Captain Gayl had informed Penny and Team CLIR that the Tempest would have to return to dock for refuelling after being in the air for so long, Penny had answered that she understood and would continue the mission alone until she returned as her own craft was far more heavily armed than the standard Bull-Head.

This brought Corvid to her current situation, dozing in the passenger compartment alongside her team, all of whom were trying to reclaim the sleep they had been deprived of. The seats had been removed from the rear of The Pearl and Penny had apparently removed the blankets and pillows that the twins usually left in the craft; leaving Rusty in a corner, Stetson covering his face with his somewhat ragged poncho over both himself and Lux who was leaning into the crook of his neck. Iris had slumped over and was now sprawled inelegantly on the cold metal floor with her flowing white hair obscuring her face. Corvid herself leaned against the Omega Wing wing which was propped against the side of the compartment in standby mode. Eventually giving up on drifting off until they were needed she rose to her feet and made her way into the cockpit, pausing and snapping a picture of her team-mates in their unflattering positions before taking the empty co-pilot seat beside Penny; the seat was utterly superfluous as the Pearl was capable of flying entirely autonomously, it was mainly there so that Ruby and Penny could share the cockpit when they were both on missions together

"Morning Aunt Penny" Corvid suppressed a yawn

"Salutations" Penny seemed utterly unaffected by being woken so early

"Think we're any nearer to finding the Spawning Pool?" Corvid asked hopefully as she readjusted her jacket and tied her hair back

"Hard to say" Penny paused for a moment to consider "All Spawning Pools have mass Grimm activity around them, the problem with this particular Pool is that it's most likely so deep underwater that we can't see a lot of what it's spawning until it surfaces to attack something"

"So what's the plan?" Corvid asked, her Aunt turned and gave her a mischievous smile

"We fly low and get their attention. We're approaching our designated search area; wake your team"

"On it" Corvid rose from her seat and returned to the rear of the Peal before exclaiming loudly "WAKE UP!….we're gonna 'wave' at some Grimm

"Little lady it is too damn early to be dealing with this" Rusty growled as he rubbed his eyes, Iris looked as though the only thing that had stopped her echoing the sentiment was the fact her hair had found its' way into her mouth; any further conversation was halted by Penny calling back to the synthetic voice of .R.L the artificial intelligence that oversaw both the Pearl and Penny and Ruby's home

"Approaching area T-Minus thirty seconds"

"Make yourselves combat ready" Penny added, the teens rapidly moved to follow the order as they felt the acceleration of the craft; rechecking weapons and positioning themselves near the rear hatch in preparation. The sound of water crashing around the exterior of the Pearls' hull reached them as the craft swooped low

"Multiple impacts detected" the synthetic voice announced, straining her ears Corvid could indeed hear the sounds of several small items colliding with the hulls' exterior

"What in Oum's name is that?" Lux demanded, twirling his twin rapiers in anticipation

"Rippers" Penny answered bluntly from the cockpit "Piranha Grimm, about two feet long. No real threat but we're heading in the right direction. Pulling up" the moment Penny had spoken Team CLIR were forced to hold onto overhead handle to balance as the Pearl began to rapidly gain altitude

"I'm seeing massive disturbances in the water in the distance, it seems that we've found the Spawning Pool" Penny informed them

"Awesome, what's the plan?" before Iris's question could be answered Pearl alerted them to a new problem

"Multiple non mechanical entities inbound"

"Well unless someone else has learned to fly we have incoming Grimm" Penny told the students in her care, her tone deceivingly calm

"Someone else?" Iris went unanswered as Corvid activated the Omega Wing and prepared to open the rear hatch

"Aunt Penny, I've got this. Just say when"

"Corvid there are over a dozen Nevermore out there….Are you sure you can handle them all?"

"Sounds like a decent test run for the Omega Wing" Corvid shrugged entering a series of commands into the gauntlet mounted on her left forearm "Lux, Rusty keep the hatch open and shoot down anything that makes a pass at it. Iris, just be ready to pull me in with your Semblance if anything goes wrong"

"Got it" Corvid opened the rear hatch, wind whipping around her as she braced herself and turned to her team-mates

"You should turn on the radio….'cos I'm gonna get some air time" with that she let herself fall; rotating in mid air and catching sight of several dark shapes in the distance clearly changing their trajectory; the Nevermore had collectively decided to attack the weaker target. The the Omega Wing which had been given commands to home in on her location and activate combat mode reached her and began enveloping her body as it transformed. Though the glossy black armour covering her chest, chromed exoskeletal armour around her limbs and featureless black helmet remained, leaving the fur collar of her flight suit and her yellow scarf that had once belonged to Yang free the changes to the Omega Wing were clear to see. Three retractable blades extended from armour around each of her wrists, while the four wings were arranged in an X shape and swept back, a hefty and ominously glowing power supply between them and the rail guns which had previously been arm mounted sat over hers shoulders. As the first Nevermore drew close, shrieking furiously, Corvid wore a confident smile beneath her helmet

"Shields online" a rippling sphere of pale blue light engulfed her, reaching further than her own Aura and protecting even the tips of her weapons wings and barrels. The Grimm collided with her, knocking her aside but sending the Grimm tumbling towards the turbulent water below, fading away into dark mist as a large swathe of its' body had been burned away by the force field the Omega Wing was generating

"And now to be utterly Fowl" she chuckled to herself before collapsing the arm blades into a single additional armour plate over each of her arms and lowering her shield while reaching up to her rail guns and grabbing the redesigned triggers. From that point onwards the battle in the sky was a mere formality, Grimm were reduced to fading and mangled pieces as her shots tore through them while she weaved around their attempts to snatch her out of the sky with ease. In a matter of minutes Corvid was hovering and watching the Pearl double back through an obsidian mist

"Corvid do you copy?"

"No I'm an originator" she snorted in response and she was sure she heard her Aunt mutter something that sounded like 'For Oum's sake' before continuing

"That was some good shooting. We've located the spawning pool and are moving into strike position, return to the Pearl"

"Hey….would you mind if I stay out here?" Corvid asked, somewhat hesitant to question the order "I kinda wanna see a Spawning Pool go down first hand"

"Okay, fine" receiving her answer Corvid pushed the thrusters of her battle suit to their limits, she may have been able to keep up with an unmodified Bull-Head but the Pearl was truly in a league of it's own and so it took her a few moments to catch up. Reaching the target area and peering downwards Corvid let out a gasp of shock, dozens, if not hundreds of bone white fins were visibly protruding from the water, circling something protectively.

"Preparing to fire" Penny warned her through the comm in her helmet. Corvid watched with a childlike smile of glee as the Pearl deployed its' primary weapon, eight pylons extending outwards and moving into a circular formation with arcs of ethereal green energy arcing and swirling between them; a full sized photon accelerator. Then the early morning gloom was illuminated for a single moment as the weapon discharged, directly into the waves below targeting the suspected centre of the Spawning Pool and Corvid was left open mouthed as she took in the sight of thousands of litres of water being flash-boiled and the Grimm it contained being utterly obliterated

"Target is most definitely destroyed" she laughed excitably into the comm

"Agreed, now get back in here" Penny answered, suddenly tense "Right now Corey" before she could question her Aunts' insistence something burst from the depths, easily several times the length of the Pearl. Corvid made to ready her rail guns, assuming that it was some manner of sea-serpent Grimm before seeing that the mass of living darkness and chitinous armour now extending into the sky was not an entire body, but was in fact a tail

"Holy Oum" she mouthed out

"Corey get back inside! Now!" Corvid frantically followed the order, the last thing she saw before returning to the confines of the Pearl was a shape beneath the water that seemed to extend outwards as far as she could see

"What the fuck is that thing?" she demanded as the Omega Wing disconnected and shifted back into its' aerial drone form while Corvid herself rushed into the now cramped cockpit where her team and Aunt were waiting with ashen faces

"When a Spawning Pool is destroyed it creates something far larger than the average Grimm in its' final moments as an attempt to defend itself, it's why some smaller Spawning sites or sites near settlements are sometimes left….that was one such example of them"

"That's why we had a warship with us" Lux sighed "And now we're all that's out here"

"Indeed" Penny answered tersely as she drummed pressed a series of controls, a crackling of static informing everyone that whoever she had been trying to contact had answered, before they could speak the copper haired Huntress interjected

"Dew, Spawning Pool has been found and neutralised"

"Awesome-"

"We now have a Grimm heading towards the coastline and my primary weapon is still recharging. I need assistance"

"Projected landing point?" Dew Gayl was suddenly all business

"The Broken Coast"

"Understood, I'll inform the hangar that my mission is now code red. Do you have a visual on the target?"

"Negative, it's remained below the surface" Penny entered another series of commands "Sending my co-ordinates and estimated trajectory. Target is designated Delta-Omega until I have a clear visual"

"Understood. Gayl out" as the call ended Penny turned to Team CLIR and gave them a stern gaze

"That Grimm cannot be allowed to make landfall under any circumstances" Corvid's steely grey eyes met her aunts' and she stood up a little straighter as she set her jaw. This was the moment she'd been preparing herself for since she was a newly adopted little girl

"Team CLIR are combat ready" Penny gave her a proud smile, then she saw Lux, Iris and Rusty behind her, all equally determined and nodded

"I know you are"

* * *

Raffia Dirge let out a demented cackle at his own impression of one of the guards at the factory he and Carcharodon had attacked the previous night, while at the same time feeding scraps of a meat Antonia knew better than to question the origins of to the bird of prey currently perched on his arm; a bird that Antonia had been told belonged to a captured member of their crew. The scientist made no attempt to fight the feeling of shame washing over her, she felt she deserved far worse as she was the one who told the Shadow Cadre where to find the final components she would need to make their stolen laser battery work, only one of the four being able to be completely restored.

"I expect little of people that hide behind a Kingdoms' walls, but this fat fool was embarrassing, he looked like a confused seal pup before I-"

"All hail Raffia, scourge of people who have their backs turned and master of scurrying away the moment an actual fighter arrives, how many Hunters have you run from exactly?" Antonia's voice was laced with venom as she cut through the Axolotl Faunus's bragging, feeling an intense desire to stab at one of the few things he cared about which she could actually affect; his martial pride.

"Woman I will carve out your tongue!" he roared as leapt over the mess hall table, sending Marauder flapping out of the room while Carcharodon who had been silently watching the proceedings wrapped his hand around Raffia's throat and hoisted him into the air

"Calm yourself"

"I will not be challenged and insulted by-"

"I said calm yourself. We are so close to our goals and I will not have your pride risking them" Raffia let out a low hiss of frustration before acquiescing, as Carcharodon dropped him the Shark Faunus turned to Antonia

"How long before the weapon can be fired? Onyx is already trying to make it handheld" Antonia sputtered in disbelief

"Handheld?" she gasped "The thing is supposed to mounted on a ship, I thought you'd have the sense to fit it to your prow at least"

"We're not weak like your people" Carcharodon snorted "He said he plans to saw off part of the barrel, I believe he's working on it right now" Antonia pinched her nose, as a scientist and an engineer what was being discussed was offensive to the point of blasphemy, however it could most likely be used to suit her own ends. Sensing that Carcharodon still wanted an answer she shrugged

"Those parts were the last I needed to make it fire, I could have had it ready to fire in perhaps two days at the most. Making it a handheld weapon is going to mean I have to modify the intake system and probably build a cooling mechanism from scratch….you're adding weeks and more supply runs onto the job" Carcharodon merely nodded in understanding

"The difference between my people and yours is that your people don't know to move after they've crossed someone. Our enemies will still be in the same place when we come for them. Get to work" with no more to be said Carcharodon stalked out of the mess hall, taking Raffia with him as he made his way onto the top deck to avoid him being antagonised by the scientist any further. Staring out at the impassable barrier of rusting steel and iron formed by the dozens upon dozens of ruined ships that were the broken coast he let out a long sigh

"I cannot wait to be free of this place"

"I can't wait to be free of that wench, the moment her usefulness ends I swear-"  
"You will do nothing" Carcharodon hissed "I gave her my word that no harm would come to her. Make me a liar and I will make you a corpse" the smaller Faunus looked ready to argue for a moment before visibly sagging

"Soon we'll have Hellion back yes?" Raffia's voice was barely above a whisper with those words

"We won't lose anyone else" Carcharodon assured him before gazing out at the sea, it felt as though it had been far too long since he'd lived the way his people were meant to. His thoughts were interrupted by the sight of an aircraft rapidly approaching, his greater than human eyesight spotting a weapon mounted on the front of the Bull-Head

"Hunters" the snarled out "Below deck, now"

"Let them come!" Raffia spat, clearly still incensed by Antonia's taunts "Let me face them!"

"They're coming from the sea, not the kingdom!" the Shark Faunus countered "They're hunting something else. Now get below-" he was silenced by a sudden cacophony and violent jerking of their ship. Both Faunus watched open mouthed as water erupted outwards in all directions and almost half of what had once been a cargo ship was sent arcing through the air; a monstrous shadow falling over everything around them.

The Grimm the Bull-Head had been tracking made its' presence known with a shriek that filled them with dread.

* * *

"Holy Oum" Lux mouthed out, squeezing Rusty's hand subconsciously

"That is one big critter" that Vaccuan gunslinger drawled. Penny opened a comm channel to Dew Gayl and her warship, saying simply

"We have a visual of Delta-Omega, moving to engage" Corvid merely stared down in grim determination at their quarry, the bland sanitised designation it had been given seemed almost laughable when confronted with the monster itself. Delta-Omega was huge, standing at over two hundred and fifty feet tall despite its' hunched posture; it's impossible size made even greater by the tail which accounted for more than half of the things' length. It's form could be said to vaguely resemble some ancient trilobite twisted to nightmarish proportions. it's curved, vaguely triangular head was broad, the tips reaching past its' shoulders and the entire upper half was covered in bone armour, while the underside formed a seemingly boneless maw filled with countless rows of fangs, the divide between the two halves sporting a row of glowing red bulbous eyes the size of a persons' chest which spanned from one side of its' skull to the other. Its' body was slender in comparison, the majority of it being formed by a spine like structure, obsidian Grimm matter visible in the space between the vertebrae, the spine led downwards into its' tail where swept back spines and fins began to grow from each segment. A chest like cavity was formed several jagged spines that sprouted from the central backbone and curved around, giving the appearance of a hollowed out ribcage. It supported itself on two of its' six limbs, all made of inky darkness with multiple bone spikes protruding from them at odd angles; the rear legs and lower arms had the same slender proportions as the Grimm's body, the feet ending in three toed claws while on the arms they more resembled a trio of movable blades. The upper arms were truly monstrous, the longest of its' limbs whose entire lower third was encased in armour and ended in what could best be described as a giant bone machete that sank into the ground when the beast moved, each blade at its' broadest point being wider than Delta-Omega's shoulders. It was clear that the bladed limbs doubled as fins and the monster was more adept underwater, but its' sheer gargantuan scale and power would make it devastating to any settlements it came across if were allowed to move inland.

"So what's the plan?" Iris turned to Corvid expectantly, her team-leader in turn looked to her Aunt; Penny's eyes narrowed as she tightened her grip around the controls of her craft

"Pearl how long until the main weapon can be fired"

"Seventy two seconds and counting" came the synthetic reply, the sound of tearing steel reached them again as Delta-Omega's bladed forelimbs cleaved through the abandoned hulks of several ships as it steadied itself. Penny quickly made her decision

"Transfer to manual piloting, bring secondary and tertiary weapons online and deploy flares"

"Confirmed"

"We have to lure it away from the coastline" Penny explained to the students as the flares were fired, high pitched screeches accompanying the dozens of glowing projectiles; Delta-Omega must have seen them out of the corner of one of its' many eyes as the Grimm turned to face them with a deafening shriek, it's tail creating massive waves as it whipped around before crashing into the wall of ruined ships and crushing them against each other in a titanic show of force.

"Okay it sees us, now what?" Corvid asked, trying her best to keep her nerves from showing

"Target locked, firing weapons" Penny answered calmly as she sent several projectiles streaking towards the Grimm from wing mounted missile pods; the secondary weapons were plasma rockets which exploded in blasts of cyan light and tore agonised howls from the monster, the tertiary weapons were more suited for disabling rival vehicles but Penny had no intention of holding back in this battle; rockets with a nano-bomb payload struck Delta-Omega's spine, depositing a mass of Poly-Tech Nanobots which swarmed into any available crevices they could find before detonating and triggering the Electric Dust they carried, causing lightning to arc across the colossal beasts' body. Yet still it stood.

"Photon Accelerator primed" Pearl informed those in the cockpit as Delta Omega lurched forwards

"Firing!" Penny gripped the controls and Team CLIR watched on in expectation which slowly morphed into horror as the Grimm saw the buildup of the weapon and clearly recognised it as a threat, when the Photon Accelerator fired it ducked and weaved aside with speed belied by its' spindly frame

"Incoming! Brace yourselves!" Penny shouted frantically as she forced the Pearl into a turn that most pilots would never have attempted in order to avoid the Grimm now lunging upwards at them; the light of the Photon Accelerator reducing a vast swathe of the Broken Coast to molten slag in the process.

"Pearl switch to autopilot, repeated hit and run attacks with primary weapon, falling back out of range afterwards"

"Confirmed" hearing this Penny then turned to Team CLIR

"The Photon Accelerator is powerful enough to take it down but it's too fast, has too much range and it's field of vision is too wide"

"Then we'll blind it!" Corvid snapped as she turned and prepared to lead her team into battle "Team CLIR let's go kick some-"

"Negative" Penny interrupted as she stood up and drew her swords "You're not ready to fight something like this alone. I'm assuming direct command and will be joining you in the attack" Corvid's face split into a wide grin suddenly feeling far more confident at their chances.

This was going to be fun.

* * *

The workbench was flipped over as Onyx threw it aside and rose to his feet, holding his hand out to Antonia, whom he'd pulled under the bench and shielded with his own body the moment the entire ship had been shunted several meters, the entire hull screaming in protest and panels falling from ceilings. Currently lights flickered and sparked and the Puma Faunus looked around in abject shock for a few moments, noticing that in a small display of mercy that neither the laser battery or the recently stolen components seemed to have been damaged

"What was that?" Antonia demanded, visibly shaking and wide eyed

"Wait here" Onyx growled before making his way out of the room and jogging along the corridor in search of his people, barely aware that Antonia had followed him. The damage to the ships' interior was pervasive and the smell of burning metal clogged his nostrils

"CAR! RAFFIA!" his hands instinctively flew to the axe slung over his back when his shouts were answered by Carcharodon's liquid form oozing and rippling from the wall before solidifying

"What the fuck is happening?"

"Grimm, biggest one I've ever seen" Carcharodon gasped out "Hunters are already out there" Onyx paled, he'd killed thousands of Grimm in his short life but the idea of a single monster with the power to move several ships at once was terrifying bordering on absurd to him; yet there was a far more important issue at hand

"Where's Raffia?" Carcharodon looked round, dark eyes widening in surprise at the realisation that the smaller Faunus was in fact unaccounted for

"He was with me, I told him to get below deck. I must have passed him when I merged with the wall" without waiting Carcharodon sprinted back the way he had coming, Onyx and Antonia on his tail until he came to a sudden stop. Light poured into the ships' interior from a gaping wound that had been burned into its' hull and the deck below leaving the ship broken almost completely in half, the edges still glowing where the weapons of the Hunters' craft had torn their home asunder. Laying face down at the edge of the burned away section of the corridor was an unmoving Raffia Dirge; smoke billowing from his blistered and blackened form and filling the air with the stench of burning flesh. His lower legs were missing, burned to ashes below the knees until nothing remained. Carcharodon stood in horrified silence until the sound of Antonia vomiting behind him spurred him into action he crouched down and rolled his fallen friend over, wincing in pain as his palms burned and despair slowly seeping into him

"Get up" he sat and pulled Raffia' head onto his lap, voice dropping to a whisper as it cracked; he knew that his crew-mate was resilient but he'd never seen him so badly wounded before "Raffia get up, I can't lose anyone else. I need you with me when the times comes….Please just get up" everyone present recoiled in surprise and horror despite full knowledge of the Axolotl Faunus's Semblance when Raffia regained consciousness and screamed in agony

"You're going to be okay, I swear you're going to be okay, just fight through it" Carcharodon attempted to soothe him while Raffia's Aura began to engulf his body, the pale pink light rippling like water as it stayed close to his burned and ruined flesh and extending beyond his charred stumps to form a pair of legs made of pure Aura, slowly his scorched and blackened skin began to restore itself, returning to its' natural unblemished state. The sound of new bones and muscle tissue forming inside the confines of his Aura recreating his legs with a series of wet snapping and squelching rose above his whimpers of pain; closely followed by the sound of Antonia's continued retching. It took several minutes and the minute Faunus had exhausted almost all of his Aura in the process, but eventually Raffia rolled onto his hands and knees, struggling to stand until Onyx placed a hand on his shoulder and pulled him up

"We thought you might have met something you couldn't shake off for a second there" the Puma Faunus laughed, clearly trying to mask the fact he was near hysterical at the thought

"You sound almost concerned" Raffia snorted before looking around at the catastrophic damage done to their home "This ship will never sail again, she'll be below the waves in hours"

"Hunters did this" Carcharodon hissed, voice trembling with rage "Not the Grimm. The Hunters. Come, everyone above deck. I want to get a good look at their faces; this demands vengeance"

* * *

"LUX LIGHT IT UP AND MOVE!" Corvid bellowed; their attempt to simply distract Delta-Omega enough to keep the monster in place was proving difficult as its' sheer size allowed it to shrug off their best attempts. Currently Corvid and Iris were fighting from the air, Iris using her Semblance of telekinesis on herself in order to levitate while Lux had managed to land on the Grimm's gigantic skull and manage to find enough purchase to climb along its' surface towards its' eyes. Penny had taken Rusty with her, asserting that she had been an Atlesian Special Operative and a member of the Freelancers, whose father had founded a robotics company she had some tricks up her sleeves. Chancing a glance over to Delta-Omega's upper right shoulder she could see that her Aunt was guiding Rusty's use of his degradation Semblance, having him dissolve strategic parts of its' bony carapace while she prepared explosives she'd had stashed in a hidden compartment of her Bull-Head.

"OKAY GO!" Lux's voice came through the comms clearly before he silenced his channel, sparing his team-mates the assault on their senses as he dangled himself in front of Delta-Omega's eyes and triggered his flash-bang Semblance, scrabbling to safety before the burning light and sonic assault caused the Grimm to hurl him into the air with its' thrashing. Corvid and Iris immediately capitalised, Iris flinging the detached head of Venus Rising forwards while Corvid opened fire with her rail-guns, both of them targeting the Grimm's eyes in an attempt to permanently blind it before it could recover. If it's shrieks of pain were any indication they had at least some measure of success though before either girl could relish the moment Penny's voice shouted urgently into their comms

"MOVE!" Corvid pushed the Omega Wings' thrusters to their limit, flying to the side and grabbing Iris; pulling her team-mate to safety as the massive air disturbance behind her alerted her to Delta-Omega's failed attempt to swallow them whole, the ground shaking which each step it took

"I've got this" Corvid grinned behind her helmet as she released Iris and turned to face the Grimm, noticing with some satisfaction that thick black smoke spewed from the now empty sockets where several of its' eyes had been destroyed and began firing again, high explosive rounds claiming another half dozen eyes before Delta-Omega turned to face her, swinging its' upper limbs in a wide arcing slash which Corvid was spared from by Iris's Semblance dragging her out of the path of the attack.

"Thanks"

"Well we've still got it's attention, now what?" Iris demanded as the pair retreated, forcing Delta-Omega to turn and follow them back out to sea. The answer came in the form of a computerised and familiar voice

"Pearl inbound, T-Minus fifteen seconds"

"Split up and keep it busy!" Corvid yelled "Lux, any chance of another blast?"

"Gonna need a sec, I can't really climb while it's moving like this!" Corvid merely continued ahead undeterred, swooping low and taking several potshots and the unprotected underside of the Grimm's skull and boring several holes into its' gaping boneless maw until the sound of an approaching aircraft served as a warning for her to fall back. Unfortunately Delta-Omega turned to chase the pair of airborne Huntresses, allowing it catch sight of the Pearl in one of its' remaining eyes a moment before the Photon Accelerator fired. The Grimm weaved aside turning back towards the coastline with unsettling speed as its' tail lashed out towards the Pearl. Delta-Omega let out a shriek that seemed to rend the air as the burst of light lanced through its' flesh and bone, sending roughly two thirds of the Grimm's tail crashing into the water where it began to slowly fade away

"Corvid it's heading back towards land. We're still not ready" Penny warned

"On it!" Corvid shot through the air, rushing ahead of the monstrous creature while firing an endless barrage into its' bony flank before bringing herself to a stop, hovering directly in front of its' wounded face

"Trilo-Bite me you ugly fuck" she spat before catching site of Lux who was still hanging onto the Grimm's skull and deciding against opening fire again lest she injure him by accident. The Grimm seeming to sense her hesitation let out a shriek of rage and defiance and lunged. Corvid swooped downwards, landing on the hull of what had once been a freight ship and seeing the mountain of living darkness bearing down on her activated both her Semblance and the Omega Wings' forcefield simultaneously. The air was filled with the sounds of cracking bone and tearing metal as the structure of the entire ship began to buckle; yet Corvid against all odds remained standing, her hands planted on the surface of Delta-Omega's skull, the bone blackening on contact with her forcefield and several hairline fractures extending along its' surface from her palms while she braced herself against the rusting hulk she'd landed on

"Corey hang on!" before she could locate the source of the voice Lux had leapt down, landing beside her and connecting his twin rapiers into their bow form

"Hey Lux, I think I'm knee deep in ship here" Corvid growled through clenched teeth as metal continued to groan in protest "Could really use a hand"

"Will a claw do?" Penny's voice answered, a hint of laughter in her tone "Charges are armed. Detonating in fifteen seconds" Corvid managed to spare a glance upwards, catching sight of her Aunt and Rusty clambering across the surface of Delta-Omega's carapace in the direction of it's upper left limb. The lower pair of arms, each armed with three claws made to strike downwards only for the Grimm to write and thrash as Corvid locked it in place when explosions rocked its' body

"That's my boy!" Lux cheered, firing a Fire Dust tipped arrow into a glowing eye as Delta-Omega's upper right arm was separated from the rest of its' body in a fiery blast

"COREY LOOK OUT!" Iris announced her self by landing beside them, eyes glowing with her Semblance as she sent a mass of twisted steel crashing into the Grimms' secondary pair of limbs to knock them aside

"Corey this ship won't take much more" Lux warned her while he continued to fire every kind of Dust tipped arrow he had at his disposal, Corvid was also being besieged by flashing emergency warnings on her HUD as her forcefield was forced to its' limits, her heart hammering in her chest and legs beginning to shake. She simply set her jaw and refused to budge in the face of death

"I'm the only thing holding it place, if I let go it's gonna make it ashore. Not happening"

"Iris pull her out of there!" Lux cried, clearly distraught

"Iris don't you fucking dare! The mission is more important!" Iris looked from Lux to Corvid, terror written plainly across her face as her unwillingness to compromise the mission wrestled with how much she cared for her friends. She was spared having to make an impossible decision by Penny and Rusty came crashing down in their midst, Penny clutching at Iris and Rusty lifting Lux from his feet while the copper haired Huntress bellowed out an order

"GET CLEAR, EVERYONE GET CLEAR!" Corvid heard the order and discharged her rail guns into Delta-Omega at point blank range, flying blindly in the direction her allies had ran as she blinked spots out of her vision. She managed to regain her sight just in time to watch the first of several missiles streak overhead and impact against the colossal Grimm, sending it staggering back as ice spread over its' body at an impossible rate. She pulled her helmet off and stared in complete confusion until a shadow passed over them all. Looking up she saw the underside of the Tempest, Dew Gayl and her warship had arrived

"Those new type nineteen Ice Dust missiles really are sensational" Penny noted in an incongruously cheery tone "I'll have to let your Aunt Weiss know that they're an improvement on the old ones" before any of Team CLIR could comment on this the sky was set ablaze as the gunners of the Tempest proceeded to highlight the difference in the Pearls' single Photon Accelerator and the full array of weapons at a warships disposal. The prone form of Delta-Omega was obliterated in an onslaught of laser-fire, missiles, and searing beams of light which left nothing but a black mist blowing out to sea in their wake.

"Well damn" Corvid chuckled "She blew it over….with Gayl force winds" she allowed herself to sag from sheer exhaustion, Penny slinging one of her nieces' arms around her shoulder to keep her steady while her team-mates groaned at the pun before trudging over and pulling her into a group hug

"Little lady you are nuttier than squirrel shit, but I'll be damned if you ain't got the biggest pair of balls"

"You all did well, you should be proud of yourselves. I'm proud of you" Penny congratulated them softly, looking to the sky and smiling as the Pearl came into view "Mission complete. Now we just need to write up our reports and go through debriefing since this was a council approved mission" Lux's answer was a sentiment that all of the teens shared

"Can't we just fight another giant Grimm instead"

* * *

Carcharodon watched in silence as the airship turned away and returned from whence it had come. He, Onyx, Raffia and Antonia had managed to watch the destruction of the gigantic Grimm without being detected, Onyx keeping a watchful eye on their prisoner. Carcharodon holding the still drained Axolotl Faunus upright while hatred seeped into every fibre of his being at the sight of the copper haired Huntress who had blown the Grimm's arm away. He knew her face.

"Can you imagine if we had one of the Kingdoms' ships and not just a single weapon" Onyx mused before catching sight of his captains' murderous expression. Following his gaze he saw that the Shark Faunus was staring after the Bull-Head which the Hunters who had fought the giant Grimm had boarded, the small craft was already gaining altitude as it prepared to follow the airship

"Onyx, get the laser battery. Bring them-"

"PENNY! PENNY DOWN HERE! PENNY!" Antonia used her captors momentary distraction to slip passed them and rush out onto what remained of the upper deck of the shadow Cadre's stolen ship, waving her arms as she screamed after the craft in desperation. Her cries went unanswered and she had no chance to react as Onyx lunged forwards, his fist connecting with the back of her head with an audible crack sending her to the ground where she remained limp and unmoving

"That was the Huntress that took Hellion and she knew her" Carcharodon spat, fighting the urge to deploy the Red Waves and tear his prisoner apart. He turned to Onyx "Take her below deck. Lock her in any cabin still suitable and get to work on that weapon"

"And our guest?" the Shark Faunus's expression darkened at the question

"First Hellion and now our home? When she wakes up, we _will_ have our answers, she will tell us where to find this Huntress"

* * *

Team FADE lounged in their dormitory late on Saturday afternoon, freshly showered after a gym session with Team NEON who were expected to rejoin them shortly. Diamond leaning against Arctus as she and Felix faced off against each other in a winner stays on computer game tournament; the Bear Faunus having just lost spectacularly to his girlfriend. Eagle was currently sat on her bunk engrossed in a teachers handbook, searching for any methods that would make teaching Hellion to read and write easier. The final mission of First Year would be beginning on Monday but the nerves and tension that had preceded their previous two assignments were strangely absent, something Felix attributed to knowing in advance what the mission would be and that it would be taking place inside the Kingdom with no chance of facing the creatures of Grimm.

"And that's two down!" Diamond cheered as Felix slouched back with a defeated sigh before turning to his partner

"Eagle you want in? It's no fun without the reigning champ"

"Just let me finish this chapter then I'll jump in"

"Well babe that means it's you again" Diamond took Felix's controller and handed it over to Arctus who leaned forward with a determined expression on his face. As he watched the two of them select characters Felix felt his Scroll vibrate in his pocket and assumed that it was most likely Nyanza messaging him to say that they were going to get food before joining them. His dark blue eyes widened and his face split into a toothy smile upon seeing that the message was in fact from his sister. That smile only widened upon opening the message and learning that Team CLIR had all but completed their mission, a spawning pit had been destroyed and they expected to be home late Sunday evening in time for the start of the Centenary Festival on Monday night which it seemed that the whole year had been building up to

"Hey guys, just heard from Corey. She's back tomorrow night"

"Awesome" Arctus smiled, Felix's Scroll vibrated again causing him to glance back to the screen and see another message from Corvid, this one containing an attachment. The Lion Faunus let out a surprised curse as he opened it and was greeted with an image of a Grimm that dwarfed anything he'd seen before, even the Brachiodonis from Team FADE's first mission seemed small in comparison. The photograph was taken from above, a still image taken from the Omega Wing's helmet, displaying Delta-Omega in all of its' monstrous glory. A caption emblazoned across the image made Felix bring a palm to his face with a sigh, Corvid had added the words _'Sea what I have to deal with'_

"Whoa" Eagle breathed out as she read the message over Felix's shoulder, her curiosity having gotten the better of her. Arctus paused the game allowing both himself and Diamond to see what had gotten a reaction from their team leader, the Bear Faunus shaking his head in resignation.  
"Of course there's a pun. Of course there is"

"She has to be stopped" Felix sighed dramatically, tilting the screen away so that he wouldn't be seen typing a response that he would deny all knowledge of if asked.

' _It's not that DEEP Sis'_

 **Authors Notes:**

Well damn this is a long chapter, not the longest but it felt longer to write. I think it's because Team CLIR aren't as fleshed out as Team FADE at this point.  
Also I start a new job on Monday, so I'm thinking of actually taking a week off writing this time (I know I've said that before) to plan a few chapters ahead seeing as we're coming up to the final stretch of first year and I want to make sure these threads all tie themselves up.

Anyway let's summarise:  
I think I made a mistake in starting this chapter with Kafsi, she's such a bitch she's genuinely unpleasant to write and it kills my momentum.  
The scene gave a little insight into the way Kafsi thinks, she's an Atlesian nationalist first and foremost with an extra helping of extreme classist to boot.  
Note that the cleaner saw Raffia dragging an unconscious guard away from where he'd just started a fire; Carcharodon gave his word that the Shadow Cadre would use only as much violence as was strictly necessary and he's making sure they stick to that.  
Gangrel was a Faunus in Lower Atlas, he saw how the Atlesian government operated when they felt threatened, I don't think he'd ever be able to bring himself to use the same kinds of tactics.  
"For the glory of Atlas" is Kafsi in a nutshell.  
Little Corvid was so like Ruby it's not even funny in a lot of ways.  
Also yes Dew Gayl gets a mention again, her warship was the one that dealt with the Grimm Team FADE were planting homing beacons on in Vol.1 so we can assume that this is what she specialises in, taking out larger Grimm from the air.  
Team CLIR; bad-ass Grimm killers extraordinaire….not morning people.  
Yes Penny skimmed her Bull-head along the surface of the ocean to lure Grimm up to the surface, 'cos Penny is bad-ass.  
Notice how Penny said "Unless someone _ELSE_ has learned to fly" yeah, I've got a plan for that, you'll see.  
Omega Wing v2 is up and running, asses will be kicked.  
Oh god the puns.  
Yeah imagine the sea serpent Grimm from Vol.4….that's Delta-Omega's tail. I used a Kaiju and Mecha size chart, Delta-Omega stood in it's natural almost upright position is around 80 feet tall. Think EVA 01 from Evangelion but walking more like a gorilla.  
"Team CLIR are combat ready" Corvid looks up to Penny and Ruby the way Ruby looks up to Qrow in canon; Corvid has probably wanted to say that for years.  
Raffia is taking care of Marauder, Hellion's pet bird.  
Damn Antonia takes no shit and fires shots at close range.  
Yes the Shadow Cadre are very close to being ready, but notice the offhand comment about Antonia having her own plan in the works.  
Yeah two hundred and fifty feet tall, but over five hundred feet long including the tail, it's longer than a football stadium.  
Yeah Penny had Nano-bomb weapons, mainly as a reminder that they exist, because remember the two magazines of Nano-bomb rounds Felix got from Penny and Ruby in Vol.1, he still has one of them left.  
Just a little note that Onyx actually made a point to protect Antonia.  
I don't care how much of a villain Carcharodon is right now, I think we all felt a little bad for him while he was pleading with an unconscious Raffia to wake up.  
Come on you've seen Raffia regrow a burned off arm courtesy of Arctus, Ruby collapsed his skull and Flax shot him in the face and chest with a Mini-Gun….he can basically soak up anything that gets thrown at him but it wears his Aura down.  
So the Shadow Cadre's ship is pretty much done for. That's gonna force their plans to change.  
Team CLIR and Penny really are gnats in comparison to Delta-Omega, their best bet was just to be annoying enough to distract it.  
Yes Corey doesn't just stop a moving Truck. She stops a charging Kaiju sized Grimm and cracks its' skull by standing there and letting it charge her.  
"Will a claw do?" yes Penny did that, she really did that.  
So that's both Xiao Long kids that have proved that they are willing to die in the line of duty.  
Paperwork or another round with the monster….what's the difference.  
So now the Shadow Cadre know that Antonia knows Penny, who was the one who captured Antonia and they're out for blood. What if I told you that this was all according to Keikaku.  
Yes Eagle is reading teachers handbooks to be a better teacher for Hellion, which I think is adorable.  
Felix had to respond with a pun there. Had to.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Araniladin, FleetOfWarships, Bulletproof Vanguard, ShadowAlex2000, Unstoppable Cyborg and FluffyFirefly for their reviews on the last chapter.  
The funny thing is, Hellion has most likely got just as many honorary titles bestowed on her by the Frost River Tribe as Onyx, she just doesn't list them all off before a fight to shake down opponents.  
Anyone who leaves a pun in my reviews is a treasure.  
In Eagle's defence she was staring at Hellion's pretty face as well.  
It's more the connotations "I bet she drinks pumpkin spice latte" can practically read as "That basic bitch"  
Eagle's favourite genre is Fantasy. Whatever Remnant's equivalent to Lord of the Rings is, she grew up getting bed time stories from Ren. Also in Vol.2 there was a scene where she was reading one of Felix's books….he totally has Blake's taste.  
I hope you had the Pacific Rim theme in your head while reading the scene with Delta-Omega

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	37. Protect and Serve

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 37: Protect And Serve**

Today was the day.

It was currently Monday morning, which made the fact the corridors were filled with teenagers who seemed to be both fully awake and happily excited somewhat strange. Classes had been cancelled, Fourth Year students had finished their final written exams and were preparing to head out into the world as fully fledged teams of Hunters. The student body as a whole as well as a significant amount of the adults living on the campus seemed to share an almost palpable sense of anticipation; in particular the first year students. The Centenary festival, marking both one hundred years since the end of the great war and twenty years since the defeat of Salem began today and lasted for two weeks; as did the first year students' final mission of the year after which they would be returning home.

"Come on come come on let's go!" Eagle chirped happily, skipping several steps ahead of her team-mates as they made their way towards the atrium

"We're coming, we're coming" Felix laughed "This is gonna be awesome; y'know that Professor Peach actually organised the firework display?"

"Okay I'm wearing earplugs then, I get almost deafened in her class enough as it it" Arctus chuckled, walking hand in hand with Diamond was was the norm for them. Before long they reached the atrium itself, holographic screens with a blue tinge to them showed which Teams and individual Hunters were being assigned to which mission; though before Team FADE could approach them they found themselves distracted by the loud and thoroughly disgruntled voice of Helios Nikos

"I still say this is a mockery, this is grunt work!"

"And I say you're being an idiot" Nyanza sighed with a roll of his pale green eyes while Olivine and Ether shared resigned expressions, as if such conflicting personalities caused these disagreements between the partners to be commonplace. Nyanza's bushy white tail stood on end for a brief moment as he caught sight of Team FADE before he called over to them

"Hey, will you guys come and talk sense into this guy please? He's gonna ruin something good for us" amused and intrigued the four teens strolled over, allowing Olivine to explain

"We've got out mission assignment, we're security detail on one of the other aerial platforms"

"Where they're launching the fireworks from?" Diamond asked

"Oum no" Nyanza laughed "We're at one of the really swanky hotels that's throwing private parties; the Aurora….Arctus you probably know the place right?"

"Heard of it" the Bear Faunus gave a shrug

"Yeah well, Team NEON get free use of all the facilities. So I'm hitting the clubs this weekend and taking chicks back to an Oum damned Jacuzzi the size of our dorm"

"You're a degenerate" Helios sighed "This is beneath us. This is our final test of the year, I wanted to end on a high note; return to Anima fresh from a victory….Instead I get to tell my mother and sister I was a glorified sentry"

"You get to tell them you completed every mission you were assigned and led your team well" Ether interrupted before turning to Team FADE "And speaking of sisters' I'm performing with mine tonight, Creatures of Grin are back from hiatus. You coming?"

"Sounds like a plan" Diamond grinned "Right Big Guy?" Arctus nodded in agreement

"Thank you Ether" Helios murmured, before standing a little taller and squaring his shoulders "Come on then, let's go face our mission head on" as team NEON left Arctus muttered under his breath

"If he think two weeks with the bourgeois is gonna be peaceful he's gonna get a rude awakening" Diamond shoved him playfully while joining in her friends' laughter before turning to Felix

"Dude you should totally have offered to go somewhere with Helios tonight" the Lion Faunus flushed slightly before turning away, absent mindedly fluffing his hair

"Anyway. Let's go find our mission" the other three members of Team FADE shared knowing looks before following, Eagle struggling to suppress a fit of giggles. Stopping in front of the holographic screen they began searching for their names, Diamond being the first to do so

"Oh sweet, we're on street patrol duty down on ground level, actually not too far away from where me and Arctus work"

"Cool, who's our Hunter?" Felix asked, he was answered by a streak of golden lightening racing passed him and in the space of a single blink the teens found themselves joined by a figure in black clothes with gunmetal body armour strapped over it a pale green light shining from his chest where an Aura regulator had been surgically grafted into his body, the tail of a husky swishing behind him and his face obscured by a featureless mask, which was promptly removed, revealing brown skin, piercing blue eyes, a beard and a small afro

"That would be me" Rover Tan answered with a smile

"Uncle Rover?" Arctus seemingly needed a moment to process, when he did his mind instantly realised someone was absent "How's Aunt Missy?"

"Oh she's ready to pop….I can't wait to meet the little Munchkin" Rover answered, visibly beaming with pride "And who's this?" Rover's eyes darted to Diamond

"Diamond, Arctus's partner….and his girlfriend"

"Cute" the Husky Faunus gave them both a wide smile before quickly reading the mission summary and deciding to give the students some additional information "Basically we're day shift. I think Scar's got a couple of older students to volunteer to work the night shift with him. We're looking to pick up any drug dealers or stick up artists using the festival as a chance to make quick Lien, there's probably gonna be a few" the teens nodded in understanding, Arctus looking thrilled at the opportunity to be working with his uncle; after a moment Felix spoke up

"Hey, I parked my car in one of the hive complexes yesterday in case we needed it for the mission and our Hunter didn't have their own transport. Do you think we'll need to stop off and pick it up on the way?"

"Good thinking but not really" Rover shrugged "There's gonna be so many pop-up stalls in the streets that you wouldn't really be able to drive it where we're going anyway. That being said let's go" the five of them made to exit the atrium; Team FADE each seeming to realise even more than before that this was both a vastly different assignment to their previous missions and a highly important one. Just as they reached the exit Felix found himself grabbed and pulled into a crushing bear-hug; he instantly realised the identity of his assailant as only one person would be so bold

"Hey sis"

"Hey bro" Corvid answered with a wide yawn "We only got back a few hours ago. Rest of the team are in the dorm; probably asleep. I'm joining 'em soon, I only came to come see my baby brother off" she punctuated her words by ruffling his hair, much to his annoyance

"Get some sleep Corey" Felix sighed "You look exhausted. Team FADE are apparently on a day shift so if you're awake we can meet up and watch the firework displays"

"Sounds good" Corvid nodded before pausing "Wait, you mean you didn't ask the buff redhead you've been drooling over?"

"I swear to Oum" Felix hissed through clenched teeth until Rover stepped in, sensing his discomfort and reminded them all that they had jobs to do.

* * *

Antonia Arc's stomach growled loud enough to jolt her from her stupor. She had no accurate way to gauge how long she'd been kept in this cabin but she was certain it had been more than a day. She'd regained consciousness after her attempt to get the attention of Penny Rose and the team of young Hunters accompanying her had led to her captors knocking her out cold; finding herself in a cabin that was not her previous abode. At some point while she'd been unconscious a small tear in the wall had been covered, though the water that had leaked inside had been left and now had a distinctly stagnant stench; when Antonia had first awoken there had been food waiting for her, that was the only food she had received.

Antonia's eyes darted to the door of the cabin and she reflexively shrunk into the corner with the sound of a key being turned. She had become painfully aware that she had allowed herself to fall into a sense of complacency and when the trio of Faunus holding her captive stepped into her cell, unaffected by the ankle deep water, she was truly scared of them for the first time.

"Food" Carcharodon hissed simply as her deposited a plate of what was recognisable as some kind of fish on her bed, his face obscured by his hooded robe "I didn't intend for you to starve, but we've been busy" a slight nod in the direction of Onyx Ursabane made Antonia's eyes widen in shock. The Puma Faunus had his own weapon slung over in his back, but now it was complemented by the laser battery they had been working to repair; it's barrel cut short and suspended with a rudimentary harness over his shoulder which included some form as padding Antonia guessed was in lieu of a real cooling mechanism.

"So you have the weapon you wanted" Antonia stated as calmly as she could force herself to sound "And yet I'm still being kept as a prisoner. I thought we had an agreement?" her words seemed to infuriate Raffia who unsheathed his sword and took a single step forwards, allowing her to see that he'd acquired new pants and footwear to replace the garments that had been burned to ashes when the Pearls' Photon Accelerator tore into the ship. What Antonia noticed the most however, was that for once Carcharodon had made no attempt to curb his comrades' behaviour and merely stared at her before speaking again

"Situations change. You knew the Huntress that attacked us; you called to her by name"

"You know the bitch that took Hellion and did this to our ship!" Raffia raged, Carcharodon allowing him to stalk close enough to be able to stab Antonia if he chose to before stopping him, the Axolotl Faunus continued his furious tirade "I think we've been far, far too lenient with you. I think we should take your eyes and hands and send them to that Huntress as a warning that we're coming for her!"

"Enough Raffia" Carcharodon hissed, before returning his focus to the scientist "Who is she?" Antonia remained silent for a moment, privately weighing up pros and cons of various responses; she may have been kidnapped, coerced, assaulted, half starved and terrified but she was still Antonia Arc and she was far from beaten

"She is someone who would kill all three of you in less than a minute. Forget you saw her and save yourselves the trouble-"

"We can't do that" Carcharodon countered simply "She took Hellion. I am not leaving this Kingdom without her"

"You don't have a chance against-"  
"HER NAME WOMAN! BEFORE I START PEELING PARTS OF YOU!" Raffia's hate fuelled fury was reaching fever pitch and with Carcharodon's loyalty to the Shadow Cadre's missing member forcing him to agree, Antonia knew it was merely a matter of directing it at this point

"Her name is Penny Rose" she exhaled slowly "Her wife is one of the greatest war heroes alive today and Penny herself is a veteran fighter"

"Without her craft she's still only human" Onyx growled from the doorway, Antonia forced herself not to smirk; _'If only they knew'_

"And you know where to find her, don't you?" Onyx demanded quietly

"I do" Antonia admitted in a whisper. The shark Faunus turned to his comrades

"Head inland, steal a vehicle and load as many of our supplies as possible. This ship is beyond repair….We find this Huntress, compel her to take us to Hellion then we find the means to leave this accursed Kingdom"

"And her?" Raffia spat in Antonia's direction, Carcharodon regarded her for a moment

"She comes with us, if she's lying she dies. If not we honour our word. We strike tonight" with no more to be said the Shadow Cadre left Antonia's makeshift prison, locking the door behind them. Antonia allowed herself to sag against the wall and realise just how much her hands were trembling, she had no doubt that if Carcharodon suspected her that he would make good on his promise. Eventually her shallow, ragged breaths gave way to soft giggles eventually devolving into a fit of manic laughter which she hurriedly tried to stifle.

Her ruse had worked.

She had never planned to allow the Shadow Cadre to get away with their crimes, she was an Arc after all and a strong sense of duty had been instilled into her as much as any of her siblings despite never becoming a Huntress. Seeing Penny's Bull-Head however had been something of a catalyst that allowed form a concrete plan of action, a plan that was now underway as the Shadow Cadre were preparing to attack Penny in her home; a home which Antonia had helped build, a home which housed the P.E.A.R.L AI which Antonia had not only designed, but was capable of activating by voice command if nearby.

The Shadow Cadre would have no idea what hit them.

* * *

The lowest levels of the sprawling metropolis that was New Vale's capital were a bustling hive activity, streets crowded with an innumerable mass of bodies and countless stalls turning the streets between the gargantuan towers into a vast open air market where ones senses were under a constant barrage from the various vendors selling their wares, a plethora of smells and countless signs, flyers, streamers and assorted neon lights as demands for the viewers attention came from a thousand sources. The downside of this dizzying array was that as Team FADE patrolled the busy streets it made their task of spotting any criminal activity far more difficult. The upside was something that Eagle stated succinctly with an excited squeal

"This is so cool!"

"This is even bigger than the Vytal Festival last year" Diamond nodded in awed agreement

"Corey sent a ton of photos from that, being in the middle of it is different" Felix noted before being momentarily distracted by a street performer who either by their Semblance or some other means was controlling the effects of various Dust types and putting on an artistic display.

"I competed in two Vytal Tournaments" Rover chimed in while still keeping an experienced eye on their surroundings "This is definitely a bigger party. Could really have done with Bordeaux giving us an extra pair of eyes but he's called in sick. Today of all days"

"We'll be fine" Arctus shrugged

"Well you've already proved yourselves capable" Rover answered before giving his nephew a stern glare "Despite some mistakes that we're not gonna bother going over again" the Bear Faunus squirmed uncomfortably at the reminder that his uncle knew about his teams' encounters with the criminal underworld. He was spared any further awkwardness by Eagle's childlike and infectious exuberance as something else caught her eye, a stall proclaiming to sell ancient weapons belonging to Hunters of times gone by

"They're fake" Diamond warned her, her eye for detail becoming apparent once again "The writing on their stall is badly translated old Mistrali, no Mistrali Hunter's weapon would end up on a market stall either. It'd either be returned to their family or Haven Academy"

"I guessed they would be" Eagle sighed "But they still look cool though, look at those throwing knives"

"Huh, that reminds me I never did pick a new knife up" Diamond mused

"Still want one to carry around dates?" Arctus laughed before leaning down to kiss her cheek.

"Keep focused" Rover chided them gently "I'm not saying you can't enjoy yourselves a little, but don't let yourselves get distracted. This is a job and we're effectively on company time right now" the teens nodded and returned their focus to searching for anyone that may be deemed suspicious.

Their patrol had gone on for several hours, Team FADE following Rover as they expanded outwards through the grid like maze of streets, noting that as they moved away from the busiest parts of the festival the vandalism, grime and general air of uneasiness that was common to the poorer parts of the city began to make itself known

"Eyes forward" Rover murmured as they rounded a corner, following his gaze Team FADE caught sight of two individuals further down the street, one of whom kept their face obscured with their hood pulled low; the other was a teenage boy, perhaps fourteen or fifteen years old with a rucksack slung over one shoulder baring the emblem of Bulb Preparatory Academy, Signal's mainland Vale equivalent; something that Felix fought the urge to sneer at, the inter-school old rivalry was hard to forget. Neither individual had noticed the Hunters arrival and continued about their business, the teen handing over a handful of Lien which the hooded individual proceeded to count out and pocket, before reaching into a hidden pocket and withdrawing something that had the telltale green glow of SDC patented Eco-Dust

"Booster" Diamond spat, hand flying behind her back to where Lex Talionis was holstered, Rover shook his head and held out a hand to stop her

"Street punk Sustrai, it's not gonna be like fighting Grimm or the mob. Move to detain peacefully. Xiao Long, lead your team" Felix watched as the teenager stuffed his freshly purchased drugs into his bag, a plan of action rapidly forming

"Diamond get above the dealer, I've got your back. Eagle, have Sentinel pin the kid….gently. Arctus, use your glyphs to close the street off"

"On it" Diamond nodded leapt onto the nearest wall, her Semblance taking effect and allowing her to run vertically up several stories before heading in the direction of the drug dealer, Felix following on the ground. His footsteps causing both the dealer and customer to finally turn and notice their presence, the teenager seemed to sense that some kind of confrontation was about to occur and turned to run; making it no more than a dozen steps before being brought to a standstill. Eagle had crossed the street, ducking behind parked cars as she deployed Sentinel, the droids pincer like claws had shot forwards on their retractable cables to ensnare him. As the boy tried to remove his jacket and slip free Eagle rushed out of cover and restrained him, beginning to read him his rights and state why he was being detained. At the same time the end of the street nearest to the drug dealer was barred by an oversized Glyph courtesy of Arctus. The drug dealer rolled his shoulders back and stepped towards the Lion Faunus who was advancing on him

"The fuck are you?" the dealer demanded as he lowered his hood, revealing himself to be barely older than Felix himself; certainly no older than his early twenties "Malachite's crew have already been told they can't come around here bitch, this block is protected!"

"So would that count as an admission of guilt?" Felix asked "You as good as admitted working for Torchwick"

"I'd say it does" Diamond answered as she leapt down from the wall, landing behind the dealer wearing a predatory smile; her hatred of the substance this man was selling all too apparent

"Yeah, we're not here for Mel" Felix smirked "Now put turn around and put your hands against the wall, legs-" he was cut off as a fist connected with his cheek, sending him staggering back a couple steps; the man had most certainly unlocked his Aura and managed to weave around Diamond's attempt to put him in a choke hold. Shaking his head and blinking spots away Felix watched the dealer reach into the back of his waistband and frantically called out to Diamond

"He's got a gun!" without wasting another moment Felix charged forwards and tackled the drug dealer to the ground; wrestling with him for a few moments before managing to pin his adversary and deliver several punches in rapid succession, seeing blood flowing from his adversaries' nose and his own golden Aura beginning to envelop his fists Felix realised how close he was too losing his temper and doing something rash. Taking a single breath he quickly returned to his feet and dragged the drug dealer from the ground, pinning him face first against a wall. His continued struggling ceased when he felt the barrel of Diamond's weapon pressed against the back of his skull.

"Search him" she spat "Don't move ass-hole" Felix patted down the suspect, turning out his pockets produced almost a thousand Lien, a knife, two Scrolls which was known to be telltale sign of drug dealers; and finally almost thirty hypodermic syringes, the barrels filled with glowing narcotics

"Well done" Rover noted, having sped over when it became apparent that the situation had been resolved without difficulty "Looks like the kid's a first time buyer; nervous about not making the grade at school….Not gonna be an issue now, they'll expel him for this. Hope you're proud of ruining lives you little prick" Rover's final words were directed at the suspect, who wisely chose to use his right to remain silent. Rover produced a pair of handcuffs and fastened them behind the young mans' back before taking the wallet Felix had found when searching him, finding identification inside

"Ah Charlie Lean; oh yeah this scumbag has seen the inside of a few cells. I'll take him down to station for- Hold on, keep an eye on him" Rover then swiftly stepped away and withdrew his Scroll. Felix and Diamond kept their focus firmly on the criminal they were detaining, though they clearly heard the Husky Faunus growing more and more frantic as his conversation went on before finally ending the call and grabbing Charlie by the back of his shirt and turning to the students in his care

"I'll take these two down to the station. It looks like we're cutting patrol short today, I've gotta go. I'll inform Goodwitch of the situation and she'll work something out for you from there"

"Okay?" Felix raised an eyebrow "So are we gonna be working with you tomorrow or-"

"Look Xiao Long I've gotta go, like right now" without waiting for a response Rover vanished in a streak of golden lightning, taking both the drug dealer and his customer away with him, leaving Team FADE in mild shock as they regrouped

"Okay….what just happened?" Arctus asked

"Your Uncle said he had to go" Diamond answered "Might be that something came up that they need more Hunters for"

"So..." Felix shrugged as he trailed off "Now what? Looks like we've got a free day"

"Well there's big firework display later" Diamond suggested "We don't really have those in Mistral, I kinda wanna see that….And I was kinda planning on seeing Ether's gig later tonight, unless you've got anything else in mind Big Guy?"

"No that sounds great, we just need to find a spot" Arctus replied

"I might see if any of my Aunts or my grandparents are gonna be in the city tonight" Eagle shrugged "I haven't been home in a few weeks"

"No problem, I've gotta pick me car up but if you're meeting up with your family I'll drop you off" Felix offered "If not I'm probably gonna be hanging out with Corey later if you wanna join us?"

"Sure" Eagle beamed

"Well we'll see you later" Diamond and Felix bumped fists before the silver haired sniper took her partners' hand in her own and the two halves of Team FADE went their separate ways; planning to enjoy their newfound free time to the fullest.

* * *

Penny Rose, formerly Polendina stared out of the cockpit of the Pearl out at New Vale's skyline; airships visible in the distance while smaller craft flitted around her as the sun gradually set, casting the numerous towers and countless bridges between them in a golden hue. Eventually she felt her Scroll vibrate, promptly withdrawing it and answering

"Salutations"

"Penny where are you right now?" Qrow Branwen sounded far from his usual nonchalant self, informing the copper haired android that something was wrong

"Currently in mid-air" she answered "I returned from a mission last night, I promised to give the twins the best possible view of the firework display tonight. So we're going to be hovering between some of the aerial platforms the fireworks are being launched from. You can join us if you'd like?"

"Where's Ruby?" Qrow demanded, seemingly not registering the offer at all

"Still on Patch, she went to give a talk to final year students at Signal. I think she's still at Yang and Blake's-" she was cut off by a slew of curses from the veteran Hunter, upon hearing them she surreptitiously closed the partition between the cockpit and rear compartment of the Pearl, checking that Tai-Jaune and Summer-Pyrrha were playing quietly at the moment

"Qrow what's wrong? Has something happened?"

"It's nothing"

"Qrow" Penny's tone was stern and motherly, a voice she'd never thought herself capable of using effectively before the twins were born

"It's nothing Penny don't worry" Qrow tried to assure her "I might have a lead on something is all. You and Ruby are the people I trust most with it but I've got someone else I can call in. Enjoy the time with the kids Penny"

"If you're sure?"

"Yeah I'm sure" Qrow assured her in his usual gruff tone as he composed himself "Send me your location, if I can get this wrapped up fast enough I might just fly myself up there and join you later" Penny smiled at the thought, whatever problems Qrow Branwen may have had he was somebody Ruby loved and admired, he had been nothing but supportive of the two of the two of them; becoming something of a surrogate uncle the way Taiyang Xiao Long had stepped into the role of father after the deaths of both Geppetto Polendina and James Ironwood. Penny saw Qrow as family and loved him dearly

"That would be sensational"

* * *

Qrow ended the call with Penny and fought the urge to hurl the device across his basement as a sudden wave of fury and self loathing washed over him. He despised having to lie to his family, yet here he was making decisions on other peoples' behalf like Ozpin before him. He allowed himself a single low guttural growl of displeasure before turning his attention back to the countless camera feeds being displayed on the several monitors of the supercomputer within his basement, each of them showing a different street within New Vale as he tracked his quarry. A single face was highlighted as it came into view on each of the feeds, the source of Qrow's current tension; a pickup truck that would no doubt be reported as stolen had been gradually making its' way around the outskirts of the city, making a clear effort to avoid the traffic and patrols caused by the festival. The pickup truck carried four individuals, a small young man with a facial tattoo and fins protruding near his ears in the driver seat, someone whose face was obscured by a hood in the passengers seat and a large young man in the rear bed, carrying what Qrow was stunned to realise was a weapon taken from an old Atlesian warship. All three of these people were secondary concerns, his main focus was the woman sat between the driver and passenger; a blonde woman whose face he would know anywhere without the facial recognition programs alerting him every time she appeared on a new screen. He'd found Antonia Arc, the mother of his child.

"Alert, cyber attacks on New Vale security detected" a computerised voice informed him, Qrow stroked his grey beard as he considered his options. He knew without a shadow of a doubt who the would be hacker was, his own espionage equipment was provided by Atlas after all, he knew the work of an Atlesian spy when he saw it. It was simply a matter deciding if they should be allowed to continue. Qrow made a quick decision, deciding that his most obvious source of backup would be the Arc children currently in the Kingdom and then quickly dismissing the idea; the Shadow Cadre may be young but they were capable and Antonia's sisters would allow their emotions to cloud their judgement, a mistake that would be capitalised on. He needed someone cold, detached and ruthless and such a person had thankfully just presented themselves. He made a call of his Scroll and waited as patiently as possible until it was answered

"Hello you've reached-"

"I am speaking to Atlesian Special Operative Kafsi Asteri, dispatched covertly to New Vale to retrieve Antonia Arc due to her knowledge of state secrets" he steam-rolled over the breathy tone the woman was affecting as she slipped into one of the many characters she played to avoid detection. He was in no mood to deal with spies and thankfully the assertion that he knew exactly who she was brought the charade to an end

"Who am I speaking to?" Kafsi's voice belied her obvious suspicion

"Qrow Branwen. I've known that you were in New Vale the whole time"

"If you intend to blackmail-"

"Shut up and listen" Qrow snapped "I've found Antonia Arc and the Shadow Cadre. I know where they're planning to attack next, I'll send you the location now. Meet me there and we bring them in" there was a pregnant pause before Kafsi spoke again

"You understand that this sounds suspicious to me"

"Kafsi I do not have time for this. They are making their way to my nieces home, my niece who is married to the Huntress who captured one of the Shadow Cadre months ago. I think that they're expecting to find their missing member there"

"I see. Send the co-ordinates" Qrow was unsure if she believed him and as far as he was concerned it was irrelevant, a few keys were pressed and the information was transferred

"Done. They'll be there within the hour. Head them off at the point indicated to avoid civilian casualties"

"Understood. Asteri out" the line went dead and Qrow rose from his seat, pouring a single glass of whiskey and downing it in mental preparation for what was to come. Typing out a list of commands and entering several passwords into his computer system he remotely accessed Pearl, instructing the AI to initiate all self defence protocols and effectively turn the home into a fortress until further notice. Then he straightened out, abandoning the hunched posture he'd been faking for a few years to give those around him the impression of a retired and decrepit old man; cracking his neck he reached into a draw and withdrew a jewellery box, from which he withdrew the silver rings he'd worn on every mission. Then he reached for harbinger, collapsing it from the scythe form that Ruby had drawn inspiration from and was now used as a faux walking stick. Once the weapon was in its' broadsword form he slung it over his back and readjusted his cape, preparing to step out into the field of battle one more time.

He knew he was susceptible to the same emotion driven poor judgement that he had been wary of in Antonia's sisters; but Qrow Branwen was a man of many vices and was unable to stop himself from indulging in hypocrisy at that moment.

* * *

Despite their mutual agreement that cliché dates at fancy restaurants were something that suited neither of them Arctus had taken Diamond to somewhere considerably more expensive than the places they usually ate at, the restaurant advertised itself as the finest in Atlesian cuisine and Diamond's jokes about plain and unseasoned food had lasted up until the moment she'd tasted it. At which point Arctus had reminded her that the first settlers on Mantle were in fact from Mistral and spicy food was a substitute for actual heat in times gone by. Currently the two of them were getting comfortable in the spot they'd chosen to watch the firework display from, they were situated on a bridge between two of the cities' massive towers where traffic seemed to have slowed to almost non-existence, Diamond leaning against the railings and waiting expectantly while Arctus wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her from behind; her response was to lean back and pull his arms around her a little tighter as she melted into the embrace with a satisfied hum

"You wanna borrow my jacket?"

"I'm good dude, just stay here"

"Wasn't planning on going anywhere babe" Arctus chuckled, planting a gentle kiss against her cheek

"You try so hard to be smooth Big Guy" Diamond laughed softly

"I mean, I'd like to think it's worked well for me so far" the Bear Faunus countered with an amused smirk

"Apparently dorks are my thing now" Diamond shot back as she rolled her eyes before turning to kiss his lips briefly; as the kiss ended the first Dust enhanced firework of the night was fired from one of the aerial platforms suspended above the city, arcing through the air with a multicoloured contrail behind it before exploding in a flash that could be seen from miles around

"Dude that's awesome" Diamond breathed out before letting an excited squeal that she would later deny all knowledge of as the night sky was set ablaze by a shifting aurora of flashes and explosions which signalled the start of dozens of street parties both between and within the Hive complexes which formed New Vale

"It's beautiful" the silver haired Mistrali mouthed in awe

"Yes you are" Arctus beamed, kissing her again

"Oh my Oum, you are such a dumb-ass" Diamond managed to gasp out as she burst out laughing, eventually turning and snaking her arms around his shoulders "But you're sweet though" before Arctus could respond Diamond's lips were crashing against his as she pulled him down into an intense kiss, his hands finding their way to her hips, the display above them forgotten until they broke apart panting and wearing bright smiles. Arctus laced his fingers through Diamond's as he took her hands and pulled her close

"I love you Diamond"

"Arctus I-"

"You don't have to say it back babe" he assured her, sensing her sudden apprehension "I'm not trying to push you into anything. I just know how I feel about you, about us and I felt like I needed to say it. So yeah….I love you" Diamond's response was to nuzzle into his neck

"Big Guy I….wait" Diamond broke away from him, leaving Arctus with his heart hammering in his chest and throat suddenly dry. Diamond herself however was distracted as she leaned over the railings of the bridge "Can you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Arctus was confused his attention had been consumed by his partner, the fireworks seemed to have stopped. Straining his ears he eventually picked up the sound that had caught Diamond's attention. His eyes widened as he realised that the city below was filled with a cacophony of screams, blaring sirens and distant gunfire; a single repeated message being laid over it all from every available speaker

"Proceed to the nearest shelter. Grimm incursion in progress. This is not a drill"

* * *

The time had come.

Phobos's preparations had been completed, the Grimm hordes numbering in the thousands with the final Grimm to be spawned being Phobos's own personal mount which would enhance and broaden the effect of the Alpha's control over the creatures of Grimm, acting as an amplifier for the signals sent through the hive mind. The Steeds' body was perhaps twenty feet tall and roughly sixty feet from the tip of its' snout to the tip of its' tail. It carried itself of four thick legs, obsidian body covered in an armoured carapace; it had the skull of an ancient herbivore, beaked with an armoured crest extending outwards and a trio of horns extending forwards, it's tail tipped with a mass of bone sporting several short curved spines which formed something akin to a mace. Between the steeds' shoulders, constructed of a mass of bone and pulsating black nerves and tendrils which extended directly from the Grimms' spine, was a throne. Phobos sat watching events unfold with cruel intent as it clutched at its' new weapon, a solid bone serrated broadsword as long as the Alpha was tall.

When the light show beyond the walls that imprisoned the Grimm had begun the feedback through the hive mind had been monumental, leaving Phobos struggling to maintain control over it; then the Alpha reasoned that the time for control had passed and sent the signal through the synapses of the monsters

' _Attack!'_ the waves of fear radiating from the Kingdom served as proof that Phobos's plans had been successful and the creatures of Grimm were now erupting forth into the streets and towers of the city, its' defenders forced to split their attention as the night sky was filed with countless airborne monsters descending on the walls defences driven by the desire to destroy. The trumpeting bellows of Goliaths drowning out all other sounds with each blast and alerting Phobos that now was the time to act. While sat upon the throne the Alpha could command the Steed without a word as if it were its' own body and sent it charging through the desolate streets of the exclusion zone. Another deafening blast from the Goliaths guided Phobos in the right direction, surging forth from into the open killing field created by the artillery upon the wall shelling buildings until nothing remained just in time to watch the last Goliath be slain; cracks in the walls surface and the heavy damage to the nearest gate being the price paid for their destruction. The first bullet whistled passed Phobos's skull and the Alpha howled out a single word, brandishing its' sword at the defenders

"CHARGE!" at its' command the true might of the Grimm horde was unveiled, the monsters in the sky doubled back for another pass and thousand upon thousands burst out of cover, rushing over each other and surging forwards like a living tide of darkness behind Phobos and the Steed roaring and shrieking their challenges. Phobos was barely aware of bullets pattering harmlessly off of its' mounts' armoured body as they drew close to their target; the defenders larger weapons being turned to seemingly futile task of thinning the masses of Grimm. Then with a thunderous crash the Steed charged the gate, sending steel and rubble flying in all directions; more than one guard being hurled from the wall by the force of the attack, only to be snatched up or set upon by the Grimm that followed Phobos through the now destroyed gate. Phobos took stock, its' mind almost overwhelmed for a brief moment as saw the fruition of its' plans. Then it let out a roar and gave its' next order

"KILL EVERYTHING!" New Vale had been breached and the Grimm invasion had begun, the voice in Phobos's head was pleased.

"I'm coming home"

 **Authors Notes:**

Well, that week off that I said I was gonna take didn't happen. One day I'll actually say I'm taking a break and then do it.  
I put it down to spending half of this week off of work due to snow.  
Also I should have mentioned this last chapter but we've passed the 50k views mark on .  
I think there's about four more chapters left of Vol.3 and First year, just a matter of tying up loose ends and dispensing justice.  
Next Chapter won't actually feature Team FADE themselves, we're going to be dealing with side characters first; then going back to them.

Anyway let's summarise:  
In my head excited Eagle has Nora's walk cycle.  
Of course Arctus knows about all the stupidly expensive hotels that nobody else could even afford to be stood _near_.  
I think Ether and Helios's conflicting personalities are something I want to look into more in second year, I we all love the super buff bad-ass, but that shifty little opportunist bastard has a charm of his own.  
I still think the band name "Creatures of Grin" was a stroke of genius.  
" _If he think two weeks with the bourgeois is gonna be peaceful he's gonna get a rude awakening"_ Arctus knows, trust him.  
Rover Tan is the Hunter for the final mission, meaning that we're three for three on missions being led by someone's aunt or uncle (If we include honorary uncles).  
Team CLIR are back.  
At this point the only people who don't realise Felix and Helios have crushes on each other are Felix and Helios.  
The Shadow Cadre are ready to move.  
Raffia is beyond pissed.  
Here's the thing Antonia is a genius, she helped Geppetto Polendina build both of Penny's bodies, helped save Rover's life by grafting the Aura regulator into his body, She designed Qrow's 'Bat-Cave' she designed the AI that runs Penny's Bull-Head and house as well as helping modify the Bull-Head itself, she is the CEO of a company that's second only to the SDC….She is more than capable of playing a group of teenage bandits.  
Also the Shadow Cadre are abandoning their ship that they've had since they were on Patch, if that feels like an ending just remember; endings are really just the start of something else.  
Remember that Team CLIR competed in the Vytal Tournament in Mistral in their first year, meaning that Diamond would have attended the festival as she lived in the city at the time.  
Brindle Bordeaux is absent, remember that the last time he was mentioned was when Rhodium had learned his families' whereabouts; more on that next chapter.  
Of course Eagle honed in on the throwing knives, who else uses those….  
I imagine that Hunters that have to bring in civilians have to constantly remind themselves that not everyone can walk off getting punched through a wall and change their plans accordingly.  
The anger management has been paying off, the thing that Felix was worried about happening nearly happened but he managed to stop himself.  
"Charlie Lean" he may as well have been called Drugs McDealer.  
So Rover, whose wife is expecting just streaked off into the distance….I'll give you three guesses where we next see him.  
Splitting up the team….Not a good idea.  
So Penny and the twins are in the air. More on that next chapter.  
Qrow doing his Batman thing again.  
Also yeah it's not a stretch to say Qrow knew Kafsi was there. Kafsi answers to Gangrel, who doesn't trust her, Gangrel answers to Winter who is Qrow's occasional drinking buddy and one of the few people who knows about him taking up the mantle of protector of the Maidens.  
So the Shadow Cadre may not be running into a fully up and running battle system, but they are running into an Atlesian Specialist and Qrow and they've lost the element of surprise.  
Also the CRWBY officially named Qrow's weapon Harbinger and I realised that I'd never actually given it a name, so yeah Harbinger it is.  
The thing about Mantle first being settled on by Mistrali travellers is actually canon, I just thought I'd see what I could do with it.  
I'm sorry but Diamond and Arctus are sweet together, simple as that.  
And if you know my writing the "I love you" is going to come up again before this battle is over.  
Yes Phobos is riding a Triceratops Grimm, "The Steed" it's about as tall as a double decker bus and about as long as an articulated double decker, not including its' horns; then it has something that's basically a rudimentary version of Salem's throne in The Downward Spiral on its' back.  
He also has a sword now.  
The Battle for New Vale or the Second Breach has officially started.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Araniladin, Arkanes Shippou, FleetOfWarships, ShadowAlex2000, LoneDragon, TigerRose, FluffyFirefly and Ferrous for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Eh, Atlas isn't quite as insane as it was in The Downward Spiral; twenty years of more progressive leadership has made a lot of improvements. Realistically Kafsi isn't doing anything that the CIA hasn't historically done. It's bad but it isn't 40K Grim Dark bad.  
Carcharodon's name was actually taken from the Star Sharks or _Carcharodon Astra_ chapter of the Space Marines in 40K his weapons are named "The Red Waves" in an homage to one of their leaders having the moniker "The red wake" his all black eyes, shark teeth and the Shadow Cadre's tattoos as well as them being entirely 'Fleet based' was all based on the Star Sharks; Carcharodon is also a genus of Sharks, the only currently living member of which is the Great White.  
It's less likely to be Carcharodon that snaps now, more likely to be Qrow.  
Keep those puns coming  
I see your point with the Eagle and Hellion situation, here's the thing; they're not an item, they're going to develop more together in the future. Right now Eagle is doing her best out of a sense of duty and at her core just being a good person. Hellion is a flirt because that "If you want something then take it" mentality is a key part of who she is, and the fact that Eagle is the only person she has to talk to so she's latching on.  
Okay to be fair Raffia has so far survived having his skull caved in and being shot several times by Ruby, having his arm burned off by Arctus and being impaled then shot in the back of the neck by Diamond. He can be killed but it involved burning through all of his Aura so his Semblance can't regenerate him; growing his legs back and healing his burns was far from easy but also far from impossible.  
I'm glad you like the aerial fights because they're tricky for me to picture in my head so it's nice to see that people are getting what I'm trying to convey.  
You're a fan boy for a second year team of minor characters. Well I always envisioned for Team CLIR to be the next gen Team CFVY so that's actually a sign that they've done their job.  
The voice Phobos hears….That's setup for third and fourth year, so all I'll say is "Kinda"

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	38. Scramble City

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 38: Scramble City**

Brindle Bordeaux, police officer in New Vale's narcotics' branch allowed himself a single whimper before gripping the steering wheel tighter with shaking hands, his floppy mastiff ears flat against his skull as terror, disgust and a seething mass of every other negative emotion he could name washed over him. His life as he knew it was over but there had been no choice, not since he'd been approached almost a month ago by members of Torchwick's crew.

"Come on, come on" he whispered to himself as he pushed the prison van he was driving to its' limits, speeding away under cover of darkness from the oppressive monolith that was New Vale correctional facility and racing towards the wall that marked the city limits; silently hoping for the sake of his wife and children that the start of the festival would provide adequate distraction for the Kingdom's law enforcement and that there would be no interference.

"Proceed to the nearest shelter. Grimm incursion in progress. This is not a drill" the endlessly looping message played from a speaker mounted to a nearby building, one of many that the Kingdom had in place for just such an occasion. Hearing the words Brindle felt as though his veins had filled with ice and frantically began working the police radio mounted in the vehicles' dashboard, his worst fears being confirmed when several channels were filled with the assorted sounds of unfolding chaos; gunfire, screams, sirens and an inhuman snarling that the city dwelling officer may never have experienced before but still knew on a primal and instinctive level knew the source of. Letting out a stream of curses he brought the prison van screeching to a halt before desperately making his way through the secure channels used by law enforcement until he received part of a message

"-sion zone! The shelters nearest aren't gonna hold, evac from the wall to-" Brindle cut the radio off, sinking into his seat with his head in his hands as he tried to control his breathing. The defensive wall had seemingly been breached, leaving all manner of nightmares to stalk the Kingdom. He was a police officer not a Hunter, nevertheless he had been trained on how to respond in case of such a catastrophe, all officers had. The only issue was how to integrate those half forgotten protocols with his current dire situation. Pressing the pedal to the floor he took action, screeching around the nearest corner and turning away from his original destination; the city limits would be closed anyway. Taking several turns he eventually found himself on a deserted road leading to a retail park that had closed hours ago, any workers who had been stocking shelves would most likely be taking refuge in whatever store rooms were available in case the Grimm made it this far across the city. Killing the engine Brindle braced himself, breathing erratic as he took the cane currently resting on the passengers seat and hopped out of the cab, making his way to the rear of the truck and fumbling with the keys before unlocking it and climbing inside to come face to face with the sole prisoner contained within

"Well Bordeaux, I'd ask if you got all emotional and came to see me off but I am clearly not where I told you I wanted to be" Rhodium Torchwick noted pointedly, his almost bored tone masking a fury that Brindle knew would see his family dead if he didn't explain himself.

"There's been an attack, somehow Grimm have gotten into the Kingdom. I can't get you out of the city, they'll have locked the place down"

"You cannot seriously expect me to believe that shit right?" Rhodium drawled "Grimm just happened to burst into the city, today of all days"

"I swear I'm not making this up! Rhodey if I was gonna lie to get out of my end of the deal I would have done it before now" the redhead gangster seemed to consider that for a moment, Rhodium's response to being given the location of Bordeaux's family was to offer the Mastiff Faunus a simple deal, their lives for Rhodium's freedom. Naturally Brindle had accepted the terms and naturally Rhodium had taken this compliance as an excuse to make additional demands, he'd considered having some of his crew freed along with him but decided that they were needed inside to keep the prison profitable. All things considered it seemed reasonable that Brindle was telling the truth, he was not a man who would gamble with his families' safety; which left the criminal with a chilling revelation

"The Grimm are at ground level aren't they?"

"I don't know" Brindle admitted "They came in through the exclusion zone so I'd guess so"

"Fuck….My Ma lives kinda near there. Get me out of this fucking collar" Brindle quickly complied, the Aura dampening collar Rhodium had been forced to wear as a prisoner audibly deactivating before opening

"So we're done now, you won't go after my family?" Brindle demanded

"Is that for me?" Rhodium ignored the question, instead gesturing at the cane in Brindle's hand, eyes widening in recognition. His own weapon had been destroyed when he fought against the Hunters who's eventually arrested him and he'd demanded a new one; however he knew the cane that was being held out for him to take from the photographs he'd seen of its' previous owner. This was Melodic Cudgel. His fathers' old weapon, obviously stolen from whatever evidence locker it had been kept in for the last two decades.

"Yeah, yeah your family are fine. I'm not really into killing kids anyway" Rhodium murmured as he gave the cane a few experimental twirls

"Oh thank Oum. Now I need to assist with-AARGH!" Brindle let out a pained scream as Rhodium turned and fired Melodic Cudgel into his leg without hesitation. The Faunus fell to the ground howling in agony, unable to resist as Rhodium took the collar that had been around his own neck and clamped it around the Narc who'd dared to infiltrate his crew, a cruel smile on his face as it activated

"What the fuck are you doing!" Bordeaux demanded, struggling to stand despite blood trickling through his fingers as he clutched at his ruined leg; Rhodium simply stepped out of the back of the van and closed the doors behind him

"Rhodey!" Brindle's eyes widened in horror as the redhead placed his hands on the surface of the vehicle, infusing it with the destructive power of his Semblance; Brindle collapsed with tears streaming down his face as his surroundings were bathed in a magenta glow

"Rhodey please!" through the barred windows of the prison van he saw the escaped convict smile at him before answering

"I fucking hate cops" with that he turned and left, giving Brindle a brief moment to pull a photograph of his family from his wallet and take one last look before his world exploded into flames.

* * *

Team CLIR had leapt into the fray without hesitation the moment word from the Kingdom below reached Halo Academy; climbing aboard one of the first craft to reach the aerial platform to ferry students eager to fight into the battlefield, Corvid simply telling the pilot to take them where they were needed most.

"Not even one day off" Lux growled as the teens positioned themselves at the side hatches of their transport

"Take it out on the Grimm" Corvid snarled from behind her visor, the Omega Wing already wrapped around her in it's battle-suit configuration

"Oh we plan to little lady, don't worry about that" Rusty chortled from his and Iris's position at the opposite hatch; the co-pilot who also served as the Bull-Heads' gunner called back to them to give her own input

"Coming up on your drop zone now, fair warning you're the gonna be the first ones in"

"Got it" Corvid nodded, if her teams' previous mission had proven anything it was that they were capable of acting as a vanguard "What are we looking at?"

"Evac is mostly complete in this tower complex via the east side, Grimm are being forced into bottlenecks and taken out" what little of the co-pilot's face was visible beneath helmet became visibly tense "Problem is we've got reports of something burrowing its' way straight up through the west side, something big. We're gonna drop on you on a bridge to head it off"

"Oh don't worry, we've killed bigger" Corvid replied calmly, rolling her shoulders back and cracking her neck

"Be confident kid, not cocky" the co-pilot warned her before the pilot interjected

"FINAL APPROACH ON DROP ZONE! HATCHES OPEN IN TEN SECONDS!"

"Okay Iris get ready to stop anything that attacks us. Lux, Rusty, cover Iris. I'll be covering from above!" Corvid gave her team their orders just as the hatches opened with an alarm and several lights interspersed around the rear compartment of the craft changing from red to green and they carried them out without question or hesitation. Iris landing on a bridge between two massive tower complexes, Venus Rising in hand and eyes glowing faintly as she prepared to bring her Semblance to life at a moments' notice, Lux and Rusty landed either side of her and brought their weapons around in wide sweeps while Corvid took stock of the situation while hovering above them. It seemed that this tower block was far enough from the exclusion zone that an attack from airborne Grimm seemed unlikely, leaving just the monsters that had tunnelled underground to contend with.

"Okay what's the plan?" Iris asked as Corvid landed beside her

"We can't just run in blind, we need to lure the Grimm out into-"

"CONTACT!" Lux bellowed indicating downwards where several planes of glass exploded outwards and steel groaned in protest as a long, chitinous, many jointed limb ending in a jagged point became visible for a moment

"Some kind of bug Grimm" Iris noted

"That aint a Deathstalker" Rusty noted "Don't look much like an Infinipede either"

"I might have an idea what it is" Corvid grimaced as memories of what Felix had bragged about facing during his initiation came back to her "And we're gonna have an Itsy Bitsy problem if we can't force it out. Lux, Iris, fire on those windows!"

"On it!" both of them called out in unison before the area was surrounding where the limb had burst from was pierced by a stream of Dust tipped arrows, then torn asunder as Iris sent the head of her face crashing through walls and windows with the power of her telekinesis. The response they received was a furious hissing followed by a mass of viscous inky black webbing being vomited forth from the hole, allowing the Grimm responsible to scuttle onto the bridge at frightening speed. A huge bulbous abdomen, skull like face with prominent venom sacs, eight obscenely long limbs and it could use its' own Grimm matter as a projectile. The Dungeon-Master was exactly how Felix had described it and Corvid felt a swell of pride for her brother before focusing on the task at hand

"Lux, Iris. Be ready to go on the defensive"

"Got it"

"And Lux, your family work construction….how much of this bridge can Rusty safely disintegrate?"

"None of it! What the hell?" her partner seemed flabbergasted by the question, though he had no chance to ask what exactly Corvid was planning as the trapdoor spider Grimm made its' move, its' abdomen arching over and spraying a mass of webbing which connected with his chest and arms, pinning his swords across his chest and hurling him into the barrier of the bridge; the metal of which began to creak ominously as the Dungeon-Master began to retract the substance back into its' body, drawing the immobile Hunter closer

"Little help here!"

"I got it!" Rusty rushed forwards, only for Corvid to clamp a hand on his shoulder

"Wait?"

"What in the Sam Hill-"

"I've got a plan. Iris, Semblance! Hold him in place. Lux just hold on. Rusty wait for my signal then use your Semblance on the webbing" Without hesitation and trusting implicitly that her orders would be carried out Corvid deployed the arm mounted blades of the Omega Wing and flew forwards, directly towards the Grimm's face; waiting for the last moment to land and trigger her Semblance before it lunged at her, front limbs stabbing at her chest while the remaining six sunk into the surface of the bridge. Corvid angled her blades so that the spindly yet powerful limbs were caught between and began the task of Grappling with the Dungeon-Master, turning at the waist to drag the Grimm from the centre of the bridge and towards the railings

"Rusty Now!" Corvid rapidly deployed her twin rail-guns and fired point blank into the Grimm, sending it hurtling through the safety barrier and towards the ground, the webbing holding Lux in place, which Rusty was hastily dissolving with his Semblance of 'Degradation' being the only thing keeping it from falling

"Iris keep him steady, you've got this!" Corvid encouraged as she took pot shots at the Grimm which swung like some grotesque pendulum before finally falling several stories to the ground, hitting the floor with an audible crash.

"Oum damn these critters keep getting uglier" Rusty spat as he physically pulled the last of the Grimm webbing from Lux and quickly checked him over to ensure that no harm had come to him. The moment was interrupted by the voice of a newcomer from overhead

"It's not dead yet!" Corvid looked upwards and was met with a blonde woman roughly her parents age sporting white armour; the chest-plate seemingly having an extra, more advanced layer atop it, she was flying with the aid of a jet pack with wings that seemed to formed from the blade of a double edged sword, the newcomer added "But it's about to be" Team CLIR quickly looked over the remains of the bridges safety barrier, appalled to see that the Dungeon-Master was indeed rising to its' many feet. That disgust soon turned to quiet awe as a pair of women in similar ivory armour strode forwards, one with a spiky blonde undercut wearing goggles as she aimed a heavy duty flamethrower at the Grimm, which shrieked in protest as it found itself enclosed in a ring of fire. The second woman, tall and graceful with long flowing blonde hair wielded a hammer which Corvid was certain weighed far more than herself; then the hammer reformed itself into a shoulder mounted rail gun of a far larger calibre than Corvid's own. A single shot rang out, punctuated by a low warbling bass note and the Grimm was hurled backwards several dozen feet, black mist rising from its' unmoving form indicating that it had finally been killed

"Holy Oum" Iris breathed out turning and pointing to the newcomer who still hovered above them and pointing with her golden cybernetic hand "Okay who are you guys?"

"I'm Citrus Arc. Those are my sisters, Victoria and Hellebores. Sorry it took so long to assist, Flax likes to go the extra mile when he's rigging Grimm traps" she turned briefly to Corvid, seemingly noticing the younger Huntresses own weapon for the first time "Cool weapon kid. Your team ready to take this inside? We need to secure this building so we can pull people back from the breach" Corvid turned to her team and saw matching looks of determination on each of their faces, a feral smile forming on her face as she turned back to Citrus Arc

"Yeah. Let's go CLIR the place out"

* * *

All across the capital of New Vale the fight against the Grimm raged on, from countless skirmishes between small packs of Grimm stalking though the streets and impromptu militias led by those who had fought in the battle of Vale twenty years ago and would not see their home fall again, to the bloody carnage that was the breach itself where streets ran red beneath an impenetrable obsidian mist as both Grimm and defender fought to the bitter end; to the aerial battle which filled the night sky with flashes and explosions in a bleak perversion of the earlier fireworks as laser batteries and photon cannons discharged or smaller craft were torn from the sky by swarming Grimm. Amidst it all Gangrel Slate sat, each breath a feral snarl as the sharpened claws of his cybernetic arm scored grooves into his armrest each time he drummed his fingers.

"Drop cloak and prepare to join the battle"

"Sir, our orders were-"

"This was a covert operation _before_ the Grimm showed up. General Schnee will understand. Now drop cloak, fire on those Nevermore and prepare to scramble our fighters"

"Sir yes sir" within moment his orders were acted on, the Gespenst, personal ship of the head of the Atlesian Specialists became visible in all its' fearsome glory, light arcing from its' weapons batteries as it tore through a flock of Grimm worrying nearby Bull-Heads from New Vale's defence force. Gangrel noted that even after all these years Vale's craft were just not as capable as those built in Atlas, adding his own fighters to the fray may just tip the scales in the air. Now the ground battle had to be won

"Sir we're being hailed by one of New Vale's warships" Gangrel nodded before turning to his first mate

"You have the bridge. Co-ordinate with New Vale. Contact Operative Asteri and tell her to engage all hostiles at will"

"Sir?" his first mate was capable, yet nonetheless confused by the order

"I'm taking a Bull-Head and a strike team down there. Vale is just as much my home as Atlas is" the Bear Faunus sighed before giving his first mate, one of his most trusted allies in the Atlesian military, a wry smile, his next words tinged with pride "Besides, my son is gonna be down there somewhere….He's too much like me to be anywhere else right now"

* * *

"Mom are we going to be okay?" hearing the frightened voice of one of her children forced Penny to turn away from the controls of the Pearl and face the twins, putting on the warmest smile she could manage

"We're going to be sensational" she tried her best to assure them, reading the disbelief plainly on their faces "You're just getting to see part of what Ruby and I do for work, this is like bring your kids to work day"

"Okay" Tai-Jaune mumbled, still clearly not entirely convinced, Penny reached out and pulled both him and Summer-Pyrrha into a hug before turning back to the controls and sending a pair of rockets after two of the larger Nevermore nearby, the resultant explosions taking out several other Grimm in the process was an added bonus, the Pearl had not been entirely resupplied before Penny had left home, meaning she was having to be economical with ammunition. Thus far Penny had been lurking around the perimeter of the aerial battle, picking off any airborne monsters that slipped through the net formed by the Kingdoms' own fighters; making every shot count and more importantly protecting the precious cargo that she was carrying aboard. As she strained to spot any sign of incoming Grimm the synthetic voice of the Pearls' AI spoke out

"We are being hailed by New Vale heavy cruiser Valiant"

"Audio only" Penny answered bluntly before sending another rocket streaking forwards, the cockpit was filled crackling and a voice Penny was unfamiliar with

"Unidentified pilot, I have a priority one order from the council"

"I am a certified Huntress, proceed" Penny only had to wait a moment before the instructions came

"Armoured cables are being lifted from the tower complexes to Halo Academy. The craft carrying them need escorts….The council have authorised the use of the Yashima Protocol"

"Understood. Send co-ordinates" Penny answered, somewhat stunned; though she supposed she shouldn't be. The Yashima protocol was strictly for use in emergencies, a Kingdom wide Grimm insurgency most certainly qualified.

"Co-ordinates received" Pearl announced. Penny turned back to the twins with a smile, trying to find a positive way to frame the situation

"You're going to get to see where your cousins go to school, maybe you'll get to see them later on when this is over. And you're getting to stay up passed your bed times"

* * *

Rover Tan stood in the reception of one of New Vale's many hospitals, the one closest to his home in fact. The waiting area which was usually filled with various incoming patients and staff who gave everything they had, was currently occupied solely by Rover himself and the entirety of the hospitals' security staff; brave men and women who despite not being trained to fight the creatures of Grimm in any real capacity, who when the emergency sirens had started had retrieved a cache of weapons reserved for just such an occasion and readied themselves as best they could. Outside were almost two dozen Beowolves, behind them a lumbering Ursa preparing to make another roaring charge. The only thing currently keeping the bloodthirsty monsters from gaining access to the hospital was the rippling and pulsating force field enveloping the only entrance. Hospitals in New Vale may have taken up several floors of the tower they were located in, but they were far from easy to breach. Several key locations were similarly defended including government buildings, fire stations and schools.

"I'd feel a lot better if you guys went back upstairs" the Husky Faunus called over his shoulder as he lowered his mask over his face; golden electricity crackling around his extremities in anticipation "Let the patients see that they're safe. This forcefield is gonna hold"

"And if it doesn't?" one of the security challenged, Rover smirked behind his mask

"Then the Grimm get a death so quick it's almost mercy" there was a spattering of dissenting whispers amongst the guard, one of them simply snorting _'Typical Hunter'_ their words barely audible above the sound of the Ursa outside colliding with the forcefield to no discernable effect. The illusion of calm ended when a panicked nurse ran into the reception area and cried out

"THEY'RE GONNA REDIRECT POWER AWAY FROM THE HOSPITAL!" the head of security paid her panic little mind

"Don't worry we've had blackouts before. The auxiliary power is gonna kick in" another security officer interjected with words that sent a palpable chill through the room

"But the shields will still take about ten seconds to kick back in. We're gonna be on our own" Rover simply took another step towards the entrance and braced himself

"Everyone get back. Right now" with no more to be said he reached over his shoulder and gripped his weapon, preparing to draw Malis-Canis in its' short handled axe form. The moment the lights of the reception flickered and died out everything became illuminated by flashes of golden lightning as Rover shot forwards at a speed that allowed him to simply phase through the entrance and begin tearing into Grimm faster than the eye could see. By the time the auxiliary power had kicked in the security were left standing open mouthed, the obscene prices that Hunters tended to charge having been forever justified in their minds. Rover simply raised his mask and asked

"Now can one of you please go and find out how my wife's doing?"

* * *

"Let anyone who knocks on the door in, we're offering shelter. Try and call my Uncle Hie, call my sister; they should both be fine but I wanna know for certain" Melanie Malachite told the barmaid who'd fortunately come in early that evening before turning to the roughly fifty members of her crew occupying the dance floor of her establishment; all of whom were more heavily armed than usual "You're with me. We're sweeping the streets. Obviously people who pay us protection money get checked in on but we're not being picky here….fair warning if you've never seen a Grimm up close before there's nothing that can really prepare you for it. Don't freeze up"

"You're coming with us boss?" one of them asked, a relative newbie who somewhat awed. Melanie deployed the blades hidden within the heels of her stilettos in answer

"That's what I said" she cocked her head "I can't very well have it be public knowledge that something rolled up in my turf and started attacking people and I didn't do anything about it. I don't care who or what it is"

"Boss" another of her crew chimed in, an older gangster; highly respected within the Black Bear Syndicate, having been around since they all answered to Junior "We've got this. Are you sure you wanna be out there in person?" Melanie's expression hardened as she forcibly suppressed a shudder that she refused to show in front of her people. Memories of the month she spent living in a bunker beneath the original iteration of the Bear after the battle of Vale came back to her followed by memories of hearing that members of the Syndicate that she'd befriended, been protected and taught by and occasionally flirted with having been cut down in the fight to retake the Kingdom, memories of walking though streets that had once been her home and seeing nothing but desolation

"Yeah" she snarled "Yeah I have to be out there in person"

* * *

Kafsi waited at the location that she'd been given by an unverified source purporting to be Qrow Branwen, a quiet country lane flanked by sparse trees leading to the unassuming suburb that her targets seemed to be approaching; an admittedly better place for a confrontation than a residential area though her presence in full uniform seemed incongruous in such a place. Taking a slow breath of cool night air she focused herself, the first mate of Commander Slate's ship had informed her that priorities had been changed and that she was to engage the Grimm that had found their way into the city; Kafsi had no intention of doing so. Her duty was to Atlas and if that peasant Slate wanted to throw his life away by rushing to the aid of inept foreigners then she would complete her assignment and use it as an opportunity to advance her own standing. Eventually the sound of an approaching vehicle reached her, followed quickly by the light cast by its' headlights. Seeing that the vehicle was in fact the pickup truck that the so called 'Shadow Cadre' had acquired for themselves Kafsi stepped out into the road, her intention to stop the vehicle apparent as her hands tightened around her swords though she refused to unsheathe them, not until she could be certain she wouldn't harm Antonia Arc who in Kafsi's mind had been reduced to simply 'The payload'. The pickup came to a halt a few meters away and the large large Faunus occupying the flat bed leapt out, a large bird flying from his shoulder and perching itself on the roof of the vehicle.

"I would suggest you move"

"Stand down. Hand over Antonia Arc" Kafsi's tone was assertive, her would be adversary responded with a guttural growl as he hefted what appeared to be a roughly repaired Atlesian heavy weapon, held in place by a makeshift harness. One of the two individuals within the pickup left the vehicle, their body rippling through the surface of the metal as they lowered their hood revealing grey tinged flesh and pure black eyes, the left framed by a tattoo depicting several tribal markings arranged in the shape of a shark. The newcomer deployed curved and serrated blades along his forearms and rasped out

"I have no quarrel with you, but make no mistake you will die here unless you put your swords on the ground and walk away slowly" Kafsi slowly withdrew her weapons, her sabre in her right hand, short-sword in her left, held in a reverse grip

"You lower your weapons, savage" Kafsi demanded, her tone imperious "I am Atlesian Special Operative Kafsi Asteri and you will release your prisoner, lower your weapons and be taken into custody" the two Faunus shared a look before the taller of the two young men smirked

"This Hunter has titles. A worthy opponent….let me" he then turned back to Kafsi stepping forwards "I am Onyx Ursabane; mountain breaker, thunder-fist, speaker to gods and you were warned!" with a snarl Onyx raised the laser battery and fired only to be hurled into the side of the pickup truck with enough force to leave a dent and crack the wind-shield, winded and with smoking clothes as the laser battery itself landed with sparks and smoke spewing from within. The passenger side door of the pickup was flung open as Antonia Arc tired to escape in the confusion; at which point two things happened at once. Firstly Carcharodon turned to face Antonia, face murderous as her betrayal became apparent; secondly a lone bird swooped down from the trees before vanishing in a flash of crimson Aura, being replaced by the form of Qrow Branwen, Harbinger at the ready

"You didn't really think I was going to give you weapons?" Antonia challenged, trying to take the arrival of Hunters in her stride. Carcharodon merely stalked towards her

"I promised you your safety. Know that if Onyx is harmed I will hunt down everyone you care about"

"She cared about me once" Qrow interrupted, planting himself firmly between them "Take a shot kid"

"Gladly" Carcharodon didn't risk turning to face his comrades and maintained eye contact with the older man while giving his next order "Raffia, kill the other one" With that the battle began.

* * *

Final preparations for the Yashima Protocol were underway, Penny brought the Pearl into a steep climb to follow the ascent of the craft that was essentially towing a mass of cables wider around than the average car, pulling them towards the aerial platform which housed Halo Academy; gunning down a Griffin which had managed to slip through the ongoing havoc that was the battle around the breach. From the reports that she'd received the main mass of Grimm spewing from the destroyed gate was being somewhat contained, though at great cost; leaving the ground forces consisting of Hunters, students, law enforcement, former Vale militia fighters and local street gangs to deal with Grimm pouring through several smaller breaches that had been created throughout the Kingdom. New Vale's warships were unable to effectively deal with these smaller threats as the Kingdoms' own layout was turned against them, several holes had been opened within the tower complexes and the ones out in the open still could not be effectively fired on by the ships' weapons without risking unacceptable levels of damage. There was also a worrying series of reports that described a larger than average Grimm, believed to be monster that had burst through the exclusion zones' defences, rampaging its' way through the city.

"Docking power cable now" one of the crew of the tow-craft Penny was escorting alongside a handful of other fighters informed them, professionalism slipping a moment later "We're gonna cook the fuckers, make 'em pay" the cheers that filled the communication channels were interrupted by a new voice, an emergency transmission

"This is Captain Grey of the light cruiser 'Justice' we're taking too much damage we need to pull back….we'll take out what we can but some Grimm are gonna slip through the cracks"

"Understood captain" Penny answered as she scanned the several displays before her and winced at how low on ammunition she was. There was a tense wait, all of the escort pilots knowing that they were the last line of defence for a vital part of the Kingdoms' countermeasures and that they were about to be thoroughly tested. Then the first of the flying Grimm to have slipped through came into view, prompting a firestorm of retaliation which turned the night sky into a canvas of explosions and elemental forces as various Dust missiles interacted with each other; this proved costly as it reduced visibility to the point where Penny failed to see the Nevermore swooping to attack the Pearl, wings spread ready to fire a salvo of sharpened quills until it was too late; a missile she'd already fired at a Griffin impacting with the avian Grimm far too close to the Pearl. Penny, in a superhuman display managed to leap from the cockpit and into the rear compartment before the wave of heat and concussive force washed over her craft, ripping through the controls like foil; she clutched the twins close to her even as pain blossomed through her body, keeping them safe as the Pearl began a rapid tail spin towards the ground, left wing being sheared away on contact with one of the buildings below. Eventually the craft came screeching to a halt and Penny released her grip on her children, stepping back and frantically checking them for injuries

"Mom!" Summer-Pyrrha pointed at her, eyes filling with tears while her twin stood in open mouthed silence; refusing to comprehend what he was seeing. After seeing that they were physically no worse for wear Penny finally acknowledged the source of their tears, ripping the pair of Nevermore quills that had pierced her body free and leaving her left arm hanging limp while her abdomen sparked where she'd been impaled, clothes darkening around the wounds as the blood that flowed through her synthetic flesh spilled out

"Mommy's gonna be okay" She assured them through clenched teeth before taking a knee, eyes glazing over and voice becoming robotic as she spoke "Nanobots active. Commencing field repairs" at Penny's order the swarms of minute machines coursing through her body that she had in lieu of a true Semblance began to repair her mechanical components while her Aura healed her flesh. Within moments Penny rose to her feet again, visibly tired but uninjured. Pulling the twins into a brief hug she murmured to them

"I have to go outside for a while. I want you to stay in here, whatever happens, whatever you hear you stay here. Do you understand?" seeing both of them nod Penny smiled, leaning down to kiss both of their foreheads before making her way out of what had previously been the front of the Pearl, pulling the remains of the partition between the rear and the cockpit across and using one her laser pistols to weld the metal in place. She then shifted her pistols into their sword forms and used her own internal communication system to send a message to Ruby's Scroll. Something that had been a distress signal between the two of them for years. Before long the first Grimm came to investigate the crash as Penny had known they would. Penny twirled her swords in anticipation, she would not be moved from where she stood, she would hold the line and defend their children until Ruby arrived or until she ceased to function.

She was combat ready.

* * *

Kafsi parried with her sabre and lunged forwards with her short-sword, making to open Raffia's belly, only for the Axolotl Faunus to no longer be there and the tip of Hydra Macabre rake across her face in flail form, causing her Aura to visibly ripple as it did so. The fight had been far more challenging than the specialist had anticipated; Antonia Arc had taken cover, Qrow and Carcharodon seemed to be at a stalemate; the older Huntsman's experience and ability to take to the air seemingly evenly matched against the Shark Faunus's seemingly limitless stamina and willpower and his liquid like body allowing attacks to simply pass through him. Kafsi herself had been left with the diminutive berserker who was similarly immune to harm, as she'd learned when she'd slashed at his face only for his torn flesh to stitch itself back together within seconds; her own disciplined fighting styles somehow proving inadequate for his insane onslaught. Raffia's weapon retracted back into its' sword form as he leapt into the air, Kafsi knocked the blade aside as he landed and the two of them danced around each other, blades clashing and blood spattering the ground as Raffia was wounded and healed time and time again, relentlessly pushing Kafsi back.

Exactly as planned.

Kafsi allowed herself a cruel smile of victory as she took another step back, finally moving a satisfactory distance away from where Antonia was taking refuge while at the same time allowing her opponent to believe that he was the one controlling the pace of the fight. Kafsi jumped over an attempt to sweep her legs out from beneath her and as Raffia rose to his full height she delivered a heel kick to his chest that sent him crashing to the ground; then she deployed her primary weapon. Her swords combined at the hilts and attached to her right forearm with a series of metallic bands, the blades of the swords split in half while several mechanical components could be heard whirring into life. Kafsi hadn't given the experimental weapon a name the way Hunters traditionally did; to her the experimental laser lance was a tool and nothing more, albeit a powerful one, effectively having the same amount of firepower as the ship based weapon the Shadow Cadre had stolen yet weighing less than a standard issue rifle.

"Impressive" Raffia cackled, seeming to have an innate awareness of how dangerous the weapon was "I'll put it to much greater use than you" with a demented and gleeful smile he charged towards Kafsi, sword raised in a two handed grip, then Kafsi fired and Raffia tried and failed to leap aside on time; falling the ground screaming in pain and horror at the sight of his arms, burned away below the elbows while his weapon had been reduced to several molten fragments littering the ground. His instinctive attempt to activate his Semblance failed, the pale light forming around him only to flicker and fade as Kafsi locked an Aura dampening collar around his neck and pressed the pointed barrel of her weapon against the back of his head

"For the glory of-" she never finished her sentence, instead she found herself flung across the now battle scarred road and into the trunk of one of the trees lining it, the sound of a deafening roar still ringing in her ears.

She had forgotten about the other one.

Kafsi rose to her feet and saw Onyx bearing down on her, Jotun Fang in its' axe form held over head as he let out an enraged battle cry. She calmly detached the laser lance from its' under slung position and prepared to make her next attack count, knowing that she would get one chance. The specialist lunged forwards and hurled the weapon at the Puma Faunus, Onyx pivoted allowing the separated blade of the sabre to bury themselves in his shoulder rather than his chest while at the same time bringing his axe down in a wide arc that shattered what remained of Kafsi's Aura, rending through flesh and bone and sending blood spraying across his face. He stepped back, releasing his grip on his weapon in shock at the sight of what he had done, his tribe raided but rarely killed and murdering a Hunter was something far removed from his comfort zone. Kafsi's left arm lay on the ground beside her and the Huntress coughed up dark, viscous blood before collapsing forwards, still attempting to pull the weapon that was embedded in her chest loose with her remaining hand before finally falling still. Ripping the weapon she'd hurled at him free and forcing the bile rising in his throat down he turned to see that the battle seemed to have paused, the combatants staring in stunned silence

"CAR GO! CARRY ON WITH THE PLAN, WE'LL CATCH UP!" Carcharodon seemed to hesitate for the briefest possible moment before nodding

"I'll come back for you!" then he triggered his Semblance melting into the ground, a shadow in the night; Marauder, Hellion's pet taking off after him. Onyx's instinctive attempt to rush to Raffia's side and rip the collar off of him so that he could heal had been anticipated. He'd gotten no more than half way before the older Huntsman had used his bird form to close the distance and press his scythe against Onyx's neck

"Don't move kid. I don't want to put you down but I will"

"Onyx. Please….let it end" he turned at the sound of Antonia's voice, finding her knelt beside Kafsi whose blood was now pooling around her "Onyx she's still alive but barely….we can fix this if you help me"

"Help you?" Onyx seemed confused by the notion, Raffia was enraged, hatred overruling his agony momentarily

"Kill them both Onyx, better we die like warriors!"

"If she dies Atlas will never stop hunting your people, you will get no justice" Onyx looked around, hands shaking as he realised that he held the lives of Carcharodon, Raffia, Hellion and any other member of the Frost River Tribe that may have survived in his hands. Deciding that his pride meant little in comparison he through his axe to the ground at Qrow's feet

"I yield" no sooner had the words left his mouth than Antonia had thrown one of Kafsi's Aura dampening collars to Qrow who in turn locked it around Onyx's neck.

"Coward" Raffia hissed "You think they'll let us live?"

"I had to take the chance"

"I've found her emergency locator. All Specialists have one" Antonia called out "Qrow, follow that bird and catch the other one!"  
"I can't leave you with-"

"I can override the defences on Penny's place the same as you can. One of them hasn't got arms Qrow!" Qrow nodded

"It's good to see you again Toni" with that he transformed and took to the air leaving Antonia with the two remaining members of the Shadow Cadre

"Help me carry her to the pickup….we may just be able to salvage something from this mess"

* * *

The Yashima Protocol was ready.

Lie Ren was left to watch in stunned silence as Nora made her way from the engine rooms of the aerial platform, where the power of the entire Kingdom's electrical grid had been diverted to under the guidance of Professor Peach, stepping out into the night air.

She was glowing.  
Nora had activated her Semblance and absorbed so much electricity that she now had power that clearly rivalled that of the Maidens. Lightning arced and crackled around her, her turquoise eyes glowed with unnatural light as if lit from behind while her entire body was enveloped in both the vibrant pink glow of her supercharged Aura and what appeared to be miniature storm clouds forming around her. This was the Yashima Protocol, New Vale's contingency plan; turn Nora Ren into a living weapon and allow her to unleash her powers on the threat in a single decisive strike.

"Are you sure you're ready?" Ren asked as she neared

"Ready? Ha! I've been wanting to try this out for years!" Nora gave him her usual cheery, almost manic smile before finally admitting the serious of the situation to herself "I've got you here don't I? I'll be fine"

"You've always got me" Ren assured her, taking her hand and discreetly activating his own Semblance, granting her a sense of calm, allowing her to focus despite the unfathomable power currently coursing through her as he took her hand, the two of them walking to the gyroscope launcher which had lain dormant since the initiation of first year students, a skeleton crew of technical support staff on stand by, led by Neptune David-Vasilias who besides being a therapist possessed a skill with machinery that rivalled even Ruby; Scarlet had entered the battle below on the same Bull-Head as Dove Bronzewing and Goodwitch herself.

"Nora we're ready when you are" Neptune informed her "Just be careful"

"I'll be right behind you I promise. I love you" Ren assured her, his composure wavering for a moment until Nora gently brought her knuckles against his nose

"Boop. Love you too" with no more to be said and the battle raging with every second they delayed Nora deployed Magnhild and stepped into the gyroscope, barely having time to take a deep breath before being launched into the air, lightning trailing behind her as she began to plummet towards the exclusion zone. Curling herself into a ball she picked up speed and allowed herself an adrenaline fuelled yell of exhilaration as she prepared to do what she was best known for.

Smash.

Nora brought the head of Magnhild crashing against the ground and channelled every ounce of power she had into the attack. The night sky became white and the distant sounds of battle were swallowed by deafening silence for a single moment that seemed to last an eternity, then the shock wave burst outwards from the point of impact; seeming to warp the air itself as buildings were vaporised, any Grimm within them simply being unmade. The shock wave travelled throughout the exclusion zone laying waste to everything in its' path and though Nora was unable to see, the tunnels that the Grimm had burrowed into the city imploded and the Grimm still making their way out of the breach in the walls, chasing defenders that had inexplicably began to fall back were decimated as the blast reached them.

Nora struggled to rise to her feet, her shoulders sagged and her breathing was laboured. Harnessing such power had taken a toll on her body which had returned to its' natural state. She made to plant Magnhild into the ground to steady herself only to realise with a pang that the weapon had been ruined, the head blown apart and the shaft bent at angle. She frowned to herself and hefted the remains of the hammer over her shoulder with heavy arms, it was still something to hit a Grimm with after all and Nora held no illusions about destroying all of them. Slowly she trudged towards the breach following the plan to regroup with the defenders at ground level, aware of glowing blood red eyes flitting through the darkness around her; with nothing but a low hiss as warning a lone Creep rushed out of the darkness only to collapse to ground without its' head before it could reach her. Ren having landed in a crouch in the space the Grimm had occupied, black mist wreathing the blades of the Storm-Flowers. Nora smiled and gestured to the destruction around them

"Look Renny, I'm queen of the wasteland"

 **Authors Notes:**

The Battle is now well and truly underway.  
We'll catch up with the main characters next chapter, there are just so many people with a stake in this that I couldn't not show that I felt taking a chapter to show all the secondary characters putting in work was necessary.  
I think the battle will go on for another two chapters, then we have the wind down afterwards and that'll be it for the first year  
But don't worry second year is gonna be fun. The Shadow Cadre have already hinted at what's in Atlas and hey, second year will be a Vytal Tournament.

So let's summarise:  
This is what Torchwick wanted Bordeaux's family for, not to kill them, they're far more useful to him as leverage to get himself out of prison.  
Whatever Rhodium is, he still loves his Ma.  
Yeah he has Melodic Cudgel now, in The Downward Spiral Roman didn't have it when he and the White Fang broke out of his prison, his hat went to Neo but his cane was left in an evidence locker or 'Prop box' at the prison and presumably found at some point between the stories.  
Yeah Brindle's dead, Rhodium was always gonna get payback. Brindle was only meant to be a one chapter character back in Vol.2 but since people seemed to like him so much I worked him into Torchwick's story a little more.  
You didn't think Team CLIR were gonna sit this out right? They're the Team CFVY of this story.  
Most Bull-Heads have a pilot and co-pilot, the ones we've seen with only one person flying them are Penny's "Pearl" and Flax's "Jackrabbit" both highly customised and belonging to ex Atlesian Freelancers.  
An "Itsy Bitsy" problem indeed, I had to bring back the Dungeon-Master from Vol.1, it's a callback.  
Also the difference in experience shows in how easily Team CLIR took their dungeon master out.  
Three of the Arc sisters, Citrus using "Dragonslayer" and Victoria using "Siegebreaker" is a callback to The Downward Spiral.  
And think back to Vol.1 and how many traps Flax brings to a fight, now imagine what he can do in a hive city where the civilians have already been evacuated.  
And of course….the puns.  
Gangrel left Atlas, this is is where he's been; cloaked above New Vale (Probably illegally) keeping an eye on things personally.  
Gangrel and Arctus team up? Maybe?  
Yeah Penny took part in the aerial battle with the twins still aboard but realistically what else could she actually do.  
I think I first teased the Yashima Protocol in Vol.2 when Ren and Team NEON were being hunted by Phobos in the exclusion zone.  
I think the scene at the hospital, in addition to titbits given in the other scenes shows how much New Vale has learned from the fall of Vale, they are prepared for the Grimm this time.  
Malis-Canis, Rover's weapon. For anyone that didn't read The Downward Spiral it's a short handled axe that doubles as a sawn off shotgun.  
And if anyone still can't guess why he rushed off to the hospital I have no words for them.  
Nothing like everything going to shit to bring a community together, yeah even Melanie is chipping in to hold the line; then again she'd been through this before.  
Kafsi continuously manages to out bitch herself doesn't she.  
It's been a while since Onyx has gotten to pull his titles out.  
Antonia played the Shadow Cadre. She was luring them into a trap with a weapon that didn't work, only difference is that Qrow and Kafsi met her a little further down the road rather than at Penny's house (Which Qrow had already activated the defence systems at)  
Yeah the big warships that New Vale has aren't really much use against individual Grimm once they've gotten into the city, the big guns would do more collateral than the Grimm.  
So yeah Penny's craft is screwed, it may or may not be fixable; but the Pearl AI still exists because it runs in Ruby and Penny's house as well.  
Penny has "Field Repair" basically she's living skin grafted over a metallic chassis, her Aura can heal her skin faster than most people because its' the only part of her that's technically living. Her second body (After she was destroyed in the Vytal Tournament) has Poly-Tech Nanobots inside it and one of their uses is that they can repair her, but it's obviously not unlimited.  
I hope it doesn't look like I Nerfed Qrow or Kafsi (Although let's be honest Qrow is in his sixties at this point probably, he's slowing down a little) Carcharodon and Raffia are just really tough people to fight because their Semblances work in a way that means they don't really have to bother defending themselves.  
Yes the "Laser Lance" is a VR Troopers reference.  
Also yeah, the ship that the Shadow Cadre's laser battery came from was at least twenty years old; potentially a lot older. Atlas is constantly improving its' tech; hell Neo had her Chibi Death Ray in The Downward Spiral courtesy of a stolen Atlesian design, so Kafsi having a much more efficient laser isn't Dues Ex Machina.  
Well, Raffia's weapon is scrap I wonder what he'll do now.  
Also Kafsi has proved that he isn't totally unkillable. He can't regenerate if he either has no Aura or can't access it.  
You forgot Onyx's weapon is a sonic roar didn't you?  
Antonia's right. Gangrel may not like Kafsi but at that point the Shadow Cadre would be marked for death, they literally wouldn't be able to go anywhere without Atlas hunting them.  
Onyx's love for his people outweighs his berserker tendencies...Raffia's doesn't.  
The Yashima Protocol, an homage to Operation Yashima from Evangelion where they divert Japan's entire power grid into a single attack. I've had this planned for a while.  
All the Halo professors that weren't needed for Yashima are fighting, remember that Dove Bronzewing actually has a family living in the Kingdom as well (We'll meet his son in third year)  
The Gyroscope launcher from initiation, my bullshit ex Machina plot device….Still prefer it to the rocket lockers though.  
Nora basically nullified the majority of the Grimm horde in one hit.  
Don't worry Magnhild can be fixed, it's just a bit scuffed.  
Problem with putting everything into one attack is that you put everything into it.

Thank you to Araniladin, SumoSnipe, Ferrous, FleetOfWarships, TigerRose, ShadowAlex2000, FluffyFirefly & Arkanes Shippou for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Wrecking has commenced.  
So what you're saying is you want Diamond to turn into the fan interpretation of Weiss?  
We'll see Team NEON next chapter.  
Ren and Nora don't have their own kids but they're honorary Arc (Hence Eagle calling them Aunt and Uncle) they see pretty much every student as part of their extended family as well.  
Oh yeah, Phobos isn't an end game antagonist; more of a proof of concept and a way to let certain characters with Authority know that the world isn't safe.  
I see Winter and Qrow as despite all bullshit being able to relate to each other; they've both got massive family issues and being Ironwood and Ozpin's old right hands respectively they've seen some shit that even other Hunters wouldn't understand.  
Well the second year will be taking place in Atlas for the Vytal Tournament; Winter has both of Ironwood's seats on the council, one as head of the military and….what was the other one again.  
Penny and Qrow is one of those interactions I wish canon had given us….another would be Sienna and Blake.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	39. Skirmish

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 39: Skirmish**

Ever since the alarms had begun blaring out, interrupting the firework display marking the beginning of the centenary festival the Aurora hotel had been in a state of lock down, nothing entered or left the aerial platform the luxurious hotel occupied and the guests had been secured inside several spacious panic vaults, protected with a detachment of decommissioned Atlas Knights and a forcefield generator, as if such a thing would save the bourgeois within if the anti-gravity engines were damaged and the platform fell. With the guests and proprietors safely sequestered away the task of defending the premises themselves and the lives of the staff, prioritised by the management in that order, fell to the security detail; of which Team NEON were members.

"What you're talking about is a direct contradiction of your orders son" the man that they'd been assigned to told Helios, his tone understanding. Team NEON had not been assigned to a Hunter for this mission, rather the head of the private security firm that had been subcontracted for the duration of the festival; a man who'd spent years doing more than guarding millionaires if the eye patch, cybernetic left arm and tattoos displaying military emblems and kill markings were any indication. The understanding tone did little to assuage Helios's temper

"Then hang me for deserting" the redhead spat venomously "But you will do it when we return because I will be taking my team down there"

"Yeah he doesn't take bullshit orders well" Nyanza noted, drawing his tonfa "And for once I'm inclined to agree with him. This isn't what we signed up for" out of the corner of his eye Helios spotted Ether and Olivine preparing their weapons and was filled with immense gratitude and pride.

"I know, I knot it seems harsh-"

"It seems like disgusting cowardice" Helios interrupted the older man "There is a battle happening beneath us right now. These people will not share their safety with the rest of New Vale but still expect Hunters to watch over them. The answer is no" the two men stared at each other in grim silence for a few moments before the chief of security offered out a hand for Helios to shake

"Son if I was twenty….hell who am I kidding, thirty years younger I'd be going down there with you. If the artillery I had the firm bring on site can't keep Grimm off us then there's not much melee weapons can do. Get down there and fight the good fight" Helios's vibrant green eyes seemed to light up as he smiled, glad to finally be freed from bureaucracy and allowed to do his duty. Olympus Enforcer found its' way to his hands in sword and shield form as he turned on his heel and marched toward the grandiose double doors of the Aurora hotel

"Team NEON, with me!" as the trio of teens he'd come to consider his family away from the Nikos tribe fell into step beside him he was surprised when Olivine gently punched his shoulder

"Well said Heely….also, look" her eyes betrayed the worry she was trying to hide and she quickly glanced away "Mine and Ether's family live down there-"

"We'll find them" Helios calmly assured her

"Hey, not that I care too much about grades" Nyanza called over his shoulder to the man who was hypothetically their superior officer "But what're you telling Goodwitch if we survive this?" The older man chuckled

"That you four are gonna be famous one day"

"You're damn right we are" Ether smirked as he shifted Ghost Reverie from its' guitar from to the monstrous bladed weapon which Helios was still unsure whether to call a sword or an axe. Then the four of them stepped out of the hotel, the night air smelled of smoke and as they approached the edge of the aerial platform flames could be seen both in the distance where New Vale's air force battled to contain the bulk of the Grimm incursion, and below where a plethora of fires spewed from the gargantuan hive towers, concentrated mostly around the lower levels where the rampaging hordes had burst into the Kingdom.

"Okay" Nyanza sighed as the four of them stood at the precipice "I'm not too proud to admit it….I'm scared guys, we might all die out here tonight"

"We might and if it's any comfort I'm scared of the jump" Helios admitted before gently squeezing his partners' shoulder "But I know for a fact we have luck on our side"

"So, landing strategies then?" Olivine smirked "This is gonna be just like initiation"

"Landing strategies" Helios confirmed before turning to Helios and delivering a line taking directly from one of the movies the feline had insisted they watch "Today we are cancelling the apocalypse!"

"Did you just-" Nyanza never had chance to finish as Helios had already leapt from the platform, obsidian Aura only visible in the night as it obscured his golden armour while he focused his gravity warping Semblance. Helios felt himself gaining momentum as he fell and became aware of several pairs of glowing eyes beneath him, bone carapace catching the light of nearby flames as the ground rushed up to meet him. Helios landed in a crouch, one knee breaking the tarmac as he sent his Semblance out in a single pulse; feeling suddenly dizzy as he inverted his Semblance and caused the pack of over two dozen Beowolves he'd landed in the midst of to float into the air unrestricted by gravity, a condition which ended quickly when Helios amplified gravity in the vicinity by orders of magnitude and sent the Grimm crashing into the ground with a boom that shook the street and set off several nearby car alarms resulting in several small craters. At that moment Ether made his landing, body reforming from the mist like state that his Semblance allowed it to take, Ghost Reverie shifting into guitar form as he brought a pick made of solid Ice Dust down against its' strings; a single screeching note rang out and the Beowolves were frozen solid by the area of effect attack only to be despatched by a flurry of attacks from Helios; except for the last which found itself shattered by Olivine simply landing on it, not slowing her fall with Buster Bravo's retro-thrusters as much as she would have liked.

"Where's Nyanza?" Helios demanded, Olivine simply pointed upwards and the redhead was forced to admit that the year of intense training had yielded results; the feline Faunus was using the small television satellite dishes mounted on outside of the towers as makeshift footholds, allowing him to make his way to the ground in an impressive display of acrobatics.

"Okay, that's the scary part done" he panted as he landed beside his team, pistols at the ready "Now we've just gotta kill a fuck-ton of Grimm" as if summoned by his faux cheery tone a lone Ursa lumbered around the corner, the length of the spines growing from its' bony armour marking it as an old Grimm. The Ursa reared itself onto its' hind legs and roared a challenge

"Ether get behind it, Nyanza-" Helios fell silent when a beam of eerie green light burst through the beasts' stomach and back, followed by twin laser beams and a hailstorm of bullets before finally fading away into nothingness.

"She's awesome isn't she" Ether smirked as Olivine made a show of blowing smoke from the barrels of the several weapons that made up Buster Bravo, goggles lowered over her eyes and a confident smile on her face. Helios quickly composed himself

"Well done. We move from street to street and cut down any Grimm we find. Let's go and be the heroes these people need"

* * *

Arctus and Diamond had made their way from the bridge they had been watching the fireworks on inside the nearest tower complex upon realising that the Kingdom was under attack, instinctively making their way downwards into the poorer areas where Grimm were emerging from a hole that seemingly been burrowed by a truly monstrous King-Taijitu. The two of them had positioned themselves between the Grimm and panicked masses of civilians, allowing them to escape to the nearest shelter. The fighting had been had been gruelling, a series of intense skirmishes at close quarters in the confined space of the narrow streets within the hive tower. Eventually a small group of ragtag fighters, comprised mostly of locals who refused to abandon their home and led by Hickory Pardus, Arctus and Diamond's manager at the Mercy Foundation stormed the hole the Grimm were emerging from, using whatever Dust they'd manage to scrape together as a makeshift explosive to collapse the tunnel; leaving Arctus and Diamond free to make their way to the next complex that needed to be cleared out

"Oh my Oum the whole place is a war zone" Diamond gasped as the two of them made their way onto another bridge between towers, the sounds of battles raging nearby filling their ears. From their position they could actually see New Vale's warships deploying fighters to combat the Grimm rampaging through the streets while the warships themselves decimated airborne monsters by the hundred. Arctus came to a halt, mouth hanging open at the sight of a familiar silhouette against the explosions; a ship that appeared far more streamlined and frankly ominous than the sturdy ships from New Vale

"My Dad's here, that's the Gespenst!"

"We might need to change plans big guy" Diamond directed his attention to a monorail relatively close by, the carriages hanging suspended and unmoving between two of the Kingdoms' monolithic towers; the emergency lighting of the monorail showing that there were still passengers stranded aboard

"You're right, let's go" with that he hurled himself over the bridge and formed a Glyph beneath himself, riding it in the direction of the monorail while Diamond leapt onto the outer wall of the tower and sprinted along its' surface, leaping from building to building as they drew closer. Before they could reach their target a piercing shriek filled the air, drawing their gaze upwards towards a trio of monstrous Nevermore descending on them, each with a wingspan almost as wide as the street below

"Dude how the hell did those just slip past" Diamond demanded while shifting Lex Talionis from its' glaive form, the blade collapsing into the butt of the sniper rifle as the shaft formed the barrel bringing the scope to her eye she lined up her first shot, a high velocity Gravity Dust round punching through the skull of the first Nevermore sending it careening to the ground, closely followed by a second courtesy of Arctus hurling a Glyph which cleaved through the Grimm's torso. The final Nevermore prepared to swoop down, talons extended until Diamond fired a shot which shattered a joint in the beasts' wing resulting a deafening screech of defiance. The Grimm's innate need for death too hold and rather than try and escape it folded its wings flat against its' body and dove downwards.

Directly through the monorail track.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Diamond screamed as Arctus leapt from his Glyph on to the rear carriage as the remains of the rail groaned in protest, screams emanating from within the carriages

"Dee it's not gonna hold, I need your Semblance" Arctus answered her while ripping away the engine cover, each monorail had two drivers cabins with their own engine, one at each end. Eventually he managed to find the emergency power supply for the monorail which had been brought to a stop, the lights flickered out as Arctus removed the faintly glowing green Eco-Dust crystals and crushed them in his palms

"What're you-" before Diamond could complete her question the monorail gave way, sending the carriages falling

"HOLD ON TO ME!" Arctus called out, Diamond did so though it had little effect; her Semblance warped dimensions around her meaning that the falling monorail felt as though it were pulling them backwards rather than down. Her hands were wrapped around her partners' waist while he held onto the monorail with one hand and held the other out ahead of him. A glowing green Glyph, imbued with the Eco-Dust expanded outwards from his hand. Diamond's jaw dropped as the Minotaur Grimm that Team FADE had faced during their second mission was summoned, snorting and thrashing as it stepped forth before finally clutching Arctus's empty hand.

The Monorail stopped falling.

"Dude" Diamond breathed out, stunned as comprehension dawned on her "We're gonna tow it?"

"Basically" Arctus grunted out through clenched teeth, sweating from both the physical exertion and the effort involved in maintaining the summoned Grimm. Slowly the Minotaur began to drag the monorail upwards and forwards towards the hole in the wall intended for it.

"Come on big guy you can do this, you've got this" Diamond whispered encouragement in Arctus's ear, holding onto him a little tighter as she saw the summoned construct beginning to flicker and grow indistinct around the edges, the toll it was taking on the Bear Faunus to continue was clear and Diamond herself was beginning to tire having never pushed her Semblance to such an extreme before; yet they persevered and eventually managed to drag the monorail inside the tower where Arctus finally collapsed onto his hands and knees gasping for breath as the Minotaur vanished. The sound of screeching metal alerted him to Diamond forcibly tearing the door of the front carriage away allowing the dozens of frightened passengers to come swarming out

"You okay?" Diamond helped Arctus to his feet and studied his face for any lingering signs that he was unable to continue. Arctus saw the people they had just rescued staring at them in something akin to awe and steadied himself, placing a hand on Diamond's waist and pulling her close

"Yeah….yeah I'm good. Let's get these people to the nearest shelter" the two shared a brief smile before drawing their weapons once more and leading the way. Hunters were more than just fighters against the Grimm, they were a symbol meant to inspire hope and determination and while Arctus and Diamond fought together each of them felt as though they could face every Grimm on Remnant.

* * *

Felix brought the Killer-Bee screeching around a corner, wincing to himself as he struck a Boarbatusk, sending the Grimm rolling across the ground and into a wall where it proceeded to fade into nothingness. Eagle leaned out of the passenger side window to skewer a Creep as it leapt at the car, her blade emerging from the back of its' neck. Sentinel was mounted on the roof of the muscle car, secured by its' cable arms and firing into the Grimm blocking the road to clear a path. Behind them were almost a dozen trucks filled with civilians who hadn't managed to make it to one of the designated shelters, many of which were now full and in the process of being locked down; the fact that these trucks were the very same trucks that Rhodium Torchwick's underlings were using to smuggle drugs was of no consequence right now, the Hunters with a sense of duty and the criminals by virtue of living in the affected parts of the city shared a common goal

"Not far now" Felix growled out through grit teeth "Eagle you see any more Grimm?"

"Nothing, but they could be inside buildings" she answered as she scanned the side streets for anything Felix missed while he focused on the road ahead. As the convoy moved beyond the maze like metropolis of the city itself the smell of burning was mixed with that of seawater and the sounds of battle faded away, evidently the Grimm hadn't made it this far

"There it is!" Eagle gasped "Looks like they weren't lying"

"Thank Oum for that" Felix sighed as he brought his car to a stop at the entrance of New Vale's commercial docks where the ships that one of the truck drivers had promised would be waiting for them could be seen. The sound of roaring engines prompted a group of heavily armed soldiers to converge on their position, led by a familiar man in armour  
"Professor Bronzewing" Felix nodded as he lowered the drivers' side window "We've got refugees, we heard these boats are taking them to safety?"

"More just getting 'em out of the way while we deal with this but we've got room" Dove nodded before gesturing to the lead truck prompting the convoy to begin making their way into the docks where they could be loaded onto a ship and taken out to sea away from the Grimm attacking the Kingdom

"Professor are any of the other Professors down here fighting?" Eagle asked with a worried expression

"Most of them" Dove nodded, clearly understanding who she was enquiring about "Goodwitch is helping hold the main breach, Ren and Nora just checked in at her position. They're fine….Some of your Aunts are out there clearing out Grimm in the city as well"

"Oh thank Oum" Eagle sagged back in her seat before knocking on the roof of the car prompting Sentinel to collapse back into shield form with a series of mechanical clanks and whirring, allowing her to pull the automaton back into the car

"You're going back into the city aren't you?" Bronzewing asked solemnly "You're first years, hold the line here and I'll head back into the city" Felix didn't respond immediately, instead opening a specific app on his Scroll that allowed a team leader to track both the Aura levels and location of their team-mates and any other Hunters that had given them a code to do so

"Can't do that Professor" he sighed "Your family are one of those ships right?"

"They are" Bronzewing wouldn't admit that the first thing he'd done upon landing in New Vale was find his wife and children despite having no regrets

"Well the rest of my team are out there, so's my sister"

"I understand" Dove nodded "Good luck" with no more to be said Felix rolled the window up and reversed the Killer-Bee away from the docks, handing his Scroll to Eagle before gunning the engine and speeding back towards the battlefield that the city had turned into

"Who're we going for first?" Eagle asked, understanding that she would be giving directions

"Team CLIR are all congregated in one place and they're on the other side of the city. We'll pick Arctus and Diamond up first"

"Got it, straight ahead then" Felix's hand hovered above the button on the gear-stick that would engage the high output Dust booster and push the muscle car to insane speeds, finally deciding against it as he rationalised that he might need it later. They tore through the now empty streets for several minutes before Eagle spoke again

"Take the next left" Felix did so and was instantly forced to bring the car to a screeching halt as no more than twenty feet ahead of them a lone fighter tore through Grimm with a pair of arm mounted blades. Leaping out of the car Felix drew Hack and Slash and their machine pistol forms and opened fire, peppering the Beowolves with bullets while the hooded fighter decapitated the monsters and sheared limbs away; the fight had ended by the time Eagle had managed to clamber out of the car and draw her sword, though Felix was glad that she had as he got his first proper glimpse of the man they'd just saved and shock and rage were left struggling for dominance

"You!" Eagle spat. Carcharodon Gore lowered his hood as he strode towards them, dark eyes glinting

"You look very much like a scientist that just tried to kill my people" the Shark Faunus hissed, regarding Eagle with malicious intent

"Where's my Mum?" Eagle demanded brandishing her sword while Felix shifted his weapons to their own sword mode beside her, chainsaw blades beginning to rotate

"Safe" Carcharodon answered simply

"Look around man" Felix gestured to their surroundings "We don't need to do this right now, work with us and we can work something out"

"I know where Hellion is, she's safe" that seemed to give him a cause to stop for a moment, finally hissing out a reply

"Hunters have her as well?" unsure of what was meant by _'as well'_ Eagle nodded

"Yes and I promise you she hasn't been harmed"

"We know about your tribe" Felix added

"Then you know how many of my people were murdered by Hunters" Carcharodon rasped out, squaring his shoulders "And now you have the last of the Shadow Cadre as well….You've taken everything from me!" with a frenzied roar he charged towards them, blades at the ready and it was all Felix and Eagle could do to brace themselves.

* * *

"Running a little low on ammo over here!" Olivine called out over the sound of gun fire, the air around her tasting of ozone as the photon blaster and twin laser components of Buster Bravo discharged, reducing several more of the nest of Deathstalkers Team NEON were locked in combat with to ash even as the HUD installed in her goggles warned her that she was running low on power and would soon be forced to rely on the compact mini-gun alone

"Reload, I'll cover you!" Nyanza answered as he back flipped out of the reach of one of the monsters' claws and onto the roof of a parked sedan, a combination of his Semblance and marksmanship allowing him to pierce the Deathstalkers' skull with two shots directly through the eyes; Olivine herself ducked behind the car and hurriedly began feeding fresh ammunition into her weapon, wincing at just how little she had left.

"Heely this isn't working, it might be time to pull back!" Nyanza suggested as he crippled the stinger of one of the multitude of Grimm threatening to overrun their position. Helios fought back to back with Ether, Olympus Enforcer having been returned from Tommy Gun mode to sword and shield to tear through Grim matter at close quarters

"No retreat, no surrender!" came the reply as he batted a pincer aside with his shield before burying his sword between a set of mandibles

"We're not backing down" Ether growled, his blade rending armoured carapaces apart with every swing "This is way too close to my place, I know the people that live here!"

"I'm ready!" Olivine shouted up to him, knocking on the metal of the sedan to inform him that she'd reloaded her weapon

"Well" Nyanza shrugged "You heard 'em" with that he leapt back into the fray, bringing Ether and Helios inside of his good fortune Semblance's area of effect

"Ether pull back, Olivine prepare to fire!" Helios ordered calmly; he and the guitarist had not been reckless in their insistence on standing their ground, it had been a ruse to concentrate the Grimm in a single spot so that their teams' heavy weapon specialist could deliver the maximum amount of destruction. Ether's Semblance allowed him to slip away from the combat with ease his body materialising across the street, Ghost Reverie shifting into guitar mode, a Fire Dust pick in his hand in preparation

"Nyanza get him out of there!" Olivine bellowed

"Working on it!" he shot back, the Pharaoh Mafdet returned to tonfa mode and being used to deflect attacks as he reached his partner; a pincer narrowly missing his bushy tail as he grabbed the redhead by the shoulder and began pulling him through the mass of Grimm

"They're going to disperse too soon!" Helios spat and Nyanza immediately knew what would follow, his eyes glowing as if lit from behind as he pushed his Semblance to its' limits in preparation "OLIVINE FIRE NOW!" a split second later Helios had pulled Nyanza into a crouch beside him, holding his shield over their heads, the feline could see the surface of the metal beginning to glow due to the proximity to Olivine's onslaught, bullets ripped through the asphalt around them though Nyanza's Semblance prevented any from ricocheting towards them. When the barrage ended Helios gripped his partner and wordlessly sprinted away; obnoxiously loud clicking behind them assuring him that at least one Deathstalker remained alive. That ended when Ether used his Fire Dust pick, Ghost Reverie spewing a wave of flames which washed over the street leaving nothing but fading mist and molten tarmac in its' wake.

"Another victory" Helios panted out, his team-mates giving incredulous stares at just how pleased with the situation he seemed

"We can't keep this up man" Ether gasped out, allowing his guitar to hand freely from its' strap as he doubled over panting for breath "Your out of ammo, Ollie's running low, I haven't got enough Dust to keep doing that"

"He's right" Olivine sighed, pushing her goggles up into her afro and wiping her brow "We need to fall back to wherever the military are co-ordinating from and resupply"

"Nyanza?" Helios looked at his partner expectantly, the feline merely shook his head in response

"My Semblance can't work miracles. I can keep it running and you might find a couple of spare magazines lying around if we're lucky" the golden armoured warrior frowned before finally relenting; as much as his upbringing dictated that he be in the thick of the fighting he would not risk his friends' lives to satisfy his own pride

"Then we fall back. Lead the way"

"Erm-" Ether began before trailing off and there were several moments of tense silence as the four teens realised that in their eagerness to join the battle they hadn't taken the time to find any of the Kingdoms' rallying points, they were acting independently of the rest of the Hunters and unless they happened to stumble across someone who could guide them they were effectively cut off

"Okay let's look at this logically" Olivine sighed, replacing her goggles "Where would the smartest places for them to set up-"

"Wait, do you hear that?" Nyanza interrupted holding his hand up to silence her. Team NEON collectively strained their ears and heard it; dull thudding, the sound of thunderous footsteps growing nearer until the final warning came in the form a deafening roar from inside the nearest tower complex. A moment later the wall of the enormous building exploded outwards sending dust, rubble and parked cars into the air

"What the fuck is that!" Nyanza demanded as he caught sight of the Grimm, the thing was huge with a body easily twice the height and three times the length of a bus with three horns sprouting from its' skull and what appeared to be a throne growing from its' back

"Oh my Oum" Ether pointed to the hole the beast had emerged from, his face ashen; the Steed had seemingly smashed through one side of the tower complex and rampaged through the equivalent of several city blocks before bursting through the other side

"We have to stop that thing" Nyanza looked at Ether as though he'd lost his mind

"We can't fight that!"

"If it takes out a corner stone it could bring down a whole tower complex!" Ether shot back, the Faunus's face drained of colour upon hearing that. The conversation was brought to an end by Neon clanging the flat of his sword against his shield to get their attention, eyes never leaving the rampaging Grimm

"You're all free to fall back but I'm going to halt that beast or die in the attempt" there was a moments' hesitation where the four teens looked to each other before seemingly making their decision in unison and charging after the Steed with their weapons at the ready.

* * *

Carcharodon fought with the horrifying fury of a man possessed and the skill of someone who had been taught to throw a punch from the moment they were old enough to form a fist. Felix and Eagle fought with every ounce of determination they had and still found themselves being forced back under the assault.

"Just stop!" Eagle pleaded as she raised her shield, the only response from the Shark Faunus was a flying kick which forced her off balance which he followed up crouching against its' surface and launching himself at Felix; sparks flying as their blades clashed. Eagle didn't need her impressive amount of training from various Hunters to realise that her partner was no match for Carcharodon; something that was proven as he managed to parry both Hack and Slash aside with the blade mounted on his left arm forcing him aside and allowing the Shark Faunus to drag his right blade across his back causing Felix's golden Aura to become visible for a moment, as he staggered forwards Carcharodon swept his legs out from beneath him and activated his Semblance, melting into the floor as the Lion Faunus landed face down only to re-emerge directly beneath him; hoisting Felix into the air with both hands around his throat, tightening until the swords fell from his grasp their blades screaming in protest as they tore into the ground

"NO!" Eagle threw her shield from her arm, causing Sentinel to unfold and spring into action. Carcharodon's Aura became visible under the maelstrom of bullets from the droids' mini-gun, a rippling pale lilac light enveloping him for a moment before her through Felix aside and attempted to avoid the attack; only to step into the path of Eagle's downward slash

"An interesting weapon" he hissed as he crossed his arms overhead, blocking the attack "It will serve the Cadre well" with that he forced her sword aside and slashed at her abdomen while weaving under her guard, scoring a groove in her armour. The triumphant smile full of fangs slipped from his face as he felt Sentinel's clawed armatures, fired on their retractable cables, close around his upper arms a moment before the droid began firing again, directly between his shoulder blades.

"It's over!" Eagle shouted "Now tell me where my Mum is!"

"IT IS NOT OVER!" in a display of abnormal strength and determination the Shark Faunus turned, forcing the cables that connected Sentinel's arms and body to become intertwined; taking several rounds to the chest in the process, he then grabbed the cables and pulled the droid forward with enough force to send it toppling over and cease firing before bringing his blade down on the cables that held him; removing Sentinel's arms. Eagle's crimson eyes widened as she saw the machine she'd designed, built and considered something of a pet be dismembered; rage filling ever fibre of her being as Carcharodon turned to face her and make a _'come'_ motion with his hand, lilac Aura flickering around him from exertion. With a bellow of fury she charged forwards, sword held high and only vaguely aware of Felix struggling to his feet

"EAGLE NO!" it was too late, as eagle drew close and as she swung a wild swing at Carcharodon's neck the raider rushed forwards and a wave of icy cold washed over Eagle as he used his Semblance to pass directly through her; as his body solidified behind her Carcharodon wrapped an arm around Eagle's throat and began to squeeze. As her struggled, vision slowly growing dark around the edges a noise reached her ears, above the sound of her own heart pounding; the sound of birds screeching overhead.

"WHAT?" Carcharodon demanded as he released Eagle and kicked her aside; in the air above him his sensitive eyes could pick out the shape of Marauder, seemingly being worried by a smaller bird with vibrant red eyes. Before he could react the smaller bird vanished in a flash of Crimson Aura, being replaced by the Huntsman he had duelled against earlier. The grey-haired man snatched Marauder out of the sky in one hand and drew his scythe with the other while falling and delivering a punishing kick to Carcharodon's chest. As the Faunus rose to his feet he felt the last of his Aura break, its' light rippling outwards from the point of impact before vanishing. Qrow Branwen strode forward, wrapping something around Marauder's wings and chest before depositing the bird on the ground and readying Harbinger

"Get the hell away from my daughter" those words caused Carcharodon to pause for a moment, if he didn't have the scientist herself then the father of her child would make an acceptable bargaining chip and while he knew intellectually that without his Aura this fight was all but over the Shark Faunus had been pushed passed the point of desperation. As he prepared to lunge forward he became aware of movement out of the corner of his eye; Felix had rejoined the fight and there was no way to prevent the right hook aimed directly at Carcharodon's face.

"And stay the fuck down!" he cheered as the raider fell to the ground unconscious with a thud. Before turning to his partner and Great-uncle, the feeling of victory leaving him when he saw the utterly shell-shocked expression Eagle's face as she whispered out a single word

"Daughter?"

"Eagle" the living legend that was Qrow Branwen suddenly looked uncertain, almost fragile as he took in how much Eagle was trembling "I promise this isn't how I wanted you to find out; your mother wanted to be the one to explain. She's safe right now she's at-"

"Uncle Qrow, we need to deal with this guy before he wakes up" Felix motioned to the unmoving form of Carcharodon Gore, prompting Qrow to move towards the and withdraw an Aura dampening collar. An unwanted downside was that it drew Eagle's attention to Felix

"You're not surprised, you knew didn't you?" Felix's head sunk, unable to look her in the eye "Didn't you?"

"Eagle I'm sorry" he murmured

"Oh my Oum" Eagle's voice took on a frantic edge

"Eagle, I'm taking this guy to where the rest of his crew are being held. We've got 'em all now….Toni's there, come with me?" Eagle looked at Qrow and then to Felix, eyes filled with tears and barely restrained fury before she turned away and began recovering the severed pieces of Sentinel, finding that the droid was still functional despite the damage before stalking off in the direction of the city where fighting was still taking place

"I'm not going anywhere with you. I'm an Arc and Arc's defend what's important" Felix watched her set off in stunned silence as he struggled to comprehend how things had spiralled so far out of control so fast, flinching when a hand clamped down on his shoulder

"Go after her" Qrow almost begged "You're her partner, she needs you out there with her" Felix nodded and rushed towards the Killer-Bee bringing the engine roaring into life repeating a mantra to himself under his breath

"I'm gonna fix this"

 **Author's Notes:**

And we're back with the main characters, we'll be wrapping up the battle of New Vale next chapter and tying up lose ends the chapter after that, then there might be a little break while I plan out the first arc of second year (I have the first chapter or two in my head but I need to write things down).  
Might write a one-shot unrelated to this story in between as well, depending on whatever inspiration hits me.

Anyway let's summarise:  
Of course the people that own the hotel don't let the staff use the customer panic rooms, they'll probably dock their wages for not working through the battle.  
For some reason I imagine the head of the security firm looking like Cable from X-Men.  
" _Then hang me for deserting. But you will do it when we return because I will be taking my team down there"_ You've gotta love Helios, that boy is honour bound to doing the right thing.  
Nyanza actually giving a fuck about grades, think back to what he was like in Vol.1, character development.  
Helios is still a little scared of heights.  
I love the idea of Helios finally getting pop culture references, and let's be honest the Pacific Rim speech is one hell of a speech.  
Superhero landing combined with a Gravity Semblance is how you make an entrance.  
I feel like the OP-ness of Olivine's weapon is balances out by the fact it's only thing she's really got in her arsenal _(I actually haven't given her a Semblance yet but I want it to be something that isn't combat oriented).  
_ I thought bringing back the manager from the Mercy Foundation was a nice touch.  
The scene with the monorail was something I've actually had in my head for a while, I literally only added the monorails to the description of New Vale to have Arctus and Diamond use their Semblances together like that.  
You know that Boarbatusk left a dent.  
Torchwick's crew don't know that he's escaped prison yet and realistically in this sort of emergency everyone is willing to work together against the Grimm so Hunters and criminals pooling resources isn't that far fetched.  
The Kingdom had a contingency plan in case the shelters weren't enough, put everyone on ships and get them out of the way and Bronzewing might not be in the thick of the fighting but I can't call him a coward for getting his family out of there first.  
Felix and Eagle didn't realise who Carcharodon was when they helped him, then they recognised him from the Vol.1 and Vol.2 finales.  
" _Safe"_ well he wasn't lying, he was just leaving out the part where he doesn't have his prisoner any more.  
I feel like Carcharodon just snapped, between Hunters and people from Atlas everyone he cared about has either been killed or captured, the ship that was his home has been sunk and his plans to bring the people responsible to justice are crumbling around him; he just lost it and lashed out.  
Helios's plan was reckless but it worked. Use himself as bait to lure all the Grimm into a killing field.  
If you really think Team NEON have a chance of slowing down the Steed or taking out Phobos I have some bad news for you.  
Interestingly enough, the trick where Carcharodon jumped onto Eagle's shield and used it as a springboard to launch himself at Felix; Flax did the same thing when he jumped off of Onyx's axe to hit Carcharodon, Shark boy learns from people he fights.  
If anyone thinks Carcharodon is OP here, think of it this way; he's been trained to fight from birth and has a lot more experience than Eagle of Felix. Helios has been noted as having not lost a sparring match in combat class all year, the entire Shadow Cadre are roughly on Helios's level but Carcharodon's Semblance makes tricky to deal with. He was actually losing to Flax when they fought and that fight was two on one.  
Sentinel is damaged but fixable.  
Qrow made the big entrance and gave the big reveal; now he gets to deal with consequences.  
That fight was gonna be over in one hit regardless of who it came from, I feel like Felix just suckering him out of nowhere was more fun than having Qrow do it.  
You didn't really think that this was gonna be sunshine and rainbows did you? I mean if Qrow and Eagle are on great terms straight away what am I gonna do for second year?

Thank you to: SumoSnipe, Araniladin, FleetOfWarships, Arkanes Shippou, Ferrous, TigerRose, FluffyFirefly, ShadowAlex2000 for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Nora landed in the exclusion zone not New Vale itself, far enough away from the wall between the two that she doesn't destroy any buildings in the city by EMP or just the blast of the Yashima Protocol.  
Yeah RIP Bordeaux, he'd outlived his usefulness though.  
I think it's pretty clear who's gonna end up fighting Phobos at this point.  
We've only spent one scene inside Ruby and Penny's house and that didn't give much away; from the outside it looks pretty normal with a back yard they can put their own Bull-head landing pad in, on the inside it's modern and comfy mixed with futuristic tech like the AI (It's like Tony Stark's house but cosier) and you just know Ruby has a workshop in the basement.  
Raffia won't be snapping anything with his arms vaporised up to the elbows and his Aura suppressed so he can't grow them back.  
Nora wasn't used as a battery, Nora was used as a missile. _She_ used the whole city as a battery.  
Kafsi isn't dead yet.  
Ruby is coming, that's all I'm gonna say.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	40. Crescendo

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 40: Crescendo**

Ether and Olivine were already down, Olivine having expended the last of Buster Bravo's firepower tearing several burning gouges into the flesh and bone of the Steed as it continued its' rampage through the streets of New Vale, smashing through buildings with ease. Ether had attempted to climb onto the Grimm's back only to struck by its' tail and sent hurtling into a car, the Dust on his person setting it alight; Olivine had pulled him from the burning wreckage and the two of them had hung back as the remaining half of Team NEON struggled to slow their quarry down by any means necessary.

"Heely I'm going high!" Nyanza called out, currently they were inside one of the hive complexes that the Steed had smashed through the exterior wall off, the throne mounted on the beasts' back almost scraping against the ceiling of the ground floor level. The throne or rather what sat in it was the felines' target, the idea that this battle could be ended with one decisive strike was too promising to be ignored and Nyanza pushed his severely depleted Aura and Semblance to their limits as he made his move; he leapt onto the roof of a glass bus shelter and used it as a springboard a fraction of a second before the Steed's tail ploughed through it the leap of faith carried him towards a third floor balcony which he managed to grip onto single handed as the Steed drew level with it, readying one of his over-long pistols in his free hand he took aim and fired at the dark shape hunched upon the throne growing from the monsters' spine. The Grimm deflected the shot with a casual swing of the broadsword it clutched in one of its' clawed hands, seeing the thing which seemed to resemble a Beowolf glower at it him with far too much intelligence behind its' gaze Nyanza tried to aim again despite dangling several stories in the air suspended by one hand; before he could do so he heard Helios call out to him

"GET DOWN!" without pausing to question it Nyanza simply let go, hitting the ground in a crouch and rolling aside just as the first pieces of the balcony impacted against the ground, ripped from the wall by the Steed's mace like tail as the Grimm turned. A moment later Helios reached him

"Nyanza there's an Alpha on that things back I think-" Helios never had chance to warn him, Nyanza saw his partners' mouth open and hands shoot out in a desperate attempt to pull him out of the way; then his entire consciousness was consumed in pain as the Steed's tail struck him, before Nyanza could process what had happened he was no longer in the street but laying face down in a pile of debris. He forced himself to his feet forcing the ringing in his ears and waves of agony washing over him aside and coughing up a mouthful of blood as he did so, casting his eyes around he saw that he'd been knocked into what looked like a bookshop across the street from where he'd been standing, having crashed through the window and several shelves before coming to a stop. Limping and dragging himself towards the makeshift exit his crash had made for him Nyanza caught sight of his reflection in some of the remaining shards of glass, robbing him of any lingering hopes that he had even some of his Aura left; his right arm was hanging limp and in truth it was the only part of his body not in pain by virtue of the fact he couldn't feel it at all, blood was soaking through his clothes in several places and his face was covered in a litany of minor lacerations. Nyanza ignored all of this of leapt back out into the street forcing his battered body to comply and run in the direction that the Steed had been moving, eventually coming to a halt as he followed the trail of destruction and rounded a corner; his jaw hanging open at what he saw. The surface of the road bore cracks and gouges where the Steed had been brought to an abrupt halt. Helios had somehow managed to climb onto the Grimm's back and was now facing off with the Alpha Beowolf which had been sitting upon its' throne in single combat, the brief glimmer of hope left Nyanza swiftly as he saw his partner's black Aura flickering around him with each exchange of blows; Helios was losing. Whatever condensed Grimm carapace Phobos's sword was made of was proving sturdy enough to block and parry the armoured Huntsman's Aura fuelled slashes. As their blades clashed together between them and the Alpha bore down on him Helios instinctively sidestepped, allowing the attack to roll of of him and Phobos to stagger forwards as he followed up with a heavy handed swipe with the edge of his shield; he was utterly unprepared for the Grimm's display of skill when the Alpha ducked under the attack and swept his legs out from under him, barely managing to roll aside before Phobos's broadsword pierced through the space he'd occupied; from then the Alpha fought without weapons, giving in to instinctive savagery as it leapt at the Hunter. Helios held his ground as best he could, the blade of Olympus Enforcer scoring several deep grooves in the bony carapace protecting Phobos's chest and skull. Eventually he reached his limits as he used his shield to force the Grimm back as its' clawed forelimb struck out in something akin to a right hook, his Aura broke and felt the burning sting of a claw tearing through the flesh of his cheek; the next thing he felt was a strike to the stomach which knocked the wind out of him and sent him sailing through the air.

"HELIOS!" Nyanza watched his partner collide with a wall as he was knocked from the Steed's back, falling roughly two stories to the ground with a jarring clang of armour. The Grimm that he had duelled withdrew its' blade from the Steed's armour and stalked back to its' throne, reawakening the dormant juggernaut which continued on, its' footfalls shaking their surroundings. Nyanza paid the Grimm no mind as he reached Helios who lay face down and unmoving, rolling him over he saw that mercifully his golden armour though scuffed, dented and caked with dust and filth, had not been pierced by Phobos's claws. His face was another matter, a single jagged slash had been torn from just above his top lip trailing along his cheek bone to the space between his right ear and temple; blood from the wound spilling over his face  
"We need to pursue that Grimm….it's not like the others" Helios growled, confirming that he was still conscious, promptly forcing himself into a sitting position and applying pressure to his face

"I can't fight any more" Nyanza admitted with a shake of his head and a gesture to his limp arm "I've got no Aura neither have you. We need to go back to Ollie and Ether"

"Nyanza that Grimm-"

"I know I saw!" the feline cried "Let me think for a second" eventually Nyanza withdrew his Scroll which had, in a seemingly final, display of good fortune remained undamaged and fell back on something that had been a staple of his life on Patch before Halo Academy.

When taking a beating he called Felix for help.

* * *

Specialist Commander Chiffon, first mate aboard the Atlesian warship Gespenst and long time friend to his captain Gangrel Slate ever since the two of them had been part of the same batch of Hunters to go through the extensive additional training required before acceptance into the ranks of the specialist division, had been prepared to deal with a great many things upon being told that the ship he served on would be taking part in a covert mission within the borders of an allied Kingdom. He had not however been prepared to be given full command of the ship during a large scale Grimm incursion only to then receive a message from a kidnapped scientist and CEO informing him that there was an Atlesian special operative in urgent need of medical attention as well as two of the Kingdoms' high priority targets at her location. His suspension of disbelief had been further tested when soon after he had received word from a retired Vale Hunter who somehow had the required security clearance to contact the head of Atlesian black ops personal warship and inform him that he had a third member of the group of targets in his custody and would be coming aboard.  
Chiffon was currently making his way through the medical bay of the Gespenst which was surprisingly empty, a sign that the Atlesian fighters were indeed still as superior to their counterparts made in Vale as always; in truth the was only able to to leave to command bridge due to the fact that the battle above the breach in the exclusion zone was beginning to wind down after New Vale had deployed whatever it was that had levelled a sizeable area of the ruins.

"At ease" he grunted to the pair of guards that snapped to attention as he passed them, stepping out of the main medical bay and what could be considered both an intensive care unit and a long term patients ward, the crew called it _'The coma wing'_ the far wall of the otherwise pristine white room was taken up by eight foot tall tubes mounted vertically on plinths that incorporated several consoles and readouts, the tubes when in used were filled with breathing apparatus and a translucent blue cocktail of painkillers, sedatives and Aura stimulants which were constantly being recycled. Currently only one of the tubes was in use, almost the entirety of the medical staff crowded around and ensuring that Special Operative Kafsi Asteri continued to cling to life despite her grievous wounds

"My Oum you can see her damn heart!"

"She's gonna make it damn it!"

"Her left lung is almost cut in half, she's losing too much blood"

"Give me more Aura stim, we just have to keep her stable until we can get her to Atlas" Chiffon turned away, he knew from experience that the chief medical officer of the Gespenst would accept nothing less than a success; there was something of a saying on the ship _'You die in the field or you live forever'_ instead he turned his attention to someone who by rights should have been in the main medical bay being checked over for the effects of her clear malnourishment and trauma, Antonia Arc

"Miss Arc" he murmured as he approached not entirely sure of what he wanted to say, eventually settling on "You don't need to be here, we can find you an available quarters"  
"No" she snapped, clearly harsher than she had intended if her expression was anything to go by "No more cabins. I need to be doing something useful, I need to be fixing this" she indicated towards the injured specialist and Chiffon realised that her hands were both trembling and holding onto something, a pen and notepad which she had been using to sketch out rough schematics for what looked like a cybernetic arm.

"Miss Arc" Chiffon tried to sound warm and understanding "You can't be here. I'm going to have to ask you to head back into the main Med bay at least….I can at least get you something for the shakes"

"I….just a coffee please" Antonia mumbled, fists clenching seemingly in anger at herself

"Can do" he turned and gently led her back through the main Med bay and out into one of the corridors of the ship where he noticed that she winced at her harsh lighting, privately noting that her quarters for the return flight to Atlas be dimmed. On the way to the ships mess hall Chiffon heard footsteps approaching from the opposite direction, followed by Antonia's gasp

"Qrow!" she moved faster than the specialist would have thought possible, rushing forward and throwing her arms around the approaching Hunters' neck

"Toni….good to see you're safe" Qrow murmured wearily before turning to Chiffon "I had the crew put the prisoners in separate cells when I brought their leader aboard. I know where to pick up the fourth member but it'll have to wait until the breaches are sealed….Oh and I had the little one's Aura dampening collar taken off, his Semblance let him regrow his arms; it was cruel to just leave him like that"

" _You_ ordered the crew?" Chiffon raised an eyebrow at that

"I knew Slate when he was Beacon student and General Schnee and I go way back" he explained with a small smirk. Chiffon let the issue go and decided that his presence would be best served on the bridge now that he had confirmation that Antonia Arc and the Shadow Cadre had been brought safely aboard

"Understood. The Captain is currently leading a strike team in the field, I'll make him aware of your presence. In the meantime I'll be overseeing cleaning up whatever Grimm are left after that….in fact what was that thing, some kind of experimental mortar?"

"You don't want to know" Qrow chuckled darkly, as the first mate shrugged and set off towards the bridge Qrow turned to Antonia, suddenly looking his age as he visibly sagged forwards

"Eagle's out there" his voice was barely above a whisper "Her and my great nephew were trying to fight the Shark Faunus-"

"Carcharodon, oh my Oum is she okay?" Antonia demanded "Qrow! Is Eagle okay?"

"She's fine" Qrow nodded before making an admission "But Toni I made a mistake….she knows"

* * *

Felix had soon caught up with Eagle though his partner had originally ignored him and seemed determined to make her way back into the thick of the fighting on foot, a position that had thankfully changed when Felix pointed out that they still needed to find Arctus and Diamond and that would happen sooner if Eagle were in the car with him. The drive was filled by a tense silence between them caused by apprehension towards what would greet them combined with Eagle's current emotional state, a silence that was abruptly ended by a Scroll call from an almost hysterical Nyanza; Felix had managed to calm his long time friend down enough for him to explain that there was a single, highly dangerous Grimm stampeding through the city which Team NEON had failed to eliminate.

"Get in!" Felix hollered from the open window of the Killer-Bee as the muscle car skidded around a corner, finally bringing them to Arctus and Diamond's location; a black mist trailing from the blade of Lex Talionis implying that they had dispatched a creature of Grimm only moments ago

"What's happening?" Arctus asked as the two of them swiftly climbed into the back seat

"Team NEON need assistance" Eagle answered bluntly, her tone enough to make Arctus and Diamond look between their team-mates with questioning glances; only to be flung back into their seats as Felix floored the accelerator and pushed the Killer-Bee to its' limits

"Hang on" he warned them before activating the high output Dust booster, the g-force pushing the four teens even further into their seats while flames spewed from the exhaust

"Dude slow down!" Diamond insisted

"They need back up"

"You're gonna lose control!" the argument was rendered moot as with an explosion of rubble and twisted steel the Steed burst into view, roaring and thrashing its' head in triumph as it tore through yet another building before turning towards the oncoming vehicle and charging

"ARCTUS WE NEED A GLYPH!" Felix bellowed; the Bear Faunus complied and hastily threw up a Glyph, angled forwards to act as a ramp as he knew he had no hope of stopping the oncoming monster.

"We're not gonna make it!" Eagle warned them

"Bail out!" Diamond offered as she prepared to break a window a moment before they hit the improvised ramp almost immediately followed by the horns of the Steed shattered its' surface into countless glowing fragments. The interior of the Killer-Bee was filled with panicked screams as momentum carried the car over the body of the Grimm, flipping over in mid air as it sailed towards the nearest tower complex; crashing through several third story windows and rolling several times as it tore through rooms, eventually coming to a stop on its' roof

"Stop that Grimm!" Felix spat, the sound of footsteps and shattered glass crunching underfoot informing him that Arctus and Diamond had managed to free themselves of the wreckage;

"Eagle! Eagle are you okay!" Felix dragged himself out of the drivers' side window and promptly leapt over the remains of his car, tearing the passenger side door with Aura fuelled strength

"Eagle, Eagle are-"

"I'm okay" she assured him as she crawled to safety and gestured to Sentinel, the damaged yet still functional droid had protected her from the crash in shield mode; though she still sported a small gash on her her forehead which her Aura was quickly stitching shut

"Oh thank Oum" his relief was cut short by a furious roar from the Grimm outside followed by several gunshots

"Damn it" he growled before crouching down and clambering into the wreckage, prising the glove compartment open and withdrawing several magazines of ammunition, pausing when he found the single remaining clip of Nano-bomb rounds that his Aunts Penny and Ruby had given him before his departure from Patch

"Now we're talking" he grinned to himself as he drew his weapons and reloaded before joining Eagle in sprinting towards the gash that their entry had torn into the side of the building. Below them Arctus was flipping from Glyph to Glyph while hurling Glyphs imbued with various kinds of Dust into every available part of the Steed while avoiding its' thrashing tail and complaining loudly about how much easier this would be if he still had a plasma weapon. Diamond was using her Semblance to try and find a safe vantage point, so far every shot she'd taken had been blocked by the bony skull of the monster; then Felix's eyes widened as he realised exactly what she was sniping at and a plan began to piece itself together rapidly in his mind as he took in the sight of the web of what seemed to be nerves extending from the throne into the monster itself

"Eagle can Sentinel still fire?"

"He should be able to-"

"Then come on!" with that the Lion Faunus leapt to the ground and rushed towards the Steed whilst calling out to his team

"Eagle light it up with everything you've got! Arctus, Diamond fall back!"

"Got it!" the moment that her friends were clear the armoured Huntress planted her shield into the ground and allowed Sentinel to unfold

"Doot da doot!"

"Get 'em!" the droids' singular expressive optic narrowed as it aimed and opened a hailstorm of bullets, ripping into the already injured flank of the Steed; in response the Grimm turned to face them and prepared to charge, the whole time Felix drew closer towards it

"Arctus, Glyph!" a moment later a glowing platform appeared between himself and the rapidly approaching monstrosity

"What the hell is he doing!" Arctus demanded as he watched his cousin narrowly avoid being crushed as he leapt onto the Steeds' bony skull, the Lion Faunus made his way onto its' back and rolled under a wild slash from the Grimm sitting upon the throne on the Steeds' back. As the smaller Grimm rose to its' feet and the Steed came skidding to a halt Diamond seemed to make the connection

"The smaller one is controlling it, that's what that throne is for. He's gonna take it out!" her theory was proven correct as Felix raised Hack and Slash in their machine gun pistols and opened fire on the throne itself, peppering its surface with Nano-bomb rounds which each deployed a swarm of burrowing nanobots carrying minute explosives

"Let me give him a hand with that" Arctus chuckled as he withdrew the last of his Fire Dust crystals and crushed them before summoning a Nevermore and imbuing the construct with the Dust until its' colour shifted to a deep scarlet

"Felix, heads up!" he called out as the Nevermore flew towards the throne, his cousin had clearly heard him as he sheathed his weapons and prepared his Semblance, entire body glowing with the golden light of his Aura. The burning Nevermore struck the throne, detonating the Nano-bombs in a deafening blast that tore the entire forequarters of the Steed asunder; forcing Arctus to raise a Glyph almost as wide as the street as its' horned skull was propelled towards them, the Glyph and skull shattering as they collided against each other and sending Arctus staggering back several paces

"Look!" Eagle pointed to the explosion which seemed to be frozen in time for a moment before the heat and flames were absorbed by Felix's Semblance; a golden beacon slowly approaching through the black mist and falling dust and debris

"Well I feel pretty damn good right now" Felix chuckled as he strode into view, his entire body glowing with absorbed power. His smile quickly faded as he caught sight of the change in his friends' expressions, then he heard movement behind him and was stunned to see that the sword wielding Alpha Beowolf still lived despite its' bony carapace being reduced to a lattice of fractures and was stalking towards him, weapon at the ready; his shock increased by orders of magnitude when the Grimm proceeded to render Team FADE's collective knowledge of the monsters invalid by speaking

"I am Phobos. I know you….You did this" the Alpha gestured to its' armoured carapace where Felix could see what appeared to be healed gouges, gouges that correlated with the damage his own swords inflicted

"What the hell" he mouthed out. Phobos stepped closer and raised its' broadsword with a challenge

"Today, vengeance. Today, you die"

"Felix-" the Lion Faunus raised his hand and cut off his team

"I've got this" with that he began to channel the thermal energy he'd robbed from the explosion; flesh taking on the appearance of molten rock with several criss crossing lines of magma coursing over his arms, hair and furred tail appearing to become masses of golden flames while blazing light shone from his eyes. Felix entered his Balrog state and prepared to cut loose in a way he would never consider against a living opponent. With matching feral roars the Grimm and the Hunter charged at each other and the street shook with the impact of their first blows.

* * *

Ruby had decided against taking part in the centenary celebrations, the event was also being used to mark twenty years since the defeat of Salem; such things always made her uncomfortable as her own involvement in the battle and celebrity status amongst anyone with even a passing interest in the Hunter community would inevitably see her swarmed by fans causing the ghost of her childhood awkwardness to resurface. There was also the matter of how many lives had been sacrificed for the victories being celebrated; the nightmares were far less frequent now but Ruby still had the names of the fallen tattooed on her arm; Pyrrha, Jaune, Perdu, Fox, Neo and Oscar among others. Instead Ruby had taken the ferry to Patch where she gave a speech to students who were preparing to head to Halo or one of the other Kingdoms' Hunter academies the following semester, this had been followed by a demonstration in the form of a sparring match between herself and Yang with Taiyang acting as referee. When school ended for the day she'd stayed on the island and caught up with her family, joined by Blake when she returned home from work, the four of them were considering heading to Miltia's bar when Ruby received a message from Penny; her expression darkening when she realised that it was from her wife's own internal communication system rather than her Scroll. An SOS.

"What's going on?" Ruby demanded as she skidded to a halt at the docks to find several police officers cordoning them off while Sun oversaw, behind her she could hear the engines of the Bumblebee and Fairy Blue meaning that Blake and Yang had caught up after she had sped off on foot.

"Grimm attack….like before" Sun answered, his tone and expression far removed from his usual cheery self; Ruby understood why, Sage Ayana of Team SSSN had sacrificed himself in the Battle of Beacon "Some of the ships might bring refugees over but other than that orders are to lock down"

"What about the refugee ships?" Yang asked as she deployed Ember Celica and reached for the heavy weapons attachment slung over her back "If they're making a return trip to pick up more people then we'll head over"

"I don't think-" Ruby stepped into Sun's personal space and glowered, her eyes seeming to glow as she did so

"Penny is in New Vale. She has the twins with her"

"Oh my Oum….Ruby I'm sorry" Sun hung his head while Ruby merely stepped back

"Just get out of my way. Blake, Yang you'll have to catch up" she paid no mind to their objections and focused herself to the extent that everything around her seemed to fade into a droning in the background; she prepared to do something that taken her more than a decade to learn, only mastering the technique during a mission to a settlement outside of Vaccuo populated by members of a religious sect. Contrails of silver light streamed from beneath her eyelids as she rushed forwards, triggering both her Semblance and the powers of the Silver Eyed Warrior in unison leaving her friends and family stood in shock and awe when she surged upwards rather than forwards. It took a lot of power and focus but Ruby Rose had learned to fly.

"Hold on I'm coming" she whispered to herself as she shot through the air at blinding speeds, wind howling in her ears and a trail of silver light and glowing rose petals in her wake. She reached the city itself in minutes but refused to slow herself as she weaved around the capitals' colossal structures and the web of bridges and monorails between them, eventually finding the location of Penny's distress signal; almost falling due to losing her focus as the sight below seemed to squeeze her heart in a vice. The Pearl was utterly decimated, missing its' entire cockpit, primary weapons array and a wing but what horrified her more was the sight of Penny struggling to hold the line against a tide of Grimm drawn to her desperation, slowly being forced back against the remains of the craft inch by inch, her emerald green Aura flickering around her with each blow. Penny's blades relieved a King-Taijitu of both of its' heads in quick succession before rending a pair of Beringrel apart only to leapt upon by a pack of Creeps which began to claw at her

"Not again, never again" Ruby gasped before diving down into the fray before letting out a single scream of rage "GET AWAY FROM HER!" everything went white, her ears filled with ringing that drowned out the sound of the creatures of Grimm being simply unmade as Ruby unleashed every ounce of power she had in a single wave; falling to her knees as her vision returned to her, albeit blurry

"Penny!" she forced herself back to her feet, paying little mind to her surroundings as she rushed to where Penny was struggling to rise. The copper haired android was clearly suffering considerable damage; her clothes were ripped in several places, the synthetic skin beneath it torn revealing mechanical components which spat sparks in protest to their mistreatment

"I still function" Penny assured her before collapsing backwards and slumping against the remains of the Pearl, revealing a truly horrific wound to her face beneath which the glistening metal of her cranium and workings of her left eye were visible. Ruby rushed over, still panting for breath as she unfastened her cape, promptly wrapping the ragged and torn and fading garment which had become her signature around Penny's shoulders and planting a kiss against her forehead before pulling the hood up to hid the damage

"Where are the twins?"

"Safe" Penny answered, her voice sounding somewhat digital as she tapped against the remains of the Pearl, implying that some of the inner workings of her throat had been damaged. Ruby moved towards where the partition between the rear and cockpit of the craft had been welded shut and deployed Crescent Rose, her scythe tearing the metal away with ease revealing Tai-Jaune and Summer-Pyrrha huddled in a corner together, tears streaming down their faces

"It's okay" Ruby assured them as she rushed over, Penny limping after her "It's okay we're here, everyone is okay I promise" the two mothers scooped the twins up into their arms and held them close, overcome with countless emotions until the sound of something landing outside sent a chill through them.

"Griffin, must have slipped through" Penny informed Ruby who hadn't yet turned to face the Grimm which was stalking towards the Pearl, Ruby deposited Tai-Jaune allowing both of the twins to hide behind Penny, staring at the approaching monster in terror as its' talons clanged against the crafts' interior

"Stay behind Penny" she warned them before turning towards the Grimm and raising her scythe only to stagger, still drained from her flight and the wave of power she'd unleashed upon landing; the Grimm instinctively lunged upon seeing the sign of weakness only to be reduced to nothingness as something that defied all logic happened; the interior of the Pearl was filled with blinding light and the high pitched voices of two children screaming in unison

"LEAVE OUR MUM ALONE!" the light faded as rapidly leaving Ruby and Penny in stunned silence, staring with wide eyes at their children who had slumped backwards into Penny's arms unconscious

"They….they just" Ruby struggled to find words, Penny looked up at her and smiled as best as the damage to her face would allow

"They're like you. Our children are sensational Ruby"

* * *

Arctus, Eagle and Diamond were forced to stand back and watch the battle unfolding as the intense heat being given off by Felix's Balrog state was almost unbearable to even their Aura enhanced durability, the Lion Faunus reduced the ground around him to a near molten state; Phobos however seemed to suffer from no such difficulties, being far stronger than even the average Alpha; the Grimm just would not die. What should have been a simple matter of Felix grabbing Phobos and removing its' skull with brute force alone had quickly developed into a prolonged fight as the Grimm ducked and weaved around attacks, taking any gaps in Felix's guard as an opportunity to attack

"How long can Felix keep this up?" Eagle asked nervously as she watched her partner deliver an earth shattering overhand which Phobos rolled away from, leaving Felix's arm buried to the elbow in the ground only to be ripped free with ease when he lunged forwards grabbing the Grimm by the scruff of the neck and landing a solid punch to its' chest

"I've never seen him keep going for this long" Arctus answered, his concern evident even as the car the Phobos had been hurled into exploded, a dark shape emerging from the flames confirming that the Alpha was still far from defeated

"Die!" Phobos howled, rushing forward with its' bone sword raised; Felix with an equally fierce roar lunged and landed a punch that lifted the Grimm into the air with enough force to send it crashing through a window several stories above the ground, then without warning Felix's body returned to its' natural state and he staggered forwards gasping for breath

"It's not dead" Diamond warned her team, being proven correct when Phobos burst from the tower block it had been launched into, its' bony carapace cracked and chipped in several places but still standing

"Felix get back!" Arctus warned, though his cousin was clearly too drained to act. The Bear Faunus knew that he had almost no Aura left of his own but readied Gefroren-Erbe regardless, deciding the being over six feet tall and muscular while wielding a sword would just have to be enough though before he could act he saw Diamond streaking towards where Felix stood, positioning herself between him and the Grimm stalking towards him

"Come on!" with that both Arctus on Eagle charged into the fray with swords drawn just as Diamond and Phobos reached each other and the silver haired sniper took a low slash at the Alpha's legs. Arctus's eyes widened in terror as he watched Phobos leap over the attack, clawed feet connecting with Diamond's chest and pinning her to the ground while the Grimm raised its' sword high

"No!" with a single frantic word Arctus gathered the entirety of his remaining Aura into a single Glyph positioned over his forearm like a shield and barrelled into Phobos before it could strike, hurling it back several meters before it buried the tip of its' sword into the ground, tearing a gouge as it stopped itself and returned to its' feet while Arctus's Aura flickered around him before finally fading in its' entirety

"Thanks" Diamond breathed out as Arctus helped her to her feet before turning to Felix "You okay Dude?"

"Can't breathe" he gasped out, clearly in extreme discomfort "Give me a minute"

"We don't have a minute!" Arctus warned as Phobos charged towards them with a howl of rage, eyes seeming to glow even brighter in the darkness

"Felix stay back, we've got this!" Eagle shouted as she stepped forwards, swinging her shield into the Grimms' snout and knocking it aside, Phobos allowed itself to roll with the attack countering with a furious slash that Eagle managed to block but was still forced back by, at which point Arctus and Diamond leapt into action, the Grimm's bone sword clashing against their weapons with speed and ferocity that rivalled that of a trained Hunter. A berserk downward slash from Phobos forced Diamond to block with her glaive held overhead, almost buckling her knees with the impact, the Grimm pressed the advantage by kicking her in the stomach with enough force to send her tumbling to the ground only for Arctus to rush in, their blades meeting between them. The Bear Faunus managed to stand his ground for a few seconds but without Aura it was a hopeless endeavour, Phobos knocked his blade aside and swung; Arctus was numb and cold for a brief moment before the realisation that he'd been wounded hit him and his entire world seemed to become consumed by pain as he collapsed backwards, his last clear memory was that of Diamond's scream of anguish

"NO!" Eagle watched as Arctus fell, the white of his clothes darkening as blood poured from a slash reaching from his right hip almost to his left shoulder. Diamond's scream snapped her back into focus and she charged back towards the battle just as the sniper tackled Phobos, arms locking around the Grimm's waist in attempt to drag it to the ground, Phobos responded with a devastating strike to the face that sent her staggering back dazed and unable to defend herself as the Grimm prepared to swing its' sword at her neck. Mercifully Eagle reached them in time to tackle Diamond to the ground and allow the blade to hit nothing but air

"STAY DOWN!" Felix's voice called out to Eagle the moment she tried to rise, followed by the sound of something flying through the air above her and an agonised howl. Pulling both herself and Diamond out of the way she saw Phobos staggering back with one of Felix's sword buried almost to the hilt between its' left shoulder and collarbone, the blade bursting from the bony carapace of its' back. Felix himself rushed forwards and grabbed the handle of the weapon, bringing the chainsaw blades of Hack and Slash screeching to life and tearing a scream of pain from Phobos as the blade buried in its' flesh was pulled up and out, tearing the Alpha's shoulder apart and leaving its' left arm hanging limp. Felix gave no quarter and fought furiously, this time eschewing Semblance fuelled might in favour of skills honed over years of training alongside Yang; each time Phobos managed to block one of his swords with its' own Felix followed up with a knee to the ribs or elbow to the snout. Refusing to be defeated Phobos ducked under Felix's next attack, a scissor like movement that would have claimed the Alpha's head; forcing its' ruined arm to move Phobos sprung forwards and wrapped the claws of its' left hand around the back of Felix's skull and made to skewer the Hunter with the bone sword held in its' right. Phobos's mind exploded into pain as it felt its' right hand leave its' body, the sound of chainsaw blades rending bone apart ringing in its' ears while a glance downwards revealed that Felix's sword had torn through the Grimm's wrist from below and continued upwards, breaking the blade of its' weapon as they collided

"Die!" Phobos spat before slamming its' snout against the bridge of Felix's nose and being rewarded with a satisfying crunch, rearing back again the Alpha closed its' jaws around the Faunus's skull and began to crush, Felix dropped the sword in his left hand and tried to grab Phobos's jaws and force them apart; unable to see he was unaware of the fact that his Aura was rippling around him in golden waves but he could nonetheless sense that he needed to end this in one decisive strike.

He thrust the sword still in his hand upwards. He was instantly rewarded by the slackening of Phobos's grip and he stepped back to see his sword piercing the Alpha's throat and protruding from the base of its' neck. Phobos collapsed to its' knees and let out several sickening, gargling coughs before uttering its' final chilling words

"I'm coming home mother" with that the light left the Grimm's eyes and its' body began to dissipate. Felix wasted no time celebrating his victory, not even stopping to retrieve his swords before running to where Arctus lay and crouching beside Eagle who was helping Diamond apply pressure to the wound

"How bad is it?" his voice wavered as he asked

"Bad" she answered simply, her own fear plain as Arctus's blood seeped between her fingers

"Don't you dare die on me big guy" Diamond choked back sobs as she applied pressure with one hand while cradling his head with the other "I love you you dumb-ass so stay with me….please, please don't die"

"We to get him to a hospital" Felix stated, fumbling for his Scroll and praying to any deity that was listening that help would arrive on time. Before he could fish the device from his pockets an answer came in the sound of a dull booming sound that preceded a bust of acrid dark smog; a phenomenon Felix knew the cause of

"Uncle Gang" he croaked out. The hulking Bear Faunus took one look at the scene he'd arrived at, amber eyes widening in horror before speaking into a comms headset

"Team, area is secure but we need medical evac right now! Chiffon, Chiffon do you copy? I want a Bull-Head on my location in the next thirty seconds!" Felix had no way of knowing what responses Gangrel had received only that he was making his way over to them

"Uncle Gang I'm sorry, I didn't, I couldn't-"

"You've all done more than we had any right to ask" Arctus's father murmured before crouching down and lifting his son from the ground with ease

"I'm not leaving him" Diamond stated bluntly her teary eyes defiant, Gangrel merely nodded before speaking to Arctus, hoping that he was still conscious enough to hear him

"Come on kid, hang in there. You're gonna be okay"

 **Authors Notes:**

And that is the final chapter of the breach, next chapter is where we wrap up loose ends and finish up the first year.  
I hope the first large scale battle of this story lived up to expectations.

So let's summarise:  
I realise I have a habit of starting mid-way through a battle (e.g. Ether and Olivine already being down) or cutting away and coming back.  
Nyanza didn't know what Phobos was he just had a gut instinct that taking out the rider/pilot would be easier and just as effective as stopping the Steed itself.  
Nyanza's luck had to run out eventually and I think getting slapped across the street and through a store counts.  
Note that whenever Phobos leaves the throne the Steed stops moving.  
And Helios's record of nothing being able to land a hit on his pretty face is broken.  
Felix used to get into a lot of fights on Patch remember, a lot of the time he was standing up for Nyanza; Nyanza probably looks up to Felix a fair bit and if put under enough pressure will default to calling him for help.  
Probably not the best chapter to introduce a new character, notice that I didn't actually give Chiffon a physical description though; we are gonna see more of him, Arctus still has to do the Hunter equivalent of community service for pulling a gun on Kafsi.  
Just a casual reminder that New Vale are pushing the Grimm back, between Nora wiping out their reinforcements before they could leave the exclusion zone, the massive aerial presence, the preprepared shelters and fallback zone and Hunters on the ground the breach wasn't as bad as it could have been despite multiple smaller breaches happening at once.  
Kafsi is still alive, she's utterly fucked but she's still alive; also I wasn't planning on making the CMO of the Gespenst a character but as I was writing the scene I was thinking of Ratchet from Transformers so I might have to introduce them.  
I am no expert in PTSD by any stretch but I think Antonia developing claustrophobia after being held prisoner and kept confined to a cabin for so long is more than reasonable.  
She's also probably far too proud to admit it and will try and keep herself to busy to acknowledge her problems instead (Like drawing up designs for Kafsi's prosthetic the moment she got onto the ship)  
So the Shadow Cadre is gonna be held on Gangrel's ship….remember how Raffia stabbed Arctus in Vol.1, Gang remembers.  
I love the idea that Atlas has the best tech but the idea of doing what New Vale did with Nora is something that just wouldn't occur to their strategists.  
Oh that conversation is gonna be fun.  
Team FADE reunited, I was planning on that happening at the end of the last chapter but I didn't want to detract from that final scene.  
Okay so the Killer-Bee is a write off, that being said if Arctus hadn't gotten that Glyph up in time the car would have crushed with Team FADE still inside.  
The Nano-bomb rounds from initiation, I swear I didn't forget about them, I've been planning on Felix having one clip left for the first year finale since I started the story.  
Yeah Arctus's Plasma gun could have fixed this problem a lot easier.  
Felix's plan was simple but effective, take out the throne and Phobos can't control the Steed; it's like a car with no steering wheel, Arctus knew he'd find a use for his Fire Dust summons.  
When Phobos was revealed to still be alive I was thinking Freiza after the Spirit Bomb in DBZ.  
Remember that Phobos met Team FADE prior to being Phobos.  
Thinking about it festivals celebrating the end of the wars are probably great for everyone except the Hunters who fought in them and watched their friends die, Ruby probably isn't alone in that regard.  
Okay seriously, imagine the students at Signal's reaction to getting to see their teacher fight THE Ruby Rose.  
Okay "Our Happy Ever After" is set ten years after The Downward Spiral and ten years before this story and Ruby couldn't fly then, so this is a relatively new development (Also remember when Penny made a comment about 'Unless someone _else_ can fly' that was foreshadowing for this)  
And you can imagine that a decent percentage of the Grimm that were still in the city were just dealt with by Ruby.  
"I still function" yes Penny quoted Megatron.  
Bet you weren't expecting that.  
I try to balance to OP factor of Felix's Balrog state by having it be all power and no finesse, taking a lot of power combined with the fact he's effectively fighting alone whenever he uses it because its' actually kinda dangerous for his allies to be near him (Hence him turning it off the second Eagle grabbed him when he was about to beat the crap out of Torchwick)  
Of course Arctus used the last of his Aura to save Diamond.  
Eagle casually backhanding Grimm across the face with a shield is a wonderful mental image.  
Oh dear, big guy down! I repeat big guy down!  
Felix is not playing now.  
Felix getting his nose broken is becoming a running gag.  
Phobos's last words….they won't get a full pay off until third year but be afraid, be very afraid.  
Diamond said it back.  
Teleporter Ex Machina.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Araniladin, FleetOfWarships, Arkanes Shippou, ShadowAlex2000 and FluffyFirefly for their reviews on the last chapter _(Also I know some of you had trouble reading it due to the FF Net having technical difficulties for a good chunk of the weekend)  
_ Yeah I dinged the Bee….think it's a little bit more than dinged now.  
It had to be FADE that faced the Steed and Phobos, the thing with Ruby is that she is essentially a massive anti Grimm weapon; putting her against the main threat removes the tension.  
I feel like Qrow and Toni could go either way, I mean they could both end up hating each other but they could possibly come to some sort of understanding.  
Hope you've got that silver platter ready.  
The Molly Weasley moment was promised and it was delivered.  
Yeah Helios was raised and honour glory and martial pride (I'm also planning on introducing some other members of the Nikosi in the second year arc, like his Mother and Sister)  
I want Eagle and Qrow's reconciliation to be a plot point over second year, also I think it's not so much the reveal that she's pissed off at as how many people knew and chose not to tell her.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	41. End of the Beginning

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 41: End of the Beginning**

The first thing Arctus became aware of as his eyes opened slowly was harsh lighting overhead and a white tiled ceiling, indicative of some sort of medical facility. The second thing he became aware of was a dull throbbing ache consuming his entire body torso, his attempt to pull himself upright resulted in a coughing fit while he clutched at his chest

"Hey, you're awake" Diamond's came from beside him and he turned to find her in an uncomfortable looking chair, there was a brief pause where the two of them merely gave each other weak smiles then she slid from the chair and helped Arctus up, pulling him into a kiss as she did so

"Don't scare me like that again you dumb-ass" she whispered against his lips "I thought I'd lost you"

"Hey, I'm fine….I think?" he managed to croak out upon hearing her voice waver, anything else he may have wanted to say was muffled by another kiss

"Doctors say you're gonna be okay, just some scarring" Diamond confirmed as they broke apart for a moment as she positioned himself on his bed, taking care not to lean against him too much Arctus realised that were some obvious questions he needed to ask

"Where are-"

"Felix and Eagle are back at Halo, your dad had you brought to the nearest hospital but Felix blacked out from Aura strain on the way" hearing that they were safe felt like a weight being lifted from his chest but raised more questions

"My Dad? Diamond what's happening, is Vale still under attack?"

"Small pockets of Grimm, Eagle's uncle Flax is co-ordinating search and destroy missions. We won" she answered "Felix took that talking Alpha out after…." she trailed off, visibly shaken and Arctus pulled her close, Diamond gratefully wrapped her arms around his shoulders

"I love you Big Guy" she whispered as she buried her face in his neck

"I love you too" hearing the words brought a bright smile to his face despite everything, Diamond responding by cupping his cheeks and gently pinning his back against the wall

"Come here" before Arctus could reply she was kissing him fiercely, after a moment his hands drifted to her hips as he returned the kiss only for the moment to be ruined by a throat being cleared in the doorway of the room; they broke apart awkwardly wearing matching mortified expressions at the interruption

"Good to see you're up kid, how're you feeling" Gangrel asked as he entered the room, the older Faunus looked thoroughly drained, his Specialist uniform and cybernetic left arm bearing several scuffs acquired as the strike team he'd led through the city engaged with the Grimm

"I'm fine" he tried to shrug "Okay fine everything hurts like hell" he amended, seeing his fathers' disbelieving stare

"Yeah that's probably gonna last for at least a week while your Aura puts you back together. Chest wounds are a bitch" Gangrel nodded sympathetically "Doctors say you should be okay to head home though"

"Home?"

"Halo is closing early" Diamond explained, having been too preoccupied to do so earlier "My dad is actually gonna be arriving in New Vale at some point tonight to pick up any students heading back to Mistral"

"I'll stay in touch" Arctus promised her, catching the unspoken admission that she would be leaving, Diamond simply took his hand in hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Gangrel made a point of not commenting on the display of affection, teasing his son could wait. A few moments later there was a knock on the door, when it opened two people very familiar to Arctus stepped inside

"Arctus I'm so sorry" Rover could barely look at him "If I'd been there, I mean if-"

"It's fine" Arctus assured him, somewhat distractedly as he took in the sight of his Aunt Artemis, or more specifically the small bundle of blankets she was cradling "I get it, you did what you had to….so are you gonna introduce me?"

"Of course" Artemis gave him a weary smile, mismatched eyes lighting up as she made her way over, taking the seat that Diamond had originally occupied showing Arctus how to hold the baby before cautiously handing her over

"Her name's Tuscan" Artemis informed him

"Beautiful aint she" Rover beamed proudly, Tuscan had a skin tone somewhere between those of her parents and though she currently had no hair Arctus could feel a canine tail coated in soft fur through the blankets she was wrapped in, a Husky Faunus like Rover; the wide and slightly unfocused eyes that stared up at Arctus had inherited Artemis's heterochromia the right a vibrant yellow while the left was piercing blue

"She's so small" Arctus noted

"She's a little premature, but she's fine" Artemis answered

"She's perfect babe, I'm so proud of you" Rover seemed almost in awe. After a few moments Arctus gently handed Tuscan back to Artemis and broke the silence that filled the room by turning to Rover

"So Uncle Rover, safe to say Team FADE passed our training mission right?"

"With flying colours" Rover laughed before turning serious "You kids held the line and there's a lot of rebuilding to be done but its' partly because of you that we've got anything left to rebuild"

"I'm proud of you son" Gangrel added, casually ruffling Arctus's hair before reaching into a hidden pocket of his uniform "Which reminds me, I was gonna make sure you got this after you graduated first year. Just make sure there's never a repeat of the incident with Kafsi" the older Faunus warned as he produced what Arctus immediately recognised as a plasma cell

"Holy Oum….is that new?" he asked incredulously "Where would you even get a new plasma cell? Nowhere makes 'em any more" it was the truth, the cell that had formerly resided in his weapon was repurposed from a warship that had served in the transition between Mantle and Atlas

"Just take a second to remember what my job is" Gangrel gave a feral smile and Arctus seemed to realise that the same man he'd played catch with as a child and allowed his daughter to paint his nails also probably has access to arguably more secrets and weapons than anyone else on Remnant besides his Aunt Winter. Before Arctus could ask any more questions Gangrel rose to his feet

"I'll be back to pick you up later kid, I've gotta go handle some loose ends"

"Yeah sure, see you later" Arctus replied, missing the way Gangrel's expression darkened. After a moment Diamond gently nudged him and held her Scroll out

"Doctors have still got your stuff, you wanna let your Mum and sister know you're okay? Just in case your Dad hasn't had chance" Arctus took the Scroll and braced himself

"This is gonna be fun" he chuckled.

* * *

Eagle briskly made her way through Halo Academies' hallways, walking as fast as possible without giving in to temptation and breaking into a jog. It was currently mid Saturday afternoon, almost twenty four hours since the breach had begun and Eagle was coping with the combined trauma, shock and exhaustion by sheer willpower alone; putting one foot in front of the other and taking care of one task at a time until she could get answers and have time to process everything that had happened. Eventually she found her way to her destination, the space between the parking facilities and the maintenance and engine rooms that were off limits to students. Making her way along rarely used corridors she found herself prematurely halted by a locked door, or more accurately the person stood outside of it

"Aunt Nora?"

"Hey I figured you'd make your way down here eventually"

"I wanted Hellion to know that her people have been caught. She deserves to know that at least" Eagle shuffled nervously

"She knows" Nora answered simply before sighing "She's gone Eagle, Atlas Spec-Ops came and collected her"

"Oh" Eagle said simply, she was unsure how to feel; the Shadow Cadre were criminals beyond any shadow of a doubt and justice had to be done but she had wanted to see the Dragonfly Faunus. Nora saw her honorary nieces' lost expression and placed her hands on her shoulders

"Eagle are you okay?"

"I don't….I just" Eagle ran her hands through her hair "I'm dealing with a lot right now"

"I know you are" Nora pulled her into a hug "Did you at least get a chance to see your Mum?" as Eagle returned the hug tears started welling up in her eyes, her stress finally finding an outlet

"Yeah but not for long, they've got her doing paperwork after everything else. Witness statements and things like that"

"Bureaucrats" Nora growled irritably "Ren told me you slept on our sofa for a few hours instead of your dorm so I did some asking around….Qrow told me about, well y'know"

"Don't wanna think about it right now" Eagle mumbled into her shoulder

"Then don't" Nora stroked her hair gently "But avoiding your friends isn't gonna make anything better"

"Felix knew" Eagle snapped angrily "He knew who my Dad was and kept it from me"  
"Oh" Nora mouthed out simply, she had finally gotten some answers from Qrow himself after seeing him on the campus after the battle; it seemed keeping secrets and telling half truths really was second nature to him

"I just don't know what's happening any more" Nora gently pulled away, reaching up to ruffle Eagle's hair as she did so

"It'll all work out in the end, things usually do" she assured her "And it's okay to not know what to do right now, you know that we'll all support you whatever happens"

"Thanks" Eagle gave her a weak smile, the truth about her parentage and the fact it had been kept from her still seemed huge but Nora's words had helped

"Come on" Nora gently guided her away from Hellion's now vacant cell "I'll get Ren to make you some pancakes while you figure things out"

* * *

Glynda watched as Qrow made himself comfortable opposite her, noting that he seemed to have aged even more since the last time they had spoke; his expression was that of utter defeat

"Are you-"

"I'm fine" Qrow's words came out in a hollow sigh and for a moment Glynda was tempted to ask if he'd been drinking again despite not being able to smell the distinctive stench of liquor that had seemed to perpetually cling to him before the war, in the years since he had slowly started to cut back but never completely stopped.

"Winter won't be able to join us" Goodwitch informed him, choosing to get down to business "Understandably the fact that a cloaked Atlesian warship was in New Vale's airspace needs to be explained"

"The council should be grateful it was" Qrow noted with a frown "I'll make sure Winter gets the important information, she needs to be kept in the loop" Glynda nodded in understanding, she, Qrow and Winter formed the core of the group that had taken up Ozpin's mantle of protecting Remnant from behind the scenes and the events of the breach would no doubt keep Winter's most trusted analysts occupied for some time

"We don't have anything close to a full damage report" Glynda sighed "But it's bad. Under normal circumstances we would have been able to seal off parts of the city nearest to the breach at ground level and corral the Grimm while we evacuate"

"But they hit over a dozen places at once and managed to get a decent amount of fliers into the city" Qrow nodded "If the Council doesn't make some of display we're gonna have riots"

"They know that" Glynda assured him "Councilman Xiong of all people is already petitioning to have every available Lien put towards rebuilding, the rumours are that he's going to donate some of his own money"

"You mean he's going to launder it" Qrow snorted cynically, though perhaps a little too harshly; corrupt as Junior was the mobster turned politician had been one of the first to return from Patch and had turned the Black Bear Syndicate to helping the rebuilding process after the defeat of Salem; he had once been quoted as having said _'There are two things I love more than my Lien, my nieces and my city'_

"Be that as it may" Glynda allowed herself a small smile "The council are planning to resume the bombing runs over the Exclusion Zone, I think Halo may have to move its' initiation to the Emerald Forest. It'll be traditional at least"

"I'll need to talk with whoever's organising those bombing runs" Qrow grunted "We both know that there're spawning pits in there and what's gonna happen if they get hit by a missile. We don't need something like a Gojirex knocking on our door"

"Agreed" Glynda shuddered at the thought of one of the truly colossal creatures of Grimm ever managing to make its' way into the Kingdom; she'd seen first hand what the consequences would be when the Dragon Grimm launched its' attack on Vale in the war.

"There's something else" Qrow murmured, expression darkening and taking care to keep his voice down despite knowing that Glynda's office was safe "I listened in for a while when Antonia Arc and her….our daughter were talking, I wasn't seen. Eagle seems to think that there was an intelligent Grimm leading the charge, a Grimm that could talk"

"That's impossible" Glynda gasped, her stunned silence at the fact that Qrow had a child superseded by the idea of a thinking Grimm

"Not impossible" Qrow growled "It's happened before, it can happen again. What's important is how we deal with is….there can't be another Salem"

"By Oum" Glynda mouthed, her barely audible voice laced with horror "The multiple attacks, I mean we all predicted a spike in Grimm activity with the festival but it was a co-ordinated assault"

"We don't have proof of anything, but we can't afford to rule anything out" Qrow, stroked his grey beard as he pondered his next move

"I'll have my people on Menagerie search for anything strange, Salem holed up there it might be worth checking. Shade has the oldest library on Remnant, I'll contact Rae and tell her to see if she can find anything. We need more information"

"What do you need from me?" Glynda asked, expression stern as she prepared herself

"You're on the Council. I'll need to know when those bombing runs are happening and details of any additional defences they put around the Exclusion Zone"

"You're going to send people in?" Glynda demanded, mildly aghast

"Strictly scouting missions" Qrow shrugged as he rose to leave "Other than that the only thing you and Winter can do is make sure that the kids you're training are ready….there's too many statues where there should be families as it is" with that he trudged out of the office, for once looking every day of his sixty years while Goodwitch sighed and removed her glasses; nodding in silent agreement. History could not be allowed to repeat itself.

* * *

Felix regained consciousness slowly, requiring several attempts to remove himself from the sheets and pillow that even his sleep addled mind could tell were not his own. His groggy and barely intelligible grumbling could charitably be interpreted as speech and were clearly a source of amusement for someone as the sound of someone chuckling nearby reached his ears

"What? Where….Medical wing" he finally managed to make sense of his surroundings as he caught sight of several other beds occupied students, Pepe Le Puce of Team PSTL being the only person Felix recognised; the skunk Faunus lay unconscious and unmoving in the bed opposite with several tubes inserted into his body and an oxygen mask covering his face. Turning away Felix caught sight of the person who had laughed at his attempts to rouse himself; Helios Nikos was sat nearby his armour and weapons nowhere in sight, before the Lion Faunus could comment on this he caught sight of his fellow team leaders' face, the flesh of his left cheek was a painful looking angry red where it wasn't mottled with purple and yellow bruises and Felix could make out the stitches holding a long gash from his lip to his ear closed. Helios evidently caught him staring as he turned, hiding the wound from view while inadvertently displaying more bruising on the backs of his broad shoulders

"How bad is it?" he croaked out, vibrant green eyes clearly worried despite the attempt at nonchalance "I haven't looked in a mirror, I'm not sure I want to see"

"I mean its pretty bad" Felix admitted "But it should heal up fine with Aura. You'll still look hot with the scar" his mouth closed with an audible click and as Helios remained silent, seemingly having no response Felix was left to wonder just how frazzled he had to be to have said that out loud

"Thank you" Helios mumbled, the bruising made it hard to tell but Felix suspected he may have been blushing "I hope getting your nose broken again doesn't ruin your good looks too much" the redhead delivered the words with a smile and Felix could feel the colour rising in his own cheeks and quickly distracted himself by taking his Scroll which had been left on his bedside table. Opening the device and activating the front camera caused him to wince in displeasure, he had apparently recovered enough of his Aura for the pain to not bother him unduly but dark ugly bruising spread from his, reaching under his eyes

"Oum damn it" the Lion Faunus sighed, before deciding all things considered it could be a lot worse. Casting his eyes around the medical wing again he was struck by something else

"Hey Helios, where is everyone?"

"I'm the only one of Team NEON left" the redhead saw the horror on Felix's face and quickly clarified "Left at the academy I mean. Halo is closing early, Olivine and Ether left immediately to find their families. Nyanza left for Patch a few hours ago"

"He okay?"

"He fought bravely" Helios gave an approving nod "Better than I would have ever expected of him when we were first partnered; his injuries will heal"

"What about you, are you going back to Anima?"

"Indeed" Helios looked almost thankful "I leave for the airship soon. I promised your sister that I would wait here as long as possible in case you woke up; she's in the canteen. Her partner convinced her to eat" Hearing that Team CLIR, specifically Corvid were safe caused Felix to let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding but prompted another question

"Have you seen any of Team FADE?" Helios shook his head

"Corvid mentioned that you blacked out from Aura strain while getting Arctus to a hospital?"

"Yeah" Felix nodded as memories of his cousins blood soaked and limp form being rushed onto an Atlesian Bull-Head came flooding back to him "If Arctus is in hospital then that's where Diamond is. They probably just brought me here to free up a bed. Have you seen Eagle?" his anxiousness began to creep into his voice with those words, he remembered that his partner was furious with him and was fully justified.

"I've barely left the medical wing" Helios answered "She wasn't at the Bull-Head terminals when I walked….ah" the way he abruptly stopped caused Felix to turn and follow his gaze, his entire thought process being brought to a screeching halt when he saw Eagle regarding him with clear discomfort from the doorway, her armour had been discarded leaving her in a black hoodie and a pair of ripped and faded jeans. Sensing the obvious tension between the two blondes Helios rose to his feet and made to leave

"Glad to see you returned safe" he murmured to Eagle before addressing Felix over his shoulder "I'll let your sister know you're awake" Felix remained silent as the sound of Helios's footsteps faded away, struggling to find something to say he decided to ignore the elephant in the room for the moment

"Hey how's Sentinel? He took some damage back there"

"It's gonna take me a couple days to fix his arms" Eagle answered, her tone icy and her crimson eyes narrowed

"Well at least it's nothing-"

"Is this what we're doing?" Eagle demanded "Just gonna pretend everything's fine. I mean I know you've had practice-"

"I wanted to tell you!" Felix shot back

"Then why didn't you?" the Lion Faunus took a deep breath at the question, loathing himself even more as he answered

"Uncle Qrow convinced me it was for the best not to tell you yet"

"How?" Eagle bellowed "How on Remnant is the fact that my Dad has lived close enough for me to go visit him since I was three years old and nobody told me for the best?"

"I only found out recently, after your Mum…." Felix trailed off, running his hands through his messy he hair "I was going to tell you. Uncle Qrow told me your Mum had asked him not to, she wanted to be the one to explain everything. Eagle I'm sorry, I should have told you"

"You're right you should have"

"I just….I was worried about you Eagle, you were already dealing with your Mum being kidnapped-"

"So you just made a decision about my life and what I should be allowed to know?" she was almost screaming at him now, it was a small wonder than none of the other students or medical staff had asked them to leave "I thought I could trust you Felix"

"Eagle I-"

"No!" she snapped "You were my best friend, honestly the first real friend I've ever had and you kept something this important from me….I just, Felix I don't know if I can trust you any more"

"So where do we go from here?" he croaked out, silently dreading the answer.

"I'm leaving" Eagle informed him bluntly "I've barely managed to speak to my Mum since the battle. We're going to my grandparents place for a few days then she's heading back to Atlas and I'm going with her for the summer. She promised we'll talk about everything"

"I hope everything works out for you-"

"Felix, don't call me over the summer" Eagle added with a sigh before turning to leave "I really don't want to talk to you" the Lion Faunus sat in silence as she left, silently willing the tears not to fall; they fell regardless and Felix was left to contemplate how he'd failed so badly as a friend.

* * *

It was late Saturday night when Candy Cain had been woken by the sound of someone sneaking around in her kitchen. She'd fallen asleep earlier than usual after the nightmare that besieged the city the previous evening, she'd been in her early twenties when Vale was attacked and hoped that she would never see Grimm up close again. Her desire for a peaceful life was denied once again when police had arrived at her home that morning and attempted to search the premises without a warrant, informing her that Rhodium had somehow managed to turn the chaos to his advantage and escape from prison. From what little titbits of information she could prise from the officers it seemed that they would most likely be far too busy to chase her son for some time, apparently they were also too busy to halt the wave of opportunistic looting that had doubtlessly washed over the city; though as Candy Cain made her way down the stairs, taking care to miss the step that creaked and holding the baseball bat she kept under her bed she couldn't help but feel a stab of pity for whichever unfortunate soul had chosen to break into her house of all places. Reaching the hallway of her small home in one of New Vale's most impoverished areas she saw that her would be burglar was either incredibly arrogant or simply not very bright, they'd turned her kitchen light on and by the sound of it were rummaging though her cupboards. Creeping slowly closer she made her way to the door and took several quiet breaths, willing herself not to lose her nerve before busting into the kitchen; only to come to a sudden halt, the bat falling from her grasp as her hands flew to her mouth. Standing there in her kitchen with his back still turned to her and from this angle looking like the ghost of his father was Rhodium

"Hey Ma" he turned to face her wearing the same confident smile he'd always had when she confronted him for his behaviour and in an instant Candy had crossed the kitchen and begun slapping any part of him she could reach

"You nearly gave me a heart attack you stupid boy!" every word punctuated with a swat to the back of his head "I've had the police here for you yet again, you've really done it this time Rhodey! Escaping prison! What on Remnant were you thinking?"

"Ma, Ma!" he managed slip free of the barrage of admittedly painless swats "For Oum's sake it's fine"

"Fine?" she looked at him incredulously "It is far from fine!"

"Ma will you just calm down, please" Candy finally relented somewhat, no longer attempting to slap sense into her son and merely staring at him with silent disapproval that demanded answers, sitting on the kitchen counter Rhodium made himself comfortable

"Yes, I myself got out of prison" he raised his hands hoping to cut off his mothers furious interruption before it could start "But look my lawyers are still working on that, it's taking longer than it should have because the police are withholding records and evidence; they really want me to stay inside Ma"

"Don't try and play the victim Rhodey" Candy huffed "You know as well as I do that your lawyer is a crook and you're guilty of everything you're charged with" he merely shrugged, fully aware that arguing with such an obvious truth would be pointless

"But things are gonna be different now Ma" he gave her his most winning smile "I've had time to think while I've been away, I've been working on something and I can't make changes if I'm locked away. The law doesn't want to fix anything they just want me out of sight out of mind" Candy continued to look at her son in silence though she dared to hope that maybe this time he'd faced real consequences for his actions and learned something, that he might apply his brains and charm to something other than crime. Rhodium sensing that she was still unconvinced reached into the his jacket, having disposed of his prison jumpsuit and picked up some new clothes, he pulled out a folder and handed it over. Candy's eyes scanned pages rapidly as she flipped through the documents

"What is this?" she murmured

"A business plan" he beamed "Nothing's concrete yet but we're looking at ways to make my money legal or the law or just gonna shut me down. Obviously I can't be the owner on paper right now but this is what I wanna do"

"But why?" his mother seemed at a loss for words

"Because the system has never worked for us" Rhodium shrugged, sliding off of the kitchen counter "The Council don't care about us, we're poor. We've gotta make our own opportunities and that's what I've been trying to do. This time I'm gonna try and make life better for everyone around here"

"By starting a security firm?"

"Exactly" Rhodium was pacing as he spoke now, his energetic enthusiasm becoming contagious "We can't rely on the police, hell I'm proof of that, nobody here can afford to contract Hunters. There's a lot of people selling themselves as mercenaries and muscle for hire, I'm gonna give them a legal job"

"And the name?" Candy whispered, barely believing what she was hearing

"Cain Security Personnel, thought you might like that….this is me giving something back Ma" Candy took one look at the hopeful expression on her son's face and her resolve crumbled

"I really hope so son, all I ever wanted was the best for you" she pulled him into a brief hug "You can stay here tonight but that's it, no doubt the police are gonna come back with a warrant"

"Thanks Ma"

"Now I'm going to go back to bed" Candy reached up and gently ruffled her son's her before leaving him with some parting words "And it really is good to have you home Rhodey"

"Night Ma" the smile slowly slipped from Rhodium's face as he listened to her footsteps, after all he hated lying to his mother. The mobster would not be leaving his life of crime behind at any point in the foreseeable future, through means that utterly baffled him the Eco-Dust supplier known only as Dunwitch had managed to contact him within twenty-four hours of his escape; the message simply read _'New Vale seems to be on fire so I asked some questions. I hope to continue doing business with you Mr Torchwick'_. There had been some truth to Rhodium's words, Cain Security Personnel would most assuredly become a reality and would both employ and protect many of the people in the neighbourhood but it was far from an altruistic gesture; time in prison had done nothing to curb his ambition and when Rhodium made his move on taking control of New Vale from Melanie Malachite the mercenaries, thugs and out of luck Hunters he was planning on recruiting would form part of the army he went to war with.

* * *

"What's the best way to kill a clown?….you go for the juggler"

"Corey"

"Why can't you hear a psychiatrist in a bathroom?….because the pee is silent"

"For Oum's sake Corey"  
"Okay, okay; when is the best time to go to the dentist?….tooth hurt-y" Felix's only response was a groan and a shake of the head. By the time the Xiao Long Siblings arrived on Patch on one of the many additional ships ferrying people between the mainland of the island it was the early hours of Sunday morning and currently the pair were making their way home, Felix's belongs packed hastily and messily into suitcases which he carried while Corvid had elected to leave almost everything at the academy, the single bag she'd packed being carried by the Omega Wing which flew beside her at shoulder height

"You just don't appreciate good jokes bro" Corvid huffed dramatically as she gave him a playful punch on the shoulder; Felix had been sullen and clearly bothered by something on the journey from New Vale and since he hadn't wanted to confide in her Corvid had decided instead to coax a laugh or smile out of him the best way she knew how. Eventually they trudged their way into the front yard of their home, taking note of both Blake and Yang's motorcycles parked outside and the fact that the lights were on. Felix unlocked the door while Corvid retrieved her bag from the Omega Wing and he had barely made it inside before he heard the sound of footsteps rushing towards him

"Hey M-" he didn't have time to finish the greeting before Blake had wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a crushing hug, Corvid received identical treatment from Yang

"Thank Oum you're both safe" Blake whispered before pulling back and taking in the sight of her sons' heavily bruised face

"Need some painkillers for that?"

"Mum I'm fine" Felix grumbled

"Let your mother worry about you" Penny chided him softly as she stepped into the hallway from the living room

"Hey Aunt Penny" Corvid gave her favourite Aunt a bright smile "What're you doing here?"

"I asked Ruby to come over, I kinda wanted the whole family together" Yang admitted "Dad left earlier, Sun needed an extra pair of eyes. Ruby is upstairs asleep with the twins….Sorry Corey but they've got your bed, she hasn't wanted to let them out of her sight"

"No problem, I'll take the sofa" she shrugged

"Where's Qrow" Felix almost growled, his tone catching Yang off guard

"He's still on the mainland, what's with the attitude Fluffy?" he merely slouched in annoyed silence for a moment before realising that Yang expected an answer, finally he told her

"Eagle knows about her and Qrow….she knows I knew. Took it about as well you'd think" Yang's expression softened but before she could offer any sympathetic words Corvid chimed in, clearly confused

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Eagle knows _what_ about her and Qrow?"

"Go on, tell her" Felix fought to keep a sneer out of his voice, he knew that taking his anger out on his parents wouldn't help anything.

"Corey, come into the living room you're probably gonna want to sit down for this" Yang suggested before leading the way

"Okay, now I'm thoroughly creeped out" Felix felt Blake's hand on his shoulder

"Fluffy come outside for a minute, let Yang handle this please"

"Fine" he placed his hands in his pockets as he followed both Blake and Penny back out into the pleasantly breezy night air and around to the garage, as Blake fished her keys out of her pocket Penny turned and explained to him

"The Pearl went down in the battle"

"Oh sh-" he caught himself before he could curse in front of his mother "Everyone's okay right?"

"They are, just tired and a little shaken up" Penny nodded "But the Pearl itself had to be salvaged and carried back to our landing pad"

"Well the firm Penny hired for that is a company that employs a lot of Faunus that I've given legal representation to" Blake added "So I called in a little favour and got them to make pick this up for you" with that she opened the garage door and Felix was unsure of whether he should laugh or wince at the sight of the Killer-Bee

"It's not currently combat ready, but you have all summer to work on it" Penny noted, Felix thought that may have been the biggest understatement he'd heard in his life. His car was demolished, the entire front end had been partially crushed, part of the roof had been caved in, there were no windows left unbroken, a door was missing, the paint job was ruined and he guessed from the way the vehicle sat that the suspension and axels would need work not to mention whatever damage was under the hood

"Oh yeah, this is gonna be an all summer job" he sighed as he paced around the remains of his pride and joy

"Well now is as good a time as any to work on some upgrades" Yang suggested

"Good idea" he murmured somewhat distractedly "Armour plating is probably gonna be a safe bet but I'd have to work on the engine to offset the extra weight-"

"We were thinking weapons" Penny told him as she made her way to the back of the garage where something was covered with a sheet, the Lion Faunus had utterly failed to notice the object but now his eyes were wide when Penny removed the sheet. He recognised this item, he'd helped Corey mark it for recovery in the exclusion zone months ago after all, it was one of the laser batteries that the Shadow Cadre had stolen

"Where did you get that?" he asked, barely able to form a coherent sentence due to the shock

"When Antonia Arcs kidnappers were apprehended this was left not far from my house" Penny explained as she gestured to the barrel of the weapon that had been drastically shortened "They tried to saw it down and make it handheld, you could probably fit it into the trunk of your car and find a way to integrate it….Atlas won't want this back, it's old tech and it's damaged; so it's yours if you want it"

"Sweet. The Killer-Bee's gonna have a stinger" Felix's face became a wide smile as possibilities and logistics presented themselves "Thank you"

"Fluffy I'm gonna head back inside and see how Corey handled the news"

"I'll come with" Felix followed her out, silently thankful that he had something to occupy his time and divert his focus away from the fact that his partner and best friend seemingly hated him; he was unsure how he'd cope without it.

* * *

Hellion heard the door of the cell she'd been confined to unlock with an unnatural hissing sound, that of air rushing into a vacuum and slid off of the uncomfortable bunk she'd been laid upon, suddenly curious. Hellion had been unaware of the battle in the Kingdom below until she had been escorted from her cell by a pair of heavily armed and armoured soldiers whose uniforms identified them as Atlesian; the pair had remained silent when she attempted to question them as she saw traces of the destruction from the Bull-Head and while she was still shackled by her Aura dampening collar the Dragonfly Faunus knew it would be futile to force the issue. Upon docking on what was clearly an Atlesian ship a hood had been placed over her head and she'd been marched to a cell that was more closely related to a storage cupboard than living quarters; one small mercy that had been granted however was her own clothes, those had been pushed through a hole in her cell door after a tray of barely edible food which had closed immediately after, her knives had naturally been taken but she was still glad to be free of her prison jumpsuit and wearing familiar clothes with at least some armour integrated into them.

Prising the cell door open Hellion found her way briefly barred by a series of beams of light spanning the width of the door frame, a dull barely audible crackling and faint scent of ozone emanated from them and while Hellion was unsure exactly of what they were it seemed unwise to take the risk; after a few seconds the beams of light dissipated and she stepped out into an empty corridor, brightly lit with pristine clinical white walls and several cameras easily visible; it seemed the ship had a prison of its' own. Before Hellion could attempt to look for a way out multiple hissing sounds alerted her to three more cells opening and her mouth hung open as familiar figures stepped out into the corridor

"Car, Onyx, Raffia?" her voice came out as a disbelieving whisper, not daring to trust her eyes but in a moment they had rushed over to her and the four of them collided in a frantic, awkward group hug; physical closeness was second nature to their seafaring tribe as space was always limited and Hellion realised just how touch starved she'd been since her capture as Carcharodon wrapped an arm around her shoulders and Onyx ruffled her hair

"You were wounded" the Shark Faunus rasped as he took in the scar running beneath her collarbones, courtesy of Torchwick's goons "Who? I'll feed their bodies to the gulls"

"It doesn't matter now, you're all safe"

"Debatable" Raffia spat venomously as he tugged at his reattached Aura dampening collar "They wouldn't let me eat until I put this back on. We're trapped and unarmed….Onyx could have escaped. Should have left me to die and followed Car"

"And then who would I have to torment my every waking moment" the Puma Faunus snorted in response, gently cuffing him around the back of the head. Hellion drank in the familiar bickering eagerly before realising that there was something missing, a familiar weight on her left arm that wasn't there

"Where's Marauder?"

"The Hunter that captured me took him" Carcharodon answered, bowing his head in shame as he did so. Moments later the sound of a door sliding open at the end of the corridor they were in caught their attention and the four of them caught sight of several Atlesian soldiers with weapons trained on them before a larger figure strode through their midst, the moment the hulking silhouette stepped into the corridor the doors closed, a moment later the figure had vanished only to reappear in a burst of acrid smoke directly in front of the Shadow Cadre. The man was a towering Bear Faunus, taller even than Onyx and equally broad shouldered the mans' entire left arm had been replaced by prosthetics that lacked the usual sleekness of Atlesian technology, a monstrous sword with a hooked blade was slung over his back while his scarred face and amber eyes held nothing but cold disdain for his prisoners; the only sign of anything akin to hope was the familiar bird perched on his arm. Marauder fluttered onto Hellion on the Dark skinned Faunus fought the urge to coo over the raptor, Gangrel Slate merely surveyed the group in silence before stepping towards Raffia, the Axolotl Faunus rolled his shoulders back and refused to back down despite the fact that the older man was over a foot and a half taller than himself.

"You used to have a sword that turns into a flail?" Gangrel growled out, voice low enough that the Shadow Cadre felt it as much as heard

"Did it find its' way into someone you know?" Raffia challenged with an evil smile

"My son" Raffia had no chance to react, Gangrel's haymaker left him sprawled on the ground with blood dripping from his mouth, dazed and barely clinging to consciousness. The remaining trio instinctively made to lunge at their attacker only for Gangrel to bark out orders

"Nobody move. You have no weapons, your Auras are suppressed and there are over a dozen armed guards outside. Stand down" Carcharodon made a gesture and both Hellion and Onyx stepped back while the Shark Faunus himself stepped into Gangrel's space; attempting to make it clear he would not be intimidated

"Good, now that's out of the way let's keep things professional" Gangrel seemed utterly disinterested in Carcharodon's attempt to unnerve him "Let me make this as clear as I can, I am one of the highest ranking military officials in Atlas, you are on my ship, one of you stabbed my son and all of you were complicit in kidnapping someone I know personally. You were also involved in a failed attempt at raiding a weapons shipment in Atlas and one of my Specialists is in critical condition because of you. Your lives are in my hands right now"

"Why do you Kingdom born cowards need to gloat so much?" Carcharodon sneered "You don't trust your victories, as if you know they won't last-"

"This isn't gloating, I'm just making sure we fully understand each other" Gangrel snarled, metallic claws of his cybernetic arm extending as he reigned in his temper and stopped himself from backhanding the teen in front of him "I honestly don't like being judge, jury and executioner; especially not for a bunch of kids. It's not something I believe in, that being said I was given the job of bringing you in and the sentence will either be life in prison or death

"We choose death" Carcharodon answered simply, the bluntness seemed to throw the Bear Faunus off a little so he continued "We live free or die. The _Skia-thirio apo Pagonia-potami_ are subjects to no-one. If the sentence is death then draw your sword and kill me here and now" Gangrel held Carcharodon's gaze, piercing amber boring into bottomless inky darkness; eventually a grin formed on the older Faunus's face

"Your friends don't seem as certain as you. Luckily I'm here to offer a third option, because I believe in second chances and I recognise potential to be better when I see it, your heavy hitter helped get my operative medical attention after all" Carcharodon cast a glance towards Onyx and Hellion who were helping Raffia to his feet and the fact that the four of them were the last of the cadre, quite possibly the last of their entire tribe and way of life suddenly seemed more real than it ever had before. When he spoke again it was the hollow voice of an utterly defeated terms

"What are your terms?"

"We are not servants Car!" Raffia bellowed "Better our people go into the night with our head high than be lapdogs like the Nikosi!" Gangrel merely cocked his head

"I'd suggest keeping that one under control" Carcharodon visibly bristled though the Bear Faunus paid no notice "As for terms it's fairly straight forward to be honest, the other group involved in the attack on the weapons shipment have so far proven impossible to find. You're going to help me find them" the corridor was deathly silent as the four surviving members of what had been one of the most feared group of raiders on Anima processed what they had just heard. When the silence was broken it was by Carcharodon whose head hung low, it took Gangrel a moment to understand that was being said before he realised that the younger Faunus was listing names

"Sol, Aka, Garnet, Clay, Mizu" when he looked up and met Gangrel's gaze his hands were shaking with a cold fury that seeped into his voice "Counter offer; the Shadow Cadre will assist you on the condition that when we find the people who butchered my people we get to dispense our own justice on their leaders" Gangrel made sure that it didn't show on his face but the sheer hatred on Carcharodon's face was frankly disturbing, it reminded him of Adam Taurus at his darkest; then again Gangrel had seen photographs of the way the Shadow Cadre had been massacred

"I can live with that. I need to know what you know about this group; their name, motives, leadership"

"We never met their leader" Carcharodon rasped "We met a group who claimed to speak for several factions with a shared goal, but the group themselves, they claimed to be their leaders right hand and speak with authority. They had a name"

"What was it" Carcharodon knew of the White Fang and their war against Atlas, how could he not, the Shadow Cadre were born of its' consequences; however he had no way of knowing the effect his next words would have

"They called themselves the Cult of Taurus"

 **Authors Notes:**

And that's the end of first year.  
Yes, yes I literally ended a three Volume Arc on a cliffhanger because it is the perfect set up for what's going to be happening in second year.  
I'm not sorry.

So let's summarise:  
The big ol' bear survived, you all knew he'd be fine; he just got himself a pretty nasty scar to show for it.  
Flax is ex Atlas Spec-Ops (He trained at Atlas while Vale didn't have an academy) seeing as New Vale is partially based on Atlas's Hive Cities he's one of the best people to be leading the search and destroy missions if Ruby and Penny are unavailable.  
Gangrel interrupting Arctus and Diamond, think back to Gang and Weiss in the Downward Spiral….You either die the hero or live long enough to see yourself become the cock block.  
Just remember that Arctus has his equivalent of community service to do over the summer, he's not getting a free pass on the thing with Kafsi; that's gonna put a limit on how much he can talk to Diamond.  
Rover and Artemis's daughter, you knew we'd be meeting her this chapter surely? Also I know canonically that two different kinds of Faunus having a child produces a random Faunus….I just think that's dumb as fuck so in my stories the Faunus will be the same kind as one of their parents, in this case Tuscan is a Husky Faunus like Rover.  
Arctus's getting his big gun back.  
Oh yeah telling Weiss and his little sister "Hey I'm in hospital, I got opened up from hip to shoulder" is gonna go over great.  
Eagle needs all the hugs and a years worth of sleep.  
Qrow telling Nora about him being Eagle's father is just so everyone is gonna be on the same page in second year, having to have the revelation half a dozen times kinda takes away from it,  
The Shadow Cadre are in Atlesian hands now.  
Okay so Qrow has his "Bat-Cave" in the basement, he's the one doing most of the active work looking for new incarnations of the Maidens and keeping an eye out for any possible threats, Glynda and Winter are both Headmistresses and have seats on the respective Kingdom's council, it was specifically mentioned but Shade's head (From The Downward Spiral) is allied with them but is primarily concerned with Vaccuan safety, she also has access to the biggest library on Remnant; Ruby and Penny are Qrow's main field agents, though Winter has probably asked Gangrel to bring in a few of his best Specialists.  
I actually mentioned that New Vale could lock down parts of its' city at ground level when we first saw it from the air in Chapter 04, but I honestly kind a forget about that so the thing about it not being much use due to there being multiple attacks at once was me covering my own plot hole.  
I like the idea that Junior, as corrupt as he is will do everything in his power for the Kingdom because at the end of the day he's still a Vale boy at heart.  
I know Qrow listening in on Eagle and Toni was scummy but I needed a way for him to know about Phobos and he hasn't had chance to speak to Felix yet; also come on Qrow is a spy, he does things like that.  
Qrow has people on Menagerie, Ruby in Chapter 02 mentioned that she'd been on Menagerie and visited the remaining members of Team CFVY who're operating out of "Port Alistair" I'm not saying Coco, Velvet and Yatsu are some of Qrow's operatives that he doesn't call on much….but they're totally his operatives that he doesn't call on much.  
A Skunk Faunus called Pepe Le Puce will never not be funny, he's a first year on Team PSTL who will never be anything other than background characters (Pretty sure Eagle sparred the S in one chapter).  
Yeah Helios got fucked up.  
And Felix finally admitted it, he think Helios is hot ( _And also has a massive crush but that's for second year)_ Battle-Cat shippers, rejoice.  
I love that Helios acknowledges that Nyanza can be a bad-ass when he needs to be, when they first partnered up he couldn't stand him.  
Corvid was clearly sat at Felix's bedside until Lux forced her to go eat something, which she only did when she was sure that someone would be there when Felix woke up.  
Sentinel still functions.  
" _I know you've had practice"_ Eagle is pulling no punches.  
Yeah that went badly, Eagle who wants to be everyone's friend just flat out saying _"Don't talk to me"_ is up there with _"I'm not mad I'm just disappointed"_ from Ren.  
Rhodium Torchwick's Momma don't play.  
I'm sorry but the idea of Rhodey trying to have the whole "Prodigal son returns" moment and just getting his ass beat by his Mum makes me smile.  
Rhodium is starting a front business and basically hiring all the Hunters/Hired guns that people like the Scavenger Guild go to as well as all the local gangsters and a few failed Hunters and giving them legal, respectable, tax paying jobs; turning them into something like the security firm that Team NEON were assigned to; of course it's all a ploy and he's gearing up for a turf war.  
' _Dunwitch'_ Rhodium's Eco-Dust supplier for the drug Booster. What if I told you that the person behind the moniker is someone who's already been mentioned and will become more important later on than you can imagine.  
Corvid is definitely the kind of big sister who sees that her brother is upset and decides to pun/dad joke him into submission.  
I can imagine Ruby not letting the kids out of her sight for a while after last chapter.  
Okay so now Corvid knows that Eagle is technically her Aunt.  
Well we have the Killer-Bee back….most of it anyway.  
Yes, Team FADE are gonna have a car with a warship scale weapon built into it, because Hunters deserve bad-ass transports.  
Atlesian holding cells are tiny, look at the one they kept Roman in. Also the ones on Gangrel's ship are pretty much airtight, soundproof and have a forcefield just outside the door as added security.  
Shadow Cadre reunion, because as ruthless as they are those four love each other like family.  
Oh come on, you didn't really think Gangrel wasn't gonna deck Raffia for stabbing Arctus?  
This story is twenty years after the Downward Spiral and it shows, Downward Spiral Gangrel would have beaten the shit out of Carcharodon.  
He's still got his principles though, he's seen how Atlas used to treat people which is probably why Winter made him head of the Specialist Branch; she knows he won't abuse the authority.  
" _We choose death"_ admit it, that's kinda bad-ass. How do you even answer that?  
The deal Gangrel is giving the Shadow Cadre is pretty similar in essence to the arrangement Gangrel had with Ironwood in The Downward Spiral.  
The Shadow Cadre's brand of justice is most definitely going to involve death.  
"The Cult of Taurus" Oh second year is gonna be fun.  
There are Neo White Fang factions in Atlas, Gangrel is recruiting the Shadow Cadre, Poly-Tech is based in Atlas and most importantly Atlas Academy will be hosting the Vytal Tournament….all roads lead to Atlas in second year.

Thank you to Araniladin, SumoSnipe, FleetOfWarships, Arkanes Shippou, Ferrous, TigerRose, FluffyFirefly and ShadowAlex2000 for their reviews on the last chapter (Also congrats to ShadowAlex2000 for being the 250th reviewer on FF Net)  
The Bee lives….it's just a bit broken.  
No take backs indeed.  
How did I make you cry? WTF?  
Yeah Phobos was always gonna be Felix's kill, that's been planned since initiation _(Phobos was the same Alpha Beowolf that got away then)  
_ My Hero Academia soundtrack makes everything better I know everyone loves "You Say Run" but I personally think "Sora Ni Utaeba" is great, and Caleb Hyles's cover is amazing.  
If either of the Xiao Long kids are gonna join Blake and Yang on a ride it's gonna be Felix. Corvid doesn't have a ride, she flies.  
Yeah the twins do have silver eyes, they have Rubies' eyes, freckles and curly ginger hair.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	42. Summer (Vol4)

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 42: Summer**

The morning beat down on the island of Patch as its' inhabitants were subjected to a heatwave that had gone on for weeks and seemed to show no signs of stopping. Far from the small but bustling port city and closer to the woods where Grimm still lurked the garage of the Xiao Long household offered some protection from the harsh and glaring sunlight though if anything it was even hotter, airless and stifling as music blared from a small portable radio while the Xiao Long siblings worked on the heavily customised muscle car within; both of them stripped down to tank-tops in the oppressive heat, Corvid's shorts clad legs protruding from beneath the rear of the Killer-Bee while Felix was working on the engine from above. The summer vacation had given the Lion Faunus time to restore his car to its' former glory and his efforts had begun to show results.

"As far as I can tell this is pretty much done" Corvid called "Just gonna need to take it somewhere to test it out"

"Sweet" Felix answered distractedly "That's probably not gonna be for at least another day….then there's the paint job" he sighed the last part as he stepped back and gave the car an appraising once over, its' glossy black and yellow paint was still ruined and Felix had finally begrudgingly decided against replacing the panelling with armour plating due to the time and expense it would entail. In his distraction he failed to notice two people approaching the already open door of the garage until someone gently nudged his shoulder causing him to whirl round and come face to face with Nyanza Angora, the feline Faunus wearing a cap bearing the logo of a local sports team low over his face and Amethyst Wukong, the monkey Faunus seeming a little uncomfortable around Felix

"Hey what's up?" Felix casually wiped his hands off on a rag before fist-bumping his old friends

"Not too much" Nyanza shrugged "Thought I'd come and see if you wanted to hang, we've barely seen you all summer"

"I know man, I've been trying to get the Killer-Bee fixed before we go back to Halo y'know" Felix gestured to the car behind him and gave his best apologetic expression

"I thought it might be personal" Amethyst mumbled, seeing the Lion Faunus's confused expression she continued "I mean we haven't really seen each other since your birthday and y'know….look I'm sorry for being a bitch okay" it took Felix a moment to realise what she was talking about, then it hit him, she had found out that he was gay and the crush that she'd been harbouring had no chance of being requited

"Oh that" he laughed "Oh wow I'd actually forgotten about it. It's cool" Amethyst visibly relaxed at that and Nyanza pressed on

"So are you doing anything tonight?"

"I'm not sure, one sec" he turned down the still blaring radio and called to Corvid who was still underneath the Killer-Bee "Hey sis we got any work tonight?" the two of them had been venturing onto the mainland at least twice a week over the summer, lending their services to the recovery of New Vale as several of the workers insisted on having Hunters accompany them into the lowest regions of the hive like city where the Grimm attack had stemmed from; naturally Felix had spent his earnings as fast as he made them on repairing his car.

"Nah not tonight" Corvid answered as she slid into view "I'm probably heading onto the mainland though; dinner at Lux's place" since her partner Lux Lumière had convinced his parents to allow his boyfriend and fellow Team CLIR member Rusty Blackwatch to move in with them both Corvid and Iris Ramal had been regulars at the penthouse apartments Lux's affluent family called home; Iris however was currently spending a few weeks away from the Kingdom, visiting her father on Menagerie.

"Well if you're free you should come with us" Amethyst suggested

"Yeah man, there's a charity gig raising money for the relief effort" Nyanza explained "Ether's band are playing, a few of the old Signal crew are coming it's gonna be fun"

"I might do" Felix shrugged "Not sure though, I still need to-"

"Bro for Oum's sake go out and party!" Corvid interjected "You've been anti-social all summer"

"She's kinda right man, I've barely seen you" Nyanza noted with a somewhat hurt expression, Felix had been to his house to see how he was coping after the injuries he'd sustained during the breach but other than that the Lion Faunus had been absent for most of the summer

"Alright, alright" Felix relented before a thought occurred to him "Hey speaking of your team, have you heard anything from Helios? I spoke to Diamond a couple days ago and she says she hasn't heard from him"

"Oh my Oum your crush on the guy is adorable" Corvid taunted

"Wait Felix's crush?" Amethyst's expression became one of pure mischief "Got a picture? I've gotta see this" Nyanza happily complied and produced his scroll quickly finding a picture of his team leader, the younger Faunus took one look at the tall, muscular redhead whose skin was covered in scars and tattoos

"Oh" she breathed out "Oh yeah, I definitely approve"

"You guys are dicks" Felix grumbled "So you heard from him or not?"

"Nah" Nyanza answered, seemingly unconcerned "Diamond lives in Mistral's capital remember. Helios is gonna be out in the middle of nowhere. No CCT reception"

"That explains it" Felix shrugged, he'd had no contact with Eagle and that had hurt, Arctus had been unavailable after his eighteenth birthday which had been expected but he'd been a little shocked at how much he'd missed his fellow team leaders' company over the summer

"Anyway" Amethyst broke his concentration as she turned to leave "Dad's not working today and it's my last year at Signal; he said he's gonna help me work on my weapons"

"Sweet, you'll have to show me what you come up with" Felix grinned, Amethyst was one of Yang's star students and he was genuinely interested to see what kind of weapons she would create for herself.

"I'm gonna go get a shower" Corvid informed him as she made her way passed and out of the garage "Honestly its' just a matter of tightening a few bolts and giving it a test run" she indicated to the Killer-Bee before leaving and Felix caught the way Nyanza's gaze followed his sisters' toned legs

"She'd kick your ass" he snorted and Nyanza instantly looked away guiltily

"As long as it's not in the tournament I can live with that"

"So you're entering then?" Felix asked, referring to the Vytal Tournament that would be taking place over the course of the upcoming school year

"It's Helios's call but I can't imagine him saying no" the ivory haired feline shrugged, an assessment Felix wholeheartedly agreed with

"True….hey what do you think he's doing all summer?"

"Probably being just as gay as you are" Nyanza laughed "Seriously just admit you have a crush and do something about it" Felix tried to insist that he had no idea what his friend was talking about, even as a blush crept across his face and the two of them merely continued to torment each other good naturedly until a new topic of conversation presented itself.

* * *

A hand clamped around the lower jaw of the Beowolf and forced the Grimm's jaws short, leaving it unable to howl out to the rest of its' pack when the blade of Olympus Enforcer burst through its' neck. Helios released the Grimm as he felt its' body began to lose cohesion beneath his fingers and crouched low to the ground behind a tree trunk

"Good boys" he whispered as he held out a handful of treats for the pair of large and muscular hounds with dark fur and powerful jaws trailed behind him, Milo and Akuo were indispensable to the Nikos tribe as they could smell the creatures of Grimm, a feat that not even the impressive senses of Faunus could accomplish; Helios for his part had simply missed his dogs after being away from his people for so long.

"Stay" the redhead breathed out, casually scratching each of the dogs behind the ears as they sat with their tongues lolling out; he then slipped from behind the tree he was using for cover and moved silently through the dense forest that was common to much of Anima before reaching a road cutting a swathe through the trees, in truth barely more than a dirt track smoothed down by the countless wheels that had passed over it, his vibrant green eyes narrowed as he caught sight of his quarry. The Nikosi acted as guides and guards for travellers and convoys that passed through their land as an alternative to hiring Hunters who were far less acquainted with the land and would routinely be at odds with the tribes whose territory they entered. Their current benefactor was a mining company moving resources from one of the smaller settlements outside of Mistral's major cities to another and Helios had been sent to scout ahead and dispose of any Grimm he encountered; currently he was doing this without his armour which had yet to be fully repaired since the events of the breach of New Vale, he had also foregone the use of his shield choosing instead to rely on his sword and his skill. The Grimm ahead could barely be considered a test of said skills, the remainder of the pack of Beowolves had made their way onto the road itself and were sniffing and pawing at the ground in agitation; Helios counted four Grimm and decided that there was nothing to be gained by lurking in the treeline, checking that Milo and Akuo were still sat obediently he rose to his feet and rushed out into the open, sword at the ready and a wordless war cry on his lips. The Grimm turned towards the sound and rushed towards him, jaws snapping hungrily. Helios's Aura became visible as they drew close, an intangible darkness swirling around him; the first Beowolf pounced only for Helios's gravity manipulating Semblance to force it back to the ground with a crash where he proceeded to bury his sword in its' skull. The remaining trio of monsters fell back and circled him warily, Helios attempted to keep track of all three Grimm but the attack predictably came from behind; Hearing movement he dropped to one knee and thrust his sword into the ground as his attacker lunged over him. He responded with brutal efficiency, grabbing the hind legs of the Beowolf and pushing his Semblance further as he slammed the Grimm into the ground with enough force to crack the ground below and deliver a punch to the back of its' head that reduced its' bone armour to a web of hairline fractures; the Beowolf remained unmoving for a few seconds before finally fading away while Helios turned his attention on its' remaining pack-mates. The Beowolves looked to each other, some unspoken signal passing between them as they split up in an obvious attempt to flank him, Helios stepped back up pulled his sword from the ground before bracing himself; knowing from experience that they would attack at the same time. Experience proved correct as simultaneous attacks came, Helios delivered a powerful kick to the chest of the first Beowolf, sending it staggering back as he sidestepped the second and swung his elbow into its' snout while turning to face it; the Grimm snapped and made to lunge at him again but was quickly despatched as Helios stepped into its' guard and buried his sword in its' chest. The final Grimm snarled, demanding his attention as it reared up to its' full height; only to let out a pained yelp as a crossbow bolt tipped with an Ice Dust crystal tore into its' shoulder, slowly freezing the Grimm solid. Helios let out a somewhat annoyed sigh as he watched a figure descend from the trees and draw close; Shattering the frozen skull of the Grimm with an almost casual backhand he stepped towards the newcomer and gave them a stern glance

"I had that under control"

"Mother told you to bring me hunting with you. You don't get to have all the fun just cos a Grimm cut your pretty face" Helios's hand twitched as he stopped himself from reflexively touching his left cheek where a relatively fresh and in his opinion ugly scar ran, a souvenir of his time in New Vale. He settled instead for giving the newcomer his harshest glare for as long as he could maintain it, it would have silenced his classmates at Halo Academy with ease; however his little sister was far less affected and merely rolled her eyes. Syneffo Nikos, now fourteen stood at five foot nine with wiry but defined muscles that were offset by the sort gangly out of proportion physique that only puberty could produce, she shared her brothers scarlet hair though hers cascaded over her shoulders framing a face that was a little on the thin side and eyes that were an almost unnaturally bright silver in colour; something that had perplexed their mother. She wore a small quiver of Dust tipped crossbow bolts slung over her shoulder, loose fitting sleeveless top and pants with a pair of capes hanging from her hips, armour that was lighter than Helios's but made of the same gleaming golden metal etched with tribal markings over her chest and shoulders and a near identical set of golden bracers over her forearms. A difference Helios had been quick to notice upon his return to Anima, besides just how tall she'd gotten were the tribal tattoos adorning her entire right arm which declared her a warrior with confirmed Grimm kills and pathfinder of the Nikosi as well as a member of the tribes' ruling family. Helios couldn't have been more proud of his sister, even if she was infuriating.

"I get all the fun because you can't keep up. I'm not leaving Grimm to roam our lands just because you insist on climbing trees"

"I insist on getting a vantage point and not rushing in" she shot back as she took her weapon _'The Harpy's Claws'_ and split the ornate crossbow in half lengthways, each half shifting into an equally ornate axe, twirling the axes in her hands as she whistling out to Milo and Akuo who bounded out of the treeline to join them

"For Beowolves? I thought you were one of our fighters now Syneffo?" Helios teased, sheathing his sword and fixing leashes to the excitable dogs

"Well we can't all be students of a Hunter academy and learn how to kill Grimm from textbooks for months at a time" Syneffo rolled her eyes yet again and pouted as she spoke, her tone bitter and sarcastic

"Did you miss me?"

"Yes" her words were barely audible, as if she wasn't sure whether she wanted her brother to hear them; growing bolder as she continued "None of the other pathfinders take me seriously, I have to stay in cover because they're all scared of what Mother will do if I get hurt"

"They shouldn't be" Helios ruffled her hair, earning himself a glower that was eerily similar to his own "They should be scared of what I'll do….even if you are more than capable" an annoyed huff escaped Syneffo as she sheathed her axes at her waist and took a step in the direction of their peoples' encampment

"So what's it like living in a city?"

"Claustrophobic" Helios shrugged "And the other students took some time to get used to. Perhaps Mother will send you to one of the Academy's as well"

"I bet you hated it really" Syneffo's voice took on a singsong tone

"At first I did" a fond smile crossed Helios's face "Then I made friends"

"Who are they?" his sister seemed gob smacked

"Who?"

"Whoever it is that has my big brother smiling like that, you have to tell me!" she insisted

"I have no idea what you're talking about"

"You're a terrible liar" she laughed "Don't worry, I'm sure they still think you're pretty even with your face scarred" Helios frowned at that at and the two of them bickered in the way only siblings could as they made their way back towards camp.

* * *

An incessant stream of barely audible grumbling escaped from Arctus as he continued to sweep a floor that had already been cleaned to a ludicrous degree several hours ago; Arctus knew he was being punished but this was just insulting. His eighteenth birthday had early in the summer vacation, it had been a fairly quiet affair; Eagle had flown over to Schnee Manor but had been far from her usual cheery self, something he'd tried his best to help with; the highlight had been hearing from Diamond and receiving her gift of several pictures that were saved to his Scroll and hidden inside a password protected folder with an unassuming name. It had been soon after that that Arctus had begun his unpaid service to the Kingdom of Atlas as a consequence of his altercation with Special Operative Kafsi Asteri; he had expected his service aboard his fathers' ship, the Gespenst, to at least be interesting and grant him a deeper insight into the lives of high ranking Hunters; in reality Arctus had found himself relegated to menial tasks such as cooking, cleaning and any miscellaneous tasks that the engineering crew demanded of him, granted he'd learned a fair deal working alongside the engineers but he grumbled under his breath nonetheless. Eventually his mutterings caught the attention of the head engineer whom he was currently answering to

"You still here? You were done half an hour ago I was just wondering how long it'd take you to speak up about it. Go on, I'll send word if I need you for anything tomorrow" Arctus was equal parts thankful that he was finally allowed to leave and irritated at the constant pranks and busywork he was being subjected to, his first introduction to the engineering crew had involved them sending him to search for a left handed screwdriver, bubbles for a spirit level and a 'Long weight'. He finally fell silent as he stepped out into the corridor, the door to the engineering deck sliding shut and sealing with a mechanical hiss while Arctus took a moment to adjust himself to the drastic change in lighting and temperature; while engineering was dark, lit only by relatively small bulbs which were mostly obstructed by equipment and the light of various consoles the rest of the ship was furnished in pristine minimalist white and chrome, it was also a temperature comfortable to most natives of Atlas which was far cooler than the almost sweltering conditions he had just left. Arctus subconsciously brought a hand to the back of his neck, still unused to his recently cut hair; upon returning home his mother had commented that he'd let it grow far too messy while he was in Vale, his sister sarcastically offering to brush his hair for him seeing as he'd clearly lost his comb was a step too far and Arctus was now sporting a much cleaner and shorter style. Thoughts of how much Diamond was going to torment him when she saw this made him realise just how much he missed his partner and girlfriend though those thoughts were banished as he made his way towards the quarters he'd been assigned and found a familiar face waiting for him

"Baby Slate" the man greeting him was Specialist Commander Cimmerian Chiffon, his fathers first mate; Chiffon stood at just taller than Arctus's own considerable height of six foot three and was clad in the predominately white uniform of an Atlesian Specialist which had been stripped of any unnecessary decorations and replaced with countless ammunition pouches, holsters for various weapons and several grenades with designs Arctus was unfamiliar with. His skin had a leathery, weather beaten look to it and a perpetually wary expression; his dark crew-cut hair, moustache and beard were starting to grey and he sported several old injuries gained over the course of his career, the most prominent of which were a nose that had clearly been broken more than once and a thick line of scar tissue running from just above his right eyebrow along the side of his skull allegedly caused by a stray bullet that failed to kill the man.

"Commander" Arctus saluted him

"Come on kid, briefing in the war room. Your old man wants you there" without waiting for an answer Chiffon set off towards the briefing leaving Arctus to catch up after standing in confused silence for a moment

"So wait are we going on a mission?" he asked, his enthusiasm evident

"No idea kid" Chiffon sighed "If it is I wouldn't be bouncing up and down like that if we are though. We don't get called in for milk runs" the truth of that statement caused Arctus to fall silent for the remainder of the way to their destination, when they arrived Gangrel Slate was already present; as were several other Hunters in Specialist uniforms, looking around Arctus recognised them all as members of his fathers' personal strike team; Hunters considered the best of the best even by the high standards of the Specialists.

"Now everyone's here" Gangrel began as Arctus took his seat at the semicircular table the Hunters were seated at, facing a screen that flickered into life and displayed a map of the continent of Solitas "I'll keep this as brief as possible. There's a small settlement here, Freiheit, small iron mine and a foundry. Unfortunately this place is on the wrong side of the reintegration act" the atmosphere in the room changed noticeably at this news. With the destruction of one of Atlas's major cities in the war against Salem several small settlements above ground had formed, many of which had become self sufficient and began trading exclusively with each other; declaring themselves outside of Atlas's authority. The reintegration act declared that settlements that those settlements would receive no aid from the Kingdom of Atlas, be it financial, military or material and while the law had brought many of the settlements including the city of Wiedergeburt back into the fold the tensions between Atlas and those who chose to remain outside of its' rule were hard to overstate.

"So is this a surgical strike or a charity case?" one of the Specialists asked, a woman who Arctus would have guessed to be in her late twenties to early thirties with an electric blue Mohawk that seemed at odds with the uniform she wore

"Charity case" Gangrel answered, the strike team seemed to let out a collective sigh of relief and Arctus decided quickly that he simply did not want to know what a surgical strike entailed; his father continued speaking as he indicated a point that seemed to be several miles away from the town "Local militia have been encountering Grimm at a rate that suggests a spawning pool nearby. Our Bull-Heads have been performing recon all day and have found a spawning pit here. I have authorisation from General Schnee to take out the pit in direct contradiction of the reintegration act, that being said if anyone here is more loyal to the will of the council than the needs of the people then speak up now and I'll have you reassigned to another ship with a personal recommendation" there were a few moments of deathly silence before Chiffon spoke up, his voice an amused snort

"General Schnee is the only voice on the Council worth listening to, fuck the rest of 'em" a sentiment that was echoed by several other specialists before Gangrel gave a nod of approval

"Good. We attack at dawn, everyone here will be taking part in the mission-"

"Even the kid?" the Huntress with the Mohawk gestured towards Arctus with a raised eyebrow "No offence kid but we don't need a community service meat shield" the taunt got a chorus of laughter

"You gonna take that kid?" the Specialist next to him asked

"Meat shield?" Arctus asked in faux confusion as he leaned back in his seat "Funny how I didn't see you in New Vale until after my team had dealt with the big Grimm for you"

"You mean where you got opened up?"

"Yeah, maybe I should have used you as a meat shield?" the Specialists cackled at Arctus's comment, the specialist he was responding to grinning

"Well shit, he thinks he's ready to play with the big boys"

"Enough" Gangrel silenced the room, while still wearing a small smirk "Yes he's coming with. Unless there are any other questions you're dismissed" there were none and the specialists began to file out of the room, Arctus making to join them until he heard his fathers' voice

"Arctus stay behind for a minute" the younger Faunus stepped back and closed the door as the last of the Strike Team left

"Kid don't get cocky like that. Spawning pits are not first year material and being able to talk back to Donner doesn't mean you're prepared"

"Is that why I've been scrubbing floors for half the summer? Because you don't think I'm ready?"

"No you've been scrubbing floors because I have to make this look like a punishment, even I do enjoy actually getting to see more of you" Gangrel's answer robbed whatever fight Arctus had in him

"Alright I'm sorry, want me to apologise?"

"Fuck no" Gangrel snorted "It's banter, you've gotta give as good as you get with this crew; just don't start believing your own hype while we're out there tomorrow….you don't need any more new scars"

"So do you do this kind of job often?" Arctus asked, diverting the conversation away from the injury he'd sustained in the Breach "Just casually ignoring the law I mean"

"I'm a Hunter first, if the law stops me from saving people from the Grimm then it deserves to be ignored. Thankfully Winter agrees and lets me run these jobs off the books….we get one every three or four months"

"And it lets you score points with the Freelancers" Arctus noted with a sly grin, the rivalry between the Specialist Branch and the Atlesian Freelancer program was well known to most within the Kingdom

"That's an added bonus" Gangrel chuckled as he rose to his feet "Come on, mess hall is still serving up let's get something to eat….Oh and one other thing tomorrow"

"What's that"

"We'll be out of jamming range" Arctus's eyes widened a little at that, the Gespenst being designed for covert missions was fitted with a signal jammer that shut down all communications except for military frequencies, unfortunately this affected the ship itself and left those stationed aboard unable to use their Scrolls to contact their families while away; seeing his sons' face Gangrel added "Yes that means you'll be able to talk to your girlfriend. Just make sure you send Weiss and Athena a message while you're at it"

* * *

Diamond's fingers danced over the strings of her bass guitar as she perched on the roof of her apartment block in a lower middle class area of Anquan-Jia that was still far more affluent that the city she'd been born in. The sun set over Mistral's capital bathing everything in a golden glow and Diamond enjoyed the cool breeze on her skin until she stopped herself, realising that she'd played the wrong note with an annoyed sigh. Her Metal-Man Coal Z bass had been covered in a layer of dust when she'd returned home and to her extreme displeasure she hadn't retained as much muscle memory after a year without playing as she would have liked, she was half considering asking Ether Arashi if he wanted to practice with her when she returned to Halo; though that would require paying extra to take the instrument with her. She was distracted from her annoyance by the feeling of her Scroll vibrating in her pocket. Turning and hopping off of the raised ledge around the roof which she was sat on only to lean against it she searched through her pockets and found the device in question, stopping for a moment and smiling fondly at her background image, a selfie of her and Arctus taken early on in their first year at Halo Academy before they'd started dating; they'd both known that it was going to be hard to stay in contact once his punishment in Atlas began but it was still jarring to go from speaking daily to weeks of silence, she missed him. She was brought to her senses upon seeing the name of the person messaging her, _'Razzmatazz'_. Diamond's cherry eyes widened a little at the sight as there had been an almost tangible distance between herself and her old friends since her return to Mistral, many of whom had taken her lack of contact while she'd been away more personally than she'd ever intended, she quickly opened the message and grinned to herself as she read its' contents

' _Hey I know it's your birthday tomorrow, wanna hang? Unless you've got something already planned'_ Diamond typed out a reply without thinking

' _No I'm definitely free tomorrow, it'll be great to catch up…..and sorry for ghosting everyone while I was in New Vale'_ she didn't have long to wait before her Scroll buzzed in her hand again

' _No problem and I'll try and get everybody else to stop being bitchy with you about it (No promises). But there's this club that opened up while you were away, ex Hunter that runs it, you've GOTTA see this place'_

' _Sounds like a plan'_ Diamond's grin broadened as she sent the message, her mood having been improved in a few shorts minutes; out of the corner of her eye she saw that the door leading to the stairwell into the apartment block from the roof was ajar and leaning in the doorway with body language almost identical to her own was Emerald Sustrai

"So what's gotten you to stop brooding?"

"I wasn't brooding I was just practising" Diamond gestured to her bass

"Uh-huh….on the roof, on your own. You were brooding" Emerald teased, earning an exaggerated sigh and roll of the eyes from her daughter

"Whatever"

"So come on spill"

"Nothing much, just gonna be going out tomorrow night"

"Be careful" Emerald warned her "I know you can look after yourself but-"

"But keep an eye on my drinks, don't accept drinks or drugs 'cos I don't know what they've been laced with, stay with a friend and if anything happens call you or dad" Diamond recited warnings that had been given to her since she was thirteen, nothing was taboo in the Sustrai-Black household as both Emerald and Mercury would rather have honest and open discussions with their daughter and know that she could come to them with any problems she faced

"Good girl" Emerald nodded approvingly "But if you're not brooding up here then you know you can call your boyfriend inside right? I'll tell Merc to stop teasing"

"Oh for Oum's sake" Diamond's exasperated sigh was met with an amused grin from her mother

"But anyway I came up here to tell you that there's a horror movie marathon on tonight, the old ones that you and your Dad love"

"Awesome"

"And Merc's cooking tonight, I think he's making poutine" Diamond quickly made her way back into the building alongside Emerald and prepared to settle in for a night of cheesy unhealthy goodness.

* * *

Penny Rose, formerly Polendina came to slowly at first but quickly gained her bearings after her vision lost the green tinge and lines of scrolling code superimposed over everything faded away returning her senses to something comparable to normal human levels; rebooting after entering repair mode was always a little more disconcerting than her sleep cycle. Sitting up she took stock of her surroundings and saw that she was still in the same clinical white room that look like a hybrid of medical facilities and a laboratory that most people would find more than a little disturbing; no sooner had she made to pull the white sheet covering her aside than a voice called out to her

"Ah Miss Rose good to see you're awake, your clothes are in the drawers beside your bed"

"Thank you" Penny hastily pulled the covers around the metallic slab of a bed she'd been situated on and found the garments, noticing that her synthetic skin was already healing over the exposed inner workings below her left breast "And you can call me Penny Doctor"

"Just as you may call me Oz" the jovial voice of Doctor Ozymandias Eldritch countered. In a matter of minutes Penny had dressed and stepped out to meet the man, Doctor Eldritch was tall and spindly with pale skin and prematurely silver-grey hair adorning his head in a messy mop with a thin moustache and goatee upon his face, dark tinted glasses obscured his eyes and sat on a long crooked nose. The man was pleasant and professional and if rumours amongst the staff of Poly-Tech were to be believed the relationship between Antonia Arc and her right hand was something a little more than professional; nevertheless something about him didn't sit quite right with Penny

"The procedure was a success, quite routine actually, or as routine as anything can be in your unique circumstances" Doctor Eldritch chattered almost absent mindedly as he read from a tablet in his hands "I understand that you would much rather have had Doctor Arc perform the procedure but-"

"Thank you Doctor Eldritch" Penny interrupted as politely as she could manage "Antonia assured me that you were more than capable and internal diagnostics are showing the issue has been resolved. Speaking of Antonia do you know where she is?"

"I believe that she and her daughter are in her apartment, I'm sure she'll be glad to see another familiar face after that business in New Vale"

"Thank you Doctor Eldritch" Penny calmly left the laboratory and set off towards an elevator that would take her to Antonia Arc's private Penthouse situated at the top of the complex that housed the headquarters of Poly-Tech as well as the companies' primary research and development facilities. Ostensibly Penny had come to Atlas in need of repairs, during the Breach of New Vale some of her inner components had taken damage that the nano-bots swarming within her body were unable to fully repair; nothing life threatening but more than a little uncomfortable. While that reason may not have been a lie Penny was far more concerned with seeing Antonia Arc, her late fathers' former assistant had been a part of Penny's life since her creation and had been Penny's only frame of reference for what a sister was meant to be before she had met Yang; following the events of her kidnapping at the hands of the Shadow Cadre the copper haired android wanted to ensure firsthand that Antonia was coping. Eventually she found the elevator and typed in a sixteen digit code that would allow her into Antonia's home, finally allowing herself to relax somewhat as the doors slid closed and she found herself wondering how Ruby and the twins were; Ruby hadn't taken any missions since the Breach and was understandably reluctant to be away from their children for any amount of time. As the elevator came to stop and Penny stepped out into a carpeted hallway which was a clear departure from the rest of the facility the sound of raised voices reached her ears and she found herself slowing to a stop as she took in what was clearly a heated exchange between mother and daughter

"I DID WHAT I THOUGHT WAS FOR THE BEST, YOU MAY NOT AGREE WITH THAT BUT DON'T TRY TO PAINT ME AS SOME KIND OF VILLAIN EAGLE!"

"THE BEST FOR WHO?" a voice that was clearly Eagle's demanded tearfully "YOU SENT ME AWAY AND KEPT SECRETS BECAUSE IT WAS EASIER FOR YOU!"

"YOU THINK IT WAS EASY FOR ME TO SEND YOU TO VALE? IT WAS THE HARDEST THING I HAVE EVER HAD TO DO!

"REALLY? BECAUSE IT NEVER FELT LIKE IT, IT FEELS LIKE YOU COULD HAVE CARRIED ON LYING TO ME MY WHOLE LIFE IF YOU DIDN'T NEED TO DO DAMAGE LIMITATION WHEN SOMEONE ELSE FOUND OUT!" Eagle's furious tirade was punctuated by the sound of something being slammed followed by thunderous footsteps approaching the door to the penthouse apartment which was forcefully ripped open, revealing the teen herself whose crimson eyes were filled with tears that had spilled down cheeks that were currently puffy

"Oh….hey" she croaked out somewhat nervously as she caught sight of Penny "How much of that did you hear?"

"Enough" Penny answered simply, apparently confirming Eagle's suspicions as she leaned against the wall of the hallway and slowly slid down it while running her hands through her hair

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Penny asked as she positioned herself next to her "I know we're not close Eagle but I grew up in my fathers' research facility when your mother was his assistant. When she took over the company and formed Poly-Tech she threw herself into her work and it's a shame….she was like a sister to me"

"Great so would have been my aunt" Eagle snorted bitterly "More family she cheated me out of" the venom in her voice stunned Penny for a moment, this was seemingly a very different Eagle to the chatty and enthusiastic if somewhat awkward teen she knew her as

"Although" Penny was thoughtful for a moment "All things considered we are technically family by marriage, Qrow is Ruby's uncle which would both her and Yang your cousins….you can claim Ruby Rose as your cousin" she hoped that would at least get a smile in response, Penny knew that Eagle was a prone to something she'd heard Yang describe as _'Fangirling'_ over her wife

"I really don't wanna think about it right now" Eagle sighed as she wiped her eyes and sniffed "It's been like this since I got here. I know my Mum went through a lot and I know she loves me in her own way but it's like she can't see from anyone else's point of view….she can't accept that at some point it stopped being her decision to make"

"Where were you planning on going?" Penny asked quietly

"I don't even know, anywhere but here" Eagle's reply came out as a hoarse croak and the copper haired android beside her thought to herself for a moment before making a decision

"I'm heading back to New Vale tonight, I only came to Atlas because I needed to pick something up and have some work on my cybernetic implants finished" she was annoyed at herself for giving the blonde more lies but the her own mechanical nature was still classified and the excuse that she had several cybernetic augmentations following the events of the Vytal Tournament was a cover that she'd maintained for years "If you really don't want to be here I can take you back to your grandparents?" Eagle remained silent for a few moments before finally nodding slowly

"I think it's for the best, I think I need some time away from Mum to try and figure things out for myself"

"Okay, I'll talk to Antonia" Penny made to rise then paused, as if she realised she'd made a miscalculation "Although I should probably warn you I have to stop at Patch on the way….at Yang and Blake's house"

"Where Felix is" Eagle surmised with a sigh as she thought about the partner who'd done as she'd asked and not contacted her all summer "It's fine"

"Sensational"

 **Authors Notes:**

And we're back ladies and gents, I'm pretty sure that if I put all four years of FADE in the same story this is going to end up being longer than The Downward Spiral so brace yourself.  
Also Downward Spiral took me 8 months to write, Year one of FADE took me 10….we're gonna be here for a while.

Anyway let's summarise:  
The Killer-Bee is (More or less) back in action.  
Amethyst Wukong still exists don't worry I haven't forgotten about her _(She'll be starting at Halo in FADE's third year along side Professor Dove Bronzewing's son)_.  
And that's how Felix has been getting money to put the car back together _(It's on Yang's insurance but I doubt that's gonna cover everything)_ helping with the clean up after the Breach.  
And that's how the rest of Team CLIR are doing, a pretty good summer all round for them.  
" _The old Signal crew"_ I mentioned in Vol.1 that Felix and Nyanza are the only students from their class attending Halo, a few of them probably left education at seventeen and got some kind of work but a few of them probably went to other academies, more on that next chapter.  
Felix going straight to Helios, oh yeah Battle Cat shippers are gonna enjoy second year.  
I already know what Amethyst's weapons are gonna be.  
Felix totally caught his friend checking out his sister.  
Nyanza is either a living shit-post or best wingman.  
And we transition straight to Helios kicking ass with his two dogs, yes they're named Milo and Akuo after Pyrrha's sword and shield; in my head I'm imagining them as Rottweilers, also yeah a tribe like the Nikosi has probably got some way of alerting them to nearby Grimm, hunting dogs seems like a fitting choice.  
Helios does not hesitate, just casually kicking ass.  
And here's our first new character this volume, Syneffo Nikos; Helios mentioned her in Vol.1 but we obviously hadn't seen her and in true younger sibling fashion she's playing the "Mum told me you have to bring me with you" card.  
She's also something of a prodigy at Grimm killing.  
Okay about her silver eyes, because I can here objections coming: This is in the Downward Spiral timeline where Ozpin wasn't as all knowing and the Branwen's weren't part of any tribes _(Because I'd already stated that they were from Vale before Vol.4 contradicted me)_ so it's entirely possible for their to be other people with the potential to become silver eyed warriors out there, especially in a tribe that doesn't interact with the Kingdoms much. I say 'Potential' because Syneffo hasn't unlocked those powers yet and also, Mercury and Ilia both have eyes that could look silver in some light; are they Silver Eyed Warriors now?  
Also the whole Helios hunting Grimm in the woods with his younger sister at the start of Second Year is actually a parallel to Felix hunting Grimm in the woods with his older sister at the start of First Year.  
Yes Syneffo spotted that Helios was thinking of someone in particular within 0.3 seconds.  
You know exactly what kind of pictures Diamond sent him.  
left handed screwdriver, bubbles for a spirit level and a 'Long weight' yeah engineers are dicks, we will send an apprentice to look for all of those _(For anyone unfamiliar the routine is: you send an apprentice to ask someone for a 'Long weight' that person then goes to fetch one and never comes back, the apprentice stands around until a foreman or chargehand asks them what they're doing and responds to their answer with "You're gonna have a very long wait you daft bastard, get back to work!"_ _)  
_ I can honestly imagine Weiss telling him to cut his hair when he got back to Atlas _(After spending a few days fussing over him)_.  
I didn't give Chiffon a physical description when we met him last volume so he's getting one now, honestly I just imagined him as Jon Bernthal _(The Punisher, Shane from The Walking Dead)_.  
Freiheit = Freedom.  
The reintegration act seems like something Atlas would do.  
Wiedergeburt = Rebirth….I think we might end up seeing the place, Atlas's first city above ground.  
Winter has Ironwood's old position and I can see her using it to send black ops teams to deal with Grimm against orders…..Also yeah the Specialists are loyal to Gang and Winter first.  
A little father son moment with Gang and Arctus.  
Diamond totally plays bass on the roof and pretends she's not trying to look edgy.  
Diamond is in the opposite situation to Felix, she's the one of who left her Kingdom to study abroad without her old friends; as I said we'll see some of that next chapter.  
An ex Hunter running a club in Mistral…..If you know me at all you can guess who it is.  
I imagine Merc and Em being the kind of parents who are open about everything with their kids and want them to know they can talk to their parents about anything without judgement.  
Dear Canada, I just learned what Poutine was only to find out that literally everyone in the UK already eats that, chips with cheese and gravy is sold in literally every chip-shop in the country….also just thinking about it makes me hungry.  
Doctor Ozymandias "Call me Oz" Eldritch, I mentioned him a few times before and I'm not even being subtle about who/what he is….but if you think you know where I'm going with this then oh boy; third and fourth year are gonna shock you.  
Antonia is a workaholic, of course her apartment is at the top of her companies main facility.  
Yeah Eagle's summer is not going great….sorry about that people.  
Okay I know Ruby isn't technically Qrow's niece because they're not related by blood but are you really going to argue semantics when that's how they say each other in canon; besides Arctus and Felix aren't related by blood _(Neither are Felix and Corvid actually)_ but they're still family. And yeah, being Qrow's daughter makes Eagle Yang's cousin.  
And we're getting a reunion next chapter.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Araniladin, FleetOfWarships, Arkanes Shippou, ShadowAlex2000, TigerRose, FluffyFirefly, Ferrous and Unstoppable Cyborg for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Hellion's out of reach….Or _IS SHE?  
_ Blake acting like a union boss….yeah but a good union boss, not a Mafia front, she's seen enough corruption.  
Speaking of sick rides, what if I told you I have something in mind for Arctus.  
The Pearl is a write off but Pearl her/itself still functions.  
We'll be getting our first glimpse of what the Cult of Taurus are capable of next chapter, but we won't be seeing them in person yet.  
Qrow has a ton of awkward conversations and Antonia doesn't which seems a little unfair considering she was the one who kept the fact he was a father from him.  
We're probably not going to see Weiss until we head back to Atlas for the Tournament but I'll find more scenes to write her into _(She still hasn't met Diamond in person yet)_.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	43. Brief Reunions

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 43: Brief Reunions**

The mission to destroy the spawning pit was already underway, the superior vision granted to Faunus allowing Arctus to pierce the pre-dawn darkness without the aid of the night-vision goggles that many of the elite team of Hunters around him were wearing; as such he'd been partnered with Chiffon and instructed to cover the veteran while he rigged an explosive charge at the edge of the pit itself. To say Arctus was nervous would be an understatement, Grimm were still being birthed from the roiling mass of viscous tar like substance which filled a crater of unnaturally eroded rock roughly quarter of a mile in diameter and he had been given strict orders to dispatch them without disturbing the spawning pit itself. The surface of the semi-congealed liquid was breached by a pair of snouts as two Beowolves dragged themselves into the freezing air and snow; snapping and clawing it each other savagely as their limited understanding of the world around them formed. The first died before it could react, Arctus bringing the blade of Gefroren-Erbe down on its' neck; the second turned and reared up on its' hind legs only for its' skull to explode as a shell tore through it, as its' body faded away into mist Arctus caught sight of Gangrel holding 'Breaker' the weapon that had belonged to his late partner, the older Faunus covering another member of his strike team in the distance.

"Okay kid, pretty much done here" Chiffon informed him, notably less gruff now he'd seen first hand that Arctus could be relied on. A series of lights on the charge shone green and the scarred and grizzled Specialist grinned in satisfaction before calling over to Gangrel "We're ready to go!"

"Pull back, we'll be behind you!" Arctus followed his fathers' order, switching his weapon to its' newly restored plasma gun form and retreating backwards as Chiffon readied his weapon and did the same; the weapon in question being a rifle that Arctus had heard of but never seen before, its' barrel ending not with a muzzle but rather a narrow rod with a bulbous tip and a trio of metallic coils surrounding it; a weapon know colloquially as a death-ray. Arctus had a moment to cast his eyes around the strike team who had collectively fallen back and were now re-checking their weapons, all of which seemed to be some of the most exotic and in some cases over the top he'd ever seen; his surreptitious inspection ended when Donner, the Specialist with the electric blue Mohawk who had been rigging charges with Gangrel appeared through the snow, riding a hover-board which glided silently until she hopped to the ground and transformed it into a pair of oversized swords with curved blades; moments later Arctus saw his father follow her while keeping his weapon trained on the spawning pit.

"Okay, remember what I told you" Gangrel instructed Arctus as he reached him "When we blow these charges the pit is gonna make sure the last thing it spits out can kill us. Don't panic, don't freeze up and don't get separated"

"Okay yeah, yeah I can do that"

"First pit is always rough kid" Chiffon noted from Arctus's other side while Gangrel gave the order for his strike team to fan out and prepare to surround their target "It's gonna feel like you're just wasting ammo and the fucking thing won't die….upside is that whatever comes it is gonna be big but not too fast-"

"READY!" Gangrel barked out as he gripped the detonator for the various explosives rigged around the pit "THREE! TWO! ONE! FIRE IN THE HOLE!" he quickly the red button in the centre of the detonator before quickly casting it aside and drawing the huge blade that looked like the unholy union of a hook-sword and a machete from its' sheath on his back. Then the explosions rocked the surrounding area and set the gloom on fire for an instant, then there was a tense moment that seemed to stretch for an eternity before the results of the attack became clear; a the silhouette of a single monster rising from the remains of the now destroyed pit, illuminated by the glowing of its' own eyes and the contrast of the snow around it

"Ah shit" Chiffon sighed as recognition dawned on him

"Had to to tempt fate didn't ya?" Gangrel growled irritably

"What is that?" Arctus asked, trying to keep his sudden panic hidden; anything that could concern his father was almost certainly going to be difficult to fight

"That" Gangrel huffed "Is a Valknjoggr. OPEN FIRE!" before Arctus could ask for any kind of clarification the Specialist strike team began their onslaught, the countless flashes of various weapons lighting up segments of the monster for a split second before he regained his senses and began firing, the low warping sound of his plasma gun a comfortingly familiar.

"Kid be ready to duck" Chiffon warned him "Forget what I said, these things are fast" Arctus saw how true those words were when the Valknjoggr lunged forwards into their lines, sending seasoned veterans scattering before it turned and seemingly stared directly at Arctus who finally got a clear look at the beast. From its feet to the top of its' skull it stood at perhaps five times the height of a man and supported itself on four limbs; its' body was the same pitch black of all Grimm and appeared to be covered in a coat of shaggy fur which formed a mane around its' shoulders from which several long spines protruded. Its' limbs were birdlike, bone white and ending in three toed claws tipped with talons longer than Arctus's arm. The Valknjoggr had two tails which thrashed independently of each other, each covered in the more shaggy fur that seemed to have countless hooks and spines hidden with the tangled mass. It's neck was long and slender, completely encased in a layer of bone armour and leading to a similarly protected skull; the Grimm's head was reptilian in appearance like that of monitor lizard but with the addition of a pair of swept back elk like antlers. Time seemed to stand still as Arctus and the Valknjoggr regarded each other, then the Grimm reared its' head back and the Faunus felt his fathers' hand clamp down on his shoulder

"KID MOVE!" Arctus was surprised by the sensation of weightlessness while being pulled backwards, his surrounds shifting inexplicably around him, the sight of Gangrel staggering a couple steps dizzily allowed him to piece the events together; his father had teleported him. The next thing Arctus noticed was the sound filling the air, a sound like gale force winds mixed with high pitched shrieking coming from the Valknjoggr; Arctus had half expected the Grimm to be able to breathe fire, instead it had unleashed a blast of freezing air and shards of ice

"GET THAT FUCKING THING BOXED IN!" Gangrel bellowed as he began firing at the Grimm as he charged back into the fray with Arctus close behind him, the younger Faunus shocked to realise that the Specialists hadn't stopped firing and were moving to ensure that the Valknjoggr did not move out of what they had designated to theatre of operations; its' back buckled and the beast staggered aside howling in rage as a mortar shell exploded between its' shoulders. The small victory was short lived as the Valknjoggr whipped around and swept the weapon and its' user aside with its' tails before unleashing another blast of freezing air, Arctus saw Donner be ripped from her hover-board as she was caught in the attack

"Where's Chiffon?" Arctus demanded "He was with us!"

"He knows what he's doing, focus on on the mission!" Gangrel barked as the drew close to the Valknjoggr "Can you hold it in place for me?"

"For a few seconds"

"That's all I need. Stay safe" with that the two of them split up, Arctus rushing under the Valknjoggr and between its' legs, focusing his Semblance as he emerged between its' forelimbs. The Glyph Arctus created shone with pale white light and reached the Grimm's shoulders, bullets and energy weapons battering its' flanks the whole while. Arctus saw his father holster Breaker and ready his sword before teleporting

"Arctus go!" Gangrels' voice bellowed down from the back of the Grimm's neck where he was frantically trying to tear away its' armour plating. Arctus's Glyph shattered as he rolled aside, another freezing blast ripping through where he'd been stood. Instinctively he raised Gefroren-Erbe and began firing bursts of plasma into the side of the Valknjoggr, causing to thrash and lash out at anyone who drew close

"KID GET DOWN!" Arctus followed the instruction without hesitation, dropping to the ground just as a taloned forelimb passed over his head only to be reduced to a burning stump in a flash of light; revealing that Chiffon had rejoined the battle, his Death-Ray tearing chunks from the Grimm as he weaved around its' attacks

"YOUR OLD MAN COULD USE A HAND UP THERE KID!" Arctus looked up and saw that Gangrel was indeed still trying to find a weak spot in the Grimm's defences, the course of action he needed to take became clear

"COVER ME!" Arctus sprinted after the Valknjoggr which had turned and advanced on the still fighting strike team, as he drew close he cast a series of Glyphs, forming a staircase which drew level with the beasts neck. Arctus bounded from Glyph to Glyph before leaping into the air, hand clasping around one of the Grimm's antlers

"What are you doing?" Gangrel demanded

"Finishing it off!" Arctus answered calmly as he pressed the barrel of his weapon against the surface of the armoured carapace, Gefroren-Erbe hummed as it charged to its' full capacity and Arctus shielded his eyes as he squeezed the trigger. Within moments he was falling, the body of the Grimm unable to support him as it faded away into wisps of darkness. Gangrel and Arctus both lay in the snow for a few moments catching their breath before catching each others' eye and bursting into fits of almost hysterical laughter

"That's my boy" Gangrel chuckled as he ruffled Arctus's hair before helping him to his feet and gave his Strike Team an annoyed glance "And where the fuck were the rest of you?"

"Not bad kid, the beasties eyes turned blue for a second there before it went" Chiffon panted out as he and the other Specialists joined them, many of whom sported minor injuries

"You know the drill!" Gangrel barked as he produced a handful of Fire Dust crystals "Whichever one of you got floored first is cooking breakfast for us" a chorus of laughter and cheers filled the air as the Hunter unfortunate to have been the first subject of the Grimm's wrath was identified

"Hey Dad" Arctus nudged Gangrel to get his attention "I'm just gonna-"

"Yeah no problem, I'll save you a plate" Gangrel nodded understanding why his son wanted a little privacy. Arctus withdrew his Scroll and made to call Diamond; pausing when he saw that it was still early morning and sun would most likely not have risen in Mistral yet either. Instead he typed out a text message

' _Hey, I got off the ship for a while for a mission. Happy birthday, wish I could spend it with you. I love you'._

* * *

Felix hit the floor with a thud that knocked the air from his lungs and stayed motionless on the ground clutching his side for a few seconds

"Get back up we're not done" the instruction came from Yang and Felix quickly complied, forcing himself to stand and raise his hands once again

"You okay?" his mother asked, seeing Felix nod she put her own guard up "You've only got yourself to blame Fluffy, you've barely trained all summer and now you're out of practice" Felix fought the urge to mutter complaints, he knew that she was right and that he sorely needed to rectify that; however he had drunk perhaps a little too much while partying with Nyanza the night before and was now suffering for it. Without warning he rushed forwards, telegraphing a right hook only to stop short and sweep at his mothers' legs; Yang responded by turning as she leapt over the attack and making to drive her knee into his ribs, Felix blocked and lashed out with a backhanded left which Yang weaved under; the first of an impossibly fast exchange of thunderous blows which ended as Felix leaned back to allow Yang's spinning heel kick to sail over his head but failed to react in time to prevent her dropping into a crouch and delivering a punishing palm strike which buckled his knee, then following up with an uppercut to his jaw as he fell forwards

"Come on stop Lion on the ground" Yang teased as Felix rolled to a stop and stayed down, the pun caused him to let out a groan of frustration "Fine we'll call it a day for now, we've got visitors" Felix let out a sigh of relief as he stood up and wiped sweat from his brow. Looking up he caught sight of the visitor Yang has mentioned, a Bull-Head descending as it approached clearly intending to land in the small clearing made beyond the limits of the Xiao Long households' property specifically for that purpose. Felix brushed some of the dust from his clothes and followed after Yang, casually hopping over the fence around the backyard and reaching the clearing just as the transport of a relatively old model landed; a few moments later the rear of the Bull-Head opened and a familiar face stepped out

"Salutations!"

"Hey Aunt Penny" Felix wrapped an arm arm around her shoulders in a loose hug "This a rental?" he indicated to the Bull-Head that was clearly not the Pearl

"Unfortunately not" Penny lamented "The Pearl was beyond repair, Ruby and I have been stripping whatever salvageable upgrades we can from it and Ruby has been working on some designs but until they're combat ready I have this….I actually had to refuel it on the way here"

"Ouch" Felix winced "I feel your pain" Penny merely smiled and stepped over to Yang, producing a steel case with an embossed Poly-Tech emblem from her jacket as she did so  
"I noticed your arm was suffering from some wear and tear when I was last here so I acquired some replacement parts while I was in Atlas"

"Gotta 'hand' it to ya that's pretty thoughtful, thanks Penny" Yang paused for a moment, thinking to herself before continuing "Hey do you have to rush back home? Corey should be back soon and she'd love to see her favourite aunt"

"That would be sensational" Penny beamed while simultaneously shuffling uncomfortably "Although I currently have to-"

"It's okay I can make my own way home from here" a new voice interrupted and Felix whipped around so fast he almost pulled a muscle; exiting the Bull-Head with her armour gleaming in the early afternoon sun was Eagle Arc. Clearly sensing the awkwardness between her son and his partner, whom Yang realised was biologically her cousin she decided to do something to help

"Hey Penny, can you help me out with these new parts? I'm gonna need an extra pair of hands to install them" Felix heard this and immediately knew it was a flagrant lie, Yang could perform almost any task she set her mind to one handed; nevertheless he watched his mother lead Penny towards the house and realised that he was being given some privacy. He turned to Eagle and the two of them stared at each other in awkward silence before he found words tumbling out of him seemingly of their own accord

"Eagle I'm so sorry and I get it if you hate me but I swear I never wanted to keep secrets from you, I just-"

"I get it" Eagle sighed "I get it, My….Qrow's your uncle. Arguing with family sucks" Felix could tell there was a lot that wasn't being said and could make an educated guess at what some of it was

"Things didn't work out in Atlas?"

"Not really" Eagle mumbled still "I don't wanna talk about it right now"

"Sure okay, I'm here if you need anything….I mean if you want?" Eagle nodded, her familiar smile finally forming on her face

"I want my best friend back" Felix gave a wide smile that displayed his oversized canine teeth, he had sorely needed to hear that

"Same….the summer's kinda sucked without you" he admitted "But hey at least your Mum doesn't uppercut you for not training right?"

"Oh my gosh" Eagle covered her mouth as a small giggle escaped her "Did she actually go all out on you?"

"Nah, just a no Semblances match….wouldn't quite call it 'friendly' though" Felix saw Eagle pout on him with her hands on her hips and knew he would get no sympathy

"Well you should have been training" she admonished him as sternly as she could manage "I mean you know that our training is only going to get more intense"

"I know, I know" Felix sighed "I've just been busy putting my car back together….it's got some upgrades"

"Oh that sounds awesome, can I see?" Eagle's signature bubbly enthusiasm rose to the surface and Felix couldn't help but smile

"Sure….I mean, it still needs a little work and testing….and I think it needs jump-starting"

"Oh don't worry about that, Sentinel can help out" Eagle beamed happily as she removed her shield, the droid beeping and chirping with enthusiasm as it unfolded "I made a few little modifications while I was rebuilding his arms; you're not the only one who's been busy. Come on I'll show you" Eagle almost skipped towards the garage where the Killer-Bee was still being worked on and Felix knew that the results of his partners' tinkering would either be amazing or explosive and he found himself far less concerned with that than he probably should have been.

* * *

The Nikosi encampment was situated within a large swathe of open ground, granting them lines of sight and plenty of warning should the creatures of Grimm venture out of the nearby woods. The perimeter was marked by countless wooden stakes planted into the ground swerving as a makeshift barrier, several emplacements could be seen between these stakes, heavy weapons the tribe had acquired by trading with the city dwellers though many of the sentries currently guarding the encampment eschewed the gun emplacements in favour of their own swords, spears and axes; choosing to fight any attackers be they Grimm or another tribe at close quarters, as honour demanded. Within these makeshift walls the encampment itself was the size of a small town and though many of its' dwellings were in the form of tents there were perhaps half a dozen buildings made of wood and stone whose presence seemed to indicate that this was more than a temporary base of operations, rather that this was somewhere that the nomadic Nikosi returned to. Within and between the tents and buildings the tribe went about their lives; weapons and armour were forged, crates of fresh fruit and vegetables, courtesy of the latest outsiders to do business with them were unloaded from carts while horses and the tribes limited supply of vehicles were attended to; the evening air was filled with noise and smoke as meat was cooked on open grills and fire pits, hunting dogs and children with faces painted to evoke the iconography of the tribe ran between the adults. In the centre of the camp a crowd had formed around a circle of land that had been marked off in ways that clearly indicated that it was significant to the tribes' culture, part of the circumference of the circle was lined by wooden tables and chairs, upon which sat the eldest and highest ranking members of the Nikosi. Within the circle a pair of men sized each other up, searching for any sign of weakness before the next exchange of blows; ritual combat was traditionally performed barefoot and shirtless, both fighters in this case had chosen to settle their dispute without weapons, though that was not always the case. One of the men was in his mid thirties and wore several scars and tattoos with pride, his skin a tapestry telling the story of his own victory over any who stood against him; the other was Helios Nikos. The older man lunged forward with a roar as he attempted to tackle his younger opponent to the ground, in turn Helios braced himself and delivered a crushing blow between the mans' shoulder blades as he came close and brought him to his knees; rather knee his opponent in the face and press the advantage he stepped back and allowed him to rise to his feet

"Never let it be said you haven't grown strong little prince" the older man taunted as he gasped for air; Helios simply shot forwards at blinding speed throwing two left jabs and a right hook that sent his opponent crashing to the ground with blood dripping from his nose and split lips; rather than get up the man simply tapped the ground three times

"I yield" cheers and chants filled the air as Helios helped his opponent to his feet before exiting the arena, earning himself several laughs and amused snorts from the wizened and leathery skinned tribal elders as he made his way to the largest of the chairs assembled at its' edge and bowed

"Don't be foolish" the woman occupying the seat scolded him, though clearly smiling herself as she handed him a plate of food "Now eat boy you've been looking unwell since you returned" Helios took the plate and sat at his customary place at his mothers' right hand while the elders left to give the two some privacy. His mother was Kataigida Nikos, current chieftain of their people and had been such since her father had fallen in battle against the last of the tribes who had followed the warlord Tyrian before Helios was born. Kataigida was an imposing sight, well over six feet tall and sporting the physique of someone who had spent their whole life fighting, working with their hands and trekking several miles every day, her clothing was a mixture practical and ornate which left her thighs and torso covered in stylised and engraved armour while her arms were bare, displaying some of her own tattoos while shoulder pauldrons made of a silvery metal had been fashioned to resemble the skulls of Grimm's with rubies set into the eyes adorned her shoulders, her face was lean and Helios had inherited both his eye and hair colour from her, Kataigida's crimson locks were beginning to show the first traces of grey and were braided and tied back, reaching to just below her shoulders while her brow was adorned with a three horned crown which made her station clear to even the least observant outsiders.

"It's New Vale's climate, I'm fine" Helios assured her as he ate

"Well enough to pick fights at least" she noted "I suppose I should ask why you felt a need to challenge one of our pathfinders even if it is your right to do so"

"The pathfinders have been denying Syneffo her right to join them-"

"Hypocrisy is a poor trait in a leader Helios" Kataigida sighed "Syneffo could have spoken to me or challenged any of the pathfinders herself. You can't act in her stead and coddle her and then demand that others treat her as capable"

"She's my little sister" Helios said simply as though it explained everything

"I know and you both performed well yesterday but she has grown while you've been away, you have to let her continue to do so or you'll do more harm than good" she paused and gave her son a reassuring smile "You're the pride of our people Helios but not every battle is yours to fight" casting his eyes around the encampment he could find no sign of the sibling being discussed

"Where is Syneffo anyway?"

"Working on The Harpy's Claws with her father" Helios merely nodded silently, he and his sister had different fathers and while there was no marriage ceremony within the Nikosi tribe Syneffo's father was the only man he had ever seen his mother show affection towards and he had done his best to help raise Helios. The man was a blacksmith and while far from a capable fighter he had managed to reverse engineer what little technology the tribe had acquired and create weapons that rivalled those carried by Hunters "I believe he's finished fixing your armour as well, you should go and thank him….We march on the capital tomorrow" the news took Helios by surprise

"March? Are you expecting something?"

"I expect we'll find someone in need of our services" Kataigida nodded with a bemused grin "But you are sorely mistaken if you think I'm sending my eldest child away to New Vale without seeing them off….am I right in understanding that there is a tournament of sorts this year?"

"There is" Helios fidgeted awkwardly in his seat for a moment "I intend to enter with my team, though it will be in Atlas"

"Further North than I've ever travelled" his mother admitted "Though with the Frost River tribe no longer plaguing the sea perhaps the Nikosi should send an envoy" Helios found a broad smile creeping across his face as he considered the idea of the Nikosi being present for the Vytal Tournament and introducing his mother to Teams NEON and FADE

"I'll make you proud"

"You always have" Kataigida assured him "Now go, ready your things" Helios rose to his feet and began making his way across the camp to the small forge where he would no doubt find his sister, the sound of his mother chiding him as he threw the scraps from his plate to the dogs.

* * *

Diamond was forced to agree that her friend had been right, this nightclub was something else. Club Chloris had been set up by the Huntress after whom it was named and seemed to have a mixture of local and established bands, artists and DJs playing every night if the fliers were to be believed; its' dark and spacious interior was illuminated by a plethora of pulsing lasers that shifted between turquoise and vibrant neon green reflecting from the countless chromed surfaces while screens mounted at the back of the main stage displayed the logo of the act currently playing and proclaimed where to find their latest releases and merchandise, namely the various stands situated around the edge of the venue. Diamond made her way out of the crowd, the entirety of the dance floor having seemingly formed a single moshpit comprised of over a thousand bodies going wild to the heavy bass reverberating in their diaphragms; wiping sweat from her brow she thought to herself that perhaps wearing the new band T-shirt she'd purchased over her existing outfit was not the best idea, her thoughts were soon derailed as an arm was slung around her shoulder and she found herself being guided towards the bar by the owner of said arm

"I told you this place was awesome!" Razzmatazz struggled to be heard over the sound of music; she had been one of the first friends Diamond had made upon moving from Doupeng-He Bishou to Mistral's capital of Anquan-Jia, the two naturally seeming to gravitate towards each other up on being placed in the same class at Sanctum Academy. Razzmatazz stood at five foot six with tanned skin and eyes of an impossibly bright shade of pink currently made even more noticeable by the dark make up around them, her unimpressive stature being increased somewhat by hair styled into wild spikes arching out in every direction and heavy knee high boots she wore. Diamond had been glad to see that Razzmatazz was happy and was clearly flourishing at Haven, privately she had been a little apprehensive; Razzmatazz freely admitted Diamond acted as a large part of her impulse control, something made apparent as the spiky haired girl reached the bar

"WE'RE DOING SHOTS!"

"Razz how many have you had?" Diamond asked, genuinely unsure and a little concerned with the rate at which her friend was downing drinks

"It's fine, it's fine. Besides you're only eighteen once" Razzmatazz laughed as she pressed a shot glass into her hand, Diamond noted that her question hadn't been answered as she sniffed the drink cautiously; almost recoiling at the smell which could best be compared to cheap air freshener attempting to mask the smell of bleach.

"Just down it!" Razzmatazz urged her before swallowing her own drink in a single mouthful, Diamond followed suit and nearly crushed the glass in her hand as the taste made her recoil

"Okay, okay I'm done for the night" she told her friend bluntly before fishing her Scroll out of her pocket, stopping as she realised that this was the Scroll she'd received at Halo Academy and not the one she'd originally taken with her and some of her contacts hadn't been transferred "Hey Razz can you call us a taxi?"

"Yeah no problem, if we wait another hour or so prices drop though"

"Okay fine" Diamond relented, remembering that her friend was correct; Razzmatazz however reached over a made to pluck Diamond's scroll from her hand as her eyes honed in on the background image

"Well hello there, who is _that?_ " Diamond casually swatted her hand away while a smile formed on her face

"That's Arctus. My partner at Halo….he's my dumb-ass"

"Knew it! Oh my Oum you two look adorable together you've gotta tell me everything!"

"Not much to tell" Diamond shrugged "The heads of the SDC are his Mum and Uncle, I choked him out the first time we met and we ended up running into each other in our initiation; we just kinda clicked"

"Not much to tell?" Razzmatazz sputtered "Are you kidding me, you choked out a guy whose family own like all the Dust ever and then hooked up with him?"

"Don't say it like that" Diamond gave her friend an annoyed sigh "He's not like you're probably thinking, he's cute….even if he is a little unaware sometimes. So what about you? Anyone caught your interest lately?"

"Nah, we're not all as lucky as you" Razzmatazz snorted "I got lumbered with some island Hick from somewhere called Patch for a partner. Team GRAY still kick ass though"

"Dude you should've brought your team out with you" Diamond exclaimed before her slightly inebriated mind caught up with her "Wait, wait, wait Patch?"

"Yeah….Grease Thunderbird, with more hair than sense and I wear it in a style that died before my grandparents" Diamond was reduced to propping herself up on the bar as she doubled over laughing at her friends' impression of an accent that immediately made her think of Felix

"Dude that is exactly what people from Patch sound like….and why do they have hair like that? Seriously my team leader spends more time on his than the rest of Team FADE put together"

"We'll have to meet each others' teams in Atlas….wait, you are trying out for the Vytal Tournament right?"

"Of course, Team FADE are gonna clean up" Diamond snorted confidently

"You say that but Team GRAY are coming for everyone's heads….wait, oh my Oum Dee what happens if we end up having to fight each other?"

"Then I promise not to ruin your hair when I kick your tiny ass" Razzmatazz feigned disbelief at the retort, the two of them only managing to maintain eye contact for a moment before collapsing into fits of laughter, which trailed off as Razzmatazz caught sight of something and tried to frantically gesture to Diamond who turned and came with face to face with someone she certainly not been planning to run into tonight

"Oh, hey Sin" Cinnabar Blaine, known to most by his nickname of Sin was the leader of Team CNBR; Haven students who would soon be starting their third year. He stood at roughly six and a half feet tall with jet black hair that was cut short at the sides while the hair atop his head had been tied back into a tight bun; he had a noticeable physique that managed to not appear overly muscular, tattoos depicting skulls on the backs of his hands and eyes of an amber colour that seemed to draw people to them. The only flaw one could point to would be the small amount of acne scars on his cheeks. Overall he was considered an attractive young man; he was also Diamond's ex boyfriend

"Hey Dee, I didn't realise you were here….happy birthday"

"Thanks" she answered quickly, turning briefly to Razzmatazz whose expression assured her that this encounter was not something she had planned

"How've you been Dee? it's been weird not having you around since you left for Vale"

"Since we broke up" Diamond corrected, something that Cinnabar seemed to casually brush aside

"Yeah well, mistakes happen….hey how about I buy you a drink"

"Nah we're good" Razzmatazz interjected "We've got a taxi booked, we actually need to go"

"You sure? I can give you a ride"

"Dude stay here enjoy your night" Diamond waved him off, trying to mask her sudden uneasiness as Razzmatazz led her away from the bar and out of the venue, as she breathed in the fresh night air she turned to her friend

"Okay so it's not just me that was a little creeped out by that?"

"Dee I swear I didn't tell him you were gonna be out tonight" Razzmatazz assured her "Sin's been acting different since you dumped him, he was hitting on everything all last year"

"I mean rebounds are a thing" Diamond noted with a shrug "But that was just weird, he just happens to run into me the one night I go clubbing all summer; and when does Sin go anywhere on his own?" Razzmatazz paused as she processed the idea as much as her drunken state would allow, Cinnabar was indeed well known and generally well liked locally and had something of a following amongst followers of Mistral's tournament scene having done fairly well in a few bouts and fought in a Vytal Tournament before. Seeing him without any of his usual entourage at the bar that his ex girlfriend happened to be at on her birthday suddenly seemed suspicious

"Okay you're right….Wanna call your Dad?"

"If my Dad thought my ex was stalking me he'd kill the guy; not worth the trouble" Diamond answered with a shake of her head "Let's just get a taxi and find some food on the way"

* * *

Arctus leaned against the interior of the Bull-Head and forced his eyes to stay open; it was late and he hadn't had any chance to sleep following the mission. The Gespenst had been slowly making it's way back to the gargantuan hangar it was housed in, built onto the outside of the gargantuan mountain that Eisenstadt Prime, the capital of Atlas was built into and Schnee Manor was situated at the peak of.

"So what're we looking at?" a birdlike Faunus, one of the specialists strike team Arctus was sharing the Bull-Head with asked Gangrel, the younger Faunus noting how things like rank and protocol was disregarded casually

"I finally got a lead on the weapons shipment that was hit last year" Gangrel explained, his sons' ears seeming to perk up at that news "I had one of the Freelancers go deep cover to see what she could find. The Gespenst picked her emergency beacon up in the middle of nowhere"

"So we're picking up after Freelancers now?" Donner noted with a derisive snort

"If you'd like to tell Neon Katt your opinion of Freelancers to her face then be my guest" Gangrel answered disinterestedly, instantly silencing any objections. While the Freelancers and Specialists had a mutual disdain for each other Neon Katt was rightly regarded by both groups as one of the best Hunters Atlas had ever produced alongside Penny Polendina; despite the toll the various tragedies in her life had taken on her.

"We're gonna meet _the_ Neon Katt?" Arctus interjected, only to receive a round of jeering from the Specialists before Gangrel answered

"Yeah, I haven't seen her face to face in years" the older Faunus sighed, Neon had been dating Gangrel's partner Perdu 'Squish' Callow when the reptilian Faunus had died in the battle of Vale; this had been followed by the death of her parents when the warship they served aboard had been destroyed in the battle of Menagerie and Neon had never been the same since.

"Gang!" Chiffon called back from the cockpit where he seated beside the pilot of their transport "We're coming up on the drop zone and we've got nothing on thermal, no sign of anyone" Gangrel frowned at that, taking a moment to consider the possibilities

"Might be that armour she wears" he reasoned "Modifying it to mask a her heat signature sounds like something a Freelancer would do" Arctus silently agreed, having spent a mission shadowing a former Freelancer he was well acquainted with the unconventional and frankly underhanded tactics they employed.

"Bring us in and be ready to strafe the area" Gangrel finally decided before turning to the soldiers under his command "Be ready for anything for people. Might just be that Katt wanted to deliver intel in person but take no chances. Arctus, Chiffon is last to deploy and you're immediately before him"

"Got it" Arctus tried to mentally prepare himself for the unknown

"Gang!" Chiffon bellowed from the cockpit "Some kind of makeshift structure down there, can't make it out through the snow!"

"Okay people, let's move!" Gangrel snapped, drawing his weapon as the rear hatch of the craft opened before leaping into the wind that howled around them and vanishing with a dull cracking sound and an explosion of smoke as he activated his Semblance. Arctus watched as the Strike Team leapt from the craft one after the other with practised ease, vanishing into the darkness.

"Time to go kid" Chiffon instructed as he stepped into the rear bay of the Bull-Head, weapon at the ready. Arctus silently nodded and flung himself out of the craft without hesitation, breathing in freezing air as the snow covered ground rushed up to meet him until he created a Glyph beneath his feet and rode the glowing construct, dissipating it as he reached the surface where he sunk into the powdery substance up to his calves. Moments later Chiffon landed in a crouch nearby, brushing the snow off of himself as he rose to his feet

"Spread out and surround the beacon" Gangrel ordered, the Specialists quickly moved to obey. Arctus drew his sword out of nerves, the inexplicable feeling that something was wrong sinking into his stomach as he moved cautiously through the snow; eventually the small structure that had been spotted from the air though he struggled to make sense of what he was seeing until he heard his fathers' voice filled with more terror and rage than he could ever remember

"NO NO NO! FUCK!"

"GANG DON'T BE STUPID IT COULD BE A TRAP!" Chiffon's warning went unheeded and was mercifully proven incorrect; without thinking Arctus sprinted after his father and came to an abrupt halt, eyes wide with terror and bile rising in his throat that the structure was a crudely assembled collection of steel bars acting as a makeshift gallows from which the lifeless body of a woman was suspended

"Oh my Oum" Arctus whispered, horrified beyond comprehension

"TURN AROUND" Gangrel barked, clearly choking back tears as he frantically tried to untie the body of Neon Katt. She was bruised and bloody, though the blueish tinge to her flesh indicated she had passed on long before they arrived, her body had been stripped to nothing but her underwear and the glossy back featureless armoured helmet she'd worn as a Freelancer; whoever was responsible for the heinous act clearly intent on taking her dignity as well as he life. Gangrel removed the helmet and cast it aside, shaking with tears and fury as he closed the eyes of the deceased Faunus. Arctus caught sight of the auburn fur around her neck, dusted with a layer of snow and as the realisation that she'd been hanged with her own severed tail hit him he finally lost his composure and doubled over retching violently

"GET HIM OUT OF HERE! HE DOESN'T NEED TO SEE THIS!" Gangrel demanded, Chiffon placed a hand on his shoulder and gently led him away; the grizzled veteran wearing a haunted expression that made it clear that whatever horrors of war he'd seen over the years hadn't entirely desensitised him

"FIND THEIR FUCKING TRACKS AND FOLLOW THEM!" Gangrel rose to his feet and unsheathed his sword as he snarled the order, voice shaking "FIND 'EM AND PUT A ROUND IN THEIR LEGS. I WANT 'EM ALIVE!"

"Sir….there are no tracks" Donner murmured, clearly stunned and disgusted by the scene they'd arrived on as she removed her jacket despite the freezing weather and laid it over Neon's body "Whoever did this didn't want to be found, they wanted to sent a message. They killed her and found her beacon" the news that the woman had been killed simply to send a message caused Arctus to keel over and eject the contents of his stomach yet again; the avian Faunus who'd asked questions on the transport picked up the helmet that Gangrel had thrown aside, biting out a curse as he inspected it before turning to Gangrel and uttering words that filled all present with a mixture of fear and hatred

"Sir….Gang, look at the marking cut into the helmet. We both know what that means, everyone does" he gestured with a taloned hand into a trio a gouges cut diagonally into the faceplate like stylised claw marks that every Faunus born in Atlas before the war knew the significance of "It's a White Fang marking"

 **Authors Notes:**

Okay firstly, I wanted to have this up yesterday but honestly we're having a heatwave in the UK and it is literally too hot and humid to concentrate.

Secondly this went to a dark place at the end and while I want to apologise for that I also want to warn you that this kind of brutality is going to become a hallmark of the 'Cult of Taurus' I'll leave some things to the imagination but if anyone decides they don't want to carry on with the story I sully understand; that being said I will give you my word that sexual abuse of any kind will not be taking place in any of my writing.

Thirdly and on a lighter note another artist (OwleryBlue on Tumblr) is making more fan-art of Team FADE, Specifically a gender-bent version of Felix and that is something I find amazing; I think if your readers are making an AU of your Fan-Fiction you're probably a notable part of your Fandom.

Finally a fair warning that the next chapter will have a scene unsuitable for younger audiences.

Now let's summarise:  
Blowing up spawning pits with high explosive around the edge and making sure you DO NOT touch the liquid; callback to Team CFVY's mission in The Downward Spiral.  
Downward Spiral readers still getting emotional every time they see Gang using Squish's old gun, I see you.  
Yes, Neo's Death-Ray lives on in spirit.  
Chiffon accidentally invoked Murphy's law or something similar.  
The Valknjoggr is from Norse mythology, it was a guard of the gates of Valhalla but I'm pretty sure it didn't have the freezing breath weapon, that's on me.  
Gang and Arctus working together, I've wanted to write this for a while.  
Yeah Arctus's Plasma Gun has more Dakka now due to the new plasma cell.  
Yang is a teacher at Signal, there is no way that her kids get to slack on training over the summer.  
Having to spar with a world class fighter while suffering from a hangover, poor kid.  
Penny has a new Bull-Head and she is not happy with it, I seriously imagine her treating her ride the way Ruby treats Crescent Rose; the fact she actually had to stop and refuel is a clear sign of how inferior this thing is.  
So remember in Vol.1 when Yang just vanished and forced Ruby to socialise, yeah she just did that to Felix.  
I realised something writing this scene; Felix and Eagle love each other. Obviously not in a romantic sense _(Don't worry I'm J.K Rowling I won't retcon or conveniently ignore LGBT characters)_ but as friends those two blondes really do love each other.  
There was something I slipped in, Sentinel can help jump start a car after his arms have been rebuilt, he couldn't do that before; Sentinel has been improved _(The upgrade is also in retaliation to Carcharodon cutting his arms off before).  
_ You wanted Nikosi so I gave you Nikosi and I think I've made them pretty distinct from what we know of the Frost River Tribe/Shadow Cadre.  
So the Nikosi are nomadic but they have at least one semi-permanent settlement that most likely has someone present at all times.  
They're not averse to technology but they're certainly not reliant on it, the vehicles I'm imagining are old battered pickup trucks and maybe a few dirt-bikes and quads to draw Grimm away from convoys.  
Helios has mentioned before that the Nikosi settle disputes by combat.  
Meet Mama Nikos; ruler of the Nikosi.  
So yeah, Helios found one of the Pathfinders that Syneffo mentioned last chapter and beat the crap out of them; angry big brother style.  
I tried to capture the idea that Kataigida loves Helios but is also trying to prepare him to be her successor one day...and also get him to stop feeding his leftovers to the dogs.  
Club Chloris….Yes I'm a fucking Reese Chloris fan, sue me.  
So Razzmatazz has scene kid hair, just jot that down.  
Cheap air freshener and bleach….we've all had a drink like that, you know exactly the kind of shit I mean.  
So yeah Diamond's friend is on a team with someone who would have been in Felix's class at Signal, remember when Nyanza said last chapter that he was going out with some of the old Signal crew…..  
Also yes, people from Patch are Remnant Hicks.  
Meet Diamond's ex….he has a man-bun so you know he's a twat.  
If you got creepy vibes from that encounter, good.  
Also yeah, the guy used to compete in the tournament circuit. He was no Pyrrha Nikos but he was okay; Diamond went from a kinda famous cage fighter to the son of a CEO.  
And yes Merc would actually kill him.  
I don't really have anything to say about the last scene that I haven't already said. This was the clearest way I could make the point that the villains of the second year story arc are nothing like the Shadow Cadre, the Cadre had a personal code and reasons that could be seen as sympathetic. These people are just evil.  
Something that should stand out beyond the obvious White Fang logo and the fact First Year ended on a "Cult of Taurus" cliffhanger is; Neon's armour from "Our Happy Ever After" was based partially on Tex from Red Vs Blue and everything but the helmet is still unaccounted for.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Araniladin, ShadowAlex2000, FleetOfWarships, Arkanes Shippou, TigerRose, FluffyFirefly, Unstoppable Cyborg and Ferrous for their review on the last chapter.  
Siblings pick up straight away.  
I've actually never seen a ridge-back up close, I kept Helios's dogs to a breed I know and Rottweilers' are big old reliable beasties.  
The Killer-Bee has an improvement don't you worry about that.  
"Stardust 2.0" well you're half right.  
Indeed the whole Nikosi tribe (Which is easily over a hundred people) is one big family.  
All parents should have that talk with their kids.  
There is no stopping the shipping.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	44. The Return

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 44: The Return**

Eagle waved as the pickup truck that was older than herself retreated down the street, a hand protruded out of the drivers' side window waving in return and she smiled fondly. Her Grandfather, Craven Arc, had insisted on giving his oldest grandchild a ride into the capital of New Vale where she would be boarding her flight to Halo Academy, insisting that her only spending the last week of the summer at home meant that he'd seen far too little of her. Realising she'd been stood watching the battered vehicle trundle away spewing smoke for what was probably too long she crossed the road and entered the airship terminal. The process of finding the correct ship took far less time than she remembered and soon she found herself stepping back out into the sun and into a crowd comprised of her fellow students, much larger than the crowd she remembered from her first year as this was the entirety of the student body rather than the prospective first years who would be undertaking their initiation today. It took Eagle almost ten minutes to find one of the people she was seeking, occasionally being stopped by people she was acquainted with to varying degrees such as fellow second years Aqua Tsuyu and Quartz Murus of Team AQUA currently or an older student whom she had spotted for in the gym on occasion. Eventually the sight of sunlight being reflected from a surface that had been polished to an absurd degree caught her eye, turning she saw Helios Nikos clad in his signature golden armour; surrounding him were Ether Arashi and Olivine DeGrasse who were inseparable as always and were currently sharing the crate they were sat on and Diamond Sustrai-Black

"Diamond! Hey Diamond!" Eagle bounded over to her team-mate with the enthusiasm of an excitable puppy despite the weight of her armour, weapons and the suitcase she was carrying

"Hey how've you been" Diamond replied with a bright smile, briefly wrapping her arm around the taller girls' shoulders and adding in a much quieter voice "I know you were dealing with some stuff, you know I'm here if you need anything right?" Eagle nodded quickly; she had told both Diamond and Arctus about the revelation regarding her parentage as she wanted their to be no more secrets amongst people she cared about

"Thanks, how are you guys? Where is everyone else?"

"Nyanza is on the way, Felix is with him" Olivine answered as she repositioned herself leaning against Ether. As if summoned by the question the sound of an engine growling parted the crowd allowing a black muscle car with yellow stripes and a huge supercharger protruding from its' hood to make its' way into the waiting area

"He just can't help himself can he" Diamond noted with an amused smirk as the Killer-Bee drove nearer at a needlessly slow pace, Felix clearly enjoying the appreciate stares his car never failed to get; stopping for a moment to allow Corvid to climb out of the back seat with the Omega Wing springing into life and hovering behind her

"Later bro, I'll see you at the academy" with that she set off into the crowd, presumably in search of the other members of Team CLIR. Felix had evidently caught sight of Eagle who had been waving to get his attention as when the car began moving again it was towards them, cutting off the engine both he and Nyanza exited prompting Helios to step forward

"Hey Heely how've you-" Nyanza found himself cut off as the leader of Team Neon cupped his face and peered intently at him "What the fuck are you doing?"

"The last time I saw you your face was torn and you couldn't move your arm after you'd been knocked through a window; I'm just glad to see you're okay"

"You too man" the feline answered making a point of not looking at the scar along Helios's cheek, a gesture that was evidently appreciated as he pulled Nyanza into a brief hug

"What don't the rest of us get a hug?" Felix snorted, only to be left utterly stunned when Helios simply stepped closer and wrapped his arms around the Lion Faunus's shoulders, their assembled team-mates giving into fits of giggles and outright laughter as Felix awkwardly wrapped an arm around Helios while his cheeks coloured and words utterly failed him

"Okay break it up, you're killing him" Diamond teased

"What? You guys read way too much into stuff" Felix tried to feign nonchalance as he greeted everyone else, with noticeably less physical contact "I just haven't seen the guy all summer, I've at least managed to talk to the rest of you"

"If you say so dude" Diamond rolled her eyes "You're like Eagle when she sees….well anyone to be honest"

"Hey!" the blonde in question pouted

"Hey Felix" Ether got his attention before pointing to where Quartz Murus could be seen wheeling her motorbike towards the vessel that would take them to Halo Academy as well as several other students who owned vehicles "You might wanna get your ride on the ship" Felix nodded in agreement and stepped towards the vehicle before asking

"You guys wanna throw your bags in the back and pick 'em up later? And where's Arctus?"

"Thanks" Diamond absently as she withdrew her Scroll and began typing out a message to their missing team-mate

"We'll see you later" Helios gave them a nod as he led Team NEON away, both he and Felix pointedly ignoring the looks their friends were giving them.

"What the hell?" Diamond muttered, turning to see what had caused the outburst Felix and Eagle saw that she was staring at her Scroll in confusion

"What's up?"

"Arctus just text back….Apparently he's already on the ship and has been for over an hour" the three members of Team FADE shared a bemused expression as the clambered into the Killer bee and prepared to board and more importantly to return to Halo Academy.

* * *

The amphitheatre of Halo Academy was currently occupied by the assembled student body, professors and even a sizeable portion of the kitchen and maintenance staff employed to keep the massive anti-gravity platform and the campus built upon it running smoothly. A respectful hush had fallen over the crowd as Glynda Goodwitch orated, giving a speech that to anyone with the experience to compare the two would recognise as being identical to the yearly speech Professor Ozpin had given prior to the forming of the new first year times; one person with such experience was currently keeping themselves out of view. Qrow Branwen was not a trespasser in this instance, these new students had taken their initiation trial in the Emerald Forest and were the first to do so since the fall of Beacon, a necessity as Halo's former testing ground of the Exclusion Zone had been bombed to oblivion since the breach; as such Glynda had called upon a handful of Hunters to remain in the forest and ensure no undue harm came to the prospective students in case something beyond their abilities had managed to grow in the forest and remain unseen; after the failure of New Vale's defences such risks were unavoidable. Qrow had agreed with Glynda's assessment of the situation and offered his services, now he was perched atop a light fitting in his avian form watching as the half a dozen new teams were named. He had several reasons for his choice one of which was that at this point in his life sneaking and staying hidden were so deeply ingrained into his nature that he defaulted to them, another was that while the new teams were in his opinion far from the standards of Team STRQ this ceremony was for them and they had all earned it, he wouldn't take away from their moment by being in view and causing some overly excitable fan to make a scene; a far more important reason was that he was looking for someone. Eventually his keen eyes picked out Eagle's golden hair sitting next to a mane of dirty blonde curls that could only belong to Felix; as Goodwitch continued her speech she watched as Winter's nephew slipped away and managed to leave the amphitheatre without being noticed too much, before too long his partner followed after him though Qrow paid the two little mind as just assumed that a teenage couple wanting some time alone after spending the summer apart was only natural. Eventually the new teams were named and formed, Goodwitch ended her speech with a brief reminder of certain rules she found pertinent and informed some of the older teams they would sent on small impromptu missions the following day; Qrow noted that Team CLIR was among them. As Glynda welcomed the new students and welcomed the old students home the assembled crowd began to rise to their feet and slowly file out of amphitheatre, the buzz of conversation starting up; Qrow watched as Eagle waved to Lie and Nora Ren, the hyperactive ginger mouthing something back to her before both Eagle and Felix slipped out of view. The room was eventually all but deserted and Qrow finally revealed himself by swooping to the ground and shifting back into his natural state with a flash of crimson Aura

"Y'know you're never gonna get rid of them name 'Stranger Danger' if you keep doing stuff like that" Nora's nasally voice noted "But if you're embracing it have you ever thought about a new cape? Maybe a black one and learn to to turn into a bat instead of a bird"

"Nora" the older Hunter sighed as her turned to face her catching sight of the bemused smiles that several of the other staff wore as he did so, Nora herself seemed to know what he intended and merely pointed in the direction he should go

"Thank you" with that he set off, leaving the amphitheatre and making his way through hallways that took him away from the direction of the student dormitories and instead led towards the restricted part of the campus which held the staff living quarters, before long he heard the sound of footsteps other than his own and as he turned a corner he caught sight of Felix and Eagle presumably giving their team mates some privacy; his great nephew had obviously heard his approach as he came to a halt and glanced over his shoulder

"Stalking people now old man?" he growled out as his dark blue eyes narrowed in suspicion

"Felix, don't start" Qrow warned; he loved the boy dearly and hated both asking him to lie on his behalf and the strain it had caused to their relationship but he did not need to deal with his attitude on top of everything else

"So what do you want?" hearing the question Qrow instinctively turned his focus on Eagle who was yet to speak and was eyeing him with trepidation

"I wanted to speak to Eagle" he answered honestly "I was giving assisting with the initiation today anyway-"  
"You got a kid you didn't know about in this batch as well?" Felix snorted, Qrow mustered every ounce of self control he had and forced himself to keep his temper in check, thankfully Eagle chose to diffuse the situation

"Felix knock it off….please" she implored "Just head to Aunt Nora and Uncle Ren's apartment, I'll catch up" Felix seemed ready to argue but silently shrugged as skulked off, shooting Qrow one last glare as he left

"Thank you" Qrow sighed

"It wasn't for your benefit" Eagle shrugged

"Maybe not but still, thank you" Qrow sighed, his age seeming to catch up with him despite the fact he wasn't bothering to use his scythe as a cane right now; everyone present knew it was an act "Things shouldn't have been kept from you and Felix shouldn't have been dragged into this"

"Well he was always going to be involved" Eagle noted "I mean he's my partner and….well we're family. Why are you here Qrow?" the old man allowed himself a small smile, she was at least willing to speak to him; he'd been trying to prepare himself for a worse outcome

"I want to get to know my daughter" he answered simply "We have a lot to catch up on….if you want to?"

"I….I don't know" Eagle finally murmured and Qrow tried not to let his emotions show on his face

"I understand, I know this is going to be strange and hard to get used to; for both of us….Did your mother at least give you some answers?"

"She made a decision and wasn't really interested in anyone else's point of view" Eagle's crimson eyes flashed with momentary anger "Qrow….I need some time to think about things"

"That's okay. If you ever want to talk Felix or Corvid can tell you where to find me"

"Okay, I should probably go" Eagle made to leave, their mutual awkwardness with the situation plainly apparent "I told Aunt Nora I'd come and visit her since I haven't see her or Uncle Ren all summer"

"Yeah I can imagine Nora deciding to come looking for you and tearing half the academy down" Qrow noted causing a small smile to tug at her lips before she turned and walked away and Qrow, despite all the grief, loss, anger and cynicism he carried with him, allowed himself to hope.

* * *

Diamond had seen the knowing smile on the friends' faces when she asked if they could stay out of the dorm for an hour or so after Arctus had excused himself and simply rolled her eyes and left them to make whatever assumptions they wanted. The truth was that she was worried about her partner, the fact he'd somehow gotten onto the ship before everyone else had been allowed to and chosen not to meet them was strange and when Diamond had finally found him the Bear Faunus had been quiet and withdrawn, almost dazed; she wanted answers and as she made her way onto the corridor that housed Team FADE's dormitory she was determined to get them.

"Hey big guy" she called out as she entered, locking the door behind her. Arctus was on his bunk having already shed his boots and sleeveless jacket and put away his sword

"Hey babe what's up. Where're Eagle and Felix?"

"I asked 'em to give us some space, we need to talk" she removed her sneakers and made herself comfortable sitting beside "You've been weird all day, what's bothering you?"

"Nothing babe" Arctus tried to assure her, forcing himself into a sitting position as he sensed that she was unconvinced "I'm just tired. My sleeping pattern is messed up after being on my Dad's ship for so long; I get why he's always exhausted when he comes home now" Diamond gently cupped his cheek and turned his face so that he was looking at her, the dark rings under his eyes leant weight to the assertion that he hadn't been sleeping well, though something still seemed off

"You poor thing" her sarcasm was evident even as she leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his lips "How come you didn't meet us before we boarded though?"

"Because I convinced the crew to let me hide something" a mischievous smile crossed his face as he slid off the bed, pausing to return the kiss before making his way to the closet he shared with Felix "And I had to leave the ceremony early because I didn't want you to see this with the rest of my luggage I wanted it to be surprise"

"Dude what are you doing?" Diamond rose from the bed and made her way over to him just in time for him to turn and place a gift wrapped package in her hands. Her cherry red eyes widened as she took in the shape of the object and realised what it was

"You said you don't want to risk breaking the one you've got by having it with your luggage, I hope you like it" Diamond eagerly tore the wrapping away to reveal a brand new bass guitar that left her mouth hanging open; it's body and headstock were a flawless glossy black while the pick-guard had a mother of pearl finish and the instrument was decorated with jade green detailing, specification wise it was as if Arctus had simply asked her to design the thing herself

"It's beautiful" she breathed out "Oh my Oum thank you, you didn't have to"

"I wanted to" he assured her "Can't wait to hear you play, just wish I could have given it to you on your birthday" Diamond had just enough self control to find somewhere to put the instrument away before simply pouncing and wrapping her arms around her boyfriends' shoulders

"I got you something else as well"

"Dude stop, I don't want your money" she sighed as she nuzzled into his neck

"I know but I wanted to treat you and we missed them when they toured here last year"

"No way" Diamond gasped as she stepped back, Arctus merely grinned and reached into his pocket and produced a pair of tickets; she found herself becoming almost giddy as she scanned the text. Her favourite band Raphael Lake, a group that Arctus also enjoyed were performing in New Vale the following weekend to raise money for charity

"Now you just need to find someone to give the other ticket to" Arctus teased, completely unprepared for how enthusiastic Diamond's response would be. The Bear Faunus staggered back as Diamond's arms snaked around his shoulders once more and she kissed him fiercely, it seemed only natural for the silver haired sniper to push him back further until he was pressed against their bunk at which point Arctus positioned himself on the bed and Diamond quickly joined him, fingers tracing along his chest as she kissed him and took his lip between her teeth while his hands found their way to her hips. As they continued to kiss Arctus took the initiative, rolling and pinning Diamond beneath him as his hands drifting beneath her tank top

"I love you" he whispered against her lips, Diamond pushed him back and seeing his questioning expression made her intentions clear as she removed her top and began unfastening her bra; Arctus quickly shed his own t-shirt and returned to kissing her passionately as their hands roamed across each others' bodies; relishing the way she gasped in pleasure and her fingers curled in his hair when he turned his attention to her neck, kissing and gently grazing her flesh with his teeth. Emboldened Arctus continued lower and trailed kisses along her chest and breasts, swirling his tongue around each of her sensitive nipples in turn as his hand slipped beneath he waist band

"Oh fuck, right there!" Diamond pulled Arctus back into a searing kiss as his thumb brushed against her clit and he slid two fingers inside her. As the kiss broke apart Diamond found herself pulling her pants down with one hand with the nails of the other dug into skin of her lovers' back

"Go down on me baby" she panted out as she gazed up at him through half lidded eyes. Arctus paused for a moment, this was further than they'd ever gone previous and he'd never performed the act in question but he quickly took to the task, continuing to draw moans and gasps of pleasure from Diamond as he thrust his fingers into her while he kissed his way down the taut muscles of her stomach and her hips before gently biting her thighs as he settled himself between them. Diamond's back arched and her thighs clenched the moment she felt Arctus's tongue swirl over her clit, he may have lacked experience but the Faunus was attentive and eager to please; she soon found herself biting her lip to stifle her moans and cupping her own breasts with one hand while her free hand made to clutch at the back of her lovers' head, instead Arctus locked eyes with her and laced his fingers through hers.

"Stop" Arctus paused the moment he heard Diamond's voice, gently kissing her thighs before she pulled him level with her face and made it clear he should lay on his back; as he did so he quickly positioned herself over him and lowered herself onto his face while at the same time fumbling with his belt buckle after deciding that she both needed to stop herself from calling his name out loud enough for anyone to hear and that she desperately wanted to return the favour; before she could unfasten his pants Arctus tore a strangled cry from her as his tongue slipped between her now soaked lips as he gripped her thighs holding her firmly in place. Whimpering in sheer ecstasy under his ministrations she finally removed the fabric between her and his erect member and swirled her tongue over the tip, Arctus's whole body seemed to shudder at the sensation and Diamond took the head into her mouth, bobbing her head as she teased his length with her tongue and moaning around him as he brought her closer and closer to orgasm. Arctus's tongue found a particularly sensitive spot inside her and Diamond took as much of him into her mouth as she could, eyes screwing shut as she climaxed; thighs quivering and clenching around his head and hips bucking against him as she rode out her orgasm

"Diamond, babe I'm getting close" he grunted out, Diamond stopped sucking and switched to stroking his hard cock while licking the base until she felt his whole body tighten and his release flowing over her fingers. The two of them needed a few moments to catch their breath then Arctus gently pulled Diamond towards him and simply took in how beautiful she truly was as his arms encircled her waist

"I really do love you"

"You too big guy" she breathed out, kissing his cheek "But we should probably clean up….I hope we left some air freshener in here

"Should probably clean ourselves up first" Arctus noted, Diamond gave him a sly smile in response

"Wanna join me in the shower?" it was a question she didn't really need to ask, the answer couldn't have been more obvious.

* * *

While the students and the majority of the staff of Halo Academy had returned to their dormitories and apartments and were most likely asleep Headmistress Glynda Goodwitch was not so privileged, instead she sat in her sparsely decorated office meticulously double checking class schedules and the various alterations to the various syllabi that would have to be made to facilitate the Vytal Tournament. She allowed herself a small sigh as she paused and raised her glasses to rub eyes that were stinging with tiredness, tournament years were always problematic to organise with the amount of students that would be leaving for the host Kingdom, this year students would be transferring a little earlier than usual in attempt to integrate them into Atlas Academy more smoothly which naturally necessitated the teachers she employed to rework their class schedule. Surprisingly it was Nora who has handled the situation the most efficiently, simply contacting her counterparts at each Academy and forming an agreement that all of their syllabi would be heavily focused on tournament style combat until the competing students left for Atlas. This would be the third such event since Halo Academy had opened ten years ago and New Vale had yet to host the tournament and despite the stoic persona she presented Glynda eagerly awaited the day she could show her Academy, her students and the unwavering resilience of her Kingdom to the whole Remnant once again; while she had no doubts that her students would make her proud as they had done since long before the fall of Beacon the chance to do so on home soil was always welcome. Glynda had long since ceased to keep track of the time when she a high pitched bleeping from the computer at her desk alerted her to a transmission being sent on a secure channel, she didn't have to look to know that the identity of the caller would be hidden though she could make an educated guess at who it would be owing to the fact that if Qrow had anything to warn her about he would have done so in person. She tidied her desk out of habit and pressed a button beneath her desk that would lock her office and engage several subtle measures that would make eavesdropping difficult before accepting the call

"Professor Goodwitch" the mocha skinned Bear Faunus whose hair was beginning to show signs of greying and whose lower Atlesian accent still sounded harsh to her ears

"Gangrel, it's been a long time since I was your professor"

"I'm still surprised you didn't expel me" he chuckled in response "I was a little shit"

"You were deemed likely to be a White Fang sympathiser even upon your initial application to Beacon, I highly doubt Ozpin would have let a little thing like your habit of breaking your classmates noses end your career prematurely" Goodwitch noted, recalling several instances of a much younger Gangrel's temper flaring spectacularly "But that's neither here nor there right now, this isn't a social call is it?"

"No it isn't" Gangrel admitted "Are the….Oum's sake I hate calling people assets, are they in place?" he didn't need to specify who he was referring to and while Goodwitch had initially been outraged by the mere suggestion of the plan that he and Winter Schnee had approached her with upon hearing the reasoning behind it she agreed that action of some kind needed to be taken

"They are" she nodded "Although I've put them as far away from the other students as I can and the other teachers have been informed, they will be watched until they leave for Atlas"

"I understand" Gangrel nodded, displeased as he was that more people were aware of the plan that if successful would see several violent criminals brought to justice he couldn't fault Glynda's commitment to the safety of her students

"Furthermore I will not under any circumstances be rigging the qualification process to benefit your agents in any way" Gangrel couldn't help the deep barking laugh that escaped him

"Oh don't worry about that, they'll qualify….they'd probably be offended if you did fix the competition"

"I see" Goodwitch pursed her lips, what limited information she'd manage to glean from her own interactions from Gangrel Slate's assets supported her former students' assertion

"And thank you for this Professor" Gangrel sighed, the weight of his responsibilities making him look his age of thirty nine "I couldn't have them in Atlas from the start of the year without raising too many questions and I don't trust Haven or Shade's heads enough to trust them with this"

"I appreciate your faith in me Gangrel"

"You've earned the trust of everyone in Vale" he murmured in response "You held Vale together after the fall"

"I recall your contributions to the war" Goodwitch countered "And Gangrel, frankly I'm glad Ozpin gave you as much leniency as he did. You've grown into a credit to his legacy, I'm sure every Faunus in Atlas who knows your name feels safer with you in a position of authority….You and Weiss have raised a fine young man as well"

"Thank you" Gangrel's toothy grin formed on his face before a far more expression took its' place "There might be something else I need to ask you, it's more personal….in the meantime-"

"I will" Goodwitch nodded, it was tradition that any time Gangrel had to contact her she would leave flowers on the statue on the campus in honour of his deceased partner Perdu Callow "Goodnight Gangrel" with that she ended the call and gave the paperwork on her desk one last scornful glance before deciding that she had earned some rest.

* * *

Arctus was jolted awake by the sound of his own panicked screams, jolting upright and smashing his head against the bottom of Diamonds' vacant bunk and needing several moments to get his breathing under control; before he could do so fully Diamond stirred beside him

"The fuck dude?" she murmured groggily as she turned to face him

"It's nothing, I'm sorry" he muttered as he laid down, heart still pounding in his chest; the brittle and wavering tone of his voice caused Diamond to open her eyes fully and as she gave him a concerned glance she saw that he was soaked in cold sweat, his eyes were wide and his hands were trembling

"What's wrong?"

"It's-"

"Don't tell me it's nothing" she hissed before looking over her shoulder and seeing that Eagle was still asleep clutching her three foot tall stuffed Ursa while the sound of Felix's snoring assured her that he had also not been woken "It's just us, talk to me. Please" Arctus remained silent for a moment, running his hands through his hair before answering

"Nightmares. I haven't been able to sleep for more than a couple hours at a time, that's why I was so tired"

"Oh" Diamond mouthed out before moving closer to him and laying her head on his right shoulder while her fingers traced the scar that trailed from his left shoulder to his right hip

"Are they about what happened?" she asked "Because that's nothing to be ashamed of, I couldn't sleep for a few days I was back home….every time I closed my eyes I could see you bleeding out on the floor" Arctus's own worries were forgotten for a moment as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close

"It wasn't about the breach" Arctus whispered as he gently stroked her hair "After the mission I went on with my Dad the ship picked up a distress signal from a Freelancer….we found a body. My Dad knew her, he barely spoke for a few days, I've never seen him like that"

"I'm so sorry" Diamond whispered against his skin "Did the Grimm get her?"

"No" the sheer horror Arctus managed to convey in a single word made her look up in surprise before he continued "She was murdered and left on display, whoever killed her sent the distress signal themselves; they wanted people to know what they'd done"

"Oh my Oum-" Arctus seemed to not hear her

"The things they did to her body, I wanna throw up just thinking about it, I've never even…." he trailed off needed to compose himself "The worst part is that it was another Faunus that did it" Diamond gently cupped his cheeks and pulled him down into a soft kiss

"Have you spoken to anyone about this?" Arctus shook his head

"I didn't want to worry anyone, I'm training to be a Hunter and we're gonna see stuff like this….I need to be able to-"

"You Dumb-ass" Diamond hissed "Bottling it up isn't gonna help….I'll stay awake with you tonight if you need me to" she offered, her tone softening. Without thinking Arctus kissed her and murmured against her lips

"You have no idea how much I love you, thank you"

"You might be a dumb-ass, but you're my dumb-ass and I love you too" Diamond replied before making herself comfortable, the two of them holding onto each other until they finally managed to fall asleep again.

 **Authors Notes:**

Well that's the whole Team back together, next chapter will be the start of the actual 'Second year' and as you may have guessed we'll be seeing some people again next chapter.

So let's summarise:  
So a week has passed since last chapter.  
Helios just got his armour back, of course he's polished it to the point that you can see your face in it.  
Eagle has told Arctus and Diamond about her being Qrow's daughter, just so that everyone is on the same page.  
The Killer-Bee is up and running and yes Felix is totally that guy who drives at five miles an hour just to be seen.  
As much as we're all Battle Cat shippers here I love that the first thing Helios did was make sure Nyanza was okay….also I've been watching "Vikings" and that openness with physical contact between the characters is something I can seen the Anima tribes having.  
Oh yeah, Felix got super flustered.  
I imagine Glynda does have more safety concerns for students on initiations than Ozpin did, things like cameras in the exclusion zone and having more experienced Hunters on standby in case of emergency.  
Yeah Qrow is just a habitual sneak at this point but I think his concern about not wanting to steal the spotlight from the new students is probably fair as well.  
Also yeah Qrow knows Arctus's name but his probably not as close to him as he his Felix and Corvid, he's just "Winter's nephew".  
"Stranger danger" is a running gag that will never die.  
Yeah Felix and Qrow's relationship is under some strain.  
Qrow and Eagle actually talking a little, more will follow.  
Diamond has been shown several times to be able to pick up on small details really quick, if Arctus was acting weird she would definitely be the first to know.  
Side note the "I get why my Dad is always tired now" is something I felt after doing my first twelve hour night shift in a factory.  
Ha! Surprise, Arctus was just sneaking around because he wanted to hide Diamond's birthday present and surprise her when they were alone…..if I knew more about bass guitars I would have given the thing a better description but I don't so I didn't.  
Diamond being a Raphael Lake fan is actually a call back to Vol.1 when I'd literally just heard of them because of one of their songs being used in the trailer for Black Lightning.  
So yeah, you were promised adult content….there it was, moving on.  
Let Glynda sleep.  
I can honestly imagine that tournament years are secretly the bane of all four Heads' existence (Well not so much in Winter's but we'll get to that later) with the amount of planning required; the idea of Nora being the one to just take to it without much issue was too good to pass up.  
Now if you paid attention you would have realised that Vytal Tournament's are every two years and New Vale hasn't hosted one yet; which means that they will be hosting the next one in Team FADE's fourth year.  
With Gang calling Goodwitch I'm sure you can figure out who his "Assets" are.  
The mutual respect Gangrel and Goodwitch have is interesting to write, considering Gangrel in The Downward Spiral had pretty much no respect for anyone's authority.  
Yeah Arctus is not coping with what happened last chapter too well. Diamond assuming it's about Phobos nearly killing was a fair assumption. It's probably a safe bet that Arctus and Diamond aren't the only students who had trouble sleeping after the Breach either.  
The idea of another Faunus being the one to cut off Neon's tail after all the progress that's been made against anti-Faunus racism makes it just that little bit more repulsive.  
Thank you to SumoSnipe, FleetOfWarships, ShadowAlex2000, Ferrous, LoneDragon, Arkanes Shippou and FluffyFirefly for their reviews on the last chapter.  
So, you got the hug you wanted….are you happy?  
The thing with the ValknJoggr is that it isn't a massive plot point, starting that scene with the Strike Team en route and having more build up wouldn't really have added anything.  
Oh yeah, gruesome and over the top is going to be something of a calling card with the Cult of Taurus.  
I love how much people love the idea of Eagle x Hellion.  
Of course we're gonna see more of the creepy ex, he's already competed in one Vytal Tournament you really think he won't qualify for this one?

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	45. Team GORE

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 45: Team GORE**

Team FADE looked as though they had slept little as they ate breakfast and perused their new class schedules, Arctus suffering the most by far from his exhaustion and seemingly struggling to keep his eyes open and only giving a wordless grunt in response to his team-mates' complaints about the perceived brutality of the second year timetable. Even Eagle's usually inexhaustible cheer and enthusiasm seemed muted and she was unable to bring herself to dispute Felix and Diamond's grumblings until they found themselves joined by Team NEON

"Mind if we sit here?" Nyanza asked, the answer clearly superfluous as the feline was already making himself comfortable at the long table Team FADE had claimed the far end of and piling food onto his plate "Why in Oum's name does all the bacon always seem to end up in this one spot?"

"You are aware you don't need bacon to survive?" Helios asked his partner as he took a seat, causing Felix to turn and face him as their shoulders brushed; the redhead had obviously overslept a little his hair being more messy than its' usual spikes and the beginnings of stubble along his jaw making it clear that he hadn't groomed himself as thoroughly as he usually did. Felix thought the look rather worked for him and the scar along Helios's cheek only added to the effect, the Lion Faunus soon cut those thoughts off as he realised he was being spoken to

"Hey Fluffy you awake over there?"

"Huh?"

"I was asking you to back me up" Nyanza huffed "These heathens think starting a day without bacon is acceptable"

"You're gonna have a heart attack at thirty man" Felix yawned in response, Nyanza's only answer was a disparaging shake of the head before returning to his breakfast. Thankfully everyone seemed to write off Felix's distraction as simply being tired, he did not feel mentally prepared to start a Monday morning with teasing; a sentiment that was only increased by another familiar voice

"CLIR a path peasants!" Felix grinned before turning and whistling to get his sisters' attention, Corvid whispered something to Lux most likely telling her partner to get her breakfast for her before she made a beeline towards the table Teams FADE and NEON were occupying, as she did so Felix noted that she was not wearing her school uniform and was instead dressed in her all black, fur collared flight-suit complete with the armband which controlled the Omega Wing and the bright yellow scarf which had once belonged to Yang, an accessory Corvid considered a lucky charm

"Hey bro….this looks cosy" her grey eyes filled with mischief as she wrapped an arm around both Felix and Helios's shoulders. Helios had been the subject of Corvid's ire once before and only briefly considered moving her arm or objecting before dismissing the idea, Felix had managed to build some immunity to his sisters' antics

"Fuck off Corey" he laughed as he slung her arm off him

"Love you too Fluffy" she snorted as she ruffled his hair "I can't really stay too long Team CLIR have got a mission"

"Already?" Eagle asked

"Yep, Goodwitch wants to clean up the edges of the Emerald Forest and make sure that nothing the first years stirred up gets any ideas"

"They sent you to do a cleaning job?…..Have they seen your room?" Felix's joke earned a chorus of laughter

"Don't show off Fluffy or you trying to impress someone?" she gave him a wink that reduced him to sputtering denials and he quickly realised that the tables had been turned and he was now the object of his friends' amusement

"Anyway" Corvid patted his shoulder "I'm getting my breakfast to go, I only came over to say hi. I'll catch up with you later though. Oh and a little advice, get a lot of energy drinks. You look like death and trust me second year is a lot harder than first year, you need to be awake for it"

"Thanks for the warning" Felix replied as his sister turned and left, rejoining her team mates who had ordered their breakfast to go and were already leaving the cafeteria, presumably for the Bull-Head terminals.

"We should probably go" Felix noted, Eagle, Diamond and Arctus all gave silent nods of agreement and rose to leave

"We've still got plenty of time to get to class?" Nyanza noted with a raised eyebrow

"Yeah but we've gotta pick our weapons and combat gear up" Diamond answered, Helios was the first to understand and quickly leapt from his seat; Nyanza took a few more seconds before his eyes widened and he checked the new timetable that had been sent to his Scroll

"OH COME ON!" he cried out in shock as he learned that the first lesson on a Monday was a double combat training class with Professor Nora Ren.

* * *

The brief panic as Team FADE quickly changed and rushed towards the coliseum like lecture hall in which Nora taught her lessons had thankfully managed to dispel some of the lingering grogginess Felix was suffering from, and as he took his seat towards the back of the hall, a position that would give him a good vantage point to watch sparring matches from whilst keeping out of his teachers' field of vision he felt fairly confident; he hadn't trained as much as he perhaps could have but then again this was one of his best subjects. His private evaluation of the situation ended as Team NEON arrived and seated themselves in the row in front and slightly below, repositioning himself so that he could sit more comfortably with his weapons slung over his back in their harness he turned to Eagle and stated something that was plainly obvious to everyone present

"She's not here"

"If she's not here in fifteen minutes we're legally allowed to leave" Diamond noted, her tone heavy with sarcasm

"Well if that happens I'm going back to bed" Arctus growled

"Aunt Nora has never missed a class" Eagle assured them "She probably just wants to make an entrance"

"Oh hell no" Nyanza was the one to voice what several people were thinking, everyone remembered the first combat lesson on First Year wherein Nora had chosen to introduce herself to her new students by way of a barrage of grenades. After a few more moments the door behind the raised area which served as the sparring ring and a stage from which Nora taught opened, revealing the energetic woman herself who skipped into full view of her students with her customary wide smile and enthusiasm; traits that Eagle had doubtlessly mimicked from her honorary aunt intentionally or not. Nora ended the buzz of excited chattering between the students that her arrival had caused by clearing her throat

"I hope everyone enjoyed their summer, because from now on the danger you will be facing will be a lot greater and there is a very real chance it's the last summer you'll experience" Nora paused allowing a moment for her words to sink in before doubling over with laughter "I'm just kidding you'll be fine; I've missed having a room fall of gullible people as a captive audience"

"Can you believe this-" Nyanza didn't get to finish his sentence, whatever derogatory term he'd intended to use was cut off by Helios casually cuffing his partner around the back of the head the way he would have done to any member of the Nikosi that spoke out of turn; Nora ignored the activity at the back of her classroom and continued

"Before we begin with today's lesson I have a few announcements. Firstly this year is a Vytal Tournament" once again Nora paused for effect before continuing "Normally second year commences with a joint assignment from myself and professor Bronzewing, however this year it's been agreed that this class will be used to focus on tournament style combat until qualifying students leave for Atlas where they will be undertaking missions and lessons alongside students of Atlas Academy while the rest of you continue your lessons with me"

"I'm gonna miss Aunt Nora's lessons" Eagle noted, though her team-mates couldn't help but grin with the infectious confidence the blonde possessed; the idea that Team FADE would not qualify was utterly alien to them

"Can you imagine Nora and Bronzewing teaching a joint lesson?" Diamond snorted, the extremely low regard Nora held the Grimm Studies Professor in was well known amongst the students.

"The second point I need to make you aware of is something that should have been covered last night after the team naming ceremony but we were short on time" Nora continued "Repairs to the city following The Breach are still underway and several construction crews are still hiring students to work alongside them, Professor Goodwitch will allow you to do so at her discretion; also students planning on competing in the Vytal Tournament with part time will obviously need to make their own arrangements, Halo Academy takes no responsibility for you getting yourselves fired"

"Oh shit, I didn't even think" Diamond gasped, clearly thinking of the volunteer work she and Arctus both did at the Mercy Foundation

"The final announcement, which will lead nicely into the actual lesson today; is that we have some new students in this class" that got everyone's attention, an entire team transferring or being allowed to take more advanced classes was almost unheard of; Nora reopened the door to her office and gestured for whoever was waiting inside to make themselves known "So second years, give a Halo Academy welcome to Team GORE!" four figures stepped into view and Team FADE's mouths hung open in silent shock which rapidly began to blur into seething anger; they looked far more well cared for than they had previously but there was no mistaking the Shadow Cadre. Team NEON turned to face them seeming to realise something was amiss though Felix paid them no mind, his world had narrowed into the straight line of attack between himself and the group of Faunus below; as Nora introduced Carcharodon Gore, Onyx Ursabane, Hellion Eudialyte and Raffia Dirge the Axolotl Faunus seemed to catch sight of him and simply winked as he tapped the sheaths of a weapon that clearly not his old sword, a pair of blades one larger than the other hanging from his hip. At the moment Felix saw red and simply lunged forwards and drawing his swords as he made to leap over rows of seats; Arctus failed to react in time and Eagle couldn't get purchase but the Lion Faunus found himself brought to an abrupt halt nonetheless as a golden arm wrapped around his waist and forced him into a seat at the same moment a metallic sound rang through the classroom; the sound of Carcharodon Gore deploying the Red Waves.

"ENOUGH! EVERYONE BACK IN YOUR SEATS!" Nora bellowed, her students freezing with fright at the sight of her hand flying towards Magnhild "Felix speak to me before you leave….now, I want to test our new students' abilities in a tournament setting; so does anyone, excluding Team FADE, want to step up?" deathly silence reigned as the teens before processed the situation; anyone could see that there was a lot being kept from them regarding Team GORE if Felix's reaction hadn't proven as much then the fact that he hadn't been reprimanded had, there was also the matter of the absurdly fast reaction time the Shark Faunus leading the new team had. While none of the students were cowards by any stretch of the imagination, none of them were eager to be the first into this particular fray

"Really, nobody?" Nora asked with a raised eyebrow, a moment later she received an answer

"I will!" a confident voiced boomed from near the back of the lecture hall and Nora didn't even have to look up to know who the voice belonged to.

* * *

"A Nikosi lapdog" Raffia hissed as the golden armoured teen with tattoos proudly declaring his heritage strode towards them, his voice while quiet was laden with scorn

"Interesting" Hellion noted, fingering the hilts of her many knives as something she'd heard from Eagle while captive in this very academy came back to her "I think that may be the first son of the Nikosi"

"They say he's good" Onyx grunted gruffly "Those scars say different" Carcharodon had remained silent, his pure obsidian eyes sizing up Helios Nikos as he stepped onto the raised platform and into his personal space, clearly hoping to intimidate the Shark Faunus despite being a few inches shorter and a full half a foot shorter than Onyx

"Your people were raiding in this Kingdom last year" Helios noted, his tone making it clear that it was a statement of fact rather than a question "I don't know what lies you've told and deals you've made to escape justice but understand that I act with the authority of my people and you will-"

"Let me clarify something for you Nikosi" Carcharodon rasped out, paying no mind to the woman who presumed to teach him the art of combat growing impatient "I am the Captain of the Shadow Cadre and the rightful leader of what remains of my people. You have no authority other than what you've borrowed; if I choose to entertain terms from any member of your tribe full of traitors then it will be your mother and nobody else" Helios visibly bristled in response prompting Nora to intervene

"Team GORE if you would kindly nominate someone to face off against Mister Nikos we can begin"

"Onyx, have your fun" Carcharodon gave Helios a grin which displayed his many rows of fangs before leading Hellion and Raffia away, leaving him alone with the towering Puma Faunus who was currently cracking his knuckles in anticipation

"Mister Ursabane you're new here so I'll explain to you how this works. The match will go on until one of your Aura's are knocked into the red as shown by the monitor on the screen, someone forfeits or I decide that the match needs to be called off. Do you understand?"

"To the death would be more fun, but fine" he chuckled. Nora merely scowled before stepping back and activating the protective dome shaped forcefield which encased the sparring area

"Begin!" Onyx moved with a speed belied by his hulking frame, swinging Jotun Fang from its' position on his back and shifting it into artillery mode with a single movement and snapping off a trio of shots with deafening reports, the Puma Faunus quickly re-evaluated his assessment of his opponent as Helios managed to deflect the first shell with a backhanded swipe of his shield which he followed through into a spin which allowed him to sidestep the others, a feral grin formed on Onyx's face as he returned his weapon to its' double bladed axe form with a single thought on his mind _'This is going to be fun'_

With a primal roar Onyx lunged forwards and brought his weapon down in an arc only to realise something was wrong as his swing failed to build any momentum; Helios was wreathed in the darkness of his Semblance as he launched his counter attack, opening with a kick to the ribs which left Onyx doubled over followed by bringing the edge of his shield down on the back of his skull, magnifying gravity as he did so and causing the Faunus's head to collide with the ground with a sickening crack

"Not bad" Onyx spat before hooking one of the blades of his axe behind Helios and using it to drag him closer while simultaneously rushing forwards to drive his skull into the bridge of the armoured teens' nose, promptly using his free hand to grab Helios by the neck and prepare to bring his axe to bare; Helios responded by managing to bring his shield up to block the blow and use its' surface to force the two of them apart and launch a spinning kick which Onyx avoided. The pair circled each other, each looking for an opening in the others' defences for several moments until Helios saw Onyx fish something from his pocket, a raw and crudely hewn Dust crystal of a deep blue colour with countless pearly flecks decorating its' surface

"You won't get chance to load it" Helios warned, sensing that the Puma Faunus intended to fire the crystal from his weapon; an assumption that was proven incorrect when Onyx chuckled before placing the crystal between his teeth and activated his Semblance. Helios's eyes widened and he quickly flung his shield in front of his face as the attack washed over him; the combination of Onyx's sonic roar and the Ice Dust resulted in what could best be described as a localised blizzard which left the entirety of the arena floor and Helios's golden armour coated in frost while flinging him back into the protective shielding and forcing him to grit his teeth against the sensation

"Clever" Helios growled attempting to counter but finding himself unable as Onyx threw himself at him once again, buckling the redheads' knees with the force of the two handed swing of his axe; while Helios managed to raise his shield in time his chest was left unguarded and quickly found itself assaulted by a booted foot. Realising that this match would end in his defeat if he didn't take charge soon he drew his sword and slashed Onyx's other foot, the one keeping him on the ground; while the attack slid harmlessly off of his Aura it did force the giant off balance which Helios capitalised on and threw Onyx to the ground. Helios gave no quarter and delivered a vicious kick to his opponents' face as he tried to rise, the sound of the crowd barely audible above the rush of his own blood in his ears. Onyx grabbed his leg and hurled him into the air only to slam him back first onto the floor, Helios countered by managing to wrap his legs around the Puma Faunus's arm and attempt to break his elbow, Onyx in turn managed to free himself and the two of them returned to their feet, weapons cast aside and gasping for breath

"It's rare I get to face someone who puts up a fight" Onyx laughed as he rolled his shoulders back and raised his fists "It's been entertaining"

"It has" Helios admitted before rushing in for another exchange of blows, ducking under a wild swing and punching Onyx in the gut with enough force to leave him doubled over, Onyx managed to block the knee aimed at his fist but not the overhand delivered to the back of his head or the spinning heel kick to the jaw as Helios backed away

"I see attacking civilians like a coward has done nothing for your stamina" Helios taunted, he needed Onyx angry and distracted, he needed him to make mistakes as a quick glance at the screen displaying their Auras showed that he could not continue this fight for much longer

"Coward?" Onyx demanded his voice a low rumble as his greenish yellow eyes narrowed, incensed at the insult to his martial pride. Without waiting for an answer he charged and managed to deliver three earth-shattering punches to the head which left Helios's vision swimming before the redhead weaved under the fourth and took the wind out of the Faunus with a well place kidney punch before springing back to his full height and delivering an elbow strike to Onyx's jaw; then using his Semblance to magnify gravity as much as possible as he fell; the ground cracked beneath the Faunus as he collapsed

"Onyx Ursabane's Aura is in the red! The match goes to Helios Nikos!" Nora's voice thundered out and Helios allowed himself a moment to catch his breath before retrieving his sword and shield and limping away from the arena, a deep growling chuckle from behind him alerted him to Onyx rising to his feet

"I haven't had fun like that in a long time" with that he slung his axe over his shoulder and returned to his own team-mates

"Now!" Nora silenced the chatter the match had caused "Today's lesson was going to involve going over several notable tournament fighters and common winning strategies starting with Pyrrha Nikos….but before that, who wants to be next to take on one of our new students?" This time the class was far more responsive.

* * *

Eagle was alone, though she was content with the situation as it had been her choice. Felix had decided to visit the gym and she had declined the offer to join him, her partner would most likely be taking out his anger towards the Shadow Cadre or Team GORE as they were now being called on several punchbags. While she was happy to be on speaking terms with the Lion Faunus again she needed to process her own feelings towards her mothers' kidnappers and Felix's attitude, however well meaning would most likely not help matters. Team GORE themselves had already made it painfully clear that whatever they were here for studying played no part in it, whilst they had proven themselves capable in combat class and Onyx seemed to be genuinely interested in Professor Peach's lecture in Dust handling class none of them had made any effort to actually work, nor were they making any effort to integrate themselves with the other students if the rumours of their open hostility towards any attempt to friendliness were anything to go by.

Eagle came to a stop, she'd been jogging around the perimeter of the campus and had managed to work up quite a sweat in the later summer evening air; she'd brought herself to a halt not far from the outdoor training area situated at the rear of the academy, a highly advanced system which incorporated several nano-bot deposits and hard-light construct generators which could be used to run simulations of countless scenarios that a Hunter may find themselves in. Taking a few moments to make a decision she decided to enter the coliseum like structure which was far larger than the combat training classroom, she intended to peruse the various settings and find something suitable for a light training session in order to clear her head; that thought left her mind as she approached the controls and caught sight of a large bird of prey circling overhead, a bird she recognised.

"Well hello again little canary" Eagle whipped around at the sound of Hellion Eudialyte's voice; the bird of prey swooping passed the blonde and landing on its' masters' waiting forearm, with the exception of the armoured gauntlet adorning her left arm the Dragonfly Faunus wore an approximation of Halo Academy's school uniform, her sweater and tie had been discarded and slits had obviously been cut into the back of her shirt to accommodate her wings; her sleeves were rolled up and several buttons had been unfastened revealing more of her light brown skin

"Um, hey" Eagle cast her eyes around suspiciously looking for any sign of the other members of the group

"I did tell you I'd escape the cage I was in" Hellion noted conversationally as she fed some kind of raw meat to Marauder "Though I suppose I haven't really escaped if I'm still stuck here-"

"Why are you here?" Eagle demanded

"I've spent too much time confined lately, I wanted to use my Semblance and enjoy some fresh air-"

"No" Eagle interrupted "Why are you at Halo. You're not interested in becoming Hunters, you kidnapped my Mum" Hellion hesitated before she answered, seemingly giving serious thought to her response

"There are things I can't tell you, we were captured and deals were made….The Shadow Cadre's cause hasn't changed but our approach has had to" her jade eyes lowered as she looked away from Eagle "And kidnapping was an act of desperation. I'm not sorry that we did what we felt had to be done, but I understand if you hold a grudge"

"I didn't hold a grudge when I kept visiting you in your cell" Eagle reminded her "But I can't promise that my team won't"

"Oh I think the one with the hair made his feelings perfectly clear" Hellion laughed, clearly referring to the way Felix had lunged at The Shadow Cadre the moment he saw them "It would probably be for the best if we keep some of our team-mates away from each other"

"Definitely" Eagle agreed, still not entirely sure how to act around the Dragonfly Faunus; the fact that Hellion was no longer a prisoner and there was no cage between them presented a change in the dynamic

"It's good to see you again little canary" Hellion murmured as she stepped a little closer "Can I ask you for a favour?"

"A favour?" Eagle was confused and if she were being entirely honest with herself, a little distracted "Just promise me it's nothing that will risk anyone's safety or interfere with the Academy in any way and I'll think about it"

"Nothing like that" Hellion assured here "You told me before that you were going to teach me to read….does that offer still stand? Onyx can read of your language but not enough, Carcharodon and Raffia can't read it at all. We won't be able to act like students if we can't understand anything written in our textbooks but they're all too proud to ask"

"Oh" Eagle mouthed, she wasn't sure what she'd expected but that was not it "I mean I could teach them as well?"

"Does Raffia strike you as someone who would make a good student?"

"The small one….not really" she admitted with a soft giggle

"So you'll teach me?" Hellion's jade eyes seemed to light up as a smile crossed her face and Eagle lost any will to resist that she may have had

"Fine, I did make a promise"

"Thank you" Hellion gave a small nod of the head before turning to leave "Now I'm going to head back to my dormitory and make sure that Onyx hasn't eaten all the food we have"

"You know that the canteen is open twenty four hours on a weekday right?" Hellion seemed utterly floored by the idea and promptly set off towards the academy and Eagle let out a long sigh as she watched her leave

"Why?" she groaned out the single word as she buried her face in her hands, encapsulating several questions at once. ' _Why did she have to be so utterly helpless when a pretty girl spoke to her? Why did said pretty girl have to be one of her mothers' kidnappers? Why did literally everything about her family life have to be complicated? And why on Remnant did Hellion Eudialyte have to look amazing in school uniform?'_

* * *

Eagle's guesses about Felix letting off steam were proven correct as he unleashed a maelstrom of furious blows against a punchbag, making a conscious effort not to allow his Aura to bleed into the blows but still it swung with each attack; sweat trickled down his brow and he was becoming more and more angry at him self as he realised just how much his laziness over the summer had affected him

"You're gonna break it" a bemused sigh noted from behind it, Felix caught the punchbag and turned to face Nyanza who just arrived

"I wish, I feel weak as hell" he growled in response as he rolled his shoulders back "Still, it's either this or make start on that Grimm studies assignment"

"Oum no, not on the first day" Nyanza made a disgusted face before indicating to something behind him "Anyway, I should probably spot for Heely" Felix looked over Nyanza's shoulder was left with his mouth hanging open, utterly missing his friends' eye roll as he watched Helios on the pull-up bar, he crimson haired teen had discarded his armour and was training in a pair of sweatpants and a tight fitting vest that displayed several of his scars, tattoos and muscles that seemed even larger and more defined than they had been previously

"Yeah sure I'll come with" Felix eventually croaked out, throat suddenly dry

"Of course you will" Nyanza snorted, sidling over to his partner he called out "Heely doing pull-ups when your Semblance turns gravity off doesn't count, stop showing off"

"One day you'll something that actually offends me" Helios grunted out before dropping to the ground "In the mean time, get up there. I highly doubt you trained over the summer" Nyanza gave a mock offended pout before taking his partners' place and beginning his own set

"Did you seriously train all summer?" Felix asked somewhat incredulously

"The summer is one of the busiest time for the Nikosi, more tourists, more people moving between the cities and villages while children aren't at school, means there's more demand for guides and guards….but I got to take my sister out Hunting Grimm"

"Sounds nice" Felix grinned, he was the youngest child of his immediate family but the idea of taking one his younger cousins, the twins being more likely candidates than Arctus's sister on a Grimm hunt one day was a pleasing one "Honestly I spent most of the summer either on security jobs with Corvid or working on fixing my car….got a nice little upgrade to test out on some Grimm though"

"Being able to relax for that long must be nice" Helios noted "My mother leads my people so I have to be an example for a lot of the younger members, it's like they're all my younger siblings sometimes"

"You love it really" Felix chuckled, earning himself a small grin from Helios whom the Lion Faunus noticed was sporting a rather impressive bruise around his left eye which almost reached the scar along his left cheek "Hey thanks for stepping up for that sparring match with the Shadow Cadre, or Team GORE or whatever the fuck they're calling themselves. The big guy and the one with the teeth pack a punch but it's the little one you need to watch out for"

"I could almost smell the crazy on that one" Helios agreed, having watched the complete disregard Raffia showed when handling Dust in class earlier that day as well as something less quantifiable that just seemed off about the Axolotl Faunus "But I saw their tribal markings and knew who they were, these are the people who took Eagle's mother yes?"

"Yeah" Felix nodded

"Then the bruise was a small price to pay" Helios gave savage grin that left no doubt in Felix's mind that he would indeed face off against any of their new classmates without hesitation

"Yeah well, try not to get your face messed up too often even if you make the scar work for you-" Felix shut his mouth before he embarrassed himself further, he was unsure of what had made him say that and he could already feel his cheeks colouring which Helios may have been kind enough to ignore but Nyanza however was not

"So that's how it is? You're gonna have me over here doing infinite pull-ups while you flirt? If you wanted some space you could have asked?"

"I mean if you're feeling left out we can go a few rounds?" Felix shot back, instantly silencing the feline who knew well how a sparring match between them would end "Anyway, I'm gonna call it a day and see what everyone else is doing, I didn't get to see any of Team FADE over the summer" Felix made the excuse quickly, suddenly feeling the urge to leave a situation that turned awkward

"See you in lessons then Fluffy" Felix was already moving towards the exit before he realised that Helios had gotten into something of a habit of using a nickname usually reserved for Felix's family, how comfortable he was with it spoke volumes and as he muttered under his breath in lieu of talking things out with another person the Faunus was forced to accept the reality of the situation

"One day I'm gonna break Nyanza's nose I swear, okay so Helios is buff as hell doesn't mean I've got a thing for him. I just missed the guy after not seeing him all summer and I'm glad her didn't get his face ripped off by the Grimm….Ah fuck, who am I kidding" the truth hit Felix like a wave of freezing water; he felt something for Helios Nikos that was decidedly not platonic. That left only two questions, what to do about the situation and would asking his sister for advice be worth the constant teasing it would no doubt result in.

* * *

Arctus had been the only member of Team FADE to make a start on the assignments the second year students had received on their first day of class, he didn't think of himself as exceptionally bookish but the study habits Weiss had spent years instilling into her son were not easily broken, something his team-mates would no doubt be thankful for when he inevitably let them borrow or copy his notes. Finally putting his textbook and rough draft of an essay aside he let out a long sigh, it had been a long day, the lack of sleep, lessons which were already noticeably more advanced and the additional task of keeping Felix from seeking a fight with their new classmates whom Arctus himself had several suspicions towards had been both physically and mentally draining and the Bear Faunus could easily understand his team-mates' reluctance to immediately start the assignments they had. From the open window he could hear Diamond practising on the bass guitar he'd bought her on the roof, something she assured him she did often in Mistral and a toothy smile crossed his face; he considered joining her but decided against it as another thought occurred to him. Pulling his Scroll out of his pocket he called his father and hoped he would be available to answer, the arrival of Team GORE demanded an explanation and Gangrel Slate would most certainly be able to give one

"Hey kid what's up?" Gangrel's voice rumbled over the speaker a moment before the video flickered into life

"I've got some new classmates, thought you might know something about it" Arctus raised an eyebrow and waited for an answer

"You know just because you were on my ship over the summer I can't give you classified information" Gangrel pointed out

"They're dangerous and they're in a school after they were captured by your people" Arctus countered

"Alright fine" Gangrel conceded with a growl "But understand that this needs to be kept quiet, I know you'll tell your team but it goes no further"

"Fine"

"The other group that attacked the same weapons shipment as the Shadow Cadre last summer, I'm positive that they're connected to what happened to Neon. They killed several members of the Shadow Cadre-"

"So you're using them as bait" Arctus surmised

"Effectively" Gangrel admitted with a frown "I couldn't insert them into Atlas Academy at the start of the year, it would raise too many questions and if this group are copying White Fang tactics they might have someone inside the school. Goodwitch is the only other Head I trust with this….Trust me I'm not exactly happy about this but I don't want to condemn a bunch of kids to death and that's what would happen if I put them in front of an Atlesian judge. No more dead kids on my conscience, not after Jade" Arctus paused, the mention of the late Spring Maiden after whom his sister Athena-Jade was named robbing much of the fight from him, his reply came out as a mumble rather than the biting retort he'd intended

"Because putting them against whoever did….that, yeah that'll work out so much better" Gangrel gave Arctus a concerned glance as he noted the way his son shuddered at the mention of the fate of Neon Katt

"It's a calculated risk" Gangrel sighed "I promised Carcharodon a chance to face his sisters' killer but realistically if I can have them killed by a sniper from two miles away I'd rather do that. All I need is for these Cult of Taurus sickos to see the people they didn't manage to kill on the coverage of the Vytal Tournament and decide they wanna tie up loose ends"

"Holy Oum Dad, you're gonna turn the tournament into a setup?" Arctus seemed aghast at the idea

"Yes, because the amount of security I can put there and not look suspicious would stand out anywhere else" Arctus took a moment to process that information before Gangrel followed it up "Besides, I've had one of my people contact the Freelancers. I can't give them orders like the Specialists but they all know who killed Neo and they can do things I can't be seen to" the words sent a chill down Arctus's spine, he couldn't remember ever hearing his father say something so casually ruthless. The sinister edge vanished when Gangrel seemed to peer at his son more closely through the screen

"You okay kid? You look like you haven't slept" Arctus paused before letting out a sigh, he had promised to Diamond that he would talk to someone after all.

"I haven't" he admitted, looking away "Neon….what we found….what they did to her, Dad I've been having nightmares….I don't know if I'm cut out for this"

"Look at me" Gangrel's tone was firm but the concern behind it was evident, Arctus turned his blue eyes towards his fathers' amber "There is nothing to be ashamed of, nothing. I am so sorry for putting you in that position, I never wanted you to see something like that-"

"I know Dad" Arctus assured him "But this is what being a Hunter is and-"

"And it gets easier" Gangrel answered "As messed up as it sounds it gets easier, you'll see people who couldn't get away from the Grimm and it's always gonna have an effect on you, there are always gonna be bad days but you learn to focus on the lives you've saved….What happened to Neon, that was different, that was intentional, someone wanted to horrify people. You're not weak for admitting you need help, it's better than getting dependant on something to cope"

"Thanks" Arctus murmured, suddenly struggling to ignore a lump in his throat; his fathers' opinion of him meant a lot to the teen regardless of how nonchalant he sometimes acted "Diamond says I should talk to the student counsellor but I don't know if I can Dad, how much of what happened can I talk about it?"

"Sounds like you've got yourself a good partner there kid" Gangrel noted "I know the student counsellor at Halo. You can tell him as much as you need to, he won't breach confidence"

"Thanks, I'll schedule an appointment. How is everyone?"

"Athena's still upset that her big brother left again so soon. Your Mum and Uncle Whitley have been busy, the breach in New Vale is keeping the SDC busy….I've contacted Neon's old partner about funeral arrangements she didn't really have anyone else"

"You okay Dad?"

"I will be" Gangrel sighed "I've spoken to Goodwitch, we're gonna send her ashes to Halo so she can at least be near Squish" Arctus nodded silently, unsure of how to feel. What had happened to Neon was viscerally horrifying but he lacked the emotional connection his father had; eventually he decided to search for a less bleak topic

"Hey is Mum home? I'll give her a call"

"She will be in about an hour" Gangrel noted "I'll let you go, get some sleep if you can"

"Thanks" a moment later the call ended leaving Arctus to simply sprawl out on his bunk. His team-mates returned to the dormitory soon after to find him asleep.

 **Authors Notes:**

I don't know why but this whole chapter felt like a slog to get through, I hope you still enjoy it but the magic was just not with me this week.

Not much to say for this chapter, so let's summarise:  
That first day back tiredness is special, you can go on a four day bender and go to class on no sleep the rest of the year but the first day back will break you.  
Bless Felix's gay little heart.  
Older sibling teasing gives me life.  
Can you imagine having to spend a double lesson with Nora first thing on a Monday morning.  
" _If she's not here in fifteen minutes we're legally allowed to leave"_ someone had to say it.  
Nora as a teacher would be a human shit-post and we all know it.  
Helios just casually slapping Nyanza around the head, I imagine that kind of thing is pretty common in the Nikos tribe and it takes Helios a while to remember that it's not exactly acceptable in most places.  
Of course Team FADE are gonna qualify, they're protagonists.  
Team GORE are the Shadow Cadre, I've made no secret about the fact that they were coming back.  
Also Raffia has a new weapon made up of two swords because his old weapon was melted….Who had a pair of swords in Vol.3 that won't be using them for the foreseeable?  
Felix didn't hesitate even slightly….also nice save Helios.  
Nora's fixed Magnhild over the summer.  
The idea of Carcharodon putting Helios in place was interesting to me because we haven't really seen anyone completely disregard his authority before….also Carcharodon versus Helios is something that would be great in the tournament (I haven't decided all the match-ups for that yet).  
The Helios vs Onyx fight was honestly a lot of fun for me to write.  
Onyx using Dust with his Semblance is probably going to become more common now the Cadre/Team GORE are at an Academy and they have a more steady supply.  
Team GORE are going to be fun to write, Helios had some trouble adjusting from living with the Nikos Tribe but this is gonna be so much worse.  
Flustered Eagle is fun to write, Eagle who now actually has to deal with the idea of having a thing for one of the Shadow Cadre is gonna be interesting.  
So how much of Raffia fucking about in class is because he was genuinely interested but didn't want to admit he cant' read?  
The Shadow Cadre thought a food bank was amazing, they are gonna love living somewhere with twenty four hour food.  
Also bless Eagle's gay little heart, you knew she was going to be unable to cope with Hellion in a school uniform.  
Felix finally, finally admits he's caught feelings; he's gay and the more I write him the more I feel like Demisexual is also an applicable label for him.  
Also the idea of him muttering to himself about having a crush is funny to me.  
You know damn well that Weiss is a parent who will 112% make sure her kids do their homework, Eagle is probably smarter (I mean look at Sentinel) but Arctus's work ethic is just relentless.  
Yeah I pretty much spelled it out there. The cult of Taurus killed Neon, Gangrel is going to use the coverage of Team GORE/The Shadow Cadre at the Vytal Tournament to draw them out….but when has a plan ever survived first contact with the enemy.  
Gangrel being a supportive dad, because Arctus needed it….also I know a lot of people want more Weiss in this and I promise when we get to Atlas I will deliver.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Araniladin, Arkanes Shippou, TigerRose, Unstoppable Cyborg, LoneDragon, FluffyFirefly, FleetOfWarships, Ferrous and ShadowAlex2000 for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Nah, Arctus and Diamond have at least enough respect for Felix to not use his back seat.  
Oh I have some big events for second year….I love the tournament arc trope and getting to write another one is gonna be fun.  
Have more Battle Cat cuteness.  
I like how cute Diamond Dust can be, the fact they can transition easily from lewd to soft snuggling and emotional support makes them great.  
Yeah in The Downward Spiral I mentioned Qrow and Raven having a granddad called Ninox which is genus Owls belong to; Eagle has a name that fits Branwen tradition which is something that Antonia most likely did intentionally (Also, Eagle Green is apparently a colour….so you know how long it took me to find a name that would fit with Team FADE, the colour naming rule **AND** the Branwen naming convention?)  
You wanted a sparring match, you got one….just not the one you were expecting. We have plenty of time for Team FADE and Team GORE to thoroughly piss each other off.  
There will indeed be more Diamond Dust content as well as the other ships, I'm gonna try and find a balance to where if it works with the scene I'll show it but it won't be a constant thing.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	46. A Day Off

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 46: A Day Off**

The first week of term had finally ended, lessons had been consistently arduous as both the complexity and sheer volume of what was expected of the students increased to levels that left the teens exhausted as they struggled to adapt to their new routines and workload; the matter was only exacerbated with the arrival of Team GORE whose mere presence seemed to be a challenge to overcome, both Felix and Raffia having earned detentions for an altercation which almost came to blows outside of a classroom before mercifully being broken up by Carcharodon. The all Faunus teams' lack of prior exposure to a school environment or any form of authority which did not rely on the threat of violence resulted in them being a highly disruptive element of any class they were in; Hellion being seemingly willing to learn but prone to furious outbursts when struggling, Onyx being genuinely interested in some subjects but also being loud, boisterous and unused to being expected to sit relatively idle for extended amounts of time, Carcharodon had made his disinterest and disdain apparent though was happy to simply ignore the lesson taking place as long as he wasn't challenged, Raffia however seemed to delight in making a nuisance of himself at the expensive of the other students, which prompted Carcharodon to reign in his smaller team-mate the only way he knew how, which in turn caused more problems. Within the space of a week Team GORE had managed to secure a position of being universally disliked by both the students and staff of Halo Academy, which was arguably something they took great pride in. The majority of the rest of the students were happy to be finally have some time off to relax, indulge themselves and hopefully be free of stress; caused by their classmates or otherwise, chief among them were Team FADE who were currently lounging in their dorm as they decided what to do with their Saturday

"I'm seeing what Corey is up to" Felix yawned as he put the book he was reading aside and opened his Scroll "Anyone wanna hang out?" he cast his eyes around the room and upon leaning over the edge of his bunk saw that Eagle was watching footage of old Vytal Tournament matches on her own Scroll

"Sure" she answered distractedly, obviously engrossed in the match between Team RWBY and Team SSSN; Felix merely committed the image of a much younger Sun Wukong being ejected from the arena by Blake and resolved to ask his mothers about the match when he next saw them. Diamond and Arctus were currently sharing a pair of earphones, her head resting against his shoulder; Felix assumed for a moment that they had both dozed off until Diamond seemed to sense his eyes on them

"We're heading to a gig tonight so we're busy"

"Oh yeah, have fun" Felix shrugged, checking his Scroll impatiently

"Actually I was thinking of heading out soon anyway" Arctus added, opening his eyes and meeting Diamond's questioning expression "I was gonna head over to Aunt Missy and Uncle Rover's place and see the baby, you wanna come?"

"Sure" Diamond grinned "May as well just head to the gig from there, maybe get something to eat on the way-" at that point Felix mentally tuned the pair of them out; he could freely admit that the two of them were great together but he found himself occasionally growing mildly annoyed, something the blond steadfastly refused to attribute to jealousy following his begrudging acceptance of his feelings towards Helios, a matter he was yet to bring up for discussion with anyone. The sound of his Scroll buzzing with an incoming message got his attention and he quickly read his sister's reply with a grin which exposes his overgrown canines forming on his face, leaning over the edge of his bunk he tapped the side of the bedpost to get Eagle's attention

"Hey Team CLIR are heading into the city in about an hour, apparently there's a mall that got trashed when a Grimm burrowed up through it in the breach that's reopening"

"That sounds fun" Eagle beamed "I haven't really seen how the city looks since the breach"

"It's not pretty but it's getting there, me and Corey worked with Lux's family a few times over the summer" both blondes' shared a look, while neither of them were native to the city it was home to both of them and the speed with which it was recovering was inspiring

"I might have to leave early though" Eagle warned him "I need to be back here tonight, I promised I was going to study with Hellion" Eagle had told her friends' that the Dragonfly Faunus had asked her for a favour but had decided that the fact she couldn't read or write was something to be kept private. Felix's expression darkened at the reminder

"Still don't like the idea Eagle" he raised his hands defensively sensing that she was about to object "It's your decision to make, but if you want I'll come back with you so you're not on your own with them?"

"I'm not going to be on my own, we're gonna be in the library" Eagle pointed out "Thanks for offering but it'll be fine"

"Okay" Felix shrugged before springing off of his bunk and landing deftly "Oh and I call dibs on the shower"

"OH COME ON!" the outcry came everyone present in unison, the amount of time the Lion Faunus spent on his hair was something of a running joke amongst most of the students Team FADE shared classes with as it had made him late for first period on more than one occasion

"Shall I just text Corey and let her know you'll be late then?" Arctus teased, the banter and joking between them seeming to wash away the stress of the week, even as Felix flipped his cousin off and locked the bathroom door behind him.

* * *

Light filtered through the small gap in the curtains, casting the dormitory in an artificial gloom despite the glaring sun outside. While the dorms of a typical team became a home to the students inhabiting it relatively soon, with the layout and decoration becoming distinctly indicative of the personality and tastes of the students of the residents by way of posters, the contents of bookshelves and assorted other trinkets which decorated it. Team GORE's dormitory was a stark contrast, the room was Spartan and bare of any identifying features save for the weapons stand which had been dragged closer to the beds in an effort to ensure that the weapons themselves were in easy reach at all times, all four beds had been pushed together in a corner of the room. Before the extermination of the Frost River tribe by Hunters in Anima and the murder of the majority of the Shadow Cadre by the Cult of Taurus in Atlas it was common for their people to simply huddle together for warmth or comfort as they slept due to space being limited on the ships they called home, it was a practice Team GORE had continued without a thought though it had done little to make sleep any easier to find for the team who were plagued by a pervading sense of uneasiness caused by both their current surroundings and the lack of the familiar comforting feeling of the movement of a ship around them. Team GORE themselves were currently awake, having made the transition from their predominantly nocturnal lifestyle with no shortage of complaints. Onyx closed the book he was struggling with and cast it aside, managing to land it on the pile of textbooks they shared with a thud which prompted a loud shriek of displeasure from Marauder

"No luck?" Hellion asked

"None" the Puma Faunus growled, greenish yellow eyes narrowing as he glowered at the discarded book as though it had insulted him. Onyx was the member of the Shadow Cadre most fluent in the common tongue of the Kingdoms which could be considered damning with faint praise when one remembered that while every member was able to speak it none of the others could read it at all, he had been attempting to expand his vocabulary by using a Grimm Studies textbook under the impression that if he could identify the various parts of Grimm anatomy being labelled and discussed he be able to discern some context. So far it had proven fruitless

"If you want to learn I'm sure Eagle would teach you as well" the Dragonfly Faunus suggested as she soothed Marauder before simply opening the bedroom window and allowing her pet to fly free, safe in the knowledge that he would return

"I'll blind myself and read nothing before I ask a Hunter for help" Onyx snarled "I might drink with city dwellers from time to time but there has to be a line somewhere"

"Besides" Raffia chimed in while still semi distracted with polishing his new swords, weapons he considered spoils of battle and to the surprise of everyone he had been allowed by the Atlas specialists to keep "You don't actually expect us to believe that reading is what you're interested in" Hellion glared while Onyx doubled over roaring with laughter

"True, the only language Hellion wants to become more fluent in is body language!" finding Hellion's baleful stare turned on him only sent him further into hysterics "Don't look at me like that, there's nothing to be ashamed of….the women here are works of art"

"Not just the women" Raffia muttered under his breath

"Found anyone to your taste?" Onyx enquired, the Axolotl Faunus's bisexuality was known and accepted without question amongst his people

"Tastes? You've seen him eat raw fish, why would he be any more picky with this?" Hellion teased

"Fair" Onyx shrugged before rising to his feet and affixing the several plates of crude makeshift armour he wore over his clothes, before he could make to leave Carcharodon strode into the room having been in the bathroom previously

"Going somewhere?" his rasping voice held no accusation but a little concern

"To train" Onyx shrugged "I get to pit myself against Hunters every day, why would I not take advantage. Besides, some of the women wear these things they call yoga pants-"

"You're a degenerate" the Shark Faunus sighed, Onyx's only response was a gruff chuckle as he left

"If you don't have anything planned then I'm leaving for the day" Raffia stated suddenly

"Where?"

"To the city….this place is unnatural, nothing this size should fly" Carcharodon nodded in understanding, he was himself far from comfortable with the notion of a hovering campus

"Take your weapons, these people haven't tried to stab us in the back yet but give them no opportunity" Raffia nodded in understanding this time as he slunk out of the door leaving Hellion and Carcharodon alone, she noticed that his skin was still damp and deduced that he had probably been soaking in a freezing shower; Carcharodon would submerge himself in frigid waters as often as possible it was something that his allies attributed to him being an aquatic Faunus but he seemed to take it to its' extreme, though it could just be that New Vale's summer was far too hot in comparison to their homeland.

"Our first weekend as students" Hellion noted with a wry smile "How do you plan on spending it?" Carcharodon snorted at the idea of them being mere students before answering

"Meditating, I need clarity….I want to be as far away from these people in spirit as I can possibly reach"

"I was going to make some more knives for in the workshop but I can stay if you want?" Carcharodon's lips curled upwards so slightly many people wouldn't have noticed, his genuine smile were far more subtle than the display of fangs he gave when facing down opponents

"Go, have your fun….just be careful if you meet this _'Eagle'_ alone" Hellion merely snorted in reply

"I don't think she's capable of deception at all" the blonde had already proven on more than one occasion that she didn't sneak and scheme

"She's not the only Hunter here. We're in a dangerous place right now Hellion, remember that" Carcharodon's expression hardened "Remember who we are. We are the Shadow Cadre not _'Team GORE'_ or any other fiction they create to lure us in….I only agreed to the Atlesians terms so that they would spare your lives, but remember that we are the last of our people and our way of life can die even if we don't"

"Car" Hellion gave him a concerned glance "You're doing everything you can to lead us and Mizu would be proud of you but allow yourself to rest, not everyone is trying to betray you" Carcharodon remained silent, no longer meeting her eyes as he seemed to fold in himself. Sensing that the conversation was over Hellion left for the workshop, the amount and quality of the tools and raw materials had left both her and Onyx in wide eyed wonder the first time they'd seen the place and she wanted to experiment. As the dormitory door closed behind her Carcharodon sighed, breathing out a reply to her final comment.

"Yes they are. They always are"

* * *

Felix and Eagle had joined Team CLIR and their exploration of the expansive metropolis that was New Vale had gone on for hours before they finally made their way into the food court of the mall they had originally planned to see the grand reopening of; the city was so vast that even keeping to the commercial districts there was still more than they could hope to see in one day, though they had found plenty of evidence of the battle that they themselves had participated in, in the form gouges and craters in streets yet to be filled, walls pockmarked with bullet holes and the various claw marks of the Grimm and the various businesses whose premises remained vacant whether due to ongoing repairs or the unfortunate fate of the proprietors. Currently the six teens were full of junk food and in search of something to occupy their time, a suitable distraction presenting itself in the form of a neon display which demanded attention and brought a confident smile to Felix's face as he turned to his sister

"Hey Corey, you wanna get thrashed on Street Brawler?" he nodded to the arcade he'd spotted and Corvid gave him a disbelieving snort

"Fluffy I'm gonna treat you like a picket fence….cos you're gonna get whitewashed" Felix took a deep breath and forced himself not to smile at the admittedly funny one liner, Corvid needed no encouragement

"Yeah but you're forgetting, I have Eagle" he pointed at his partner who merely shrugged

"I mean I've beaten Nyanza a couple times-"

"What?" Corvid looked somewhere between impressed and morally outraged "You beat that walking cheat code? HOW?"

"Now hold on a minute" Rusty drawled "If Fluffy over here-"  
"Don't call me that"

"If Felix over here" the third year corrected "Wants to bring his partner into it, well it seems we've got ourselves a little team rivalry going on"

"We're missing half our team!" Felix objected as the made their way towards the arcade, an unspoken agreement on their destination having been reached

"Should of thought about that kid" Iris laughed as she flexed the fingers of her golden cybernetic left arm

"Okay fine but we're not playing for money" the Lion Faunus shrugged

"For money….Oum what is wrong with you Patch kids?" Lux demanded, Corvid's sarcastic response being drowned out by the cacophony that washed over them as they entered the venue; it took them all a few seconds to adjust to the noise of the various games drowning out the club music being played over the arcade's P.A system and the darkness which was only broken by the lights of the various machines, causing Corvid to nearly collide with a small child and only just manage to prevent herself from swearing in time, much to the amusement of her friends

"Oh my Oum Corey, we have cousins that age-" Felix found himself silenced by her waving him off in a theatrical display

"I know!" she gasped "Come on let's go get some coins and figure out what you're losing at first" still chuckling the group followed her towards a machine in a far corner of the arcade which would convert Lien notes into coins. Sequestered away in the quiet corner of the arcade the change machine occupied where patrons could use it without being distracted by the ambient noise was something that brought a broad smile to Rusty's face

"Babe no" Lux sighed as he caught sight of the expression on his boyfriends' face

"Darling, hold my hat" Rusty chuckled as he removed his Stetson and made his way over to the Dance Dance Revolution game which was still a display of flashing lights and thumping music even when not in use "I'm fixin' to have some fun, anyone reckon they can keep up?" both Iris and Corvid shook their heads, Felix was unsure what made him grab the railing that ran around the perimeter of the games dance floor and haul himself over

"Yeah sure why not" Rusty merely ginned, Felix in turn rolled his shoulder back confidently and took his place as the game started

"Film this, film it now" Corvid insisted and Eagle gladly obliged her, soon reduced to fits of silent laughter as both Rusty and Felix moved to the rhythm while at the same time desperately trying to distract each other enough to make a mistake

"Come on Rusty!" Lux cheered, Iris soon joined in the vocal support and Eagle felt a need to give Felix some moral support though before she could begin cheering in earnest she felt Corvid's hand on her shoulder, turning to face her she saw the older girl gesture for her to follow her. Without questioning she allowed Corvid to lead her away, the moment they were out of earshot of their friends Eagle found herself pulled into a hug crushing hug that forced the air from her lungs, Corvid's shorter stature meaning her chin was roughly level with Eagle's shoulder

"I just wanted to make sure you're okay" she explained seeing the blonde's utterly baffled expression "I know you've had a lot to deal with and I know you and Felix were on bad terms for a while….just know that everything going on with our….my family, it's not gonna change anything with us, we're still cool okay?"

"Thank you" Eagle quickly pulled her back in for another hug, she looked up to Corvid; the shorter Huntress was effortlessly confident and charismatic, a highly capable fighter, leader and strategist and had a weapon that never ceased amaze

"You're always gonna be Fluffy's adorable friend who has no idea how to flirt with cute girls" Corvid gave her a playful nudge "But if y'know you wanted to get to know the family a bit more that'll be cool as well"

"That really means a lot" Eagle struggled to swallow the lump in her throat "I'm still not sure what's going on with everything-"

"Hey what's going on?" the moment was cut short by the arrival of Felix and the remainder of Team CLIR, both the Lion Faunus and Rusty looking thoroughly exhausted suggested that their impromptu dance off had gotten highly competitive. Corvid merely sighed

"Fluffy, Cowboy….Do-si-don't interrupt"

"It's fine, we were just looking for the Street Brawler game" Eagle shrugged, Felix's expression making it clear that he didn't believe that for a moment but was happy to drop the subject

"Okay cool, let me catch my breath and I'll take winner….Hey Eagle what time are you planning on heading back?" she quickly checked the time before responding

"I can stay for a couple more hours"

"Okay I'll head back with you, I'm gonna head to the gym….wanna get some more training in before qualifiers for the tournament start"

"Sure and the fact that certain redheads practically live in the gym outside of class has nothing to do with it" Corvid teased

"Sis" he sighed in response, expression crumpling "Drop it" Corvid immediately became concerned but knew that her chances of getting Felix to open up in front of her team were non-existent, however she could wait and simply pushed through the sudden awkwardness with her usual ease

"Okay fine, come on then let's see if I can beat by record for consecutive wins" and with that boastful assumption the banter resumed and everything seemed to return to normal.

* * *

Diamond needed every ounce of self control she could muster to resist the urge to squeal at the sight in front of her, Arctus was cradling his cousin against his chest with one arm while sat on the sofa in Rover and Artemis Tan's living room. Tuscan who already seemed to have grown an absurd amount over the summer was stretching stubby arms to grab at Arctus's fingers while staring at the world around her with wide eyed wonder, her head was now covered in a sparse layer of dark hair that it was already clear would grow to be curly; Arctus gently tickled the baby's ribs and she let out a burbling sound of amusement that couldn't quite be called a laugh while her legs and tail twitched. Seeing this display Diamond's resolve broke and an audible _'Awww'_ escaped her

"I know" Rover chuckled softly from his position beside Arctus "I still can't believe I helped make something so amazing"

"You sound like my Dad when Athena was born" Arctus snorted

"Yeah well, I saw him when you were born" Rover countered with a grin "I mean your Dad is tough as nails, I swear I've seen him kill an Ursa with a headbutt before….soon as he saw you that went out the window, there should be pictures"

"I think Mum has 'em safe somewhere"

"Oh I have got to see pictures of you as a baby" Diamond laughed

"He was actually nervous as hell the whole way through Weiss's pregnancy" Rover added, stroking his beard absent-mindedly "I mean I know Atlas has changed but this only a couple years after the war, he was bringing a Faunus kid into famously racist Upper Atlas, he was fresh out the Specialist training program and serving on someone else's ship, didn't have his own command and was kinda living on Schnee money for a bit, he knew was gonna be away a lot….honestly he was scared of hurting you, I mean that Cybernetic was made specially for combat and he's a strong guy"

"That's dumb as f- it's just dumb" Arctus corrected himself despite the unlikelihood of Tuscan at less than three months old would be influenced by bad language "So Dad's busy at lot, I get that, it's not like he's absent and seriously he was bothered about money?"

"It was more of him wanting to set an example" Artemis explained, the interjection announcing her presence as she entered the room stretching and yawning; having been taking a nap until that point while Rover watched their daughter "He didn't want his kids to see him taking handouts" Artemis gently took Tuscan from Arctus and carried her over to an empty chair to be fed, Arctus averting his eyes and turned to Rover

"Hey you were in the Vytal Tournament twice, got any tips?"

"I mean your dad had Squish pick fights with people so we could see what everyone's Semblance was but I'm not encouraging that" Rover chuckled

"I mean Felix would probably do it" Diamond noted

"Just train constantly, take notes on people especially some of the older students if you can; honestly I think the most important thing for any team is to know each others' strengths and weaknesses or you won't get past the first round" Artemis added to which Rover nodded and thought for a moment before considering

"Honestly I don't think us giving you any specific tips beyond that would help. From what I've seen Team GRAP and FADE have very different compositions and approaches. Don't take this the wrong way but you're more of a blunt tool"

"I mean that sounds kinda harsh" Diamond objected, Rover leaned forward and explained

"Okay you've got the girl with the tank shield, correct me if I'm wrong but she tends to deploy that thing and either just run in or hang back and cover it" neither Arctus of Diamond disagreed, though both thought he was selling Eagle short with the summation "Arctus you've got your Mum's Semblance but in the nicest way possible you don't use it as effectively as she does-"

"I'm working on that"

"Good" Rover nodded "Diamond, you tend to use your Semblance to get a better angle and that's probably the most tactical part of Team FADE's approach, I mean Felix is all out attack. The overwhelming force approach can be really good in a tournament if you land some big hits early and if it works for you then stick to it"

"So how did you guys handle things?" Diamond asked

"Break 'em apart piece by piece" Artemis answered with an unusual savagery "Squish could turn invisible but I could track his Aura as well as anyone taking cover. Throw in Rover's speed and Gang teleporting if you ended up against Team GRAP you got cut off from back up and swamped"

"We'll have to see if Eagle can find the footage of your old matches" Arctus noted

"Definitely" Rover agreed "Send it to your Dad as well"

"Forget Gang send it to me" Artemis laughed as she gently burped Tuscan "I wanna see how in shape I was then"

"You still look amazing babe" her husband assured her

"Oh my Oum you two are sweet" Diamond grinned, seeing a couple that were so obviously still in love with her reminded her of her parents and was heart warming to watch

"Hey Aunt Missy can I have her back?" Arctus asked having grown quite comfortable with his baby cousin

"Well you're dressed up like you're going somewhere and she's just been fed, so you might wanna wait or there's a good chance of you getting puked on"

"Actually we should probably head out" Diamond suggested "We were gonna get something to eat before the gig and I kinda wanted to see the local support acts"

"Thinks it's Ether's band?" Arctus asked, Diamond shook her head with a grin

"If it was we'd know about it" Arctus conceded the point with a shrug before giving his Aunt a hug and crouching down to gently kiss Tuscan's forehead; the baby kindly deciding not to vomit all over him

"Have fun and give me a call if you miss the last flight to the academy, I'll probably be up all night anyway and I'll be able to get you a ride"

"Thanks" both Arctus and Diamond answered in tandem before exiting the apartment, Rover turned to his wife with a mischievous smile; since Arctus had taken a few photos with Tuscan to send to his family in Atlas the Husky Faunus decided turnabout was fair play

"So how about I tell Weiss and Gang how great those too are together"

"Don't interfere" Artemis chided gently "Weiss hasn't met her in person yet and the only time Gang's spoken to her was while Arctus was in intensive care-"

"That shouldn't have happened" Rover winced every time he thought about Arctus's pale and lifeless form in the hospital, Gangrel was one his oldest friends and he'd promised to look out for his son while he was in New Vale only to fail. Artemis saw the guilt on his face and immediately stepped closer

"Hey, none of that. I just meant let the kids have this, it's cute….kinda reminds me of when we started dating"

"Really" Rover smirked "We'll have to ask them if they spent a year dicking around first as well" Artemis merely rolled her mismatched eyes while her husband wrapped his arms around her waist. Rover, holding the love of his life while their daughter stared at the ever present green glow cast by the Aura regulator in his chest wagged his furry tail in utter contentment. Despite everything that life had throw at him he was happy.

* * *

Eagle and Felix had parted ways as they entered Halo Academy through the towering double doors of its' main entrance, Eagle assuring her partner once again that she would let him know if anything unexpected happened. While the Lion Faunus had made his way to their dormitory to change before heading to the gym she had made her way towards the library where Diamond had already been waiting for her. Eagle had taken her to a quiet corner of the vast facility and began with the most basic elements of teaching the Dragonfly Faunus to read in the common language of the Kingdoms, the alphabet; she had been pleasantly surprised to learn that while Hellion's education had been downright negligent in some regards she was by no means unintelligent and possessed a focus and will to learn that was surprising, one of the first thing she had done was create a key to connect letters with their respective glyphs in the language the Frost River wrote in; it wasn't an exact fit, for instance Hellion's native tongue didn't have the letters _'C'_ or _'X'_ and sounds like _'Sh'_ ' _Ch'_ and _'Th'_ had their own respective glyphs. Unfortunately they had been asked as politely as the librarian could manage to leave after Hellion's first attempt to spell her own name had been incorrect, the resulting curses being loud enough to distract several final year students studying nearby. Rather than cut the tutoring session short the pair had searched for a comfortable spot on the outside of the campus, eventually deciding on the bleachers of the outdoor arena which was surprisingly not being used; the night air was pleasantly warm and Eagle had long since lost track of time

"I think if someone tried to force ham and green eggs on me this many times I would hurt them" Hellion noted causing Eagle to double over howling with laughter, utterly failing to notice the way the Dragonfly Faunus's wings fluttered in response to her reaction

"Okay, okay yeah I think it's safe to say you understood that line" Eagle finally managed to gasp out "Think you can read the next one?"

"Of course I can little canary" Hellion gave her a confident smirk and a wink that caused the blondes' freckled cheeks to darken but before she could follow through they were interrupted by a piercing screech from above them; Eagle looked up and scanned the night sky to no avail while Hellion simply held out her left arm

"You won't find him" she noted matter-of-factly, being proven correct when Marauder swooped silently into view and landed on the armoured bracer she wore on the outstretched limb, causing Eagle to jump a little more than she'd admit. Hellion gently stroked bird of prey as it preened itself, mercifully he hadn't brought any dead animals back to her this time. After a few moments she realised that Eagle was staring at Marauder with some interest

"I've raised him from a hatchling" Hellion explained "He was a gift from the elders of my tribe when I first realised that my I can see through the eyes of other animals….They said that he was to be my eyes and I would be theirs" Eagle looked from Marauder to Hellion and realised that bird was far more than a mere pet, their connection was an intrinsic part of her identity

"Sorry you had to go for so long without him" she murmured knowing first hand how difficult the isolation the Faunus had been kept in had been for her, seemingly sensing that it was being discussed the raptor turned its' attention to Eagle and the blonde in turn realised that much like sentinel Marauder had a distinct personality of his owner

"Hey, um…." she trailed off, suddenly overcome with shyness she'd thought she'd overcome "Can I pet him?"

"You can certainly try" Hellion chuckled "He's an ill-tempered beast when he wants to be and his claws are sharp" Eagle nodded to indicate that she understood but would try anyway before holding out her left arm the way Hellion had, Marauder cocked his head before hopping from his current perch and carrying himself over to Eagle with a single flap of his powerful wings; he weighed far more than Eagle had expected and his talons dug into her flesh through the sleeve of her hoodie but that was inconsequential in comparison to the sudden swell of pride she felt

"Well" Hellion almost purred "It looks like my eyes like what they see" Eagle felt the heat rising in her cheeks, a fact only made worse by the fact that she knew that the Faunus's superior eyesight would allow Hellion to see the effect her words had on her; thankfully she decided to take pity

"I should probably go little canary, Onyx and Raffia have been left to their own devices long enough to wreak havoc; someone should check on them"

"Oh, okay sure" Eagle stammered as Hellion rose to her feet, Marauder leaping up onto her shoulder "Just keep practising and let me know when you want to study together again" Hellion nodded in understanding and Eagle sighed as she watched her leave, she was exceedingly pretty but after a few moments the blonde found herself staring at her Scroll in apprehensive silence. There had been a matter she'd been thinking over all week, her brief conversation with Corvid earlier helping her make her decision and while teaching Hellion had been a welcome distraction it was now time to act, with that in mind she dialled and waited for a familiar voice to answer

"Eagle, Eagle are you okay?" the tired voice of Antonia Arc enquired with some trepidation

"Yeah I'm okay. I just needed to talk to you about something"

"The situation with your….with Qrow?" the older woman surmised "I didn't mean for us to end the summer on such bad terms, but if you just-"

"Mum listen" Eagle interrupted her and mustered every ounce of the confidence she'd developed since arriving at Halo Academy "I love you but I didn't call you to apologise or to ask you for permission. I just wanted to tell you this myself instead of you hearing it from someone else in the family. I want to get know Qrow better" Antonia remained silent for an amount of time that seemed to stretch on for longer than Eagle thought possible, eventually she managed to force out a response

"I see" taking several deep breaths she continued "I understand and while I stand by the choices I made, even if I could stop you from doing this I wouldn't"

"Mum I just want you to know that I still love you but this is something I need to do"

"No I understand and I love you too" an awkward silence spanned between them and Eagle was quietly thankful this call was audio only, eventually Antonia's voice came through the speaker "Anyway, I'm sure you have other things to be doing with your Saturday night. Tell you Grandparents I said hi" before Eagle could reply the call ended. She slumped back in her seat and let out a long slow breath; there was no doubt that her mother was more bothered by the idea of Eagle contacting Qrow than she let on but it had gone far better than she had been mentally preparing herself for and she'd been spared the emotional strain of another argument. Now there was just the small matter of actually asking Felix if he could help her arrange a meeting with Qrow and the incredible amount of nerves the idea filled her with.

 **Authors' Notes:**

Okay this one was more of a filler/character building chapter and we're gonna have a few of those this volume due to us having to establish the new dynamic between certain characters, mainly The Shadow Cadre/Team GORE and everyone else as well as re-establish the setting when we head to Atlas which will be happening towards the end of this volume, so the pacing might be a little hard to figure out but hopefully I can write it in a way that isn't jarring.  
Also to any of my readers sitting finals or any other type of exams, good luck and if you've read this far go study as soon as you're finished leaving a review.

Now let's summarise:  
Team GORE integrating into a school environment was always going to be a struggle, the quick description of how they act gives a little insight into their individual mindsets but don't worry it won't all be done 'off screen'.  
The Team RWBY vs Team SSSN fight is actually a callback to the Downward Spiral, it was basically my love letter to anime, Blake beat Sun by ring out when she stole his gun-chucks and did the Death the Kid 'Pull the triggers with your pinky fingers' trick.  
Felix is definitely gonna be grumpy about other people being cute around him now he's figured out he's got a crush.  
Felix being protective is not exactly unwarranted.  
And yes has Yang's level of dedication to his hair, it's a running joke that I don't trot out too often.  
I think the contrast between Team GORE's dorm and other teams' is a nice touch and helps give them a distinct feel of their own, also the whole huddling together for warmth while they sleep thing; at full size the Shadow Cadre was about three dozen people so it was probably a lot more effective.  
Also yes the used to specialise in night attacks, most of the times we saw them in first year was either at night or early morning.  
Onyx is trying, then again he's always been a people person.  
The Shadow Cadre/Team GORE having that banter between themselves gives me life, also I'll address their sexualities here. It hasn't been mentioned yet but Carcharodon is ace, Onyx is straight, Raffia is Bi and Hellion is a lesbian.  
Onyx and Hellion are the only two members of the Shadow Cadre to make their own weapons, they must have been like kids in a sweets shop when they saw Halo's workshop.  
Carcharodon is honestly more than a little broken on the inside, he's got the weight of being the leader of the last of his people on his shoulders and he's trying to juggle keeping them alive with the desire for revenge and keeping their cultural identity as in tact as possible while dealing with the fact his paranoia is justified, so far everyone has stabbed his people in the back at some point.  
The return of the Puns.  
I just loved the idea that even Corvid 'Stubborn refusal to be beaten incarnate' Xiao Long can't beat Nyanza on a video game, but Eagle can because she's just that good.  
Rusty canonically has moves. If you've seen the Teen Titans vs The Justice League animated movie I was imagining the dance off between Damien Wayne and Beast Boy.  
Corvid practically adopting Eagle is A++  
Oops, Corvid may have teased a little too hard there.  
Let's be honest half of my readers were Diamond when they read that.  
In Downward Spiral Gangrel Slate did in fact kill an Ursa with a headbutt but now I think about it it was actually Artemis that saw him do it, which implies that she either told Rover and he forgot or that Gangrel did it more than once.  
Okay the conversation about Gangrel being nervous about being a parent before Arctus was born is due to a conversation with one of my readers, OwleryBlue and I wanted to work it into the story.  
Felix would definitely pick fights with people so he can see everyone's Semblance.  
The explanation of the differences between Team GRAP and Team FADE were pretty spot on, Team GRAP were more manoeuvrable and focused on harrying targets, Team FADE are pretty much a solid wall of pain; this is also a little hint of what to expect.  
Rover is gonna be up all night because he's a good father and actually takes turns to feed the baby.  
Okay so about the Frost river tribe, their language doesn't have the letter C or X so Onyx's name in his native language would be Onyks and C is split between S K and a separate glyph for 'Ch' which is how Carcharodon's name works….Also works for 'Nikos', don't worry I had it figured out.  
I'm just gonna say that Hellion messed up her own name because it doesn't have the double L spelling in her native tongue.  
Yes, that reference was exactly what you thought it was.  
Well Hellion's pet likes Eagle, that's a good start.  
So that happened, Eagle's gonna get to know Qrow.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Araniladin, Unstoppable Cyborg, FleetOfWarships, TigerRose, Arkanes Shippou, Ferrous and ShadowAlex2000 for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Nora only brings Popcorn on Fridays.  
I love making my readers emotional.  
I don't have any real shipping plans for Nyanza to be honest.  
Hellion is actually shorter than Eagle but only by an inch or two.  
Glad people liked the fight between Onyx and Helios, it's about time someone gave him a real challenge.  
I think Felix having a crush on Helios is a little different because Helios hasn't tried to kidnap anyone, but Felix knows Eagle is capable and he'll trust her judgement.  
The reaction to The Shadow Cadre becoming Team GORE is honestly hilarious to me because I have literally been planning this since the first chapter of Vol.1, they're here to stay.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	47. In Sheep's Clothing

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 47: In Sheep's Clothing.**

Antonia Arc was situated in an observation deck with an area of the gargantuan Poly-Tech research facility dedicated to the application of their robotics within the medical field, the windows were one way hiding anyone monitoring tests from view and the test area below was designed to withstand an attack from some of the most powerful weapons Atlas's military had at their disposal; some would consider the shielding and reinforced armour encasing the testing facility overkill but Antonia had seen the ways Dust, Aura and experimental equipment could interact with each other and would be taking no chances. The sole test subject currently occupying the room below looked almost pitiably small and incongruous in comparison to the banks of terminals and swarm of scientists around her; she was a small young woman, petite and with a slender build that combined with her unnaturally pale complexion gave her a somewhat sickly appearance, currently she was facing away from the observation deck giving Antonia a clear view of the work her surgeons had performed through the slit in the back of her hospital gown, from the base of her neck to her pelvis a series of cybernetic components had been worked directly into the woman's spine leaving the flesh an angry and swollen red as her Aura worked to heal the injury. It was frankly nauseating to look at but as the young woman took another careful step forwards Antonia reminded herself that was worth it, this however was not a procedure she could take credit for and so she turned to Ozymandias Eldritch who was currently adjusting his spectacles as he studied the scene below

"Give me specifics" many of her employees would have panicked at Antonia's demanding tone, Ozymandias however had worked alongside her and was well accustomed to his employers' mannerisms; she was far from annoyed, she was simply curious at the new advancement and wished to understand everything about it; with that in mind he simply turned to face her and began to reel off information

"Celeste Lupus, female, age 27, Faunus-" Antonia hadn't known that and quickly glanced down again and realised that there were indeed ram like horns growing from the skull of the test subject which curled back around her temples, while Antonia considered herself a woman of science and bigotry assumptions and superstition had no place in her life her time as a prisoner of the Shadow Cadre had obviously shaken her more than she cared to admit as she took a single step back before realising the impotency of the action

"Carry on" she breathed out seeing the concern flicker across her employees face

"She was crippled at age seven" Ozymandias explained, causing Antonia's self loathing at her own cowardice to rise "She was born in Eisenstadt Siebte her parents were apparently low ranking White Fang members who were killed by Atlesian forces during the re-taking"

"Stray shot?" Antonia asked with trepidation

"Worse" Ozymandias sighed "The building her family had hidden her in was hit by a rocket, it took recovery crews a day to find her in the wreckage; her Aura had unlocked but she was barely clinging to life, she was told at seven years old that she was never going to walk again" Antonia suppressed a gasp and simply shook her head

"Such a waste" the whole affair of retaking Eisenstadt Siebte had been a series of horrors and atrocities; first the lower reaches of the Hive city had been separated and declared the capital of Adam Taurus's 'New Menagerie' only to be attacked by a renegade faction of hard liners within the Atlesian military who filled the city with Grimm resulting in the battle in which the Bull Faunus met his demise and her own brother Jaune had fought Cinder Fall to the death; the retaking of the stronghold had been a protracted guerilla war which in a final insult proved to be fruitless as the city was finally sealed and declared uninhabitable by the Council due to the severe damage to its' infrastructure and Grimm infestation; Eisenstadt Siebte now stood as a frozen tomb within a hollow mountain, a stark reminder of Atlas's troubled history.

"One person's waste is another's opportunity" Ozymandias noted with a slight smile "What we've developed here is a breakthrough on two fronts"

"A long term candidate" Antonia noted to which he nodded, Cybernetics worked best if they could be integrated into the patients body as soon as possible, it was generally believed that there was a sixth month window outside of which the implant would cause complications for the users, this cybernetic spine which if Antonia was correct was partially based on a design she herself had made for one Professor Oobleck promised to be the first of a new kind of augmentation

"It's also designed specially with Faunus in mind" Ozymandias added "There have been a lot of reports of the standard templates causing more feedback and in some cases not quite having the fine muscle control owing to slight differences in Faunus nervous systems, if successful this could be the start of a new product line"

"This is impressive" Antonia noted "You've managed to develop a new product line, keep the media at bay and not only continue to keep the company running in my absence but manage to improve our overall efficiency. I have to ask….did you sleep at any point while I was….away" her tone had been friendly and bordering on teasing until the end, then it wavered

"None of us were sleeping soundly knowing that you were missing" Ozymandias answered quietly "As for my handling of company matters….let's just say I know how to manage time effectively" there was something being left unsaid in that statement and Antonia was sure of it but before she could enquire further a furious outburst from below made her jump, something that she was certain would not have happened before. Ozymandias, in a rare breach of professionalism reached out and grasped at her hand while reassuring her

"Its' okay, she's reached her limit for today. The implant may repair the damage to her spine but she hasn't been able to walk for twenty years, her legs gave way" Antonia peered down and saw that was indeed the case, Celeste had sunk to her hands and knees and was currently swatting away the Poly-Tech employees trying to help her up, clearly desperate to rise under her own strength. Pressing a button which activated an intercom Antonia made sure her brief panic didn't carry into her voice

"That will be all today Miss Lupus. Testing will recommence at your convenience if you would be so kind as to complete the relevant paperwork with a member of staff"

"Are you okay?" Antonia turned to face Ozymandias whose question had been barely above a whisper, every syllable laced with obvious concern "You seem stressed, if you need to take some time off after….after everything I can hold the fort. I'm sorry for prying it's just-"

"It's fine" Antonia sighed "I just have a lot on my mind. A few weeks ago Eagle told me she was planning on meeting her father properly for the first time, she sent me a message earlier today telling me that they're finally meeting tomorrow" she was unsure of what made her tell him, frankly Antonia Arc was unsure of a lot of things regarding social interactions and relationships of any kind

"You'd rather that she didn't?" Antonia thought to herself for a moment before shaking her head

"I still think that having Qrow be present for her childhood would have been for the worse, I sent her to live with her grandparents because I couldn't be the mother she needed….everything I've done has been with the best intentions and now I'm worried that I may have ruined what little relationship I had with my daughter….I'm worried I'm going to lose her"

"All you wanted was the best for her, she might not see it now but eventually she will" Ozymandias assured her, squeezing a hand that Antonia was a little shocked to realise he was still holding "And if you wanted a better relationship with her, well the Vytal Tournament is being hosted by Atlas this year….a friendly face cheering on a foreign team will mean a lot to her" Antonia smiled at the idea, there was no doubt in her mind that her daughter would qualify for the tournament; from what she knew she had inherited her mothers' ingenuity, her grandfathers' unwavering resolve and been trained by almost every member of the Arc family, she only regretted not being present to see her grow into the young woman that had returned from New Vale.

"It most certainly would" Antonia answered finally, squeezing Ozymandias's hand gently in return she gave him something she knew he would appreciate "Well it's late no doubt we'll have a bust schedule tomorrow….Goodnight Oz"

* * *

Ruby felt Penny's hands against her flesh and let out a groan of pleasure

"Right there" the copper haired android straddled her, and with an audible popping sound continued the deep tissue massage she was administering. With the twins returning to school Ruby had been forced to let her children out of her sight since the revelation that they had inherited the powers that came with their silver eyes, she and Penny tended to take turns at taking on missions while Tai-Jaune and Summer-Pyrrha were at school and Ruby had decided she needed a distraction. They were quite frankly in no need of money, the sales of Penny's shares of her fathers' company combined with the money they had amassed over their careers as Atlesian Freelancers and royalty cheques from advertisers using Ruby's likeness had lest them with enough Lien to live comfortably without working but Ruby would be the first to admit she couldn't imagine herself retiring from hunting any time soon; the first mission to reach her had been in Vaccuo courtesy of Qrow, the current Winter Maiden had relatives in a small settlement beyond the arid Kingdom's walls which was being tormented by a particularly large pack of Grimm and she was not proficient enough with her powers to handle the task alone without raising suspicions, it had only taken a few days but Ruby had returned sore and exhausted leading to Penny's current position atop her, Ruby's waist between her thighs

"How does this feel?" Penny asked as she activated a subroutine that Ruby had made her swear to never let Yang know about for fear of the endless teasing that would ensue, her entire hands and forearms seemed to blur as they began to vibrate

"Sensational" Ruby sighed blissfully as Penny worked, after a few moments she slowed allowing Ruby to stretch, her joint s giving several resounding cracks before she sprawled out on the bed with her dark hair cascading over her shoulders and obscuring most of her face. Penny merely took in the sight of her; Ruby had changed greatly since they had first met, her back, arms and shoulders were muscular and her entire back had been used as the canvas for a tattoo depicting the rose emblem she had inherited from her late mother, one of many tattoos she'd acquired over the years. Penny frowned slightly as she brushed some of her wife's hair away to reveal a pale and discoloured scar marking her right shoulder Penny knew that a similar scar was visible on her collarbone, a wound received at the hands of Salem herself when the Mother of Grimm had attempted to impale her. Penny lay flat against Ruby's back and gently kissed the scar, trailing soft kisses along her shoulder until she reached her neck while at the same time wrapping her arms' around Ruby's waist

"Missed you too" Ruby mumbled into the pillow, lacing her fingers through Penny's and bringing her hands higher; the two of them hadn't had any alone time in a while and while the twins were taking advantage of the good weather and playing outside with water pistols both Huntresses realised they could take advantage of the fact their children were currently elsewhere

"Sensational" Penny purred as she gently nibbled at her earlobe, before it could truly begin the moment ended with the sound of the backdoor of their home being flung open and the sound of small feet frantically hurrying up the stairs

"MUM! MUM!" the words served as a prelude to the bedroom door being flung open, Penny sliding off the bed and allowing Ruby to pull the sheets over herself just in time

"What's wrong?" Penny paused and realised that both Tai-Jaune and Summer-Pyrrha in addition to being thoroughly soaked and dirty, signs that their water fight had been going well both of them were in possession of chocolate chip cookies which unless she was mistaken were not the brand she'd bought for Ruby

"Uncle Qrow's coming!" they chanted in unison before Summer explained "We told him Mama Ruby was still in bed and he gave us cookies to come and wake you up"

"Did he now" Ruby tried and failed to sound menacing, her face cracking into a broad smile before she patted the space beside her on the bed "Come here and gimme a hug I've missed you" the twins moved with almost blinding speed, their mothers' unsure of where childhood exuberance ended and freshly unlocked Aura began

"Are you going away again?" Tai-Jaune asked with a worried look on his freckled face

"Nope" Ruby assured him, popping the P as she pulled the twins into in her arms with no concern for the trail of crumbs in their wake "What makes you say that"

"Uncle Qrow says you've got plans" Summer answered. Penny and Ruby both glanced to each other in confusion for a moment before something clicked in the scythe wielders' mind

"Oh crap, that's _today?_ "

* * *

Eagle sat in the passengers' seat of the Killer-Bee, fidgeting nervously as she had been the whole ride thus far. It had been several weeks since she had initially asked Felix if he could arrange a meeting with Qrow seeing as she had never exchanged contact details with the man, the reason behind the delay was simply due to conflicting schedules; while Qrow had officially retired from Hunting Felix noted that he often seemed to be busy and the Team FADE had been forced to dedicate more than one weekend to the seemingly endless tide of assignments as the second year workload continued to increase in addition to the frankly brutal training regimen Felix was putting them through in preparation for the Vytal Tournament qualifiers, the Lion Faunus was far from alone in this however as every team leader seemed to share his increased motivation

"He lives here?" Eagle peered out of the windows as the muscle car moved through the unremarkable streets. They were far from the sprawling hive city of New Vale itself having driven out to a decidedly middle class suburb whose houses were picturesque in a generic sort of way, identically trimmed front lawns and picket fences visible to the front, pristine brickwork and spacious back yards to the rear; it seemed odd from what little she knew of the man that Qrow Branwen would choose to live in such a place

"Near enough" Felix shrugged "We're actually stopping at Aunt Ruby and Penny's though, Corvid was gonna come but apparently Team CLIR have taken on some extra classes this year"

"Extra classes?" Eagle asked genuinely interested in the subject which also helped her ignore her own nerves

"Think she's dropped history" Felix forced him self not laugh at the affronted expression on his partners' face "But Team CLIR are taking medical training, Bull-Head operations and I think they took a course on legislation….next year is their final year so they're thinking long term"

"Oh that makes sense" Eagle said simply, as much she loved her honorary uncle the classes Team CLIR had taken would be more useful to them than advanced history. The momentary lull in conversation allowed her to realise another detail she'd overlooked "Wait why aren't we going to Qrow's place"

"I thought it might be less awkward if there's a couple more people there and I haven't seen the twins since the start of the summer. Besides, Aunt Penny and Aunt Ruby's place is cool you're gonna love it"

"Okay" Eagle audibly gulped "So now I'm meeting my Dad and _THE_ Ruby Rose?"

"You've met her before" Felix protested "Remember, our second mission she flew us there….didn't she give you a cookie as well?" The Lion Faunus had honestly forgotten the fact that his partner was an ardent fan of his aunt, though he was certain that things would be fine. It wasn't long before they turned a corner and approached a house at the bottom of the street which could only be their destination

"They have a Bull-Head landing pad in their back yard?" Eagle gasped as she caught a brief glimpse of the drop-ship before they pulled up in front of the house

"Yeah, this is the last row of houses. It's just fields and woods at the back so they've got a clear landing and the kids around here have got somewhere to play" Felix explained as he removed the key from the ignition and clambered out of the car, opening the rear door so that Eagle could retrieve Sentinel, the droid having been stored in shield mode for the drive

"You okay?" Felix asked, catching the way Eagle stared at the house before them with some apprehension; Eagle took a deep breath and willed her hands to stop trembling

"I'll be fine, come on" Eagle slung her shield over her back and followed Felix through the gate and along the pathway to the front door which Eagle realised with a start was not made of wood as one would expect, the paint failing to hide the material below

"Is that Atlesian steel?"

"Yeah" Felix chuckled "Nano-bot caches fitted on all the doors and windows as well to seal them shut, and you see those garden gnomes?"

"Yeah?" Eagle replied slowly, equal parts confused and impressed

"Force Field generators" Felix told her in a nonchalant way that suggested that this was perfectly normal in his mind, the Lion Faunus rather than ringing the door bell removed a metallic cover from a panel beneath it and pressed his palm against the surface at which point the synthetic voice of an AI spoke, though Eagle was unsure of where exactly the speaker was

"Welcome back Fluffy"

"They are never gonna change that" Felix sighed as he opened the now unlocked door, holding it open for Eagle he saw the wonder written plainly on her face as she stepped inside and quickly explained

"Pearl, its' the AI that was on Aunt Penny's old Bull-Head she runs the utilities, security system, some of the workshop in the basement and the super roombas" before Eagle could ask one of the many questions she suddenly had, what precisely made the roombas 'Super' chief amongst them the sound of small feet rushing towards them from elsewhere in the house with the speed and urgency of a stampede alerted them to the twins

"FELIX!" they shouted in unison as they leapt directly into his arms

"Oh my Oum you're even bigger, with more freckles!" he gasped in feigned shock before planting them on the ground and pointing to Eagle "You remember Eagle right?" Tai-Jaune clearly did

"You're the girl with the pet tank!"

"Kids, let them actually get inside first" a kind voice instructed "Hey Fluffy how are you?" Ruby Rose asked as she came into view, appearing from a door further down the hallway they were stood in and pulling her nephew into a brief hug

"I'm good" Felix assured her before turning to the twins and crouching to their level "You're so big now there's nowhere you can hide, I bet I can find you both in five minutes if we play hide and seek

"Bet you can't!" Summer-Pyrrha insisted

"Game on" Felix chuckled, allowing himself to be led through the house by his cousins while calling back over his shoulder "Be back soon!" Eagle chuckled at the sight only to realise that she had been left alone with a Huntress that she'd been told bedtime stories about as a child and the laughter quickly died

"Yeah he gets that from Yang" Ruby dead-panned before giving Eagle a reassuring smile "Come on Uncle Qrow's already here, I think he's still going over something with Penny; I love your armour by the way it reminds me of Jaune's….and what did TJ mean when he said you have a pet tank?" Eagle struggled to find words, sure she was already blushing at the compliment to her armour from her childhood idol; realising that Ruby had never actually seen Sentinel in action she simply unslung her shield and activated the droid

"Doot doot, da doot doot!" Sentinel chirped, the singular optic mounted in his cranium expressive as always

"Hostile detected"

"Pearl stand down" Ruby ordered quickly, though not before Eagle had seen several wall panels sliding away, revealing something hidden within "Okay that is super, super cool!" Eagle blushed deeper as Ruby led her through her home and the blonde was silently captivated by the house which seemed to have combined the most comfortable elements of a family home like the one she was raised in with technology that would not have looked out of place at a Poly-Tech research facility. Eagle almost gasped when she saw a coat-rack from which an iconic red cape was hung, the living room was almost unassuming if one overlooked the somewhat futuristic feel and the several small cleaning robots scouring the floor, walls and dusting the curtains. The kitchen and dining room however were another story, here the futuristic aspect of the house had been fully committed to with the head, upper torso and spindly arms of a robot body folded up along ceiling where a series of unobtrusive rails would allow it to move around, its' position clear that it was intended to handle the cooking and cleaning of dishes

"So cool" Eagle mouthed out before catching sight of the dining room table, or more specifically its' occupants; sat at the table where they had been poring over maps in relation to something that would potentially need to be investigated were Penny and Qrow

"Salutations"

"Uh Hi" Eagle stammered

"Hey" Qrow murmured, folding the map away and offering her an empty seat "Felix, vanished on you the second you got here didn't he….of course he did"

"It's fine, he's playing hide and seek with the twins" Eagle explained as she took a seat, Sentinel trundling in to place behind her

"I see you fixed the tin man" Qrow noted, remembering that it had been damaged in the fight against the leader of the Shadow Cadre

"Oh yeah, gave him a tune up over the summer and worked on some upgrades that are gonna be useful for any missions Team FADE are sent on, I'm actually hoping to show it off in the Vytal Tournament as well. It took me a while to figure out how to install it without interfering with the existing power supply and I'm rambling aren't I?" Eagle asked, realising that words had been tumbling out of her at an impossible speed; the enthusiasm she had for talking about Sentinel temporarily overpowering her nerves

"Heh don't worry" Ruby assured her, taking a free seat "You've gotta like the things you think are cool wholeheartedly or what's the point, and having a shield that's a robot is cool"

"Yeah it is" Qrow agreed "I wish we'd had equipment like this when Team STRQ were active, wouldn't have needed to give Tai cover fire all the time if he had one"

"You would totally have used it for pranks" Ruby snickered

"When we competed in the Vytal Tournament in Atlas? Definitely. Those kids needed to lighten up" Eagle couldn't help but giggle at both Ruby's long suffering groan and the mental image of Sentinel and a much younger Qrow engaging in shenanigans

"Team STRQ competed? I mean I know Team RWBY did but everyone knows that because of…." she trailed off, Qrow answered quickly before any awkwardness could set in

"Atlas in our first year, Shade in our third. Got beaten in the doubles by Team IRON the first time around but Raven took third place overall on our second crack at it"

"That's awesome" Eagle gushed "I hope Team FADE can at least get into the one on one rounds, I know we could be up against people with twice as much experience as us but I think we've got a shot"

"You fought in the breach" Qrow pointed out "Experience isn't just the amount of time it's what you did and you did well kid"

"Besides you've got the Schnee Semblance on your side" Ruby added "That's always handy, as Arctus about Weiss dropping a glacier on Scarlet David in the first round" Eagle frowned and her head sunk a little

"I really need to figure out what my Semblance is soon or I'm not gonna be able to contribute much to the team"

"A team is always going to need heavy weapons and you're more than capable as a Huntress" Penny pointed out, what Eagle failed to notice was the way Qrow stoked his beard thoughtfully and furrowed his brow deep in thought. An offhanded comment from Ruby continued the conversation and almost half an hour later when Felix returned with the twins after several rounds of hide and seek Eagle, Qrow, Ruby and Penny were laughing together and interacting as though they had known each other for years. Just as planned.

* * *

Team GORE entered the gym, loathe as he was to admit it Carcharodon knew that the academy would be a good place to train and all of his team, himself included needed would need to improve if they were to survive their promised confrontation with the Cult of Taurus and those who followed them. As the four Faunus entered Carcharodon cast his eyes around and was confused for a moment, there was sparring but it was clearly restrained and many of the machines that the students were using baffled him; his people were strong because they did meaningful work these weights and treadmills seemed to be a pale imitation. Before he could voice his opinion Raffia snorted and made his own distaste known

"Imaginary work to give them imaginary strength. No risk, no reward, no point"

"Will you quit your whining" Onyx growled "If you're so sure of your abilities then find someone to test them against" with that the Puma Faunus simply departed, sauntering over to a group of students that Carcharodon didn't recognise, though that was hardly surprising considering how little he interacted with his newfound peers; the Shark Faunus did notice however that before his friend could position himself on a nearby weight bench a noticeable portion of the girls in the group had become interested in Onyx's Faunus attribute of feline pads adorning his palms and fingertips which were widely described as 'toe beans' by people outside of their tribe. Carcharodon saw this and shook his head with a resigned sigh, Onyx had always been far more outgoing and had a knack for interacting with outsiders that had often been exploited by the Shadow Cadre while Onyx himself used his charm for more personal gains. Raffia saw his leaders' expression and gave one his usual somewhat deranged sounding laughs

"Did you really expect anything else?" with that the Axolotl Faunus skulked off in the direction of one of several sparring areas interspersed between the equipment, this particular ring had a small crowd forming around it most likely composed of both combatants teams and friends which Carcharodon assumed Raffia was going to find a way to inject himself into, most likely by outright challenging the first person to make eye contact with him. With only himself and Hellion still standing by the entrance to the gym he turned to the Dragonfly Faunus and gave her a questioning glance, to which she simply shrugged

"We're here now, we may as well just ask" with that said she made her way towards one of the many implements currently being used by another student, tying her hair back and tucking her wings flat against her body as she did so leaving Carcharodon to navigate the environment alone. For the first time in the few weeks they'd been attending the academy he wished he'd paid at least a modicum of attention to his lessons or the orientation he'd been given upon his arrival. Prowling silently around the perimeter of the gym he caught sight of a group of vaguely familiar faces, first year students whom the Shark Faunus was only aware of due to them being the team selected in a ritual the academy had wherein a First Year team would be pitted against older students in single combat to display in the most undeniable terms how much they still had to learn; it was frankly the first thing Carcharodon had seen at the academy that gave him a sense of familiarity. Drawing close he saw the way that two of the first years were sparring against each other and was overcome by a wave of irritable disdain, punches were pulled, clear openings were ignored, it was as if they had learned nothing from their defeat. Rolling his shoulders back and baring his rows of sharp teeth Carcharodon strode into the midst of the fledgling team, dark eyes narrowing as he spoke

"You will never win fighting like that. Either train properly or leave"

"Who the hell are you?" hearing the question Carcharodon's smile widened into something that should have served as warning, he noticed that the two students who had been sparring including a teen called Shine, the leader of Team SNST had stopped are were eyeing him closely. Carcharodon stepped into the ring and motioned for the entire team to join him

"Apparently today I'm your teacher. All four of you against me, defeat me by any means necessary" the first year team shared a series of confused glances between themselves but deciding to simply go with it and rushing him. Carcharodon sprung into ruthless and decisive action, the first attacker to reach him threw a wild haymaker which was rendered useless as the Shark Faunus activated his Semblance and allowed the blow to pass through his rippling form as he sidestepped; the retaliation was swift and brutal Carcharodon kicked out at his opponents' knee causing the joint to buckle with a sickening crack before bringing driving his elbow into the teens' face as he fell, leaving good trickling from a clearly broken nose. The remaining members of Team SNST made to protest, Carcharodon simply threw himself into the next nearest member of the team, a tall but slim young woman who folded almost in half under the force of the punch to her gut he delivered and was left on the ground clutching her face after the follow up kick connected. The remaining half of the team finally seemed to grasp that if they wanted the Shark Faunus's rampage to stop then they would have to be the ones to make him, the third member sprinted around the edge of the ring while Shine ran directly at him and launched a flying kick which was easily sidestepped, causing Carcharodon to turn his back and allow his other opponent to leap onto his back and attempt to wrap an arm around his neck, smiling at the fact that they were at least fighting back now he swung his head back and reached over his shoulder and hurled the Huntress clinging to him at the nearest wall. Shine ran back into the fray and let loose a flurry of attacks which Carcharodon blocked before knocking the smaller teens arms aside and leaping into the air to deliver a knee to the face and an over-handed right that left his opponent on the ground struggling to rise. Carcharodon stamped on his back then reached down to haul him to his feet only to be sent crashing to the ground as somebody landed a powerful kick to the side of his head

"That's enough!" rising to his feet he was confronted by an older student who he had seen talking to Team FADE on several occasions, almost half a foot shorter than himself, slender with defined muscles, tied back dark hair and steely grey eyes glaring at him while her team fanned out behind her, all movement in the gym having seemingly stopped.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Corvid Xiao Long demanded furiously.

"I was teaching" Carcharodon rasped back

"That wasn't teaching that was just a beating!"

"EXACTLY!" The Shark Faunus bellowed "I look around this Academy and all I see is weakness. Losses here have no consequences and you people need to learn the truth, that the world beyond the Kingdom's walls will not coddle you!"

"So you just-"

"So I taught them the lesson that your professors refuse to!" Carcharodon interrupted before gesturing to Team SNST who were all clearly injured "Anywhere other than here they would all be dead! Sterilized sparring matches with rules and safe environments are not training, they're crutches for people who have no business fighting Grimm!" Corvid scowled, seemingly processing his furious tirade before glancing over her shoulder to her team

"Get these kids to the medical wing, be careful with that guy's leg" Carcharodon looked and saw that one of Team SNST was indeed struggling with a seemingly broken limb, the realization only confirmed to him how necessary the thorough beating had been. As the rest of Team CLIR led the first years away the activity and dull buzz of conversation slowly returned to the gym and out of the corner of his eye Carcharodon saw Onyx drop a dumb-bell he had clearly being meaning to use as an improvised weapon. Corvid stepped directly into his personal space and glared intently at him

"I spent most of my first year in Mistral, I've taken missions in Anima. You're right those kids weren't ready and they needed a wake up call; but that wasn't how to go about it" Carcharodon was surprised at the concession, though nowhere near as surprised as he was when Corvid landed an uppercut square on his chin that sent him staggering back before continuing "The thing is, I know exactly who you are. I don't know why you're people are here but you caused a lot of trouble for my family; so let me make it CLIR why that was a bad idea" Carcharodon let out a low rasping chuckle before raising his fists, it seemed there were people here who could at least challenge him after all.

* * *

Arctus and Diamond made their way through the streets of one of the poorest parts of New Vale, located within one of the larger hive complexes only a handful of levels away from the ground this particular slum was familiar to the pair as it was the route towards the Mercy Foundation; however the changes to the already somewhat bleak landscape were glaring and ever present, the legacy of the Breach visible in the form of several small businesses which had remained closed many of which being all but destroyed, in several places the ceiling and floor of the hive level had been hastily repaired to prevent access to things such as the power grid and there were even instances of the superstructure being reinforced.

"Well at least its' being fixed" Arctus shrugged, searching for some sort of positive outlook

"Well yeah dude, they can't just leave it like this" Diamond chuckled, her amusement quickly fading when she saw the look on her partners' face

"There was a whole city that was destroyed in Atlas. All the refugees that didn't move to Mistral were living in re-purposed military bases and shanty towns for so long that they grew into actual towns and cities; Eisenstadt Siebte is actually still abandoned"

"Holy Oum" her cherry red eyes widened at the information, she understood that all politicians were primarily interested in their own agendas but there seemed to be a special brand of ruthless efficiency and disregard for the lives of their people reserved for Atlesians if the stories Arctus told her were anything to go by. After a walking hand in hand towards their destination a little longer the homeless shelter and soup kitchen operated by the Mercy Foundation came into view, though Arctus and Diamond were both forced to halt, silenced by shock. The building looked pristine compared to the poverty and desolation around it, better in fact than either of them had ever seen it the entire exterior having been repainted and new signs having been added. After a few moments they caught sight of someone familiar sat on the steps leading to the main entrance, taking a long drag on a cigarette; Hickory Pardus, the manager they had both answered to while volunteering at the shelter and the very person they were here to see.

"Miss Pardus" Arctus greeted her

"I'm on a break you can call me Hickory" she gave them the widest smile the prominent scars marring her dark skin would allow before standing to her admittedly unimpressive height "Honestly I didn't think I'd be seeing you two again, school started up a few weeks ago"

"We're sorry about that" Diamond told her as both she and Arctus shuffled guiltily "We both agreed that we should have this conversation with you in person but honestly we haven't had a lot of time"

"I get it" Hickory assured them "Schoolwork?"

"Yeah" Diamond admitted "Between the assignments and training for the Vytal Tournament we honestly haven't had chance"

"Oh you're planning on competing?" Hickory grinned and pointed a finger at them "You give 'em hell kids y'hear me?"

"Loud and clear" Diamond laughed

"And we're sorry we can't volunteer while we're still in Vale" Arctus added "Hopefully you'll be able to get some new people soon" Hickory's eyes widened and her expression took on an almost giddy edge

"Oh you haven't heard? Bless your hearts" she gestured over her shoulder to the building itself "The new paint is just the start, Counselor Xiong has been getting emergency funding to the worst hit parts of the city all summer, the interior has been completely refurbished and we've got an actual budget now"

"Dude that's awesome" Diamond gasped, the middle aged woman seemed unable to contain her childlike exuberance as she continued

"They were talking about giving me a medal for helping seal up one of the Grimm holes, I told them I'd just pawn it in and buy something more useful with the money. The best part though is that there's a new security firm that's opened up since the Breach; the people running it are actually putting people through training and are actually gonna give some of the people here jobs. I actually don't think we're gonna need volunteer security any more"

"That's really good to hear" Arctus beamed, he'd never truly understood his own privilege until he'd seen the abject poverty the people seeking shelter at the Mercy Foundation lived in, the idea that there was an employer seeking to give them training and long term meaningful employment was frankly inspiring

"Well if you've got time to be down here talking to little old me I suppose I can give you one last job as your manager" Hickory chuckled "Scram, get out of here and enjoy your Saturday night. I'll tell everyone you stopped by, we'll all be rooting for you in the tournament"

"You got it boss" Diamond gave her a salute "And thank you" as the two of them left Diamond leading Arctus by the hand as they decided how to spend their evening, both of them agreeing that it would be a waste to simply return to the academy now that they were already in the city; what neither of them noticed was the black sports car parked further down the street, a vehicle whose obvious luxury made it look out of place in such surroundings. More importantly they failed to see that behind the heavily tinted windows, eyes narrowing in recognition and clenching the steering wheel in a white knuckled grip was Rhodium Torchwick. He'd spent the majority of the summer bringing Cain Security Personnel into existence while evading the law at every turn, the organization was still a front and a recruiting ground but the redheaded mobster did indeed believe in the aims of his new company and wanted to give some of the residents of New Vale who were down on their luck a chance to improve their situation. Those beliefs were almost forgotten when he saw two members of the team of students who had proven to be a consistent foil to his plans and were personally responsible for his former incarceration. The only thing keeping him from bringing the engine roaring into life and giving chase was the memory of the last time he'd attempted to do so. Gritting his teeth Rhodium watched as Diamond and Arctus left his field of vision and muttered under his breath

"I'll get 'em next time….It's not worth wasting another car"

* * *

Celeste Lupus moved through the settlement outside of the Atlesian Hive Cities that she called home with a sense of purpose, while the new cybernetic implants graciously given to her by Professor Eldritch of Poly-Tech allowed her to walk she had been unable to do so for the majority of her life and the journey from Atlas's capital of Eisenstadt Prime had only exhausted her further. Currently she was bound to a Dust powered wheelchair. She was a little over five and a half feet tall on the now more common occasions she was stood at her full height and her thin frame and sickly pale skin belied an inner strength one could sense if they stared into her eyes which were a vibrant shade of magenta and glared at the world from a stern face with thin lips hollowed cheeks and prominent brows. Her hair had lost its' colour prematurely, fading from the glossy dark locks that she had been born with to strands of pure white which had been cropped close to the sides of her skull while the hair atop her head had been tied into a single bun from which a small amount of curly hair flowed; the style seemed to have been chosen to highlight her Faunus heritage, leaving the ram horns which grew from her forehead and curled around her temples completely unobstructed from view. Her wheelchair, its' pristine white utilitarian design in stark contrast with the faded and well worn clothes she wore propelled her forwards near silently. Her home, while not within one one of Atlas's hive cities was not exposed to the freezing and inhospitable climate of the Kingdom meaning that as Celeste roamed through spartan corridors whose flickering lights cast dancing shadows on the walls whose paint had long since chipped away she occasionally came into contact with others who called this desolate ruin home; a casual observer would note that all who crossed her path were Faunus while a more astute viewer would notice the way that few if any of those around her would meet Celeste Lupus's eye or the way that small children pointed and whispered among themselves only to be silenced by their parents; Celeste gave them no response other than a single nod of acknowledgment. Eventually she reached her destination, her own quarters which were located far from those of the people who answered to her. Opening the door and wheeling herself inside she allowed herself a sigh of contentment, relieved to finally be back in familiar settings; the walls were devoid of any photographs of friends of family, instead adorned with maps of the continent of Solitas with several locations marked and annotated as well as faded photographs of a Bull Faunus she remembered being told stories of by her parents and had actually been fortunate enough to have seen in person before the destruction of her home. Her fireplace was nothing but decoration, something to place a mantle above and said mantle housed her pride and joy, a single blade constructed of a crimson alloy. Her sofa was comfortable dark leather and the coffee table positioned nearby was littered in a mountain of papers, the hand written rough draft of what would become her manifesto; far more importantly however was the man sat on said sofa and the large steel container stood beside it

"High Commander" the man hastily rose to his feet only to stoop into a low bow. He was Kuro, a Tarantula Faunus old enough to have served White Fang at their zenith; his Faunus heritage manifested itself in the form of thick wiry hairs covering much of his arms and back giving him an unrivaled sense of touch which allowed the scientist to work with delicacy and finesse others could only dream of

"Rise" Celeste instructed, he did so and gave her a concerned glance that would have earned many others her ire

"Your trip to the capital, was it….successful?"

"I have been touched by more human filth than I care to consider and I am still confined to this chair because my own body betrays me" she saw the look of utter defeat on Kuro's face and paused for effects, knowing that a sense of theatrics aided in keeping followers loyal "But I overcome" with those words she forced herself from the wheelchair, aching muscles screaming in protest as she rose to her feet and forced herself to stand straight before continuing the conversation

"What of your assignment? You assured me it would be ready when I returned" Kuro seemed to be in a stunned daze for several seconds before answering

"Yes High Commander, I've had my team resize it and update the software with a more up to date version; reworking it to work with your….erm treatment before I'd actually seen the results was difficult but I'm sure it will work. Although without the helmet the weapons that were originally integrated into it are unusable-"

"No matter" Celeste interrupted "I assume you had it cleaned of that traitors' filth?"

"Of course" Kuro nodded before finally opening the steel case which stood at roughly the height of the average man with a hiss of decompressing air, revealing a suit of body armour, matte black fibers with glossy black armoured plates covering the chest, limbs and back

"The propulsion system on the back still works" Kuro indicated to a pair of pylons extending from the shoulder blades "And we sealed the tail hole" Celeste gave a truly evil smile at the memory of what had become of Neon Katt and her tail before stepping forwards and removing her shirt, causing Kuro to promptly look away as she exposed the still raw wound left by the grafting of Cybernetic implants onto her spine, the implants themselves glinting as they caught the light.

"And now the moment of truth" Celeste breathed out before rotating the suit of power armor within its' storage case causing the back panels to open and shift to the side, allowing her to step into the suit, taking a few moments to adjust her limbs and make herself as comfortable as possible before rolling her shoulders back, causing the armor to activate and seal itself around her. The air was forced from her lungs and there were no words to describe the sudden sensation of power flowing through her. Her nerves buzzed as the suit and her own cybernetics interacted with each other and the fatigue was washed away from her atrophied muscles

"High Commander?"

"It works" she assured Kuro breathless and almost giddy with newfound energy "It works….my mask?"

"I have it here" Kuro quickly reached into the lab coat he wore and presented her with and ornate mask made in the image of those worn by the White Fang, though rather than white or gunmetal it was finished in the same glossy black as the armour and designed to emulate the mask worn by Adam Taurus himself. Celeste donned the mask and took a slow breath to steady herself. She was the High Commander of the White Fang, several Faunus Supremacist factions scattered throughout the Kingdom looked to her for leadership, the Crimson Fang, the Republic of Menagerie, the Faunus Liberation Front, and the White Shirts to name but a few and while the Council saw them as nothing but disparate groups of poorly organized malcontents the reality was that for years each of them had been acting in unison with a single goal and a single mind behind them; slowly forming the beginnings of what would become the army of the White Fang. It would not do to lose control now.

"Leave me" Celeste ordered, her tone emotionless as she forced the rush of her new mobility aside "And send word to the Cult. I learned of many traitors to our race while in the capital; they must be punished" Kuro nodded silently, making a valiant attempt to hide his shudder at the thought of the people he had been ordered to summon. The Cult of Taurus, a quartet of Celeste's most capable and devoted who were entrusted with seeking out those who wished to destroy the Faunus from the inside and making an example, they had been the ones to uncover the truth about Neon Katt and dispense their own kind of justice as well as being the ones to deal with the barbarians from Anima who dared to imply that they were the children of the White Fang when their families had fled when the cause needed them the most. Turning and walking across the room she managed to get a feel for the suit and after a few awkward stumbling steps she found herself able to move freely before taking the crimson blade from her mantle. This blade alone was worth more to her than everything else she owned, including the power armor she was currently wearing; this was Wilt the sword that had once belonged to Adam Taurus. Taking the blade Celeste whispered a mantra that she repeated to herself since embarking on her mission

"I am justice, I am vengeance, I am Taurus reborn"

 **Authors Notes:**

I don't know if you could tell, but I have been wanting to write certain scenes in this chapter for a while.  
Also, I know the pacing might feel a bit off this volume but we're actually around the half way mark (Vol.4 is gonna be around twelve chapters and span up to just after we arrive in Atlas)  
Next chapter is probably gonna be more character development, I wanted to to put the chapter including the qualification matches next but it didn't feel like it would flow right as I wanted to have the Teams Qualify and then leave pretty much straight after.

Anyway let's summarise:  
Whenever I write the words observation deck I think of the one Gendo Ikari was stood in in the first episode of Evangelion.  
Robot spines are a thing now, at the end of The Downward Spiral Oobleck had one but this is obviously a more experimental model.  
Being kidnapped by the Shadow Cadre is still taking its' toll on Antonia.  
I know a Ram is a male sheep and a female sheep Faunus probably shouldn't have horns or at least not as prominent as hers but if Vol.2 can have a female Deer Faunus with antlers I'm going with it.  
Also if anyone is wondering why a Ram Faunus has the last name Lupus it's quite simple….it's because she's a wolf in sheep's clothing. Get it.  
If you read The Downward Spiral then you'll remember that Eisenstadt Siebte is where a lot of Adam's forces were concentrated after he took Lower Atlas. The battle for Eisenstadt Siebte was actually one of the biggest battles in the story.  
" _I know how to manage time effectively"_ Oz is not even trying to be subtle at this point.  
Antonia is human after all, she's got feelings….she just isn't sure what to do with them.  
She finally called him Oz.  
I'm just gonna come out and say it, that whole Penny and Ruby scene exists for no other reason that the fact I am self indulgent.  
You thought it was going to be smut didn't you.  
Yeah it was briefly mentioned in Vol.1 but Qrow knows where at least two of the Maidens are and has sent Ruby and Penny to make contact.  
We were all too busy asking if Yang's arm has a vibrate function that we forgot to ask the question staring us in the face, does Penny have a vibrate function?  
Older Ruby has quite a few Tats, in "Our Happy ever After she had the Rose family emblem on her back, another rose on her left thigh, the names of everyone who died in The Downward Spiral on her upper left arm, the word 'Reaper' across her collarbones and Penny's emblem on the inside of her right wrist….since then she's probably got the twins names tattooed somewhere close to her heart.  
Every parent has had that moment. I'm not even a parent but enough of my friends are.  
Yeah activating their silver eyes unlocked the twins Aura so those kids are fast now; not Ruby fast but faster than most normal people.  
A little world building there, I'll have to earmark that conversation about extra classes for when I'm writing third year….also Team CLIR are learning to fly a Bull-Head.  
Seriously though if Hunters are taking on human/Faunus criminals as well as fighting Grimm then surely there must be a course surrounding the legalities.  
Eagle is a Ruby Rose fangirl and Corvid is a Penny fangirl.  
Okay so we've been inside Penny and Ruby's house before but I never really described it, I decided to rectify that; it's got that Dexter's Lab effect to it where it looks normal from the outside but the inside is a completely different story.  
Forcefield generator garden gnomes.  
Super Roombas.  
Yeah Yang's whole "I'm gonna throw in you in the deep end so you've got no choice but to swim" approach to making Ruby socialise, that she also did to Felix a couple chapters ago….Felix just pulled the same trick.  
So tempted to have Sentinel and the Pearl AI have an ongoing rivalry in the background.  
Yes Ruby and Penny's house has weapons systems hidden inside and yes Eagle nearly went full fangirl when she saw _THE_ cape….I honestly loved writing this scene.  
The ceiling robots in the kitchen, I'm imagining them as looking like a domestic GLaDOS that also serves as a physical reference point for talking to Pearl, it's an AI and can hear you from anywhere in the house but talking to disembodied voices is still weird.  
Eagle geeking out is the only thing that can overpower nervousness, also another reminder that Sentinel has a cool trick we haven't seen yet.  
Qrow and Sentinel would be the best buddy cop movie ever.  
Team IRON beat Team STRQ….You know damn well that was Ironwood's team back in the day.  
Qrow is thinking about Eagle's Semblance now….you can probably guess what that means.  
Seriously though, do you think any of Team GORE have ever been in a gym before?  
And here we have another example of Team GORE/The Shadow Cadre's personalities shining through: Onyx is the people person and just goes directly over to a group of people, Raffia looks for somebody to mess with, Hellion wants to improve but knows she needs help and Carcharodon lurks in the background then starts leading by example.  
Also return of the toe beans, girls love them and he loves the attention.  
Remember the beating Team CLIR gave Team FADE in Vol.1, Team SNST (Sunset) are the team that got that dubious honour this year.  
Yeah Carcharodon went over there and made a point, by kicking the absolute shit out of them.  
I mean, he's not wrong in anything he said in that rant.  
Yes Onyx was going to beat someone's ass with the weights.  
I was actually going to have a conversation between Carcharodon and Hellion at the end of this scene but I think it might work better later on and ending with Carcharodon and Corey about to go at it seemed like a good place to tie up that scene.  
More talk about Eisenstadt Siebte, it's almost as if I'm foreshadowing something.  
So Arctus and Diamond aren't doing volunteer work but the Mercy Foundation is doing fine and Junior is actually a somewhat decent person as a politician.  
Of course the security firm is Rhodium's business, of course it is.  
Celeste has the "Warrior's Wolf Tail" hair style, I know a few people might be thinking Sokka from Avatar but I was actually basing a fair bit of her design on Ivar the Boneless from Vikings who is beautifully unhinged.  
I'll let you all have a guess exactly where the settlement that Celeste lives in is.  
You know exactly who the Bull Faunus in those photos is.  
High Commander/High Leader, you know exactly which organisation uses that title.  
Yes, that's Neon's power armour from "Our Happy Ever After" she was found with the helmet but they kept the rest of it.  
Okay so the New White Fang is organised into several smaller branches which all have their own names and probably don't actually refer to themselves as "The White Fang" the Cult of Taurus is not a separate branch, they're Celeste's enforcers based on the Decepticon Justice Division.  
Yes she is crazy and yes that is actually Adam's sword, which is interesting because in Downward Spiral Blake actually ended up with it, obviously she got rid of it after she retired from hunting.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Ferrous, TigerRose, FluffyFirefly, Unstoppable Cyborg and FleetOfWarships for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Just remember when I give you fluff it's so you can use it as a shock absorber later.  
Hellion meeting Qrow is gonna be bad, but can you imagine Hellion meeting Eagle's Aunts?  
I may have to give you that pining.  
I do indeed have plans for Team CFVY.  
Marauder and Sentinel are best pet/weapons.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	48. High-School Drama

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 48: High-School Drama**

Carcharodon braced himself for the next onslaught, a clearly telegraphed downward slash as his opponent charged; the Shark Faunus raised his arms and prepared to use the blades of the Red Waves to block and redirect the attack, at the last moment his adversary came to an abrupt halt and pivoted to the side as he brought his axe around in a wide arcing slash aimed at Carcharodon's ribs. Knowing he wouldn't be able to dodge or effectively block the Shark Faunus brought his left arm downwards, his own weapon grinding against the blade of the axe as he dropped to one knee to force Jotun downwards and halt the momentum behind the attack before looking up into Onyx's laughing face and launching his counter attack, his right arm moved under the shaft of the axe and outwards forcing the weapon away and giving Carcharodon enough room to weave around it and launch himself back to his feet, delivering a knee strike to Onyx's side as he did so only to be flung back as the Puma Faunus's shoulder ploughed into his chest. The two of them circled each other, Onyx twirling Jotun Fang in one hand with an ease few people could manage; the pair had elected to train in the outdoor colosseum together once the last lesson of the day had ended, knowing that it was less likely to be occupied by their fellow students late on a Friday afternoon and decided that a sparring match against each other with none of the arbitrary restraints imposed on them by teachers' would be a good warm up. Suddenly Onyx paused and raised a palm to halt Carcharodon, giving a barely perceptible nod at something behind the Shark Faunus; instantly weary he turned and scanned the bleachers around them and soon spotted what had drawn his partners' suspicions, Team SNST, the first year students that Carcharodon had given a valuable lesson in the form of a beating a week prior were watching them, something that Team GORE had noticed them doing on several occasions during the week

"They keep following you around" Onyx grunted in amusement as he slung his axe over his shoulder "Should we tell them you don't swing anyone's way or shall we assume that they want revenge?"

"Mistrali Hunters maybe" Carcharodon snorted "These….they don't have the heart"

"Doesn't take heart to stab someone in the back" Onyx noted, Carcharodon privately agreed but remained silent and focused his attention on the member of Team SNST who had left the group and begun approaching them with clear apprehension. Their more acute Faunus vision had identified the newcomer as Shine, the teams' leader long before he drew close. The first year had light brown skin and was shorter than either of them, reaching just below six feet if Carcharodon had to guess and had a slim but athletic build that could easily be mistaken for scrawny at a casual glance; his outfit was a mismatch of different styles that was clearly intentional, a grey pullover hoodie and sweatpants and high-top trainers which Carcharodon assumed meant he was native to the poor areas of the inner city, having seen several groups of youths similarly dressed while in New Vale, over these he wore a tactical vest and armour plating around his knees and forearms that while nothing close to the standard of that worn by Atlesian military would definitely still absorb a considerable impact, his hands were covered by fingerless leather gloves fastened with heavy buckles and a harness over his chest with supported several pouches which were likely filled with Dust crystals and additional ammunition for the collapsed weapon slung over his back, his hair was a golden yellow though that was evidently not its' natural colour and was braided into neat cornrows while a pair of bulky goggles with heavily tinted lenses and a series of gears indicating that something about their function could be adjusted rested on his forehead.

"Hey man can we talk?" Shine held his hands up to show that they were empty and he was not looking for a confrontation, Carcharodon nodded silently to Onyx who stepped away to give them some privacy; or at least the appearance of it as the Puma Faunus would be able to hear every word spoken between them and react accordingly

"Speak" Carcharodon rasped out, his tone disinterested

"I've been thinking about last week in the gym, y'know when you uh….schooled my whole team; to be honest we've all been thinking-"

"If you don't speak your mind soon the next beating will be solely for my entertainment" Carcharodon warned, quickly growing tired of the conversation

"We want to train with you" Shine answered hurriedly "You were right about what you said and your whole team act like you've seen some shit. We were kinda hoping you'd teach us a little?"

"You say we" the Shark Faunus sighed glancing over Shine's shoulder to the rest of the first year team who were still in the bleachers "Yet you're the only one here asking"

"Yeah well" Shine fidgeted a little uncomfortable "The others….look they're a little scared of you"

"Then they're weaklings who should rethink being here" Carcharodon rasped without pause

"Come on man, you broke Teal's leg in a sparring match" Shine protested "They wanna get better at this, they really do but-"

"You're hoping to compete in the Vytal Tournament?" Carcharodon asked

"Yeah. Qualifiers are coming up but hopefully we can learn enough to have a chance" Shine nodded clearly hopeful

"You train for the tournament on your own time" Carcharodon rasped out "I won't be wasting my time teaching you to play fight. Go back to your team and tell them if they have the heart for it to meet me hear at noon tomorrow….understand that what I teach you will be of more use when you're inevitably sent out beyond the Kingdom's walls and you will suffer for that knowledge" Shine nodded awkwardly in understanding until Carcharodon despite being completely hairless made it clear that if he had an eyebrow it would have raised it questioningly

"Yeah man uh, good talking to you. We'll see you here tomorrow" with that he turned and left at a pace that made it clear that he was just as frightened of the Shark Faunus as his team-mates were. Footsteps from behind him alerted Carcharodon to Onyx returning

"So we're teaching now?" the taller Faunus asked with a bemused snort "I suppose somebody should show them which end of a weapon is which"

"Agreed" Carcharodon rasped out before retrieving the sleeveless robe he'd discarded before the sparring match and pulling the hood low over his face before murmuring "Teaching Hunters and answering to the Kingdoms, if Mizu could see me now she'd kill me herself" Onyx clamped a hand down on his shoulder

"You're too hard on yourself Car. You do your sister proud, you do all of us proud….there's nobody else we would rather follow" the Puma Faunus shrugged "And who knows, maybe they'll learn to appreciate our way of life"

"If anyone could convince them it's you" Carcharodon replied with a chuckle "Go, find a bar and terrorise the locals. I'll train alone" Onyx raised an eyebrow, silently asking if he was sure and received a nod of confirmation in return; seeing this he slung his axe over his back and made his way from the arena leaving Carcharodon to his thoughts, of which there were many.

* * *

Felix drove the Killer-Bee out of the vehicle hold of the airship that carried him back to Halo Academy with music blaring at an admittedly obnoxious volume, a somewhat smug grin on the Lion Faunus's face as he he saw the way heads turned when his car passed on the short drive to the ramp leading to the academies' parking lot located beneath the campus itself. It was currently late afternoon, rapidly fading into evening as the sun began to set and Felix was returning to the academy after taking Eagle to her home town of New Hope, a small farming village just beyond the defensive walls of the Kingdom where her Grandparents still lived; with the qualifiers for the Vytal Tournament rapidly approaching and the successful competitors leaving for Atlas soon after she had wanted to spend some time with family, a sentiment that Felix shared as he was considering heading back to Patch the next morning and picking Eagle on the way back on Sunday. In the meantime however he was left at something of a loose end with no plans for his Friday evening, Arctus and Diamond may have still been around but he didn't want to intrude or feel like the third wheel; as he retrieved Hack and Slash from the back seat and sheathed them across his back he considered calling Nyanza and seeing what Team NEON were doing, which would most likely see him in the city within a few hours in whatever rave his fellow Faunus decided to grace with his presence. He was still turning the idea over in his mind as he climbed the stairs leading out of the parking lot and onto the pathway leading to the campus himself, on one hand it would allow him to spend some time with Helios and the other he was still unsure if that was a good thing given that it could easily lead to him making a fool of himself. His train of thought came grinding to a halt as he caught sight of a towering figure strolling around the side of the main building, there were few students six and a half feet tall and Felix could only think of one who carried an axe.

"What?" Felix spat as he locked eyes with the Puma Faunus who merely snorted in response and walked away, the whole of Team FADE had been made aware of the truth of the Shadow Cadre's renaming as Team GORE and while he wouldn't begrudge Eagle her apparent friendship with Hellion and could admit that Onyx's antics in class were occasionally entertaining he preferred to keep them at a distance. Glowering after Onyx as he stepped inside the campus closing the main doors behind him Felix drew his Scroll, still taking a moment to decide who he was going to contact before finally settling on a text message to Corvid

' _I'm out front. Wanna hang out?'_ he barely had to wait for a minute before his Scroll buzzed with her reply

' _Gimme two minutes'_ pocketing his Scroll the Lion Faunus situated himself on one of the many benches scattered nearby and waited, true to her word only a few minutes later Corvid came into view, soaring through the air with the Omega Wing wrapped around her in its' combat mode

"Hey bro" she greeted him nonchalantly as the battle suit collapsed back into its' aerial drone form, allowing her to sit next to him

"You're a show off you know that right?"

"Oh so that wasn't your speakers the whole campus could hear a few minutes ago?" she countered with a laugh "So what's up Fluffy?"

"Not much" Felix shrugged "Was wondering if you wanted head back to Patch tomorrow, spend a weekend at home before we head out to Atlas?"

"I like the way you think, bring Eagle it'll be fun"

"She's already gone home for the weekend, I'm picking her up Sunday" Felix informed her, the two of them sat in peaceful silence for a few moments before Corvid gently nudged his shoulder

"Come on what's bothering you?"

"Nothing much" Felix breathed out taking a moment to prepare himself "But I kinda wanna ask for your advice about something"

"Sure, go for it" Felix was reassured by the smile she gave him but still needed a moment to force the words out

"Look….I think I've got a thing for Helios, like I kinda-what?" the final word was exclaimed indignantly as Corvid doubled over, cackling hysterically

"Oh you think?" she almost screeched with laughter "Oh my Oum you are literally the last person to know Fluffy, I mean that's been obvious for what….almost a year now!"

"Come on, I'm not that bad" Felix insisted, arms folding across his chest in a display that his parents would almost certainly have described as sulking. Corvid simply carried on laughing

"Oh you were. I don't know how to put this without CRUSHing your ego but you may as well have put 'Helios is hot' on a big NEON sign"

"Alright alright" he grumbled "So are you gonna help me out here or what? I just don't wanna make an idiot of myself" Corvid simply ruffled his messy blonde curls and pulled him into a brief one armed hug

"Look as sweet as it is that you came to me for dating advice I'm probably not the best person for you to get it from….I'm better at casual stuff, maybe talk to our Mums?"

"Have you lost your mind? I won't hear the end of it"

"You think you're gonna avoid getting teased by telling me?" Corvid gave him a grin with was somewhere between gleeful and sadistic and Felix momentarily regretted telling her anything but instead simply smirked and chuckled

"Whatever Sis"

"Okay seriously though" Corvid finally settled down "Just act normal, if a chance to a make a move comes up then go for it….in fact, before the Vytal Festival starts there's always a big dance for the students; it's actually where our Mum's first date was. Try asking him if we wants to go to it with you, it'll be sweet"

"You think he'd say yes?" the nervous waver in his voice betraying just how concerned he was, Corvid fought the urge to squeal and tease her younger brother some more despite how adorable she thought his crush was

"I can't see why not" she shrugged "You're good looking, a bit of a bad-ass, you're already friends….you've got a muscle car"

"And every day I learn things about you I'm not sure I wanted to know" Felix snorted only to receive another nudge to the shoulder

"Yeah yeah, you got anything planned for tonight?"

"Nah?"

"Well get changed and we'll head into the city and hit a few clubs….Rusty still hasn't stopped laughing at your dancing and apparently you've got a date to practice for" Felix simply rolled his eyes and rose from the bench, suddenly immensely grateful for his sister.

* * *

"It's a shame Felix didn't stay" Eagle's grandmother, Ivory Arc noted as she handed over a paper plate which held a burger fresh off of the grill and a side of salad; because in the Arc household there were no exceptions to eating your vegetables "I like that boy, he's good for you"

"Neither of us are straight, it's not gonna happen" Eagle reminded her with a bemused sigh

"Oh I didn't mean like that, it's just good to see you with friends that'll go out of their way for you and get you to come out of your shell….Don't worry I wouldn't change anything about any of my girls, I love you all just the way you are" the two of them ate in peaceful silence for a while, listening to the radio that had been moved outside while Craven Arc cooked; having insisted on getting the most of the last of the summer warmth and firing up the barbecue, pointing out that it would be the last good weather Eagle experienced for a while. Other members of the Arc family had decided to visit and were also occupying the expansive back yard. Eagle watched her Aunts Daisy and Victoria trade blows in a light sparring match while Daisy's daughter and Eagle's cousin Honey watched in silent awe, golden furred rabbit ears stood upright. In a nearby deck chair Flax was dozing, his own Faunus attributes drooping over his face

"They're good" Ivory noted, seeing where Eagle's attention was directed "But so are you, you'll qualify and you'll do fine in the tournament"

"Thanks" Eagle beamed, she was honestly far less concerned about the upcoming qualifiers as she had expected to be; Felix's confidence having permeated the entirety of Team FADE but her grandmother's words were still good to hear

"Of course you will, us Arcs have always-" Craven trailed off as a new figure stepped out of the house, nobody in the back yard having heard her car pull up outside. Eagle saw blonde hair styled into an undercut and short spikes, skin reddened due constant proximity to extreme heat and a cocky swagger and shot out of her seat and pulled the newcomer into a hug

"Aunt Hell!" she squealed "I've missed you, I thought you were in Mistral with Aunt Citrus? How did it go?"

"Hey Aunt Hellebores" Eagle felt something nudge her legs as her younger cousin tried to join in the hug and promptly made room

"Hey kids" Hellebores Arc ruffled the hair of both of her nieces "Yeah I got a mission done with Citrus, wrapped it up pretty quick so I thought paid Buttercup and Xiangya a visit-"

"How are they doing?" Daisy interjected upon hearing her twin sister's name

"She's good, Jinse lost his first tooth and Titania is getting big as well. I'm looking at a mission right on the border with Vaccuo, should be able to get Poppy in on it"

"Good to see you Hellebores" Craven smiled as he piled food onto a plate for her "I do wish you'd put roots down somewhere though, you and Poppy both"

"You worry too much Dad….besides mortgages are not cheap"

"Aint that the Oum honest truth" Flax muttered, revealing that he was not quite asleep yet and earning himself a round of soft chuckles. As Hellebores made herself comfortable conversation naturally drifted towards missions and how the Arc sisters whose visits were less frequent were doing, Eagle listened with just as much rapt attention to her Aunt Hell's stories as Honey Scarlatina did while at the same time looking for a chance to speak to her alone as there were certain questions that she felt most comfortable asking Hellebores. Eventually an opportunity presented itself when Honey and Flax began playing catch

"Hey Aunt Hell can we talk for a minute?" Eagle asked, her nerves creeping into her hushed tone which the older blonde immediately picked up on

"Yeah sure" Hellebores wrapped an arm around Eagle's shoulder and gently pulled her away from the yard and towards the house before giving her a concerned glance "What's up? I know you and your Mum have been having problems but-"

"It's not that" Eagle assured her, a deep blush slowly creeping across her face as she looked away "It's about a girl"

"Oh" her tone made it clear that she understood perfectly "Has little Eagle got a crush on someone"

"I'm taller than you" Eagle muttered while blushing deeper still "I just wanted to ask you for advice"

"Well my advice is always go for it, nothing ventured nothing gained" Hellebores shrugged

"It's not that simple" Eagle sighed, privately deciding just how much to tell her "She's a transfer student I've been tutoring with some subjects she struggles with and she keeps trying to flirt with me….the thing is, well she's been in trouble with the law before already"

"So you like bad girls?" Hellebores nudged her teasingly "You're worried about how the family are gonna react?"

"Yeah" Eagle admitted without going into detail as to just how warranted those concerns were

"Relax, doesn't matter who the first person you bring home is they're gonna get the exact same inquisition. Besides there's no guarantee anything is gonna get that far and there's no sense inventing situations to get worried about"

"So you think-"

"So I think" Hellebores interrupted "That it's cute and it's great that you're helping people out but your studies come first. Keep your grades up, worry about the tournament and then worry about flirting with cute girls. You better introduce me as well" she punctuated her words with a sly wink

"You think you'll be able to come to the Vytal Tournament?" Eagle asked hopefully

"Tickets cost a fortune" Hellebores pointed out "But Citrus has a jet pack so…." she trailed off and Eagle doubled over laughing at the mental image

"What conspiracy are you two cooking up?" Craven called over to them, a phrase that had been heard often when Hellebores still lived in the Arc family home before she had attended Haven Academy and when she returned during the summers

"Nothing much, just giving her some advice" Hellebores answered before turning to Eagle "I'm gonna get some food before Flax cleans us out, want another plate?" Eagle nodded silently in response while her mind was preoccupied with the advice she'd received and the possibilities it presented.

* * *

Team NEON's Dormitory had been organised in a way that had unintentionally mirrored that of Team FADE; beds having converted into impromptu bunks, one of which used as additional closet space as Olivine and Ether had long since started sharing a bed, and a weapon stand in one corner holding the teams' equipment. Currently Helios's shield was absent from said stand despite the fact its' owner was currently in the shower

"He's gonna nuts if he sees you doing that" Olivine noted as she glanced up from the latest issue of a technology subscription she was subscribed to. Nyanza merely grinned and continued to spin the shield on the tip of a single finger, a feat that was almost certainly accomplished with the use of his Semblance, the sound distracted Ether from the battered looking notepad he was writing chords and lyrics to share with the rest of his and his sisters' band in

"No seriously, that's not testing your luck that's just stupid. You know how he gets about his stuff" Nyanza smirked to himself as he remembered an incident early in their first year when he had used the same shield he was currently spinning to carry several trays of food from the canteen, the redhead treated his armour and weapons with excessive care and attention and his reaction to sight had been negative in the extreme.

"It'll be fine" Nyanza assured them with an exaggerated sigh "But actually, would you two mind heading out for a while? I've kinda got something I wanna talk to him about in private" Ether simply turned to Olivine

"Wanna see what the band are doing?"

"Sure why not" a few moments later the partners and long term couple were closing the door behind them as they left leaving the feline Faunus alone to wait for his own partner, eventually the bathroom door opened revealing Helios wearing only a pair of sweatpants and still towelling himself off

"For Oum' sake" Nyanza muttered under his breath, he considered himself in shape, definitely more so than he had been upon first arriving at Halo Academy though the slight chubbiness of his cheeks persisted but the fact remained he would most likely never have a physique like Helios's. Catching sight of the Faunus spinning his shield on his finger Helios discreetly activated his Semblance

"Mother fucker!" Nyanza spat as his wrist was bent back under the increased gravity acting on the shield

"I'm sure your mother is a lovely woman" Helios answered with a nonchalant shrug, by now having built up something of an immunity to his partners' particular quirks

"Don't even go there" Nyanza warned him as he sat up, still massaging his wrist "I swear your sexual frustration is coming out as pent up aggression, which brings me to something else I wanna talk to you about"

"If this is you asking me to come with you to another rave then-"

"It's about Felix" Nyanza's words stopped Helios dead in his track, seeing that the redhead was seemingly reluctant to have the conversation needled at the Faunus's temper and he hopped off of the bed as he continued "I've seen the way you look at him and everyone's seen the way he looks at you Heely so what is it? Are you interested or not because I don't appreciate people trying jerk my friends around while they make their mind up"

"You really need to calm down" Helios warned him, his voice stern but holding no anger. Nyanza's knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists before taking a slow deep breath

"Alright man yeah, I'm sorry" he flopped down on his bunk once more, still somewhat irritable "Just promise me you're not dicking him around"

"Nyanza have you even known me to be a liar?" Helios seemed mildly annoyed by the implications as he took a seat on Ether's bunk directly opposite

"Fair point….but look you know me and Fluffy go way back right?"

"I know he used to fight your battles before you learned to defend yourself" Helios nodded

"Exactly" Nyanza sighed "See you've never been to my place before, but you know some of the really poor places in the city right?"

"Yes-"

"Well I'm from Patch's equivalent to that" the Feline made a point of not looking at his partner he didn't want anyone's pity "My folks moved from Vale to Patch when it was expanding with all the refugees after the war 'cos they thought there'd be more work and it didn't quite play out. They're both hard workers but I grew up with my Mum working minimum wage jobs and my Dad getting laid off every few months because as much as Fluffy's mum has done for us the Faunus guy is always first to lose his job when the company needs to cut costs; so we never had any money to move into a nicer part of the island; it kinda felt like our luck was always running out which is funny as fuck when I think about it now" he gave a laugh which failed to hide his bitterness

"I'm not going to pretend I know what growing up like that was like" Helios told him "I think it's a failing of the Kingdoms, in my tribe everyone has a role, everyone is cared for and everyone knows that they're valued"

"Must be nice" Nyanza shrugged "Thing is I was a fat kid who couldn't fight or run fast growing up in a place like that, my parents didn't exactly have a lot of cash lying around to replace the lunch money I was getting robbed for every day; so I learned to crack jokes and bullshit my way out of it, nobody wants to pick on the funny guy that everyone likes y'know. Then I decided to learn to fight back and somehow managed to get into Signal and talking my way out of it wasn't an option any more….Felix stopped me from getting jumped on the way home on the first week there and we've been friends since"

"Well if it's any consolation you've grown into capable fighter since then" Helios assured him, pausing a moment to brace himself before continuing "And since we're sharing, yes I would like to be a lot more than friends with Felix. At first I didn't want to like him but you know yourself that it's hard not to, he's just fun to be around, honestly I admire how easily he leads Team FADE he's got a natural gift for it that I don't think I'll ever have and that smile where his teeth are-"

"Okay no, we're not doing this" Nyanza laughed, casually throwing a pillow at his partner "But seriously though, what's stopping you from making a move?"

"With my position within my people I have certain expectations placed on me-"

"What like an arranged marriage?" Nyanza raised an eyebrow

"No" Helios shook his head "The Nikosi actually don't have marriage the way you'd think of it, there are just people who spend their whole lives together. The fact remains though…." as he trailed off Nyanza sat up

"So do you want me to talk to him?"

"No, this is something I need to handle myself"

"Okay fine….just promise me you will actually talk to him though" Nyanza's tone was unusually sincere

"Again Nyanza, I have never been a liar" Helios assured him, he Faunus rolled his eyes in response

"Okay cool, just do me one more favour….Put a shirt on man, I look like a fucking marshmallow next to you".

* * *

Carcharodon entered Team GORE's dormitory, having continued training outside until long after the sun had set. The sight that greeted him upon his entry was Hellion sat cross legged on the gigantic shared bed formed by pushing their individual bunks together, her wings spread wide and held rigidly still; at first Carcharodon thought that she was meditating and considered joining her as he often did but a second glance revealed the jade green eyes moving as she scanned the pages of a book which lay open across her lap.

"Where are Onyx and Raffia? I have work for us tomorrow" the Shark Faunus asked, taking the fact that she was not in fact in a trance like state as an invitation to speak

"Onyx came back from training with you a while ago but left soon after, most likely some girl wants to see exactly what his 'toe-beans' feel like" the Dragonfly Faunus snorted "Raffia went to get food and hasn't come back….should we look for him?"

"If trouble had found him we'd be able to hear it from here" Carcharodon noted "He's going to make himself ill if keeps eating the way he has been" Hellion nodded in agreement, all of them had over indulged upon arriving at the academy and realising that the food wasn't rationed but the Axolotl Faunus in particular seemed determined to eat everything he could as if the food would be snatched away otherwise

"And Onyx?" Hellion asked

"He's a whore. I expect nothing else" Carcharodon chuckled before watching Hellion turn the page of the book she was reading and realising it was not one of their textbooks "Weren't you reading when I left?"

"I'm a slow reader, what of it?" Hellion defended as she had indeed been slogging through the fantasy novel that seemed like something Eagle would have enjoyed for hours

"Let's not pretend you're even remotely interested in whatever is in that book" Carcharodon huffed, Hellion made to disagree and answer the story had captured her attention even she did find herself siding with the villains but he simply continued "You're doing this for the girl….be careful Hellion"

"Are you going to be giving Onyx the same warnings?" she shot back stroking Marauder as the bird of prey hopped from his perch to sit beside her as if sensing her agitation

"It was her mother we kidnapped" Carcharodon countered "Besides Onyx can be relied on to have his fun without getting attached"

"You forget that I'm the _'Queen of a thousand ports'_ " Hellion reminded him with a smirk though the title she'd jokingly been given by the rest of the Shadow Cadre felt empty to her her now

"And how many of the girls in those ports did you learn to read in a different language for? You're desperate to impress her" Carcharodon saw her wings vibrating fast enough to be a blur of motion and realised that she was angry a moment before she leapt from the bed, Marauder squawking in protest

"So what of it Car!" she demanded furiously "She's attractive. Is this because she isn't of the tribes? Need I remind you where we come from?"

"We come from the Frost River Tribe. Our fathers were too weak to raise us, they have no claim to us" Carcharodon all but snarled "Live free or die Hellion I have no intention of trying to stop you but I have to think about the future of our people. The Council of Elders are dead, the captains of the fleet are dead, everyone we have ever looked to for guidance is dead. We're all that's left and I'm worried that you're losing your way" his tone dropped to a concerned whisper, the fear creeping into every syllable enough to halt Hellion's retort.

"How could I lose my way with you as my captain?" she murmured after a moment, giving his shoulder an affectionate punch

"Just be careful Hellion" he reiterated "I need the Shadow Cadre beside me when the time comes in Atlas, not a Hunter. If you start acting like them eventually you'll start thinking like them and then our people really will be gone" Hellion saw that he looked tired, not from the training but the bone deep weariness of shouldering the weight of the world for too long and instinctively grabbed his shoulders, forcing him to look at her

"Whatever happens we will stand with you when the time comes" Carcharodon gave her a weak smile

"That's all I needed to hear, enjoy you book"

 **Authors Notes:**

Okay another character development chapter but I promise you there's going to be some action next chapter as we move into the final third of Vol.4 and make our way to Atlas for Vol.5 and Vol.6 of the story.  
Also I'm starting a new job within the next week or two _(Waiting for a start date)_ and I'm going to be working twelve hour shifts on Friday and Saturday so expect things to be a little weird for a couple of weeks before I settle into a new routine and possibly/probably a new upload schedule.  
I won't be uploading anything on the 29th of May so I'll take this opportunity to point out this story is a year old now and thank everyone that's stuck with me this far _(Especially those people who've been hear since The Downward Spiral)_ at my current pace I think there's another two years worth of story; I have literally already been planting seeds for third and fourth year plot lines.  
Finally I'd like to give a shout out to BooDawg who gave this story its' 300th review on FF Net.

Now, let's summarise:  
Carcharodon and Onyx probably have the most intense sparring matches.  
" _A valuable lesson in the form of a beating"_ is pretty much Carcharodon summed up.  
" _Should we tell them you don't swing anyone's way"_ I mentioned it in notes before but here it is 'on screen' Car is Ace.  
I gave Shine an actual description this time, I'm imagining his aesthetic as a deliberate mismatch of early 2000s hip-hop, minimalist utilitarian armour and Steampunk accessories.  
I love the idea of Carcharodon getting his first real socialisation outside of the tribe by being and unwilling Senpai to a bunch of first years.  
It might sound like he's being a dick but Carcharodon is just honest and refuses to sugar coat anything for the sake of peoples' feelings; in his mind it's either get good or get killed.  
We all love Fluffy dearly but he is too hard headed to just be friends with Team GORE after last year.  
Also yeah Arctus has told Team FADE what Gangrel told him, so they know why they're at Halo.  
Corvid is low-key committed to making Eagle feel part of the family.  
Felix in true Felix fashion went to his big Sis for advice and in true older sibling fashion she teased, the circle of life continues.  
Yeah there's a dance coming in Vol.5 you're welcome.  
It's been barbecue weather for the last couple weeks over here and I've got food on the brain, judge me.  
The Arcs love Felix. It's canon.  
Aunt Hell, Eagle's go to Aunt on all things gay.  
A couple other Arcs mentioned including some of Eagle's younger cousins.  
I mean _"Bad girl"_ doesn't quite cover _"Yeah I think one of the people who kidnapped my Mum last year is cute"_ but the devil's in the detail.  
Nyanza will always be a living shit-post.  
Also surprisingly or perhaps not so much he has his own insecurities under all that mouth.  
Well look at how much progress Helios and Nyanza have made since they were first partnered together, Helios would have kicked his ass for that outburst.  
A little backstory for Nyanza, it makes him seem more real and not just a smart mouthed son of a bitch to act as a foil for Helios; I think it fits that all that talk is a defence mechanism.  
There you go, you wanted Battle Cat mutual pining, are you happy now?  
Helios is the heir to his people as much as the Anima tribes have a "Live free or die" approach it'd be stupid to assume that he doesn't have certain expectations to live up to.  
We'll just assume Car forgot that he told Onyx to go out.  
Toe-beans, the girls love 'em.  
The titbit about the Shadow Cadre/Team GORE overeating was actually inspired by a review on the last chapter.  
Protective Car, he's a lot of things but he means well.  
Combine what Hellion said with Helios's comment about the expectations placed on him and the fact that its' been mentioned before that Pyrrha was raised outside of the Nikos tribe and you start to see that the Anima tribes are very insular in some respects.  
" _How could I lose my way with you as my captain?"_ is a play on something Car said to Hellion in Vol.2 _"How can I lose my way when I have the best scout on Anima"_.  
Carcharodon's main motivations are revenge against everyone who double crossed his people and preserving what's left of the Frost River tribe which includes the culture and way of life, it's interesting to see how that plays out as I write it.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Araniladin, ShadowAlex2000, FleetOfWarships, TigerRose, LoneDragon, BooDawg and FluffyFirefly for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Rhodium was there to just to remind everyone that he exists, we'll see him a couple times over the course of second year but he's on the shelf plot wise until third year.  
Go Junior indeed, because even the Mob have some standards and loyalty.  
Oh yeah she's a total edge lord, remember that Adam died when Celeste was a child; realistically she only knows what he was portrayed as and the stories that White Fang grunts told about him and I imagine that Adam likes to see himself as something like Magneto in the X-Men and promote that image; that's what she's moulded herself after. Also remember how Adam died in The Downward Spiral.  
I'm glad I fooled at least one person with the smut fake out.  
We could have met the high leader earlier but remember that the "Other group" that turned out to be the New White Fang have been mentioned since Vol.1 and we saw their handiwork earlier on this volume, also we're only six chapters into second year; Celeste is going to be around until at least Vol.6.  
I'll come out and say right now that the Cult of Taurus are _not_ students at Atlas, we've already met one problem who'll be attending Atlas.  
The 'Wilt problem' will be addressed.  
I'm glad you like the callbacks to The Downward Spiral and the battle of Eisenstadt Siebte….'cos we're going back there.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	49. Qualification

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 49: Qualification**

Felix joined in the uproar that erupted from the stands as Corvid blasted her opponent with the twin rail-guns of the Omega Wing, sending the other Huntress sailing through the air and colliding with the protective forcefield enveloping the arena; her fellow third year managed to grit her teeth and use the forcefield itself to ricochet back into the arena and avoid a loss by ring out and the two fighters began circling each other in search of the next opening. The qualification matches for the Vytal Tournament had begun and the entire student body as well as the teachers and several of the canteen, cleaning and maintenance staff were watching while Goodwitch presided over the affair having explained the selection process beforehand. Each bout was between the leaders of two randomly selected teams and fought under tournament rules, victory was decided by ring out, forfeit or Aura depletion and it appeared only one round of qualification matches would be required to reduce the amount of competitors to the amount agreed upon by the Academies.

"Dude this is almost unfair" Diamond gasped as she watched Corvid parry her opponents' quarterstaff with the trio of blades mounted around her right arm, then activate her own forcefield and send the other girl crashing to ground

"It's always unfair against Corey" Felix chuckled as he watched his sister train her ranged weapons on her target yet again; in his mind the battle could only have ended one way as Corvid had superior firepower, range, defence and the ability to take the high ground at a moments' notice; the other third year had put up the best fight they could but this contest was all but over. The crowd were stirred into another chorus of cheers and stunned gasps as Corvid's next attack was an all out salvo that left her opponent sprawled at the very edge of the arena, struggling to rise to her feet

"THAT'S MY PARTNER!" Lux bellowed proudly from a few rows ahead of Team FADE while standing in his seat and gesturing wildly before Rusty and Iris coaxed him down.

"Venenum Smoke's Aura has dropped into the red" Goodwitch's voice boomed throughout the outdoor training area where the matches were taking place, amplified by the P.A system "Corvid Xiao Long is the victor, as such Team CLIR will be representing Halo academy in the Vytal Tournament. My commiserations to Team SMKE" Corvid shed the Omega Wing which promptly condensed and reshaped itself into its' aerial drone form and helped her former opponent to her feet before making her way into the stands while typing commands on her gauntlet that would send the Omega Wing back inside the campus.

"Well!" she beamed out as she neared her team "Looks like their plans went up in-"

"Corey don't say it!" Felix called over to her, only for her to playfully stick her tongue out and get comfortable amongst her friends, seeing this Felix turned to his own team and spoke

"Hey I'm gonna go congratulate her unless I'm up next" seeing their nods of understanding he clambered over people until he was free of the row of seats Team FADE were in and began making his way towards Team CLIR, stopping for a moment to watch as the scorched and pock-marked surface of the arena was rapidly repaired by the swarms of nano-bots used to create solid constructs for training simulations, there was something off-putting but at the same time almost hypnotics about watching the silvery, almost liquid viscous mass move across the surface of the arena of its' own volition and seep into the damaged areas; more permanent repairs would doubtlessly be done but this allowed for the qualifiers to happen in quick succession, a fact Felix was made aware of when Goodwitch's voice announced the students participating in the next bout

"Shine Jua of Team SNST and Helios Nikos of Team NEON, make your way to the arena!" hearing the name of his fellow second year had Felix scanning the crowds nearby hoping to catch a glimpse of him, he was rewarded when he caught sight of golden armour reflecting the light of the setting sun as Helios strode out of the stands with a determined expression on his pale features

"Heely!" Felix called out, waving his arms to try and catch his attention "Hey Heely over here!" the redhead turned to face him and Felix realised at that moment he didn't actually know what to say

"Kick his ass man, Atlas is gonna be boring if you don't come" he thankfully managed to get his words out despite the heat rising in his cheeks

"That is the plan" Helios nodded and if the Lion Faunus's eyes were to be believed the redheads' vibrant green eyes seemed to light up a little before he turned and made his way towards the arena. Felix quickly rushed over to where Team CLIR were sat, remembering his original intention and was promptly pulled into a hug by a cackling Corvid

"Oh my Oum that was hilarious, adorable but hilarious. Bro you're head over Helios"

"Fuck off" Felix laughed as he shrugged her off "I was coming over to say well done"

"Thanks" Corvid grinned as she ruffled his hair while Lux sat on Rusty's lap to make room for Felix next to his sister. As the Lion Faunus made himself comfortable and cast his eyes downwards towards the arena where the two competitors were approaching his eyes homed in on Team GORE sitting in the front row of stands opposite and was unable to ignore the sudden concern he felt at the realisation of just how closely they seemed to be watching. Convincing himself it was simply a matter of them wanting to see how members of another Anima Tribe fared he pushed the nagging feeling aside and watched as Helios entered the arena.

* * *

Shine took several deep breaths as he stepped into the arena, the chill in the air making it clear that autumn was well and truly upon them and the sky darkening as the sun set, he lowered his goggles over his eyes to combat the glare caused by the floodlights surrounding the arena reflecting from his opponents' armour. As Helios Nikos stepped into the arena opposite him the forcefield protecting the crowd from any stray shots began to form around them and Shine suddenly felt numb, a dull buzzing in the back of his mind insisting simultaneously both that this was his one chance to prove himself and that his chances of doing so were non-existent.

"May the best man win" Helios said tonelessly whilst giving him a nod of recognition and readying Olympus Enforcer in its' sword and shield form, Professor Goodwitch was reiterating the rules once again though he could barely make out her words over the sound of his own heart pounding and blood rushing in his ears, reaching over his shoulder he drew his own weapon; Ferrum-Manibus, the weapon gauntlet his right arm to the elbow and was streamlined despite being constructed of worn looking gunmetal and having several brass cogs and gears visible, the weapon sprung into life forming a gigantic mechanical pincer wide enough to hold an Ursa in place. He had mere seconds to silently remind himself of everything he had learned from Carcharodon Gore and his team-mates before Goodwitch's voice informed him that he had run out of time

"BEGIN!" as Helios rushed towards him evidently eager to fight as close quarters Shine extended his right arm and shifted Ferrum-Manibus into its' ranged mode, the pincer arched back on itself mimicking the mechanism of a crossbow whilst also shifting upwards revealing a rotating ammunition chamber loaded with sharpened steel rods containing Dust crystal cores. Helios raised his shield over his face and left Shine with a sinking feeling of dread as he simply continued his charge, weathering the salvo despite electricity released from the Lightning Dust arcing across his metallic armour.

"Oh shit!" the terrified exclamation escaped his as Helios drew close as swung his shield at his face, Shine reacted instinctively and triggered his Semblance; vanishing with a flash golden light and a high pitched whining only to reappear behind Helios who simply followed his swing through and spun one hundred and eighty degrees while dropping into a crouch, Shine felt the shield collide with his shins and was thrown from his feet a moment later. He lashed out with a series of frantic kicks and flung himself to his feet, backing away whilst unleashing another barrage to keep Helios from following

"Okay, Okay I can do this" he whispered to himself while desperately trying to think of anything Carcharodon had taught him that would help him "Hit them from everywhere they can't see at once...that didn't work. Always fight on your own terms, but if you can't then make their terms your terms by doing something unexpected….yeah" Ferrum-Manibus returned to its' claw mode with an audible mechanical clacking and Shine sprinted forwards with a roar of determination, allowing his Aura to glow visibly as he prepared his Semblance; the moment he saw Helios begin to turn in anticipation of another attack from behind he teleported, closing the distance and reappearing directly in front of Helios mid-turn and closed the pincer around the widest area, the surface of his shield

"Unexpected" Helios noted in a detached tone before simply releasing his shield and working his right arm free of the weapon to stab at Shine's face several times, the first year did his best to avoid the blows but winced as he felt the sting of the blade against his cheek even through his Aura. A moment later he was forced to his knees, breathing becoming difficult and a glance at Helios revealed that the increased gravity was the effect of his Semblance, as gravity forced Shine's arm downwards Helios reclaimed his shield and forced his arm upwards with a grunt of exertion, sparks flying as metal screeched against metal; he followed this up with a punishing swing of his left arm which brought the edge of the shield into Shine's face a moment before he teleported.

"Damn it!" Shine spat, a frantic edge to his words as he raised his now cracked goggles only to be flung to the ground by bullets impacting against his chest as Helios advanced on him once more, Olympus Enforcer now in its' Tommy-Gun mode. Throwing caution to the wind Shine triggered his Semblance once more and reappeared directly above Helios in attempt to catch his skull within his pincer, the redhead unsure of where the attack would come from had simply crouched, hearing the telltale sound of Shine's reappearance he dropped his own weapon and surged upwards, his Dark Aura swirling around him as gravity was lessened enough to slow the first years' fall; Helios' fist connected with his gut and sent him sailing though the air until he hit the ground and rolled to stop. Rising to his feet on legs that ached and trembled, threatening to collapse under him at any moment Shine discarded his weapon and made eyes contact across the arena at Helios who nodded silently and stepped away from Olympus Enforcer which he had been recovering

"Adaptability in battle is key" Shine repeated Carcharodon's words "Plenty of dead people had convictions" rushing Helios had thus far seen him being soundly beaten, a quick glance at the display at the edge of the arena confirmed that his Aura was barely above the limit that would see him lose the match; realising with a stinging pang that his hopes of competing in the Vytal Tournament were all but done he raised his fists and resolved himself to at least try and make Helios work for his victory. Helios collided with Shine in a maelstrom of blows, the golden surface of his armour reflecting the light of Shine's Semblance as the younger fighter tried to manoeuvrer around the attacks he couldn't hope to block and find new angles to counter-attack; a jab to the ribs under his guard here, a spinning kick to the back of the head there, it was piecemeal chipping away of Helios's defences but it at least felt like he was fighting back. The illusion was shattered when Helios planted a boot on his chest and kicked him with enough force to send him staggering backwards, doubled over and clutching his ribs in pain; he saw his opponent closing in but couldn't rise in time, the last thing he saw was Helios's dark Aura coalesce around him and the everything exploded into pain, Shine found himself sprawled on the ground with the air forced from his lungs and unable to catch his breath as his entire back and chest seemed to scream in protest with every attempt. Helios has magnified gravity to an absurd degree and used into increase his over-handed punch to an impossible velocity. Through the daze of pain he could hear Goodwitch declaring the match over and see Helios recovering his weapons while the protective shielding deactivated. He struggled to pull himself to his feet, only to collapse to the ground gasping for breath once more, vaguely away of a commotion above as a shadow fell over him

"Pick yourself up"

"Mister Gore!" Goodwitch snapped, revealing the shadow and rasping voice above him to belong to Carcharodon "Only competitors are permitted to be inside the arena"

"Then I'll fight next, give me an opponent" Carcharodon answered simply before crouching down beside Shine and rasping at him "I told you to pick yourself up" he struggled to comply, arms barely supporting his weight as he tried to scramble to his feet; after a few moments the Shark Faunus wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him up, helping him out of the arena where the remaining members of Team GORE and TEAM SNST were waiting, the first years wearing concerned expressions. Before handing him over to his peers Carcharodon leaned down and murmured in his ear

"If this were to happen in the real world….you might have lived long enough for help to arrive, you're learning" Shine grinned, he knew it was the closest thing to praise he would receive from Carcharodon. Moments later he was being helped to his seat in the stands as the leader of Team GORE returned to the arena for his own bout.

* * *

Felix watched as fellow second year Pepe Le-Puce, leader of Team PSTL was utterly outmatched by Carcharodon. There were collective gasps and sympathetic winces as the Shark Faunus attacked with ferocity and calculated brutality that would have suggested to someone unfamiliar with the Shadow Cadre that the fight was personal, every blow seemed to be intending to cripple its' target by breaking bones or damaging internal organs as Carcharodon showed a practical knowledge of anatomy rivalling that of many medical students

"He's beating the devil outta him" Rusty sighed beside Felix with a shake of the head as Carcharodon held Pepe in place by stepping on the Skunk Faunus's tail before dragging the blades of his weapons across the back of his neck, following the attack up by triggering his Semblance and rippling through Pepe's body to reappear in front of him and land a brutal kick square on the mouth.

"Pepe Le-Puce's Aura has dropped into the red" Goodwitch announced "Carcharodon Gore is the victor, as such Team GORE will be representing Halo academy in the Vytal Tournament. My commiserations to Team PSTL" it was a testament to both Team GORE's standing within the social hieracrchy and the way Carcharodon had conducted himself in the match that he left the arena to only a small scattering of polite applause rather than the cacophony that had accompanied the other victors

"He's gonna kill someone like that" Felix spat with a disgusted shake of the head

"Gonna give everyone from Halo a bad name in Atlas" Iris grumbled with obvious distaste

"Yeah well" Corvid sighed, watching as the arena was once again automatically repaired "It's not like you have to deal with him now" there were a few moments with nothing to distract them but the chattering around them before Goodwitch spoke into her microphone again, announcing the next competitors to be randomly selected

"Chromia Mauer of Team CHRM-"

"Sweet, third years" Corvid noted

"And Felix Xiao Long of Team FADE, make your way to the arena!" Felix rose to his feet only for Corvid's hand to clamp down on his shoulder

"She's good, be careful?"

"Better than you?"

"No" Corvid snorted, feigning offence at the suggestion

"Then I'll be fine" Felix shrugged as he exited the aisle and made his way down the descending rows of stands, a familiar voice calling out to him and repeating his own words

"Atlas is going to be boring if you don't come" Helios called out "You can win this Fluffy" filled with additional confidence he closed the rest of the distance to the arena with a spring in his step and found his opponent waiting for him. Chromia Mauer was roughly the same height as him though her stature was artificially enhanced by the large boots she wore, the rest of her attire offered little protection, torn and faded jeans and a black tank-top with several ornate and spiky bangles around her wrists; her eyes and short curly hair were both a pale blue-grey colour that complemented her pale complexion and her physique was impressive, arms and shoulders well muscled from years of carrying the weapon currently in her hand, a hammer with a rounded head larger than her own torso, a portion of an ammo drum visible on the underside hinting at its' alternate form.

"Corey's brother?" she asked, Felix merely nodded in response as he drew Hack and Slash "Well it's nothing personal kid, you're just in the way"

"Fair enough" Felix grinned, flashing his large canine teeth and swishing his tail eagerly. Goodwitch glanced from Felix to Chromia ensuring that both fighters were ready before giving the customary reiteration of the rules.

"Begin!" Felix instinctively darted to the side expecting a hailstorm of bullets to rip through where he was standing, his instincts were rewarded as Chromia transformed her hammer into a min-gun and opened fire. Felix zigzagged across the arena managing to stay one step ahead of the stream of gunfire until he drew close enough to attack, the abrupt halt of her barrage serving as warning a moment before Chromia returned her weapon to hammer mode and swung, giving him just enough time to protect his head and chest before the blow connected, hurling him across the arena, gasps and cheers from the audience ringing in his ears as he was brought dangerously close to the edge. Springing to his feet and readying his weapons again he paused upon catching sight of his opponent, Chromia had activated her Semblance and her entire body taken on the colour and texture of steel

"Well fuck….was not expecting that" Felix chuckled, admittedly impressed as he rolled his shoulders back and tried to ignore the throbbing pain in he left arm, Chromia merely made a 'come here' motion with one hand

"Okay then" Felix grinned as charged directly at her this time, shifting Hack and Slash into their machine pistol forms and opening fire with very little result, between her Aura and Semblance it seemed there was very little he could do to breach her defences. He saw her move just in time to crouch under her next attack and felt the rush of displaced air as her hammer passed over him, a moment later he sprung upwards and wrapped his arms around her waist before forcing her back several steps; it appeared her Semblance had altered her mass as he struggled to move her towards the edge of the arena and before he could achieve his goal the air was knocked from his lungs by a knee connecting with his ribs, he staggered back as he released his grip but not far enough to avoid Chromia's hammer as it was swung upwards and sent him hurtling into the air. The crowd was deafening as Felix fell back towards the ground and their enthusiasm only grew as he managed to land in a crouch and rise wearing a determined expression despite the pain.

"Sorry kid" Chromia noted, her voice slightly deeper now that her Semblance was in effect as she shifted her weapon into its' mini-gun mode once again, the ammo drum shifting as it automatically reloaded revealing the glistening fiery red of Fire Dust based explosive rounds. Felix grinned like a madman as he he sheathed Hack and Slash, Chromia hadn't realised but her attempt to win the match quickly would spell defeat for her. Felix's body was engulfed in the golden light of his Aura as he charged forwards, Fire Dust exploding around him; Chromia continued firing in an effort to ensure the Lion Faunus couldn't evade her attack this time, her first inkling that something was amiss was when the inferno her weapon had produced seemed to collapse in on itself giving her far too little time to react. Felix burst from the flames in his Balrog state, skin blackened with and laced with countless intersecting veins of magma while his eyes hair and the fur of his tail blazed with golden fire; he barrelled into Chromia with earth shattering force which her own Semblance was powerless against, she found herself lifted from the ground and a moment later sailing through the air as Felix launched her directly over the edge of the arena. She ricocheted off of the protective forcefield but landed outside of the ring in confused amazement, deactivating her Semblance as it became apparent what had just happened. Felix's own Semblance failed a moment later and the Lion Faunus doubled over in breathless exhaustion while glancing at the screen overhead displaying their respective Aura levels

"You almost had me" he admitted before Goodwitch's voice confirmed the facts his mind was struggling to process

"Chromia Mauer loses by ring-out! Felix Xiao Long is the victor, as such Team FADE will be representing Halo academy in the Vytal Tournament!" Felix gave an exhausted smile as the crowd exploded into cheers around him.

* * *

The Qualification matches had ended hours ago and Eagle had all but carried Felix back to their dormitory after her Aunt Nora had congratulated the whole of Team FADE and subjected her to a bone crushing hug, the Lion Faunus was currently sprawled beside her on her bunk having lacked the energy to fight his own protesting muscles and climb onto his own after taking several painkillers

"Feeling any better?" Eagle asked gently prodding him

"Yeah a little, everything aches though"

"But you did it though" Eagle beamed "We're going to Atlas because of you….oh I already messaged my Grandparents, they say congratulations"

"Tell 'em I said thanks" Felix sighed "Both of my Mums' are probably dancing around the house and cheering right now that me and Corey are both competing. Yang already text me saying congrats"

"Only a text?" Arctus noted curiously from his position on his own bunk with Diamond beside him

"Yeah she's probably on the Scroll to Corey right now, I told her I needed to lie down for a few hours" the Lion Faunus explained, Arctus merely shrugged he'd sent a message telling his own parents that he would be returning to the icy Kingdom soon and would no doubt be able to see more of his family while studying at Atlas Academy, it was therefore no surprise to him when his Scroll began to vibrate with an incoming call which a glance at the screen revealed to be from his mother.

"Hey Mum" he gave her a bright smile as the video call feature came online and his mothers' face flickered into view "Everyone say Hi to my Mum"

"Hey Missus Slate" Diamond smiled, suddenly inexplicably nervous

"Hey Arctus's Mum" Eagle chirped

"Sup Aunt Weiss?" Felix mumbled into the mattress, raising an arm in greeting despite being out of view.

"Hello everyone" Weiss gave a small smile "I just called to say congratulations to Felix and that it's going to great to have you so close to home….I can finally meet Diamond in person. When will you be departing for Atlas?"

"Friday morning" Arctus answered, gently wrapping an arm around his partners' waist "And you're gonna love Dee, she's great"

"I'm sure I will" Weiss assured him, and Arctus was sure he could almost feel Diamond blushing at the comment before Weiss continued "Athena doesn't know you're coming home yet, are you going to tell her or should I?" Arctus's bright blue eyes seemed to light up with the mischievous smile that crossed his face

"Or…." he dragged the word out slowly as if pondering an idea "We could just not tell her, let it be a surprise" Weiss actually laughed at the idea

"I think that her reaction would certainly be entertaining to watch, she misses her big brother"

"Yeah I miss the squirt too" Arctus admitted with a sigh

"Oh there's another thing" Weiss added "I assume you're familiar with the comedian Harry Regal?"

"Dude his stand up is brutal!" Diamond exclaimed, Weiss merely nodded in agreement

"Well he was a childhood friend of Gangrel and Blake and they haven't had much of a chance to catch up since Harry's release. We actually had a pair of front row tickets for his performance in the capital this Saturday but neither of us will be able to make it due to work and your Uncle Whitley will be babysitting Athena-"

"Yeah it's hardly age appropriate for her" Arctus noted

"So if you and Diamond are going to be in Atlas by then why don't you take her to the show, you can have the tickets"

"Seriously? Thanks Mum that's awesome"

"Thank you Missus Slate" Diamond nodded

"You can call me Weiss" the older woman told her "Anyway I have to go, but congratulations again and I hope you all do well in the tournament. Love you son, I'll see you soon"

"Love you too Mum" a moment later the call ended and Arctus was left staring at the background image of his Scroll screen, one of himself and Diamond. He was distracted by the sound Of Felix propping himself up to glance in his direction and shake his head

"Free tickets to a Harry Regal show, you lucky mother-fucker"

"I know" Arctus laughed, stunned at his own good fortune before turning to Diamond "Hey, you okay? You seemed nervous when my Mum was on the Scroll"

"I mean I am a little bit" she admitted "It's the whole meet the parents thing"

"I get it" Arctus assured her "Your Dad scared the crap out of me" Diamond's only response to this was to laugh and gently punch his shoulder. The dorm was quiet and peaceful for a few minutes before thunderous pounding on the door made the occupants jump, Eagle was the first to slide off of the bed and open the door, revealing Nyanza who was currently wearing a winning smile

"Come on, everyone get ready. We all qualified for the tournament so we're all gonna go out and celebrate, I'm not taking no for an answer"

"No" each member of Team FADE gave him the same answer in unison and the feline merely rolled his pale mint green eyes in response

"Come on man you're really gonna have an early night?" he whined at Felix, knowing that his old friend would be the easiest to convince "I already told Helios I could get you to come with us"

"I've just taken a load of painkillers" the Lion Faunus grumbled "I'm not mixing them with alcohol, besides we've still got classes tomorrow" Nyanza conceded the point with a shrug before changing tact

"Yeah but we don't have to hit a club, it'll be dead on a Monday anyway. We'll go bowling or see a movie or something….Come on man we've gotta celebrate"

"I don't know man" Felix sighed but one look around the dorm at his teams' faces and the confident smile on Nyanza's face told him he was fighting a losing battle "Alright fine"

"You made the right choice" Nyanza nodded, his voice solemn despite him evidently trying not to laugh. Felix threw a pillow at his face.

* * *

The air was filled with pungent smoke that hung in the air thick enough to restrict ones' vision, though the only thing to be seen was the interior of a house which despite being in a reputable part of the tower complex it occupied within the hive city of New Vale was in a state of neglect and intentional disrepair; what little furniture was present was battered and threadbare while walls had been broken to give access to the wiring of the apartment, in another room several workers were wearing what amounted to home made hazmat suits while they handled the chemicals involved in making the Aura enhancing narcotic known as 'Booster' the Eco-Dust being used to make more potent batches of the drug casting the room in an eerie green glow; Rhodium Torchwick had never felt more at home than he did in one of his crews' 'Trap houses'. Setting up Cain Security Personnel as both a legal front for his activities and a genuine opportunity for people from unfortunate backgrounds to find work had been gratifying and he was giving serious consideration to setting up other such ventures, but there was something intoxicating about the world of organised crime that the redhead loved just as much as the almost limitless money he could make from it that had seen him springing into action when his still faceless contact known only as 'Dunwitch' had re-established contact soon after Torchwick had escaped from prison, ready to continue supplying him with the bulk amounts of Eco-Dust needed.

"Who's this that's playing?" Torchwick demanded as he lounged on a stained and ratty looking sofa which had been pushed against a wall to make room for stacks of drug packages waiting to be distributed amongst his street level dealers and a coffee table piled with Scrolls belonging those dealers who were young enough that they didn't want to be caught with their 'business line' by their parents or teachers.

"Lil Uzi Vert, the kid with the dreads who sells for us. This is his mix-tape" one of the workers answered their voice muffled by the mask they were wearing, fortunately Rhodium had the foresight to install an extractor so that only those directly in contact with the drugs were at any real risk.

"Ask him where he records, I might just buy a studio" Rhodium replied, head nodding in time to the bass as he weighed up the pros and cons of founding a record label to launder more of his drug money. After allowing the idea to occupy his mind for an indeterminate amount of time the gangster decided that the smoke filled room was beginning to affect his faculties and glanced at the time on his Scroll before rising to his feet

"I'm heading to that pizza place, you guys want anything?"

"Yeah can you grab me a cheese and pineapple pizza?" one of his workers called back, Rhodium merely shook his head

"You disgust me" with that he left the drug den, nodding at the two schoolchildren he was paying to act as lookouts on the corner before eyeing his car for a moment and eventually deciding to walk and get some relatively fresh air. His expensive clothes and sports car attracted much less attention in the more affluent area of the city and the police would most likely never think to look for him here, as long as he maintained his strict rule that his drug labs in these parts of the city were strictly for manufacturing with no sales taking place and his crew were nothing but polite to the locals then he should be able to operate indefinitely

"Still a shame about that Shine kid though" he muttered to himself as he wandered through the artificial night created by the dimmed overhead lights of the Hive city, the Halo Academy first year had come to him in search of a way to improve his performance in lessons and Rhodium was almost certain he could have recruited him as a dealer and maybe some extra muscle. Such thoughts were forcefully pushed from his mind as he rounded a corner and reached the pizza place, eyes widening as he caught sight of a group of what were obviously students inside which included several familiar faces; namely the team including the pale Bear Faunus and the silver haired girl from the Mercy Foundation and the Lion Faunus who had knocked out several of his teeth and handed him over to the police. Melodic Cudgel had been left on the back seat of his car so Rhodium's initial inclination was to grab a nearby trash can, charge it with the explosive power of his Semblance and hurl it through the establishments' window; through supreme force of will he managed to resist that urge and ducked back around the corner, withdrawing his Scroll and contacting his associates at the drug den

"Tool up and get in the car, I'm at the pizza place just saw some fucks we've got beef with. Light the place up!" a few tense minutes filled with muttered curses later the sound of a vehicle speeding towards him and an unassuming black sedan screeched around the corner, slowing down as its' windows lowered.

"Party time bitches!" Rhodium yelled as he finally gave into rage fuelled temptation and grabbed a nearby trash-can which glowed with magenta light as his Semblance took effect. His face fell as he realised that by a stroke of luck a bushy tailed feline Faunus had spotted his people too early and alerted his friends. The staff of the establishment were already ducking behind the counter for cover as the trash-can shattered the window and when it exploded all eight members of Team FADE and Team NEON were safely behind one of Arctus's Glyphs, the machine gun fire from the gang members in the car pattered harmlessly off of its' glowing surface; Rhodium rushed towards the car hoping to make a hasty exit but skidded to a halt when he saw the short girl with the afro unfold an absurdly oversized weapon

"OH SHIT!" he panicked, turning tail and sprinting in the other direction and calling to his underlings "GO! GET THE FUCK OUTTA-" he was cut off by the sound of the car being blasted onto its' roof and the student Hunters swarming out of the building. A bullet whizzing past his ear forced him to give a momentary glance over his shoulder and see that it was the silver haired girl who had shot him but the Lion Faunus was giving chase while their friends were putting out the fires his explosion has started and making short work of his crew. Running through the streets as fast as his Aura fuelled muscles could carry him Rhodium fought the urge to turn and fight, he knew with certainty that could dispatch a student with ease but he also knew from experience that Felix Xiao Long was an exception, the fact he had stabbed the Faunus's sister before his incarceration only making him more determined. Eventually he reached the street on which his drug den was located and slowed down a little, waving his young lookouts over

"You" he pointed to the oldest and threw his car keys into his hands "Go park my car a few streets away. Do not fuck up the paint" He doubted that his pursuer would be able to identify his new car but was taking no chances

"You" he wheezed out to the younger boy whilst clutching a stitch in his side "If anyone asks you just saw me run straight down this street" With that he hurried inside the house which from the outside appeared completely normal, locking the door behind him he ran upstairs and peered through a crack in the curtains; soon enough Felix rounded a shouted something to his lookout who proceeded to point in the direction instructed.

"That was way too fucking close" he whispered to himself, heart still hammering in his chest even as the first hysterical laughs escaped him. He knew he would probably have to relocate this drugs lab and it would be a setback in his endeavours to wrestle control of the New Vale's criminal underworld from Melanie Malachite but this, this kind of test of wits under pressure was what he lived for.

 **Authors Notes:**

So, that's Teams FADE, CLIR, NEON & GORE all qualified for the tournament.  
Next chapter we'll be heading to Atlas and gearing up for the final third of Vol.4.  
Also upload times may be subject to change of the next few weeks, bear with me.

Anyway, let's summarise:  
Seriously, Corvid is OP in a tournament setting….how do you even begin to fight that?  
Gave some actual rules for how eligible teams are selected because canon didn't really do it; they had Pyrrha run roughshod over Team CRDL and then fight Mercury but they didn't explain anything and both Mercury and Team CRDL ended up fighting in the tournament despite losing.  
It's over Anakin, Corvid has the high ground.  
Xiao Long puns are eternal my friends.  
Shine vs Helios was only ever going to end one way really.  
Felix is a hot gay mess...Which has to be a Corvid pun at some point  
That poor kid, he's so far out of his depth.  
A giant pincer weapon, because I wanted something a bit more unique that a sword for a change.  
I imagine lessons from Carcharodon would be if "The art of war" was written by Jack the Ripper.  
You pin Helios in place with a claw, he pins you in place with amplified gravity.  
"Plenty of dead people had convictions" need I say more.  
Helios's 'Gravity punch' is one of the nastier uses of his Semblance.  
Aww Carcharodon does care.  
Team PSTL is Pastel in case anyone had forgotten.  
Tournament matches are a chance to show how differently Team GORE approach things to the other students, most Hunters wouldn't even think to step on a Faunus opponents' tail to hold them in place in a fight; it's just not done.  
The lack of applause means absolutely nothing to Car.  
I love how much Felix looks up to and admires his big sister, as far as he's concerned if they're not Corey then they're second rate.  
Helios you charmer.  
Yeah, Felix's opponent is basically female Colossus carrying a weapon that's a cross between Magnhild and Coco's gun….he got slapped across that arena with gusto.  
The Fire Dust based explosive rounds would have been great against anyone other than Felix.  
Haven't seen Balrog state since Vol.3.  
Felix is the unstoppable force to Corvid's immovable object; Chromia may have been physically stronger than him but there wasn't really anything she could do once he'd powered up.  
Those hits took a lot out of Felix and the Tournament is only gonna be more difficult; but at least he'll have his team to fall back on.  
Harry Regal is actually a callback to The Downward Spiral, he was one of the eight kids from the White Fang foster home who were mentioned by name but he was never on screen due to being in prison the entire time; what if I told you his introduction was going to tie into the Cult of Taurus?  
I feel like I haven't had enough Diamond Dust moments this volume, those two are adorable and Arctus is probably right to be scared of Merc.  
Bless Nyanza. He is a shit-post.  
Rhodey is back in business with his Booster supply….Also what if I told you we've met 'Dunwitch' already?  
Those little touches with the trap house, just to capture the bleakness.  
Lil Uzi Vert was name dropped solely because of the colour naming rule, I do not condone mumble rap.  
Also, of course people in Torchwick's crew have Mix-tapes out and of course he wants to start a record label.  
Yes I threw shade at pineapple, cope.  
That's how desperate Shine was before Carcharodon started training him, he was going to start buying booster from Torchwick; Car probably saved that kids' life without even realising it.  
Remember Rhodium wears a grill because Felix beat the shit out of him.  
Drive-by shooting and an exploding trash-can firebomb, Rhodium is just plain nasty.  
Of course Nyanza turned around to see it, he's lucky like that.  
Olivine introduced a car full of gang members to Buster Bravo….they don't have a car any more.  
Felix could probably have caught Rhodey under normal circumstances but obviously he was still sore and tired from the qualification match, Rhodey could actually have probably beaten him if he'd tried at that point.  
Remember the only car of Rhodium's Felix saw was the one that got demolished.  
Rhodey didn't chose the thug life, the thug life chose Rhodey.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, FleetOfWarships, Arkanes Shippou, Unstoppable Cyborg, Ferrous, ShadowWolf, FluffyFirefly, TigerRose and ShadowAlex2000 for their reviews on the last chapter.  
I love that headcanon about Felix's dance moves.  
Yeah the Arc family are all-encompassing, if you're reading this right now then you too are an Arc.  
Okay so Car won't be training Team SNST from now on, but the tough exterior has been cracked now.  
Those Neon feels are still raw.  
Hey look I catered to your Rhodium needs….I have a plan for at least one small scene from him during second year.  
The original name for Hellion x Eagle was Tamagotchi….90s kids unite.  
I'm glad you like the Hive cities because well….we're gonna go back to one that was very important to the Downward Spiral.  
Everyone loves mutual pining.  
There are several good fights planned for the Vytal Tournament.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	50. Bon Voyage

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 50: Bon Voyage**

It was finally upon them. It was Friday morning and classes had been cancelled for the day as the considerable number of students scheduled to leave Halo academy were crowding around the campuses' airship terminal, the buzz of conversation punctuated by the pervasive sound of the idling engines of the commercial aircraft seemed to be audible manifestations of the anticipation in the air; the gathered students were those that had proven themselves to be the best their academy had to offer and now they were eager to prove it to the frozen Kingdom of Atlas and Remnant as a whole when the Vytal Tournament came.

"What is taking so long?" Diamond muttered as she surreptitiously pulled Arctus's arm around her a little tighter to fend off the chill in the autumn air. The pair of them and Eagle were sat at a bench waiting for permission to board with the majority of the other students, Felix however was absent, he and the other students who were taking a vehicle aboard had been allowed onto the ship early to complete the necessary additional paperwork and checks before take off, a point which Arctus mentioned

"Searching the cars" he shrugged "Uncle Whitley says it takes so long to get his cars through security when he's flying back to Atlas it would probably be faster to just by a new car every time he has to do business abroad"

"Or he could just get a cab like everyone else" Diamond shook her her head in disbelief at the idea, she new Arctus's family were wealthy but what she knew of his uncle made it seem as though he actively enjoyed flaunting his inexhaustible amount of Lien

"Maybe we should have just kept our bags here then" Eagle noted, Felix had at least been kind enough to allow his team-mates to throw their luggage into the back of the Killer-Bee to save them carrying it for hours.

"They're gonna get scanned either way, may as well get it all done at once" Arctus reasoned while gently pulling Diamond a little closer as he realised she was cold and suppressing a yawn, he suffered from fewer nightmares now and Neptune had prescribed him a bottle of sleeping pills in case returning to Atlas triggered them again, but it was still far too early to be loitering around waiting for people in his opinion.

"True" Eagle replied while turning some of her attention to Sentinel, the droid chirping animatedly as if excited at the prospect of roaming relatively free for hours on end; the rest however was focused on firing questions like at Arctus at an almost comically fast pace

"Have you ever been to any of the big weapon museums in Atlas? I wanted to visit over the summer but other stuff came up, what about the Dust mines? You must have seen those in person right? Or the Bio-domes where all the food is produced-"

"Those are strictly off limits to the public" a new, but familiar voice informed her causing the three members of Team FADE to turn and come face to face with Qrow Branwen, the old man stroking his silvery grey beard and returning to the charade of frailty as he leaned on his scythe as if it were a cane "Hey"

"Hey, how are you? How've you been? Are you looking for Felix and Corey?" Eagle spoke animatedly as a smile stretched across her face as Qrow leaned down to grasp one of Sentinels' pincer like appendages, effectively 'shaking hands' with the robot

"I'm fine, I came to see my family off and that includes you….although if you happen to know where the other two are?"

"Felix is on the ship with his car and Corvid is uh….somewhere" she gestured around at the mass of students

"Well I'll try and catch her before she gets onboard, you ready for Atlas?"

"I think we've got as good of a chance as anyone else in the tournament" Eagle beamed

"There's more than the tournament in Atlas" Qrow noted, not needing to point out the returning to Atlas would most likely mean another meeting with Antonia Arc for Eagle

"I'll be okay" she nodded "Thanks for asking though….it's almost a shame we're gonna be away for so long, I won't be able to visit"

"Don't worry about this dusty old bird I'll be fine, I've got Ruby, Penny and the twins practically around the corner and Patch isn't that far if I wanna catch up with Tai, Yang and Blake" he spread his arms for a hug, clearly unsure of what Eagles' reaction would be but equally clearly pleased when Eagle accepted the gesture and wrapped an arm around his shoulders "Besides I might just find myself in that glorified icebox of a Kingdom at some point anyway" his eyes twinkled with something akin to mischief

"Really?" Eagle asked, taking care not to look in Arctus's direction lest she start giggling at the way he bristled at the slight to his home

"Yeah" Qrow leaned close "And I've been digging through some family records….I might be able to help you out with your Semblance problem" Eagle's mouth hung open and her deep crimson eyes widened in silent shock, before she could find words a voice from the boarding ramp of the ship called out and the crowd of students began moving in a unified direction like a receding tide of bodies, Qrow merely winked

"I think I see Corey's team over there, stay safe and call me any time Eagle" a moment later he had vanished into the crowd.

* * *

Team FADE were unaware that they were being watched. The arrival of Qrow Branwen had piqued all of the Shadow Cadre's interest and both Onyx and Carcharodon had hands firmly clamped on Raffia's shoulders, the Axolotl's bloodlust and martial pride demanding a rematch of the battle that had seen them captured by Atlas. Carcharodon while he knew the older man was far more experienced privately he considered the idea of testing his skills against Qrow again at some time in the future something to look forward to; but not now

"What did you hear?" he hissed, while he and Onyx were ensuring that Raffia didn't draw his swords and charge into battle screaming for vengeance Hellion had been instructed to learn what she could. She'd slunk as close as she dared risk, while she hadn't faced Qrow in combat yet her transfer from New Vale's prison to being held at Halo Academy seemed to have been orchestrated by the grizzled veteran, marking him out as someone with a lot of power and resources at his disposal.

"Eagle is his daughter" she mouthed out slowly, stunned by the revelation and frankly a little afraid

"So he came to speak with his family" Carcharodon grunted "As long as he won't present a problem for us….we have enough to worry about in Atlas"

"He may not present a problem for you" the Dragonfly Faunus muttered irritably, stroking Marauder who was perched on her arm in a subconscious effort to calm herself; Onyx flashed her a knowing smirk while Raffia and Carcharodon were too distracted to notice, the Axolotl Faunus by his own seething anger and the Shark by the arrival of an easily recognisable first year student

"Hey guys" Shine greeted them "I just wanted to catch you before you left and say goodbye y'know"

"Kinda leaving it late if you wanna get some more training in" Onyx chuckled as he loomed over the younger student

"I just wanted to say thanks man" Shine shrugged, looking away for a moment before meeting Carcharodon's seemingly bottomless black eyes "Look I was desperate to get better….I was seriously considering some stuff I shouldn't even have been thinking about, so thanks man it really means a lot" Carcharodon nodded in understanding before tilting his head almost imperceptibly and silently conveying a message to Onyx; the Puma Faunus's fist lashed out aimed square between Shine's eyes but struck only air as his Semblance teleported him just out of reach in a burst of light

"Good to see you've improved enough to keep your guard up" Carcharodon rasped, chuckling slightly at his students' shocked expression

"Yeah well, still wish Team SNST was getting on that ship" Shine laughed after composing himself,

"Well there will always be more tournaments where you can prove that you know how to pretend to fight" Carcharodon rasped out as Team GORE collectively turned and made their way towards the ship, seeing that they would be among the last to board; he offered some parting words over his shoulder as he made to leave

"Just don't use my absence as an excuse to get lazy. I expect you to have continued to improve when I return" Shine nodded in understanding and as Team GORE were out of earshot Onyx murmured in the Shark Faunus's ear

"I wasn't aware we were coming back?"

* * *

Felix grumbled and cursed under his breath as he rummaged through the messy and hastily packed contents of his suitcase. The process of having the Killer-Bee searched and registered before it could be admitted into Atlas and the requisite paperwork that entailed had been an experience he never wished to repeat; trying to ignore Quartz Murus's laughter as she sat on her motorcycle and watched events as the unfolded had been bad enough but trying to explain to the crew member who spoke bureaucracy as if it were their native language had been infuriating, they seemed to find it impossible to believe that the additional luggage he was carrying was simply his friends belongings and not some conspiracy to smuggle contraband into the Kingdom and their reaction to the 'upgrade' he'd installed into the muscle car while restoring it over the summer had been comical at first but quickly became aggravating as it became apparent that they were considering having him detained. Eventually through a combination of luck, charm and sheer persistence he had managed to have his car and belongings admitted onto the ship after a thorough inspection; now that they were in the air and had been for almost half an hour the Lion Faunus had another problem to deal with before he rejoined his friends, he couldn't find his book.

"Where is it for Oum's sake" he muttered as he considered emptying out the contents of the case, he had left packing until the last possible moment and the case had bulged under the strain of its' contents almost bursting free but the book he had been reading had purposefully been packed at the top of the pile for easy retrieval, now that his bags had been searched the book was seemingly absent

"Oh for the love of fucking….I swear if they swiped it" he continued to mutter before finally giving into temptation and simply upending the case and promptly finding what he was looking for, the novel for some reason having been with his textbooks

"Jackpot….Now I've just gotta deal with all this sh-"

"I see you and Nyanza have the same approach to packing, is that a Patch thing?" a familiar voice asked and Felix whipped around to find Helios stood nearby

"Probably" he grinned "We don't get out much, what about you do you ever actually unpack?"

"Only because Olivine shouts if she trips over my bags" he admitted with a shrug and Felix burst out laughing at the mental image of the miniscule Huntress berating Helios

"So how come you're down here, Nikosi tribe give you a car you didn't tell us about?"

"No, they wouldn't part with any of the pickup trucks, or the dirt bikes we use to draw Grimm away….as much fun as that would probably be" he admitted with a smile which Felix took note of before the redhead continued "I needed some peace and quiet, Nyanza was repacking his bags at four o'clock this morning and I have a headache….and I really don't appreciate the view, I'm not a fan of heights" Felix nodded in understanding, coming from where he did Helios's aversion to being this far from the ground made sense. Thinking for a moment Felix chewed his lip before making a decision

"I mean I'd offer to let you sleep on the back seat but it's covered in bags 'cos there's not enough room in the trunk; you can have the passengers seat though and I'll wake you up when we get closer to Atlas….it's a long flight"

"You don't mind me being alone in you car?" Helios raised an eyebrow, well aware of Felix's attachment to the Killer-Bee

"I was gonna stay and hang out with you, but I mean sure if-"

"No, stay!….please" Helios answered quickly, cheeks colouring a little

"Will do man" Felix assured him, returning to his suitcase to hide his own face reddening "The door's open, I'll be with you in a sec" he continued to repack his belongings as Helios climbed into the car and made himself comfortable, this time at least making an effort at tidiness before joining the redhead in the front of the car. Stealing a glance over at Helios who was clearly struggling to keep his eyes open, obviously more tired than he had let on, Felix noticed that besides his golden armour his well muscled and tattooed arms were bare as usual

"Hey Heely?"

"Mmm?"

"You've never been to Atlas before have you?"

"No why?"

"Just let know when you get cold man I'll turn the heating on….and you might wanna pick a coat up"

"I'll be fine" Helios assured him, Felix sighed but chose not to argue and simply placed the keys in the ignition in preparation for the Mistralis' inevitable shivering and chattering teeth. After typing a quick text to Arctus to let the rest of Team FADE know why he hadn't found them yet only to realise he couldn't send it while on the airship he searched through the various playlists on his Scroll and turned the volume down before starting the music

"Hey Heely what do you think Atlas Academy is like? I've never actually seen a picture of it….Helios?" when no answer came Felix turned and saw that Helios's eyes were closed and his breathing was slow and regular, he'd fallen asleep. The Lion Faunus kept his gaze on him for longer than was strictly necessary, taking in the details of Helios's face before stopping himself and shaking his head and muttering under his breath

"Get your shit together man" Helios was undeniably attractive and Felix had taken Corvid's advice to heart, if an opportunity to progress their friendship into something more presented itself he would take it; however watching him while he slept was just creepy, regardless of whose car he had fallen asleep in. With that in mind Felix adjusted himself, getting comfortable in car seats was always a source of contention for Faunus with tail; he then opened his book and continued reading from where he had left off he night before, glad that he was away from the rest of the students as he knew exactly how much Corvid would tease him if she saw that he'd borrowed Blake's copy of Ninjas of Love.

* * *

Arctus followed Diamond as she led him by the hand through the corridors of the ship; they had offered Eagle to join them but the blonde had declined, having missed breakfast before the flight she had opted find the ships' canteen. The two searched for a quiet spot, the overpowering noise and contagious energy of the students gathered in the main passenger area of the relatively luxurious passenger ship quickly becoming tiresome; eventually they settled on perching themselves on a window which afforded them a breathtaking view of everything they passed over, currently the ship was above open waters disturbed only by freight ships that travelled them, New Vale's boundaries, the jagged mountains where Team FADE had taken their first mission and the continent as a whole behind them. Diamond glanced at the bass guitar Arctus had given her, currently propped up against the wall as she hadn't wanted to throw it or Lex Talionis in Felix's car with the rest of her luggage, preferring to keep some of her most important belongings where she could see them, as she debated playing the instrument for a while she felt Arctus's arms wrap around her waist and the Bear Faunus nuzzle into her from behind

"What's up big guy?"

"Nothing" he assured her with a contented sigh "You know what this reminds me of?"

"What?"

"The first time we met" Diamond thought back to over a year ago, remembering that she and Arctus had indeed spent their first flight to Halo Academy relaxing together by a window much as they were now, though the events that had preceded would have suggested that their relationship would be anything but romantic

"You mean after I choked you out?"

"Yeah after I woke you up because you were sleeping on the floor of an airship terminal" Arctus laughed, Diamond laced her fingers through his and leaned back, making herself comfortable against his chest

"How long til we get to Atlas?" she asked, her voice a somewhat sleepy murmur

"Hours until we're into Atlesian airspace, the we've gotta get to Atlas Academy itself which is outside of the cities"

"You know anything about it?" Diamond was expecting to hear that he did not, the Kingdom of Atlas being as secretive as it was keeping their academy's location a secret seemed fitting

"My Aunt Winter's the head, I've got a rough idea of where it is just based on how long it takes her to get to different cities….it's a couple of hours flight away from the capital"

"Oh so we'll pass your place on the way?" Diamond grinned

"Well we'll pass the mountain Eisenstadt Prime is built inside of and under"

"And you live on top of….like a supervillain" she nudged him playfully as she repeated one of Felix's preferred ways to describe his cousins home. Arctus merely rolled his eyes, an expression he had most likely picked up from Diamond herself.

"I'll let you know when we get near it" he assured her, eyes narrowing a fraction as the sound of someone approaching reached his ears, a few moments later Diamond heard it as well; a furious tirade filled with threats that seemed comical in their anatomical inaccuracy in a somewhat reedy and instantly recognisable voice

"Oh for Oum's sake" Arctus sighed as Raffia Dirge came into view, being almost dragged by Onyx Ursabane whose meaty paw of a hand was clamped on his shoulder while the larger Faunus wore an expression that was equal parts amusement and exhaustion; blood on Raffia's knuckles and staining his lips despite his Semblance having already healed whatever minor injury he'd sustained making it clear what had happened; Arctus was momentarily concerned but he knew that Felix was still in the car and Eagle seemed to be immune to Raffia antagonistic moods due to her friendship with Hellion.

"Oh look someone else whose teeth will make fine jewellery" the Axolotl Faunus spat as he caught sight of Arctus

"I thought it was a left arm he owed you? Or have you been fucked up so many times you're losing track? Just give it a rest dude it's getting old" Diamond snorted and rolled her eyes. Raffia, furious at the casual dismissal reached for his swords

"Enough" Onyx grumbled as both Arctus and Diamond rose to their feet, hand reaching for their own weapons "Enough for today, we start shooting in here and someone is gonna have a long way down and just enough time to realise that they're an idiot" realising the truth of his words they all released their grasp on their weapons, Raffia only begrudgingly so and Arctus's eyes widened as the realisation of why the pair of swords he had arrived at Halo Academy carrying in place of his own weapon were familiar, they had once belonged to Atlesian Specialist Kafsi Asteri.

"Still a long way to Atlas" Onyx noted as he peered out of the window that Arctus and Diamond had been seated at "I would much rather be making this journey by sea….maybe hit a few traders on the way"

"Then it'd take us days" Arctus pointed out, deciding to ignore the comment about raiding other ships "But I get why you might wanna have some more time considering what you're coming to Atlas for"

"What do you know?" Raffia spat, giving the Bear Faunus a calculating glare as if deciding whether or not to silence him there and then.

"I know that you're working with Atlas in exchange for your freedom and I know who you're up against….I've seen some of what they're willing to do to people" Arctus visibly shuddered and his voice dropped to barely above a whisper "Yeah, I'd be scared too"

"Scared?" Onyx growled, greenish yellow eyes narrowing "Facing those sons of whores is the part I'm looking forward to"

"We've seen more of what they're capable of than you ever will, we're just not cowards" Raffia added, Onyx continued as if he hadn't spoken

"My Father was one of the first to die when they turned on us, they impaled him and held his body up on a spear for us to see, one of them decapitated our captain, Mizu….she was Carcharodon's sister. I watched Aka go down fighting, she was a Piranha Faunus, those teeth gave their fighters some scars as a reminder of the day they double crossed us. Sol and Garnet weren't so lucky, they never saw it coming. Over thirty of us died that night"

"And Atlas want to use you as bait?" Diamond sounded appalled "Surely they can find another way?"

"We wouldn't have it any other way!" Onyx snarled, uncharacteristically angry "They answer for what they did and they answer to us, we won't have our justice handed over to people who never cared whether we lived or died to begin with!"

"This is the end point" Raffia murmured, in juxtaposition he was uncharacteristically quiet "Everything we've done since, the stealing weapons, the kidnapping, selling out souls to the Atlesians….all of it led to this, to our chance at revenge"

"Which begs the question" Onyx sighed "Carcharodon thinks that some of our people might still be out their, hiding on Anima but we've had no signs of anything. If this is what everything has led to; what happens _after_ we kill the Cult of Taurus?" neither Arctus or Diamond had an answer for him.

* * *

Carcharodon and Hellion were in the main passenger area of the airship, having remained after Raffia's short lived scuffle with an older student. The Shark Faunus skulked around the periphery of the various groups of students, too many thoughts in his head for him to remain still and too many people and too much noise around him to be able to clear his head and meditate, the idea of integrating himself with those students around him was thoroughly unappealing which left him prowling back towards his team-mate. Hellion was still seated near a large window at the prow of the airship which gave a panoramic view of the ocean beneath them and the steely grey skies filled with falling snow which partially obscured the landmass in the distance; the Dragonfly Faunus had initially being using her Semblance to project her consciousness into the minds of various seagulls and revel in the feeling of flight until they reached an altitude that left the birds out of reach, Hellion could send an animal under her thrall great distances but they needed to be close for the initial contact. Currently she was stroking Marauder, the raptor seeming distinctly miffed at not being the target of her Semblance if the way he was almost pouting was any indication; Carcharodon saw that Hellion seemed somewhat distracted and followed her gaze

"Of course" he rasped out shaking his head as he neared her "Will you just go and talk to her you cretin, this is just pathetic"

"She's busy" Hellion huffed, jade eyes narrowing as she glowered at Carcharodon before turning her attention back to where it had been, on Eagle Arc. The Blonde had returned to the passenger area with the machine she treated like a pet trailing behind her carrying a tray stacked with an impressive amount of snacks which she had made considerable headway in devouring while at the same time playing one of the half a dozen or so arcade games scattered around the edge of the room; there was also an air hockey table situated as far away from the window as feasibly possible which caused Hellion to lament the absence of a pool table though she could see the obvious reason why, she'd picked the game up as a child and played whenever her people had visited an outlying fishing village on the coast of Anima. After a while Eagle stepped away from the game with an annoyed sigh and patted Sentinel's boxy cranium

"Now she isn't busy. Show some backbone" Carcharodon taunted

"Fine" Hellion huffed stalking away from him with her wings fluttering in agitation, as she drew near Marauder launched himself from her arm and soared over to where Eagle stood, perching on the barrel of Sentinel's mini-gun and eliciting several confused bleeps from the droid which Eagle in turn giggled at

"Did your game not go well?" Hellion asked, flashing her a bright smile

"I ran out of coins" Eagle shrugged "Honestly I was just distracting myself, I've got too much on my mind I can't do anything about"

"Talking about it might help?" Hellion offered, the implication that she would be happy to listen being understood.

"It's just personal stuff, thinking about what my Semblance might be and how I can figure it out, thinking about what I'm gonna say to my Mum when we next meet in person 'cos we didn't leave on good terms last time and I'm sure that me tutoring you is gonna go over badly-"

"I'm sorry" Hellion's head sunk, their decision to kidnap Antonia Arc had only ever been an act of desperation and now it seemed that it was going to cause problem that Hellion supposed she deserved for her part in it

"Don't worry about" Eagle assured her "I'm just nervous about everything, what's Atlas gonna be like? I've only really seen a few parts of the capital and I've never lived this far away from family, even at Halo I can go and see my Grandparents whenever I want; I know I've got Team FADE with me but I've never really been alone like this….I'm gonna be away from almost everyone for the rest of the year" Hellion listened to Eagle's somewhat disjointed rambling and realised that she was liable to work herself into a panic if left to her own devices, Hellion refused to let that happen

"Come with me" she said, calmly taking Eagle by the hand and leading her out of the passenger area and along corridors which she assumed housed cabins for flights anyone who wished to sleep through their flight; unfortunately they were locked and Hellion continued to lead Eagle by the hand in search of a secluded area, privately hoping that they did not run into Onyx and Raffia

"Okay, this will do" she sighed as she sat cross legged on the ground in an unremarkable stretch of corridor, silently bidding Eagle to do the same

"What are we doing?" she asked nonplussed, freckled cheeks reddening as she seemed to realise that Hellion was still holding her hand before following suit and sitting beside her

"I'm going help you calm yourself" Hellion answered "You're teaching me to read, so I'm going to teach you to meditate"

"I um….are you sure this gonna work? I mean I've never tried it before and?"

"Unless you're one of those people who doesn't want it to work?" Hellion raised an eyebrow, she'd met more than a few mainlanders who mistrusted anything other than their science

"No no, let's give it a try" Eagle chirped, cheeks darkening further still.

"Then close your eyes and take a slow breath through your mouth" Eagle did so "Hold it….now breathe out through your nose, breathe in again and empty your mind of all thoughts" Hellion watched as Eagle took several more slow deep breaths, brow furrowing

"You're thinking about your thoughts aren't you?" Hellion laughed softly as she realised why the girl sat beside her seemed to be struggling, frankly she thought Eagle looked adorable when she was concentrating like this; a sudden temptation to lean forward and kiss her lips came unbidden into Hellion's mind and was swiftly dismissed. Instead she merely watched as Eagle followed her instructions, a sense of pride taking over her as she finally relaxed, a truly serene look upon her face. The Dragonfly Faunus was hesitant to speak lest she inadvertently break Eagle's meditative state.

A moment later a klaxon blared throughout the ship as something collided with its' shields.

* * *

Felix and Helios had leapt out of the Killer-Bee the moment the alarms had started, the muscle car jerking in place as the vessel shuddered under an assault, each vehicle within the hold was secured in place with clamps connected to their wheels. The pair of them had sprinted up several stairwells, grasping onto railings in case of another impact, reaching the deck which housed the main area for passengers towards the prow they drew their weapons and frantically ran towards where they assumed their team-mates would be

"What is hitting us this hard this high up?" Helios demanded as she ship lurched once more, Felix skidded to a halt as he caught sight of something out of the nearest window and his jaw dropped as the answer to Helios's question became apparent; a flock of at least two dozen Nevermore, some of the largest he had ever seen, each with bodies larger than the a Bull-Head transport and truly massive wingspans. The creatures of Grimm were attacking the airship with unfettered fury and while the jagged quills they could fire from their bodies were little match for the shielding of the vessel the Grimm themselves had enough mass to cause the ship to jump every time they dove and lunged at it with their talons extended

"Sweet fucking Oum" Felix mouthed out before collecting himself "Come on we need to find the others!" Helios had already started moving before Felix had finished speaking. They bolted through the corridor spanning almost the entire length of the ship before finally coming to a halt again as they nearly collided with Arctus, Diamond, Onyx and Raffia who were congregated around a window watching events unfolding in the darkening sky around them. Onyx greeted them with an amused snort as he nodded towards the unsheathed weapons currently in their hands

"Planning on stepping outside? Bold choice" the Puma Faunus chuckled, Felix scowled unable to think of suitably witty retort and simply sheathed Hack and Slash over his back

"What are you doing just standing here?" Helios demanded "We need to find our teams!"

"Arctus, Diamond where's Eagle?" Felix asked as he withdrew his Scroll and bit back a curse upon realising that he still had no signal and would be unable to call his partner

"Dude calm down" Diamond tried to reassure them "Heely I know you don't like heights, deep breaths. Felix, Arctus says we don't have a problem"

"What?" the Lion Faunus demanded incredulously

"This is an Atlesian ship, the shield generator on this thing will take….I dunno maybe another hour or so of sustained beating from what's attacking us"

"Okay that's cool and all" Felix growled out, begrudgingly impressed despite the seriousness of the situation which had not lessened in his mind "But this is still a civilian airship. We've got no fighters or weapons to hit back and we're more than an hour away from landing so those Grimm have still got all the time they-"

"Fluffy" Arctus clamped a hand down on his shoulder and gave him an infuriatingly calm smile "Chill, we're in Atlesian airspace"

"Not to concern anyone too much" Raffia called over to them while peering out the window "But there's a big one out there that's looking directly at us" the gathered students peered out of the window and saw that the Axolotl Faunus was correct, a huge Grimm seemed to be regarding the specific window they were watching from with ill intent and they each felt a slight sense of unease at their inability to face the monster on their own terms despite the assurances it had no chance of breaching the shields of the ship, much less the hull; each of them still reflexively flinched when the Nevermore unleashed a flurry of its' feathers as projectiles, sharing sighs of relief when they were deflected away with nothing but a rippling in the air to indicate the shields presence

"It's coming straight at us" Helios noted, concern evident

"Hold onto to something!" Felix barked, bracing himself for the impact which never came; instead the rapidly darkening sky was set ablaze by an exploding missile and the Grimm was reduced to wisps of rapidly dispersing acrid smoke. Something shot passed their vantage point faster than they could make it out, Arctus pressed his snout like face against the window and let out a surprised gasp as the craft responsible for destroying the Nevermore doubled back in search of more prey, several others like it visible in the sky around the ship; these fighters were most assuredly not the typical Bull-Heads or any of the Atlesian variants.

"I didn't even know those were in service"

"Dude what are those?" Diamond asked as she watched the Grimm be obliterated with ruthless efficiency

"Commander Skye's new toys….My Dad says Matte's been bragging about these since the first prototype was tested" the craft were comprised of a single arrowhead shaped wing with a cockpit located towards the tip, a huge thruster mounted on each wing and another mounted on the rear of the craft, detracting from its' otherwise sleek profile but lending it an ominous aura as the green glow of its' Eco-Dust engines shone in the dark, the undersides of the wings were bristling with weapons which were currently being unleashed on the last remaining Grimm

"Holy shit" Felix breathed out, stunned by ease with which the attacking monsters had been dispatched

"Imagine if we'd managed to take one of those" Raffia whispered gleefully. A moment later the alarms which had been blaring the entire time came to an abrupt and jarring halt, replaced by a voice over the ships intercom

"This is your captain speaking, my apologies for the discomfort we had a slight altercation with some Grimm; nothing to be concerned about. We're currently on schedule to arrive at Atlas Academy in roughly ninety minutes and we will have an escort provided by the Kingdom for the remainder of the flight" the announcement ended with a slight crackling of static and the teenagers were left in stunned silence at how calm the pilot had been

"Definitely ex Hunter or military" Diamond noted, earning herself some nods of agreement before Helios spoke up

"I'm still going to look for the rest of my team, I'll see you all later" he'd made it no more than a few feet before Eagle and Hellion came into view, almost colliding with him; Sentinel trailing behind them

"Hey you guys!" Eagle chirped brightly "Did you say the size of those Grimm? What about those fighters? I've never seen anything like those before, that was so cool!"

"Eagle" Felix sighed "Never change"

* * *

Arctus, Diamond and Eagle stepped off of the ramp leading from the airship to the snow covered ground where the tracks of students to disembark before them were clearly visible, Sentinel trundled behind Eagle who wore an annoyed pout; Felix had to remain behind to complete yet more paperwork and she had wanted the four of them to get their first view of Atlas Academy together. The sound of powerful jet engines rapidly descending towards them caused them all to turn and Eagles' mild displeasure to be forgotten

"Oh my Oum they're even cooler up close!" she struggled to be heard over the sound of the approaching fighters, ten in total divided into two formations of five.

"Wait for it" Arctus grinned and was rewarded with a childlike gasp of excitement as the fighters neared the ground; they didn't land, they transformed. The wing mounted thrusters separated from the wings and began to reshape themselves, forming digitigrade legs with bulky armoured calves and relatively spindly upper legs attached to what could be interpreted as a mechanical waist piece located below the central thruster. The wings themselves folded up and over, resting almost flat along the sides of the machine as the weapons were repositioned to face forwards and the entire cockpit angled downwards; the entire top section of the full opened revealing a gargantuan weapons battery which unfolded and was attached to a many-jointed armature which gave it the appearance of the stinger of some monstrous robotic scorpion.

"THAT'S SO COOL!" Eagle exclaimed

"Dude….what on Remnant?" Diamond gasped

"The Baba-Jaeger, faster than a Bull-Head, more firepower than an Atlesian Paladin, remote piloting so you don't have the limitations of an AI but there's no risk to the pilot….only thing it doesn't have is a shield generator" Eagle looked fit to burst with sheer joy at the sight of the machines, Diamond merely eyed them suspiciously

"I'm not gonna lie they give the creeps, last time Atlas put this much faith in robots was the war against Salem"

"Fair" Arctus admitted, instantly sobered by the thought; suddenly the Baba-Jaegers seemed more than a little sinister

"Come on let's go see where we're gonna be living….and get out of the cold" Diamond took Arctus's hand in hers and the three students and droid hurried along the floodlit path from the Academies airship terminal towards the campus itself, realising that they would be among the last to arrive

"Whoa!" Eagle exclaimed as they entered the courtyard, thankfully they hadn't missed anything judging by the mass of students, the representatives from Halo, Haven and Shade Academies milling about, snow collecting on their shoulders and hair was anything to go by. Eagle's exclamation had been at the sight of the campus itself. Atlas Academy loomed over them grandiose and imposing, its' overall shape was that of an ancient castle with large turrets and ramparts and a single tower reaching into the sky. While the design was antique its' implementation was anything but, the entire academy was seemingly constructed of the highest quality Atlesian steel and finished with pristine, utilitarian white panelling; each of the turrets housed enough artillery to comfortably bring down an attacking warship. Arctus took the entirety of the campus in before lowering his eyes to ground level, at which point his face split into a toothy smile. Stood at the main entrance to the campus, framed between two flagpoles bearing the Atlesian flag were two women, one brown skinned and stern faced, clad in a pristine white variation of the military dress uniform which incorporated a skirt and a black beret upon her head at a slight angle, occasionally glancing at the watch she wore. The other wore a more decorative variation of the same uniform, incorporating countless medals and chevrons while an ornate curved sword hung at her hip, the left leg of her uniforms pants absent below the knee proudly displaying a tactical armoured boot that integrated itself into a state of the art cybernetic to replace the limb she had lost in the battle of Menagerie; the woman's hair was the purest white and her eyes were the same sparkling pale blue as those of her nephew

"That's my Aunt Winter" Arctus happily informed Diamond as he pointed to her. General Winter Schnee, head of Atlas Academy stepped forwards and spoke in a voice that carried across the courtyard

"Welcome to Atlas Academy"

 **Authors Notes:**

The fiftieth chapter of the story and we end on out transition to a new Kingdom, that worked out surprisingly well.  
For the remainder of Vol.4 we won't see too much of Atlas Academy but we're going to be spending Vol.5 and 6 here so we've got plenty of time to catch up.  
Also I received some artwork of Eagle Arc from one of my readers, Funlander and I wanted to say thank you again, I love it.

So let's summarise:  
We're leaving for Atlas, to quote the esteemed Miss Valkyrie "This is happening!"  
Seriously I refuse to believe that Arctus isn't ridiculously strict with its' border control.  
Also yeah Whitely has his Tony Stark/Playboy billionaire moments; he would definitely buy a new sports car whenever he had to leave Atlas and then give it away, just to save the time and paperwork involved in getting his own cars through customs.  
Eagle's hyperactive babbling when she's excited or nervous, I feel like I haven't used it enough lately….also Eagle would totally nerd out over things like museums _(Note to self for Eagle & Hellion dates later)_.  
Qrow shaking hands with Sentinel, I didn't know I needed that until I wrote it.  
Qrow and Eagle bonding, slowly and awkwardly but it's happening.  
Arctus _'What did you just say about Atlas you little bitch?'_ Slate.  
If you read the Downward Spiral then you know why Qrow would be around for the Vytal Tournament….yes, yes I'm bringing _that_ back because it's always hilarious to write.  
We're getting Eagle's Semblance.  
Team GORE and Qrow, that's got potential to be an interesting relationship; on paper he's an enemy but he's never tried to kill them when he's had the chance to and actually got Hellion away from Rhodium Torchwick's reach.  
Poor Hellion.  
Shine was seriously considering buying Booster from Rhodey to give himself an edge.  
Carcharodon teaching the most important lesson of all, constant vigilance.  
"I wasn't aware that we were coming back" because really Team GORE have been so focused on revenge and just getting by that they don't really have any solid plans for a future.  
Ah the upgrade Felix has in the trunk of the Killer-Bee….I promise we'll see that and the upgrade to Sentinel before the end of this volume.  
Also let's not pretend that Atlas still isn't pretty racist and that Felix's car wasn't searched more thoroughly because he's a Faunus with an expensive looking car.  
I can seriously imagine Helios just living out of suitcases because he owns so little that it's honestly that big of an issue to him.  
Felix is totally gonna take Helios out on a date involving dirt bikes; the idea is in his head now.  
Helios is still scared of heights.  
Look at these two bumbling awkward hot gay messes.  
Felix still reads the trashiest romance he can get his hands on.  
Arctus and Diamond on the airship on the way to an Academy for the first time, cinematic parallels.  
The _"Schnee Manor is a supervillain castle built onto the top of a frozen mountain"_ thing is never gonna stop being funny.  
I love that Raffia goes from _"The berserker who just won't die"_ to "This fucking idiot again" the longer you have to deal with him.  
Also callback to _"You owe me a left arm"  
"We start shooting in here and someone is gonna have a long way down and just enough time to realise that they're an idiot"_ Onyx has a way with words and we love him for it.  
Yeah you read that right, Raffia has Kafsi's swords….which means he has the laser lance.  
Little extra example of why the Cult of Taurus and the New White Fang are to be feared and some more context for why Team GORE hate them so much.  
The original plan for Team GORE/The Shadow Cadre was to kill the Cult of Taurus, load up on weapons and look for any of their people that survived the betrayal on Anima; this is the first sign that things may change.  
Giving Marauder enough of a personality to pout just turned that bird into a certified Disney companion.  
For the passenger area of the ship I was thinking back to a ferry I went to the Isle of Wight on as a kid, it had arcade games and air hockey on board.  
Also yeah, someone when definitely try an Aura powered trick shot and put a pool-ball through a window at high altitude.  
Someone give Eagle a hug, she is feeling all of the things.  
They held hands.  
Carcharodon and Hellion both meditate, a sign that the Frost River tribe had some sort of spiritual leanings; Onyx out of the whole Shadow Cadre had the closest relationship with his Faunus parent and has the best grasp of technology, he probably doesn't meditate and Raffia probably can't sit still for that long.  
You knew something was gonna happen, surely you knew.  
"Bold choice" God damn it Onyx.  
Air-plane mode is a bitch lol.  
Commander Skye, Matte is the head of Winter's fleet and equal ranking to Gangrel.  
It's been twenty years, you didn't really think Atlas doesn't have any new toys?  
Eagle is precious.  
Okay so Atlas's new fighter are basically a stealth fighter that has a gearwalk mode like a Macross jet, and a massive weapons battery on their back; basically a warship scale weapon on a fighter like what Penny's old Bull-Head had; also they're remote piloted because reasons….  
The name Baba-Jaeger is from the old Russian folk-tale of Baba-Yaga and her house which moved on giant chicken legs and the German word for Hunter Jaeger.  
Diamond has a point.  
I'm sure you can guess from the description who the woman next to Winter was, you'll love why she's in the story.  
Also, General mother fucking Schnee everyone.

Thank you to: SumoSnipe, Ferrous, Arkanes Shippou, Bulletproof Vanguard, TigerRose, FluffyFirefly, ShadowAlex2000, FleetOfWarships and Unstoppable Cyborg.  
Car has feelings, he just drowns them.  
I mean Diamond met Gangrel when Arctus was losing a bucketful of blood so maybe proper introductions are needed at some point lol.  
Oh course we'll see Athena-Jade's reaction to Arctus being back in Atlas.  
Surprisingly that wasn't actually foreshadowing.  
Canon get to the first round of singles….and well, obviously it didn't go well for people.  
Rhodium's backstory is honestly probably not that interesting, he's a kid from a poor area with the skills needed to make a name for himself through crime.  
Yeah Felix and Corvid have got more of Yang's personality in them, I think Felix has some of Blake in there under the surface; he stopped Nyanza from getting picked on because of that same strong sense of right and wrong but I think a lot of Blake's personality was shaped by experiences she made sure her kids never had to go through.  
Hey!….I make the puns here.  
Yeah we're not gonna see much of Rhodium but I do have one little 'Cameo' in mind for him during the tournament.  
Congrats on getting through your finals.  
I hope I can convert you to my love of the tournament arc trope.  
Pineapple pizza is of the devil

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	51. Mockingbird

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 51: Mockingbird**

It had taken Team FADE longer than they would have liked to find Atlas Academy's mess hall. Upon their arrival the previous night the transfer students had maps of the campus, their new timetables and a list of guidelines and protocols to be followed while on campus forwarded to their Scrolls; however this had proven a poor match for the brains of a group of sleep addled teenagers as the four of them had instinctively allowed their feet to carry them towards where Halo Academy's canteen would have been only to find nothing. Eventually the four of them managed to find their destination and claim an empty table, and not a moment too soon as before they could decide whose turn it was to go and get everyone's breakfast a voice, seemingly that of an older student bellowed out

"General on deck!" It soon became apparent who was a student of Atlas and who was not despite none of students wearing their uniforms due to it being a Saturday; those who attended Atlas Academy without exception leapt from their seats and snapped to attention, turning to face a small podium at the far end of the mess hall and saluting; the students from the other academies looked on in surprise with the exception of those students born in the icy Kingdom, Arctus included who joined in the display

"Dude what the hell?" Diamond whispered to her partner

"Habit" Arctus admitted with a slight shrug "You always salute a ranking officer in Atlas"

"At ease" Winter ordered calmly as she surveyed the students, upon hearing this those that had stood returned to their seats. Beside Winter was the woman in the black beret that had been present the night before, Winter gestured to her as she continued "This is for the benefit of the transfer students from Halo, Haven and Shade; this is my Deputy-Headmistress Professor Soleil, my duties as General frequently require me to leave the campus for extended periods and as such Professor Soleil has full authority to act on my behalf, any matter you wish to bring to my attention can be brought to hers and like any other member of staff at this academy you will treat her with the same respect you would show me"

"Weird that I've never met her" Arctus muttered before Winter continued speaking

"Second year students, I apologise for the short notice but your first mission as students of Atlas will commence at oh-seven-hundred on Monday morning, you are to present yourselves in the amphitheatre for mission briefings with your assigned Hunters" her stern expression softened for a moment "However this should ensure that you all arrive home with plenty of time to spare before the customary ball. Classes resume as normal on Monday morning at oh-nine-hundred for all other students, until then the weekend is yours to spend as you wish although I would suggest that you use this time to become acquainted with your new classmates; the Vytal Festival is after all a show of solidarity between the Kingdoms, it would be in keeping with the spirit of things" with the announcement concluded Winter stepped down from her podium, Ciel Soleil following after her with a tablet in her hands, eyes scanning endless reams of information

"Hey guys" Arctus's eyes were on his aunt as she left "I'll grab breakfast for everyone if you don't mind waiting for it, I haven't had chance to speak to Aunt Winter in ages" without waiting for a reply he made to follow after the elder Schnee, only to be completely blind-sided as someone collided with his chest; throwing their shoulder into it in a way that suggested it was not accidental

"We got a problem?" the student responsible demanded, the young man was six and a half feet tall with jet black hair tied back in a bun atop his head whilst the sides were shaved, angry amber coloured eyes and tattooed hands which were currently balled into fists as he tried to loom over Arctus

"No" the Bear Faunus answered simply, frankly confused by the situation

"Then watch where you're fucking going ass-hole" the newcomer spat, stepping into Arctus's personal space

"Sin, back off!" Diamond's voice cut through the suddenly tense atmosphere like a hot knife through butter, Cinnabar flashed her a smile full of pearly white teeth

"Dee-Dee, you know this guy?"

"That's my partner" Diamond answered flatly, cherry red eyes narrowing as she scowled "And my boyfriend….what do you want Sin?" Cinnabar merely turned and looked at Arctus, expression shifting between disbelieving, murderous and aloof calmness in barely a second before her turned back to Diamond and made to make himself comfortable in Arctus's seat

"Yeah sure he is, anyway I saw you in the crowd came over to say hi-"

"Well you've said it now" Diamond cut across him making it as plain as possible that she wanted the conversation to end

"I'm thinking we should hang out sometime, old times' sake and all that"

"Wow you are really bad at taking hints aren't ya?" Felix growled from opposite, cracking his knuckles as he spoke

"Pipe down kid I was talking to Dee"

"Diamond if this guy's bothering you just say" Arctus stated as he made to put himself physically between her and Cinnabar; the taller teen rose to his feet and squared up to the Bear Faunus and as he did so Team FADE saw movement from nearby, the rest of Team CNBR clearly preparing to leap into the confrontation the moment it turned physical; only to pale and gesture to something nearby. Cinnabar looked over Arctus's shoulder and saw Corvid Xiao Long glaring in his direction and silently mouthing out the words _'I will rip your balls off'_

"Whatever, we'll talk later Dee" with that he turned and stalked away, rejoining his team-mates at their table before glancing over to Corvid who had returned to her conversation with a team of students she hadn't seen in over a year

"Who was that?" Eagle demanded, Diamond massaged her eyes with the heels of her palms for a moment before answering

"I'm sorry about that….that's Sin, Cinnabar Blaine; he's my ex"

"Seems like a lovely guy" Felix snorted as he cast his eyes around and saw that the attention of the mess hall which had been on them was gradually being turned elsewhere

"I mean he wasn't always a….I mean okay he's always been a bit of a dick" Diamond sighed "Kinda starting to see why my Dad didn't like him, whatever hopefully we won't see too much of him" before Arctus could answer another new voice rose above the ambient buzz of conversation

"DIAMOND, HEY!" a five foot six, tanned girl with vibrant pink hair worn in a gravity defying mass of spikes and eyes of a matching colour bounding over, her team-mates trailing behind her

"I thought I recognised this guy from the pics you showed me, you two look adorable together by the way….and holy Oum he's even bigger in person" Razzmatazz's words came out like machine-gun fire, prompting Diamond to roll her eyes and pull her fellow Mistrali into a lazy one armed hug

"Dude how much coffee have you had?" she then realised that she needed to make introductions "This is one of my best friends from back home, Razz meet Arctus, Eagle and Felix, we're Team FADE" Team FADE each greeted the seemingly hyperactive newcomer who stole Arctus's seat and casually leaned back over it to introduce her own team

"This is Team GRAY; Grease, Azure and Yuki-"

"Holy Oum, Grease?" Felix called over the leader of the team from Haven, a young man with a leather jacket and immaculately coiffed hair "I didn't even see you there man!"

"Hey Felix"

"We're both from Patch, he was in mine and Nyanza's class and Signal" the Lion Faunus explained to his team-mates upon seeing the confused looks Diamond and Eagle were giving him, Arctus had met many of Felix's old friends before and seemingly recognised him

"Wait is Nyanza here?" Grease asked

"Yeah….We should definitely hang out, all of us. I'll call Nyanza and get him to bring Team NEON, Ether's the guitarist for that band we went to see over the summer"

"I'd love to hang out" Arctus interjected "But me and Diamond have got tickets for that comedy show tonight"

"Dude that's tonight we can still hang out til then" The Bear Faunus saw Diamond's expression and quickly decided that he would love to meet some of her old friends

"Okay I'm in" and with that plans for the day began to be made, the brief altercation with Cinnabar already pushed to the back of their minds.

* * *

Team GORE had awoken early that morning and found the mess hall without complication, their previous lives as raiders having given the ability to memorise the layout of their environment quickly; they had already exited before Winter had arrived to make her announcements though the information had reached them in the form of text messages sent to the Scrolls they had been issued with upon taking on the role of students; the information had come with an additional instruction that other students had not been given, the General wanted to speak with them.

The General and Headmistress's office had not been hard to find, it was located towards the top of one of the castle like campus's towers, when they arrived Winter had already been waiting to allow them entry; the interior of the office was decorated in much the same fashion as the rest of the campus, pristine white surfaces and harsh overhead lighting though several indulgences were apparent, the table upon which a computer, tablets, a handful of manilla folders and miscellaneous pieces of paperwork were arranged was made of the finest mahogany, Winter's chair was comfortable deep red leather and the wall behind were was decorated with several photographs, many depicting Winter herself accepting some medal or honour, several faces appearing in many of the photographs, a prominent one being the brown skinned individual who wore a red bandanna beneath their military uniform which bore several medals of its' own and a pair of pistols at their hips. Carcharodon spotted another photograph showing a wedding between an obviously pregnant woman who bore a striking resemblance to Winter herself and a much younger Gangrel Slate. He was distracted when Winter spoke

"I hope the Atlesian climate isn't too harsh for you and that your accommodations are suitable" Winter's tone was one of rigidly forced politeness as she took stock of the four Faunus before her, she had her own misgivings about the operation they would be taking part in but she pushed them aside; a White Fang resurgence could not be allowed under any circumstances and despite their lawless and predatory nature the Shadow Cadre were willing to assist her in that endeavour.

"This cold is the closest I've felt to home in over a year" Carcharodon rasped out, his faux politeness readily apparent

"I'm glad, I wanted to speak with you in person and make sure you understand exactly what it is that's expected of you"

"We want the same people dead, we're going to fix a problem for ya" the towering Puma Faunus, his name was Onyx if Winter recalled the files she'd read on each of them, chuckled. The Axolotl Faunus seemed outraged at the way the idea was presented

"We're not your soldiers and we are most certainly not mercenaries; we're here because-"

"Enough Raffia" Carcharodon warned before turning back to Winter "Though he isn't wrong, we're here because we were promised retribution"

"And because your only other option was an Atlesian military trial which would have ended in your execution" Winter added delicately, continuing before they could object "Regardless, we believe that when you compete in the Vytal Tournament and are broadcast for all of Remnant to see, our mutual enemies will send agents to tie up lose ends; this is our best chance at eliminating serious threats and taking prisoners with vital information-"

"Prisoners?" Carcharodon snarled, flashing his rows of jagged teeth "That's not the arrangement we made….understand that our taking of your scientist was a decision I did not make lightly, taking hostages is not our way"

"You will be given your chance to face this 'Cult of Taurus' in battle if they present themselves, the agreement you had with Commander Slate will be honoured" Winter assured them "However I have other concerns, taking out the entirety of this New White Fang movement is the goal, not just the parts of it you personally dislike, and taking prisoners rather than just killing everyone is _my peoples'_ way"

"Understood" Carcharodon nodded with some apparent distaste at having to compromise his beliefs yet again "Was there anything else?"

"There was" Winter nodded "I'm giving you the courtesy of not having your every movement monitored, I treat my operatives with respect regardless of their backgrounds. Do not make me regret that decision; you are to lay low and not draw undue attention to yourselves" her eyes seemed to linger on Onyx and Raffia, suggesting that the files she had received regarding them detailed their exploits at Halo Academy.

"It won't be an issue, at least for today" Carcharodon informed her "We plan on leaving the campus as soon as possible" Winter fought to mask her concern, as far as she was aware the only time that Team GORE had set foot on Atlesian soil before this had been to take part in the ill-fated joint operation with the New White Fang which had led to their current enmity; their people had also raided several Atlesian ships over the years. Hellion seemingly sensed her misgivings as she explained their motives

"We left Atlas in full retreat before, several of our people fell here and were never given their last rites….that has to change"

"We're returning to the docks" Carcharodon's voice was low and laced with menace "If any of your people are there they would do well to not bother us, I for one will be in no mood to entertain them" Winter nodded in understanding despite the urge to reprimand the Shark Faunus for his tone, she had attended the funerals of her parents, Klein when old age had finally claimed the Schnee families' butler and several members of the Atlesian military, including people she had seen as family in all but blood; she knew exactly how hard it would be for the group before her, still teens despite their experience, to return to the sight of a personal tragedy and do what was required of them.

"If that's all?" Carcharodon didn't wait for an answer, simply making his way to the door and beckoning that his people follow

"One more thing" Winter indicated to Raffia, specifically the weapons hanging from his hip "I had several misgivings about allowing you to be given the weapon Specialist Asteri was field testing. It is to be used only in the most extreme circumstances, if I hear of you using its' full capabilities against another student there will be consequences. Do we understand each other?"

"Perfectly" Raffia gave her a mocking bow and a smile that managed to appear sinister despite being comically wide "I'll take care to bury the charred bones in the snow so that you never find out" with that Raffia followed his team-mates out of the office, his demented giggling echoing through the hallways. Winter pinched her bridge of her nose and sighed.

* * *

Situated in what had once been a military installation, now seemingly forgotten about and overlooked by the Kingdom of Atlas was a settlement which had never officially existed as it was not one of the many bases repurposed by the Kingdom to house refugees after the battles against the White Fang and the Grimm; this settlement had been established deliberately away from the watchful eye of the authorities as a last bastion at which the White Fang could regroup. The initial counter offensive that those founding the settlement had been expecting had never come, without Adam Taurus's leadership and vision the White Fang had been broken and the settlement of Tartarus had grown, becoming a home to those Faunus who wished to be free of the Kingdoms' authority and live amongst their own kind. Then Celeste Lupus had taken command, wielding the sword of the fallen Adam Taurus, a sharp mind which had seen her rise to prominence within the various groups what would form the New White Fang and a message delivered with unquestionable zeal and charisma it seemed that the self styled _'Taurus Reborn'_ was ready to take up the mantle of her predecessor and orchestrate the counter attack that the settlement of Tartarus had been founded in preparation for.

"Menagerie must burn!" Celeste cried from what amounted to a pulpit at the front of settlements' meeting hall "It must be purified and cleansed with fire! Every human invader that desecrates our motherland must be put to the sword, and so must every Faunus traitor that orchestrated this atrocity! They are heretics and traitors!" The Ram Faunus looked down at her congregation, they were young; wide eyed idealists ready to fight for the cause and the future she promised them. Many were too young, mere children who eagerly pestered her officers asking to do favours for them all so that they could say that they were a part of the White Fang. Those in their teens were already being trained to fight, a handful had already seen combat. Each of them gazed up at Celeste with rapt attention, her sermons' had become even more impassioned since the surgery which allowed her to walk again and now her followers gazed at her in unabashed awe when she spoke

"We must be prepared to do as the Great Adam Taurus did before us!" she bellowed "When the enemy led the greatest creature of Grimm ever seen into our homes, he laid down his life and cast the beast aside! We will not let his sacrifice be forgotten!" their was a scattering of applause and cheers

"We must take back the promised land of New Menagerie! Atlas is ours by right of conquest and the word of the Great Taurus!" the cheers grew louder and more prevalent

"We must raze the motherland and slay the human invaders!" many of the congregation were on their feet cheering now

"We must cast out the heretic and the traitor, purge those who have sided against their own kind, those who consort with humans!" Celeste's voice dropped to a harsh stage whisper

"We must subjugate the humans as they did to our ancestors, for we are the children of Taurus, we are the New White Fang, we demand reparations and we demand vengeance" as the crowd reached a fever pitch, those amongst her followers who had earned the right to wear a mask and uniform appearing as islands amongst their peers the Ram Faunus ended her speech with words that every child born in Tartarus learned young, words in the language of Mantle known to the people of the frozen Kingdom as Old Atlesian

"Der Reibzahne soll zeichnen blut!" and the crowd answered her with a unified voice

"The Fangs shall draw blood!" as the sermon ended and her followers began to file out, reinvigorated with righteous fury Celeste caught sight of an older denizen of Tartarus, a wasp Faunus gifted with a large tail tipped with a stinger and whose hair naturally grew in black and yellow stripes. Celeste gestured to a door at the side of the meeting hall and made her way towards it, muscles aching as lances of burning pain shot through her back; she had appeared before her people without her armour and was currently feeling the effects of being upright for an extended amount of time without its' aid, she was getting stronger but it wasn't enough yet.

"High commander" the Wasp Faunus bowed her head reverently as she reached Celeste, the Ram Faunus made to reply but caught sight of a child who had been part of the congregation hiding behind her legs, seemingly both eager for attention and terrified of asking for it

"Yes little one?" Celeste cooed as she couched down to the eye level of girl who she guessed was perhaps six years old, the Wasp Faunus stepping aside

"Well it's just um well" the little girl audibly gulped "My parents always tell me that you're going to stop anyone from ever picking on the Faunus again" The Wasp Faunus almost laughed, catching herself and masking it as a cough before Celeste silently gestured for the girl to continue

"It's just well….some of the other kids here are picking on me and I want it to stop, they all call me _'Fingers'_ " Celeste looked to where the girls' hands should have been and nodded in understanding, she was a Crab Faunus and her forearms were bulky and chitinous, ending in oversized pincers

"Until recently I couldn't walk, ask those children who pick on you if they would ever call me 'Legs'" Celeste whispered, the little girls' eyes widened in shock at the idea

"Tell me" she continued "Do you want to help the White Fang when you're old enough?"

"Yep!" the answer came without hesitation

"Then you were born lucky" Celeste assured her as she rose to her feet "Our Faunus traits are a gift little one, and you were gifted with weapons….now run along" she watched as the little girl left, skipping away happily before turning her attention to her subordinate

"You have word?"

"Yes High Commander" the Wasp Faunus bowed again "Our messenger has made contact, the operation will proceed as planned; they were most grateful for your gifts"

"They have no concerns with the arrangement?" Celeste raised an eyebrow, the leader of this particular group of militants had a reputation for being outspoken

"The situation was thoroughly explained to them"

"I see" Celeste nodded "Is there anything else you wish to tell me?" the Wasp Faunus visibly shuddered, eyes darting around the room beneath her mask as if the mere mention of the Faunus she was about to speak of would summon them

"The Cult of Taurus are in position"

"Good" Celeste's gave a smile that was unsettling to behold "They know their orders, kill the blasphemer."

* * *

The tickets which Arctus had been gifted to the comedy show that night had been front row and while both of them were familiar with the comedian Harry Regal and his particular brand of humour they had somewhat naively seen no downside to this. After booking a hotel in Atlas's capital of Eisenstadt Prime for the night and a dinner at a decidedly upmarket restaurant at Arctus's expense the pair had arrived at a concert hall, situated, Arctus had explained, where the divide between Upper and Lower Atlas had once been. Harry Regal had grown up alongside Gangrel Slate, Bake Belladonna and Adam Taurus in the Rauchigschmiede area of Lower Atlas; a poor and crime ridden part of the city and not only did his material reflect such a background, so did the majority of his audience. Arctus was visibly financially better off than many of those around him and Diamond had noticed that she was one of very few humans present; not that this would stop either of them from enjoying themselves, they had both been in hysterics since Harry had begun his routine.

"Have you ever had something happen to ya that was so racist that ya didn't even get mad it just had you stood there surprised like Oum damn that was racist?" the comedian waited for a moment, small scatterings of laughter and agreement could be heard in the crowd before he continued "It was right here in this mother-fucking city, Upper Atlas the human side of the fence; first time I visited the capital since I got out. I went to a fast food place to order a burger and said to the guy can I get- He just cut me off and said _'Extra seeds on the bun'_ and I was stood there like _'What the fuck'_ ….'cos he was absolutely right!" At this point the crowd erupted into laughter, Harry Regal needed to wait several seconds before he could continue

"So I had to ask this guy how he knew, this is what he tells me 'Buddy as soon as you walked through that door everybody knew that whatever you were gonna order you'd take extra seeds on the bun; it is no secret here that Bird Faunus will pick the damn bird seeds off and forget the rest of the burger….I didn't even get mad, I was just upset because I was not ready to hear that, all these years I thought I liked eating bird seed because it was delicious; turns out I'm genetically predisposed to liking seeds and also shitting on that guys' wind-shield!" The crowd erupted into laughter at the admittedly crude punchline, Arctus leaning close to Diamond and surprising her with an admission

"Fuck people like that, it's why I don't eat salmon any more" she gave a quick glance, suddenly concerned before seeing that the Bear Faunus was still smiling and turned her attention back to the comedian; Harry Regal was an Eagle Faunus of an unremarkable height and build, skin paled by the lack of natural light in the Atlesian Hive Cities marred in several places by scars inflicted by prison shanks and his hair worn in a simple crew cut, his hand ended in avian taloned claws and in place of lips he had a curved beak which by some quirk of nature hadn't impaired his speech and was partially filled with mostly human teeth, giving him a slightly unsettling appearance; his outfit was expensive but had been purchased several sizes too big and worn baggy, a fashion style that had been popular when he had first been incarcerated and had never grown out of in prison. After pausing for a moment and waiting for the laughter to die down Harry launched back into his routine

"I mean I suppose they've gotta find new ways to fuck with us now because name calling does not work on the modern Faunus. Like if I went to Wham-Burger and for some reason everyone behind the counter had really obvious Sapient Prime tats, or whatever other anti-Faunus group, what do you think I'm gonna do in this day an age? Run out the place? You underestimate the kind of munchies I get when I'm high, I'll walk right up there and not care what he says, I want a chicken burger" he paused before affecting a sneering voice clearly intended to be the racist in this scenario " _So is that cannibalism? I guess you want seeds with that huh Fleabag?_ ….I thought the bun came with seeds, what's all this attitude. Get me a burger, make it snappy"

"My Dad and Aunt Blake have actually got stories about stuff like that" Arctus managed to wheeze out over his laughter

"Some things aint changed though" Harry sighed, clawed digits tapping against his microphone "Fifteen years I went away and Faunus are still not getting jobs, only way you're getting a trade if you're a Faunus is to learn it in jail and then just never come home. Do the job for two Lien a day and live on prison food at the taxpayers expense and suddenly everyone's an equal opportunities employer, affirmative action my feathery ass" there were countless cheers from the audience at that but Harry continued on

"Seriously, they invited me to speak at my old school….coincidently that's the most time I ever spent there at once but that's beside the point, they had me talking to some Faunus kids about how to avoid getting caught up in gangs and stuff; so I gave 'em some real advice straight from the heart….Either become a Hunter or get into sports, if you're not entertaining these humans or saving their asses you're trapped!"

"Oh my Oum" Diamond managed to gasp out between peals of laughter, hands covering her mouth in shock "I don't even know if I should be laughing at this"

"Speaking of Faunus and human relations and some really entertaining shit" Harry sauntered across the stage, eyes gleaming with mischief as he crouched down directly in front of Arctus and Diamond "I grew up with Gangrel Slate, the Faunus who hooked with a Schnee….that jackpot winning mother-fucker; after fifteen years of him not visiting me in prison I give him tickets to this show and he sends his son instead and I'm starting to take this shit personally….Since you're here you've gotta tell me does Whitley Schnee really listen to Faunus With Attitude? 'cos that sounds kinda fake"

"No he really does" Arctus mumbled, painfully aware of the gaze of the entire audience on him

"Well damn" Harry gave the closest thing to a smile his beak would allow "So come on kid which did you pick, Hunting Grimm or entertaining the humans? You're not free from this shit" Arctus wasn't sure where the answer came from but he gave a cocky smirk and quipped back

"Well I'm competing in the Vytal Tournament so both"

"Make some noise for the kid, Hunters do a valuable job….unless you're at the bottom of Lower Atlas in which case get ready to run or try and fight the Grimm with a broomstick, business as usual; he's not gonna turn up" Harry's eyes that shifted to Diamond "So that must make you his partner….can I ask you a weird question, I don't wanna make you feel uncomfortable and if this doesn't go well we'll just edit it out anyway….Is it weird to be the only human on the front row, does it not worry a little?" Diamond chuckled good naturedly before answering

"Well it wasn't until you mentioned-"

"GIMME ALL YOUR LIEN!" Harry barked, before speaking to audience as a whole "Ice in her veins, didn't even flinch….Remnant is good hands people!" It took a while for the crowd to quieten down again, Arctus and Diamond both laughing despite being the butt of the joke

"No but seriously it's good to see us Faunus doing well for ourselves" Harry sighed "Marrying Schnees and not getting harassed by the cops as much; I'm kinda glad Adam Taurus isn't around to see it because y'know he would probably blow some shit up and put like fifty Faunus out of work and act like he saved us all by doing it….let me tell you anyone who thinks that his shit didn't stink I had to wear his hand me down clothes from time to time-" Arctus and Diamond joined in the eruption of laughter from the crowd, the Bear Faunus with wide eyes as he'd never heard the late leader of the White Fang discussed in such blunt and irreverent terms

"I'm sorry but we as a people are not gonna be represented well by the guy dressed in all black with red eyes and horns on his Oum damned head….making it too damn easy" the jokes continued and the crowd continued to laugh, nobody noticing a lone Faunus slink out of an open fire exit wearing a hateful expression.

* * *

The show had finally ended and Harry Regal was travelling from Eisenstadt Prime to Eisenstadt Dritte, the city he had been born and raised in; though it had been transformed beyond all recognition during his time in prison, the damage wrought on Lower Atlas as a hole finally providing enough incentive for the government to repair and modernise the infrastructure of six of Atlas's seven major cities. Normally the ludicrously extravagant limousine was filled with his entourage and served as the venue for a mobile after party but Harry's current tour was winding down and he was leaving each show progressively more exhausted, as such the only occupants of the vehicle were himself and his chauffeur; a human who had been Harry's cellmate for his last two years in prison, the young man had been transferred from a young offenders institute where he had been imprisoned for a string of car thefts upon turning eighteen and had been terrified to be surrounded by harden criminals many of whom had ties to extremist organisations. Harry had promised to try and help his former cellmate out when he was released, giving him a job was his way of honouring that promise. It also left Harry free to get thoroughly intoxicated but that was besides the point

"It's a shame Gang couldn't come….had a whole routine lined up for him and everything" the avian Faunus lamented as he exhaled, pungent smoke filling the rear of the limousine "I hear Blake is hooked up with a teacher; because of course she is….gotta get her to come to a show sometime" he fell into a peaceful silence upon receiving no reply for his chauffeur, whose concentration was firmly on the icy and snow covered road between the cities. Harry merely lost himself in his own drug addled mind as he took several long drags on a joint laced with things he couldn't even remember the name of, as he watched the snow falling outside he realised that if he was truly honest with himself he'd been reaching out to Gangrel and to a lesser extent Blake because the kids he'd grown up with in Sienna Khan's orphanage as well as Sienna herself and Tukson had been the closest thing that he'd ever had to a family and despite his newfound fame and money he had no real idea what he was doing with his life. He missed them all but Blake and Gangrel had seemingly forgotten him and moved on with their lives, Luna had vanished after Felix's death, Chitin had been killed in a bar fight, Fagin had been set up by his own lieutenant in Vaccuo; everyone else's death was Adam's fault either directly or through proxies. Harry took a deep breath and forced himself not to lash out at the mere though of the Bull Faunus, trying to find something positive to focus on….he'd heard through the grapevine that Blake had named a kid after Felix, that was something.

 _CRASH_

"What the fuck!" Harry demanded, jolted from his introspection as the limousine was brought to an abrupt halt, rear wheels rising from the ground as it collided with something, quickly stamping out the joint he'd dropped before it could cause anything to catch fire he leaned forward and banged on the partition between the front seat of the vehicle and the passengers

"You okay kid, what the fuck happened?"

"I don't know!" he chauffeur replied frantically as he extricated himself from the airbag "I didn't see anything, fuck I still can't see anything!" Harry tried to peer through the smoke rising from the hood of the car obscuring the view from the wind-shield but couldn't make out anything

"Fuck it, get out there and see how bad the limo is. I'll call the insurance company"

"But what if it's a Grimm?"

"You were doing sixty, if it's a Grimm then congrats you're a Hunter now. Get your ass out there and see how badly you fucked my car up" the chauffeur did as he was instructed and climbed out of the vehicle, the drivers' side door sagging on a damaged hinge as it opened. Harry watched as the young man took a few tentative steps around the side of the vehicle, a low whistle making it clear that the damage was extensive. Then there was a low warping sound and the chauffeur was gone, or more accurately he was everywhere at once, his body reduced to gore and viscera splattered across the wind-shield with enough force to crack the glass. Harry let out a scream, his Scroll falling from his hands in shock and revulsion as his mind managed to make sense of what he was seeing, he continued screaming until a voice, a harsh rumbling snarl issued a single demand

"Get out" Harry struggled to comply, trembling hands fumbling with the door and upon opening it the terrified Faunus collapsed to his hands and knees in the snow before rising to his feet and desperately casting his eyes around the otherwise empty road, lit by large and sturdy street lights built at the roadside which arched overhead. In the distance there was a large hulking figure brandishing some kind of weapon, turning his attention back towards the wreckage of his limousine bile rose in his throat at the sight of the lower half of his drivers' body slumped against the front wheel while everything above the waist had been eviscerated; the truly horrific thing however was the person, if one could call it that which had ordered him out of the car, the light glinted against countless metallic surfaces and Harry couldn't be certain how much of this hallucination was drug induced and how much was sheer terror but he was certain that his sense must be deceiving him; the nightmare made flesh stood before him could not be real.

"Good" the same sandpaper rough voice sneered "Look at me; look a the big scary monster in front of you….whatever you do don't look behind you"

"Wha-ARRRGH!" Harry had made to whip around and see what was behind him, before he could do so he collapsed to the ground screaming in agony and clutching at his left thigh, his breaths came in shallow laboured gasps as he looked at the wound in horror, his jeans were rapidly darkening as more of his blood soaked into them, the flesh had been pierced by a three foot long harpoon which now jutted from the front of his thigh. Harry had only the briefest glimpse of a small figure, face obscured by a mask with too many eye holes scurrying down the surface of one of the street-lights carrying the weapon the harpoon was attached to. A moment later several serrated barbs burst from the tip of the spike buried in his leg, making it impossible to remove; Harry was reduced to screams of pain once more as he felt himself being dragged back towards his attacker, then hoisted into the air; the arm of the street-light being used as an improvised pulley suspending him upside down roughly six feet in the air. Through his pain Harry managed to make out a lone feminine figure approaching though the snow, any hope of being rescued was shattered the moment he heard the voice that seemed to come from everywhere at once, smoky, enticing and _hypnotic_

" _Hush little_ _traitor_ _don't you cry, I'm gonna sing you a lullaby"_ the haunting melody reduced Harry to whimpers which he failed to hear, his senses unable to focus on anything other than the slowly approaching figure clad in black and white

" _You should have learned to hold your tongue, now your final judgement's come"_ she was close enough that Harry could see her face was obscured.

" _Our people's revolution's near, and you'll play no part 'cos you won't be here"_ Harry's eyes widened in mind-numbing terror as he saw what was covering her face, a mask, a kind of mask he was intimately familiar with.

" _Hush little traitor don't say a word….I'm gonna silence a mocking bird"_

A moment later the sound of screaming could be heard, and then silence.

 **Authors Notes:  
** Now that's how you introduce an antagonist….honestly if I was making this as an actual series, that last scene would be a teaser trailer.  
The fiftieth chapter seemed to get more feedback than normal so I wanna thank you guys again for sticking around and being the awesome people that you are.  
We're nearing the end of Vol.4, I'm gonna follow the 'Missions are Volume finales' setup meaning that we'll get to see of Atlas in Vol.5 and Vol.6, I feel like the pacing on this volume has struggled a little as I've had to re-establish the characters, set up plot points and change the setting completely without sacrificing character interactions and development.  
Also you can blame my friend, Tumblr user Torossotron for this but I'm giving serious consideration to starting a Transformers story based in the IDW comics continuity, set post war roughly around the same time as the _"More Than Meets the Eye"_ series. I promise I won't let it interfere with the upload schedule for FADE, this is and will continue to be my main story. As things stand I have a crew of fifteen OCs with rough outlines but no actual plot….let me know if you'd be interested in seeing me venture into other Fandoms.

So, let's summarise:  
Anyone else do that when they wake up somewhere new? Just wander off in completely wrong direction.  
When Winter Schnee walks into a room you stand to mother-fucking attention.  
A few of you guessed it, yes the woman beside Winter last chapter was Ciel. She's Winter's deputy and will kinda be acting like Goodwitch did in canon; the one really running the show while the headmaster is busy.  
Confirmation that Arctus doesn't know Ciel, he does know several high ranking officers in Atlas as well as several politicians and CEOs just by virtue of his parents; if Antonia Arc was more sociable he probably would have met her as well.  
We've got a mission coming people, brace yourself for antics.  
Diamond's ex, surely you knew he was coming back….the guy is so creepy it makes my skin crawl to write him.  
Remember Cinnabar and Corvid are in the same year, Corvid went to Haven for the Vytal Tournament in her first year. Cinnabar knows exactly how good she is.  
Felix's sarcasm, feels like it hasn't been present enough lately; I need to write more Felix and Diamond interactions.  
Team GRAY, one of Felix's old friends and one of Diamond's old friends; they'll probably only ever be background characters but we need more of those since we've left Vale….besides, someone's gotta fight 'em in the tournament.  
When Nyanza said he was gonna get the 'Signal crew' together to go to Ether's gig at the start of the volume Grease would have been one of those people.  
Yeah Cinnabar in the grand scheme of things is a minor annoyance, he's a high-school bully; it's like comparing Cardin to Tyrian….one of them is a threat the other is not.  
Mahogany.  
Matte Skye appears in almost all of Winter's photos, if you can't find them then look harder.  
Also Weiss was pregnant when she and Gangrel married.  
They're called the _Shadow Cadre of the Frost River Tribe_ you know damn well they like it cold.  
Team GORE are bait.  
Remember how many misgivings they had about taking Antonia as a prisoner.  
Winter didn't have Merc and Em trailed when they resigned from her black-ops unit, she's not going to have Team GORE stalked.  
Confirmed that there's no Klein in this story, the Schnees never fired a replacement. You can't replace Klein.  
Raffia is a shit.  
Also I never intended for this to happen but as I've been reading things back to myself I've realised that Carcharodon is actually starting to remind me of Piccolo from DBZ.  
I was honestly planning on watching some fire and brimstone really out there wing-nut southern preachers before writing Celeste's sermon but honestly I would have ended up pissing myself off to the point I punched a hole through my laptop.  
For those of you that haven't read the Downward Spiral, Adam Taurus died wiping out a gigantic Grimm that had been airdropped into a city that his forces had taken over by a renegade faction of the Atlesian military; his forces fractured without him but he still died a martyr in some peoples' minds.  
When Adam took control of Lower Atlas he renamed it New Menagerie, Celeste is talking about taking over Atlas and then burning Menagerie down to start again, she would rather it be a wasteland than have one human living there.  
" _The fangs shall draw blood"_ is going to become something of a slogan.  
Celeste still isn't 'cured', she was paraplegic for twenty years, the cybernetic spine allows her to stand up and walk but without Neon's armour it is still a struggle.  
" _My parents always tell me that you're going to stop anyone from ever picking on the Faunus again"_ that may be the most chilling thing I've ever written in context.  
Just the idea of Celeste comforting a child by telling her "Don't worry, the differences you're being picked on for will actually help you destroy our enemies"  
An Operation, that will coincide with the second year missions….oh goodie.  
Even the rest of the New White Fang shudder at the thought of the Cult of Taurus.  
If you want an idea of what the Cult are going to be like read the Transformers "More Than Meets The Eye" comic series, I based them on the "Decepticon Justice Division" it won't be like for like adaptions but the principle remains the same.  
Don't be front row at a comedy show.  
A lot of the comedians' routine was based on Dave Chappelle, there's a video on Youtube "Best of Dave Chappelle part 2" with a mix of bits from different shows that I used for reference.  
Wham-Burger is a thing that canonically exists within Remnant.  
A little note on the private prison industry, fuck that shit it should not exist.  
Whitley liking Faunus rap groups is a callback to The Downward Spiral.  
Jokes about Adam Taurus, that is the kind of shit that gets you put on a hit-list.  
" _I hear Blake is hooked up with a teacher; because of course she is"_ is it really a surprise to anyone?  
Yeah Felix was actually named after the Chainsaw guy from Vol.2, in The Downward Spiral Adam cut him in half.  
R.I.P driver boi.  
So that's three of the four members of the Cult of Taurus, the big guy who blew the driver up, the monster that stopped the car and the small one with the Harpoon sniper rifle.  
And here's the fourth.  
Sing that little song to the tune of hush little baby and tell me that it's not menacing as fuck.  
Yes the chapter was titled mocking bird just for the "I'm gonna silence a mocking bird" line, I've had this scene specifically planned out since the beginning.  
And wait til you see what her weapon is.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Araniladin, Funlander, FleetOfWarships, TigerRose, Ferrous, BooDawg, Arkanes Shippou, FluffyFirefly and ShadowAlex2000 for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Yeah Felix has Blake's copy of Ninjas of Love, Corvid has Yang's old scarf.  
Yep it was Ciel.  
I could created a new airborne Grimm but I wanted to highlight the Baba-Jaegers, I just thought it made more sense to put them against a known quantity.  
Well I didn't make a transforming mech for no reason.  
The slow burn is real, what if I told you I'm gonna give you all two ships by the end of Vol.5?  
Also bring back Winter in Vol.6 RT.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review


	52. Into The Cold

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 52: Into The Cold**

Oh-Seven-Hundred Monday morning had arrived and with it the first mission of Team FADE's second year. The teens in question had awoken at five o'clock to re-check their weapons, ammunition and other supplies before heading to breakfast; though this had not been done without complaint. Currently the four of them were making their way through still unfamiliar, pristine white tiled corridors leading towards the amphitheatre where they would be receiving their assignment; as they drew near they paused for a brief conversation with Team GRAY, the Haven students giving them a rough overview of their assignment before leaving for the landing pads where the small military strike team they would be accompanying would meet them. As they went the separate ways Team FADE entered Atlas Academies' amphitheatre, a cavernous hall whose rear wall was adorned with golden plaques bearing the names, rankings and honours given to every Atlesian Hunter, Specialist, Freelancer, Soldier and the various other servicemen and women who had fallen in the battle against the Grimm; the names of previous heads of the Academy more elaborately adorned, Arctus regarded the name "General James Ironwood" for a moment having heard stories painting him as both a hero and one of those responsible for maintaining Atlas's former discriminatory racist status-quo. Around the perimeter created between the stage and ascending rows of seating were several digital screens displaying the various missions and rendezvous points assigned to the various teams, it was a struggle for Team FADE to get close enough to search for their own mission owing to the larger than usual crowd, something that the realised was something they'd have to adjust to for the duration of their time in Atlas.

"Hey, you guys found your mission yet?" Felix called over to Team NEON when he picked out Helios's golden armour as the light struck it

"Guard duty" the redhead noted with some distaste as he and his team notes made their way over, his preference for taking the fight to the Grimm as well as anything that could be described as heroic was well known

"I mean at least it gets you out of the snow right?" Felix countered with a shrug

"Not even sure how this is gonna work out" Nyanza interjected "Apparently we're gonna be escorting Dust shipments to above ground settlements outside of the cities; we'll be working out of a refinery-"

"Oh that'll be the site in Stahlhafen in Lower Eisenstadt Zweite" Arctus interrupted, rubbing the back of his head when he saw everyone's eyes focus on him "I've heard Mum and Uncle Whitley talk about the place, it's one of the SDCs' biggest facilities"

"So those shipments are gonna be important" Olivine noted "See Heely, guard duty isn't so bad" Helios looked unconvinced

"You should be careful if you're going to the settlements outside of the cities" Arctus added, explaining as he saw the confused expressions from his friends "It's not something that's really spoken about too much but those settlements tried to secede from Atlas after they started developing their own economies after the war, the reintegration act basically strong-armed them into staying part of the Kingdom….A lot of people out there consider themselves Atlesian in name only so the laws don't exactly apply"

"Sounds a lot like where I grew up" Diamond noted with a snort "Before I moved to the capital, my old city has the nickname _'Hell on Remnant'_ "

"It earns that name" Helios growled with a shudder at the thought of the rumours of things that transpired within Doupeng-He Bishou

"Well just keep your eyes open out there man, I don't wanna get back here and find out that you got hurt" Felix's voice was a soft mumble but the redhead heard clearly on nodded his head quietly

"Likewise, take care Fluffy" there were a few moments of awkward silence before Nyanza decided to clear his throat and spare his two friends from their mutual ineptitude

"Okay, let's go I don't wanna be late….they might court marshal us for it some dumb shit" the rest of Team NEON shared a chuckle at his comment as they departed, leaving Team FADE to find their own assignment; no sooner had they reached the various digital displays and realised that they were sorted by school were they joined by Hellion of Team GORE who looked no happier at being awake but soon seemed to liven up upon spotting the blonde

"Hey" Eagle grinned "Looking for your teams' mission?"

"Indeed" Hellion murmured "It seems at least one of us being able to read will be useful after all"

"Can't believe we had so much trouble from people who can't read" Felix gave a derisive snort, only to be silenced by his partners' elbow in his ribs.

"Um guys" Arctus tried to get their attention, gesturing to what had captured both his and Diamond's attention

"Oh…." Eagle trailed off

"Fuck this" Felix scoffed with a shake of the head, refusing to believe what he was reading. The outburst was loud enough to draw the attention of the remainder of Team GORE who rapidly closed the distance between them in the slowly emptying amphitheatre, Raffia skulking around the periphery

"We have a problem?" Carcharodon asked, voice low

"No" Eagle answered before he and Felix could begin to antagonise each other "We're actually going to be working together, we have a joint mission" her answer was punctuated by the Raffia seemingly choking on air

"I think not!"

"Do we are have a problem here?" a somewhat smokey voice from enquired behind them, quickly joined by a second chirpier voice

"We were wondering what was keeping you, hey Eagle" the eight students turned and were greeted with the sight of a pair of women; the first tall and immaculately dressed in outfit in various shades of black, gold and brown that blended the tactical with the ludicrously expensive, a single curl of her brown hair escaping from beneath her black beret partially obscuring her eye, the look being completed with a black and gold tote bag. The Second woman was shorter, though her height was compensated for by her Faunus attributes; a pair of chestnut furred rabbit ears which added at least another head to her height, or rather the left ear did while the right stopped half way having been neatly severed, her hair cascaded down to the small of her back and her own outfit was several shades of light brown and tan with golden armour plating adorning her shoulders, forearms and the heel and toe of her boot while an ornate camera hung from her neck. The colouration of both women's clothes suggested that they were more used to blending into a barren sandy environment while they sported tans which leant credence to that idea

"You know them?" Felix asked with a raised eyebrow

"That's uncle Flax's sister" the blonde confirmed; the other woman was the one to speak, addressing both teams of students before us.

"I'm Coco Adel, this is Velvet Scarlatina; you'll be working with us in the ruins of Eisenstadt Siebte….So no more bickering, we've got work to do and I wanna get it done quickly"

* * *

In the frozen tundra towards the East of the continent of Solitas was the mining town of Machen-Rustung; a town whose inhabitants supported themselves toiling in an iron mine and a foundry, working the Atlesian steel which proved vital to the icy Kingdom of Atlas. It's people were those who had been dispossessed from Lower Atlas during the White Fang's occupation and chosen not to return to their former homes; making the change from mining Dust crystals to ores. Without a naturally occurring source of Dust nearby or the ability and without capable Hunters to defend against the increasingly frequent packs of Beowolves or other creatures of Grimm scouring the frozen wasteland Machen-Rustung had been forced to sign onto Atlas's reintegration act even if they could trade with other settlements outside of the Hive Cities for essentials like food. This had bred nothing but resentment among those living in the mining town; a large percentage of whom were Faunus, first they had endured years of institutional racism within the Kingdom of Atlas then their homes were destroyed in the conflict only for their safety to be effectively held for ransom in exchange for exorbitant taxes. The anger towards the system which had promised change and fairness countless times and failed to deliver in each instance had begun to lead to dangerous words like revolution being whispered in smoke filled bars and secret meetings in basements; much like the one currently being presided over at that moment

"Everyone here then?" a Squirrel Faunus for whom the busy tail resting against their back seemed comically at odds with his squat, broad shouldered frame and square jawed face. The man went by the name Chestnut and was a shift manager at the foundry, he had also been ten years old when his home was destroyed; an experience that had no doubt influenced his decision to start 'The Freedom Union' one of the many cells which formed the New White Fang.

"Aye" one of his co-conspirators answered as they checked names of a list that would be burned after the meeting ended. Chestnut surveyed the men and women in front of him, weary faces and calloused hands with very little to show for it all around; many of the Faunus in the smoke filled basement would in fact be working alongside him later that day. He took a long drag on his cigarette in a futile attempt to steady his nerves before beginning

"We all know why we're here. We're here because we're done talking, the Coalition and all those other Faunus rights groups have been talking for twenty years, as soon as Atlas had to pay us the same as the humans they just found a new way to twist our arms and steal it back. We're here because we believe that if marching and singing songs and talking to people that hate us was gonna work it would of bloody well happened by now, am I right?" there was a chorus of agreement from those present while Chestnut took another drag

"Well now it's time for direct action, we're gonna send a message to them at the top of the mountains the same way old Taurus did. Steal from us and we'll steal it back. We're gonna hit a Dust shipment; what do ya say to that?" the smoky room was filled with the buzz of excited muttering before someone raised an issue, a young Faunus whom Chestnut was almost certain was still an apprentice at the foundry, barely more than a baby in his eyes

"I'm up for it boss but have we got the muscle for it?" there were a few that murmured similar sentiments, emboldened by someone else speaking out first

"We have" Chestnut grinned silencing the dissent with ease as he gestured to dozens of inconspicuous crates lining a wall "I'll admit I've been telling some fibs, that wasn't a health and safety inspector that paid me a visit on Friday. The High Commander sent someone to give us this job and give us the tools we'd need for it; ours to keep in case Atlas sends any Hunters with bright ideas"

"Oh aye?" a voice called from the back "And what have we to pay 'em for that then?" Chestnut bit back a retort, this wasn't the foundry and his people deserved answers; even if the speaker was one of the office staff and as such was by definition a shirker and a pansy who wasn't to be trusted in the Squirrel Faunus's mind.

"A seventy thirty split" Chestnut admitted through clenched teeth "We keep the weapons but the High Commander needs to reallocate the Dust to some of the other groups" there was an immediate uproar as several voices struggled to be heard

"Well what's the point then?"

"We signed up to stop getting shafted for Oum's sake!"

"Oh aye, we'll just use the Fire Dust in them bullets to cook with afterwards then shall we?"

"ALRIGHT SHUT UP!" Chestnut barked out in a tone those he worked with were well acquainted with, the expression he wore however was new to them "This isn't really a debate, it's happening….It was originally twenty, I tired to get us a fifty fifty split; that messenger told me that our _'Questionable faith and mistaken belief that we are the only ones with needs to be considered'_ has already been brought up in conversation with other branches of _'The Organisation'_ ".

"So we're being strong-armed by our own fucking people as well now?" a rattlesnake Faunus demanded, her tail giving a clear indication of her thoughts

"We do this job we're back in the good books" Chestnut answered "There's a land-train leaving a depot today; we'll get the message from a man on the inside when he gets a look at their schedule. Gives us plenty of time to set things up. Thirty percent is still gonna be a fair bit of Dust we can stockpile and it puts us in a better position to bargain next time" quiet murmurs filled the basement once again, the enthusiasm replaced by evident tension and uncertainty until the apprentice who had spoken earlier offered his thoughts up again

"What if we do it and just keep the Dust?" several Faunus looked at him in disbelief, several more gave him their approval prompting him to continue "if Atlas's is extorting us and _'The organisation'_ is gonna give us scraps then fuck 'em both, if we've got the Dust and the guns what're they gonna do?" Chestnut raised a hand, determined to stop this nonsense in its' tracks before it built up enough momentum to get people killed.

"Lad, the High Commander isn't relying on us just turning the Dust over; I've already been warned that it's being collected….if you think you'll get a better deal than this then feel free to take it up with the Cult of Taurus when they get here"

* * *

Felix drove the Killer-Bee forward at barely more than a crawl, unable to overtake the transport that Coco and Velvet had apparently borrowed from an old friend of Flax's for their foray into the ruined city of Eisenstadt Siebte. Team GORE were travelling with Coco whilst Velvet had taken the passengers' seat beside Felix, leaving Arctus, Diamond and Eagle somewhat cramped in the back. The Atlesian military vessel had flown them to an insertion point along the bleak and freezing coast, from which they would be able to make their way into Eisenstadt Siebte by following an impossibly large tunnel network carved into the cliffs, wide enough for freight ships to pass each other unhindered with artificial walkways built into the walls which their vehicles were now traversing

"Couldn't have found a safer way in?" Felix noted as something beneath them creaked "This road doesn't sound too stable"

"I mean there's the massive hole where part of the city was destroyed; I doubt you wanna air drop your car through that though" Arctus noted with a chuckle from behind him.

"It's not meant to be easy to get in" Velvet answered "Every connection point between Eisenstadt Siebte and the other Hive Cities was sealed during the war and the above ground entrances into the mountain its' built into were closed, only way to get in is the docks or go in through the hole that Grimm made"

"I still can't believe one Grimm did that much damage" Arctus murmured "Seriously it's like a hole the size of a warship all the way from the bottom of the city to the surface"

"I was here when it happened" Velvet admitted "Slate right?"

"Yeah"

"Your parents helped stall for time before Adam Taurus could blow himself up to stop the thing, it's how your Dad lost his arm….tell him _'Thumper'_ says hi for me will ya. Team CFVY were in the city itself trying to hold the line while civilians were evacuated….I haven't been back here since"

"Eagle are you okay?" Diamond's question surprised everyone, Felix looked in his rear-view mirror and saw, with a pang of concern that his partner was wearing a troubled expression

"I'll be fine" she croaked out, taking a slow shuddering breath as she saw everyone's eyes were still on her "It's just….I know this sounds dumb 'cos I never met him but this is where my Uncle Jaune died. I've heard stories about the fighting in Eisenstadt Siebte"

"Oh, I'm sorry Eagle I didn't know-"

"It's fine" she waved off Arctus's apology with a forlorn sigh

"Nobody will think any less of you if this place gives you the creeps" Felix assured her

"I knew Jaune" Velvet's admission caused the attention to shift away from Eagle, something the rabbit Faunus had intended when she sensed how uncomfortable the blonde was under the scrutiny "He was in the year under me I had to retake first year history so we had that class together"

"What was he like?" Eagle asked, voice barely above a whisper

"He was a good kid, a little clueless sometimes but a good kid" Velvet gave her a small smile before her eyes took on a haunted expression for a moment "Team CFVY were the ones to find him, he got separated from his team….such a waste, eighteen is no age to go" there was a heavy silence in the car for a while, nobody quite sure of what to say; the knowledge that they were heading into a former war-zone that claimed the lives of several Hunters was inescapable. Felix turned his attention to the creaking rickety road suspended above icy waters whose depths he could only guess at; or more accurately what little of the road wasn't hidden from view by the APC directly ahead. The Lion Faunus, as something of an enthusiast for both vintage vehicles and modified cars had been impressed upon first seeing an old but highly upgraded Nashorn-N2; even if Coco Adel had merely complained that she would have preferred it with a turret. The vehicle carried its' bulky gunmetal frame on six wheels sporting oversized tires that reached Felix's shoulders, the entire chassis was covered in additional layers of armour plating. The rear of the APC, where the supplied for both Team FADE and GORE's mission were being stored was rectangular and boxy while the front of the vehicle was far more angular and sloping; the windows were partially obscured by roll-bars and the front of the vehicle was fitted with an angular attachment that served as both a plough and a minesweeper. Where the small turret that Coco would have preferred once sat there was now what appeared to be a small radar dish and several aerials; hinting that the APC could provide its' own CCT connection. Taking another look at the armoured transport caused Felix to realise something

"Miss Scarlatina, we should have asked this earlier but what exactly is our mission and why does it take two teams?"

"You can call me Velvet" the soft spoken Rabbit Faunus told him before choosing her words "Our missions are separate but connected. Since the war there's been a steady stream of military grade weapons and restricted tech coming out the ruins, people like the Scavenger Guild sell what they find to museums and private collectors but not all of it is ending up in the right hands. Atlas council wants to put a stop to it so Coco has a map of likely weapons caches, her and her team are going to be rigging them with explosives and cutting off this route after we leave; make so the only way into the ruins is by air-drop so fewer people risk it"

"So what are we doing while they're helping set bombs?" Diamond asked, choosing not to mention her distaste for the Scavenger Guild, while Felix kept his eyes straight forwards willing himself not to think about his previous interactions with their New Vale branch.

"Search and rescue, there's a group of about a dozen _'treasure hunters'_ that were supposed to came back over a week ago, nobody's heard from them since"

"That's a lot of ground to cover" Arctus noted tonelessly, being native to the Kingdom he understood just how deep underground the Hive City reached

"They're flashing us" Felix interrupted, indicating to the APC whose indicators were indeed flashing

"That's a signal" Velvet assured him "It means she's seen some signage for the city."

"So we're getting close?" Eagle breathed out

"Exactly" Velvet nodded, ears brushing against the roof of the car "So get ready, with the noise our engines make the Grimm already know we're here."

* * *

The Hunter Team NEON had been assigned to work alongside was a bearded and ruddy faced man in his late forties by the name of Villsvin Stein, his physique was that of someone who had once been a towering slab of muscle but had since allowed himself to soften; his bushy ginger beard was beginning to show traces of white and the outfit he wore, resembling a fur-lined boiler suit clearly intended for freezing temperatures was covered in countless small and seemingly old stains and had been purchased when Stein had a much smaller waistline if the way it was strained gave any indication, his receding hairline was hidden by a woolly hat and a pair of what looked like ski goggles while his weapon hung from strap around his shoulder, his protruding stomach providing some support for the assault rifle. Helios had been unimpressed with the man and was currently walking in lock-step, seemingly performing an impromptu inquisition to determine exactly how capable Villsvin Stein was; the rest of Team NEON trailed behind with Nyanza bringing up the rear as he took in their surroundings with some interest. They had reached their destination of the SDC Dust refinery in the Stahlhafen district of Lower Eisenstadt Zweite and were currently being led through the sprawling complex after each of them had filled in dozens of pages of paperwork, effectively allowing the company to distance itself from any injuries that befell them for the duration of the mission, the fact that the representative of the SDC that had greeted them had seen fit to allow Stein to take the students to the relevant part of the plant suggested that he was no stranger to working here. Nyanza took in the steady bustle of activity around him with a mix of comfortable familiarity and slight homesickness; growing up Nyanza had often joined his father at the various jobs the man had held when he wasn't at school, in direct violation of labour laws people like Blake Xiao Long strived for. Nyanza decided he'd have to call his parents when this mission was over and see how they were, he was snapped from his musings as he saw a worker step under an overhead crane and directly into the path of its' hook

"Mind out!" he called over, bushy tail standing erect as he hopped over the railings marking out the walkways for visitors to the site and bringing the crane to a stop with a screeching of gears in a display of Aura fuelled strength

"Thanks lad" the member of staff gave him a well meaning slap on the shoulder "Don't suppose you could help me sling this?" he indicated to crate roughly three feet deep and almost and long and wide as he was tall

"Yeah sure….should probably be a latch on that hook" Nyanza noted conversationally before taking in the somewhat eerie green glow emanating from within the crate "This Eco-Dust? You'd think this stuff would be secured better with the price it sells for-"

"OI!" a new voice bellowed, a precedent for a thick set, bull necked older man thundering over and pulling Nyanza away by the scruff of the neck "Who the fuck are you? Daft bastard you just about wrote that crane off you dozy fucking fleabag-" Whatever else the man had intended to bellow in Nyanza's face remained a mystery as a blur of golden movement collided with him and he was sent staggering back clutching his cheek when Helios's backhanded slap connected with an impact that echoed around the factory floor.

"You were trailing behind, we didn't realise you'd gotten separated" Helios murmured to his partner before turning to the man still clutching his face "You, apologise"

"They're with me Ash, sorry about this I'll square it up with you later mate" the voice belonged to Villsvin Stein, the rotund man wiping his brow as he hurried over to try and defuse the situation, Ether and Olivine beside him "You need to apologise and come with me" he hissed in Helios's ear as he clamped down on both the redhead and Nyanza's shoulders

"No" Helios answered bluntly, steadfastly refusing to move

"Heely" Nyanza sighed "Just let it go man….he's not the first racist prick I've met" the last part spat venomously at the man, apparently named Ash whom Helios had backhanded. Reluctantly Helios turned away and allowed the older Hunter to lead them away, towards the shutter doors at the rear of the plant they had initially been heading towards

"Right, you" Stein pointed at Nyanza "What the fuck was that, I heard something about you breaking a crane?"

"That other guy walked under it and the hook swung, the safety latch was missing so it would have done some damage if it had hit him in the back….then that fuckwit just came over grabbed me and started screaming in my face" Nyanza shrugged, hands in his pockets

"Right" Stein grunted "It wouldn't been a problem if red over here had popped anyone else but Ash is a chargehand, this is gonna come back on all four of you"

"I won't have my team take racist abuse to make your job easier" Helios answered matter of factly, Stein bristled at the accusation

"Right lad, you can fucking listen to me right now; I don't know how things are where you're from but this is Atlas, over twenty years I've been working for the SDC and I'll tell you now sometimes you've gotta go along to get along-"

"It's not me you have to justify your cowardice to" Helios shot back

"It's not cowardice to wanna keep my job, I've got kids to think about"

"And I'm sure they're proud of a father who refuses to stand for anything" at that Stein finally lost his temper and rounded on the golden armoured teen, stepping directly into his personal space

"Right you listen here lad, you're on thin fucking ice and we're not even on the truck yet. I'm trying to be as understanding as I can seeing as you're not from round here" he let out an annoyed sigh "I get that you wanted to jump in when you saw someone giving your mate a hard time, I don't like racists myself but that's just how things are. Right now we've got a job to do so let's go to the truck, find our driver and get to work….I'll call Ash's foreman and get this smoothed over and there'll be no more said" he offered out a hand which Helios hesitated to shake, only doing so when he saw that his team-mates seemed willing to accept the situation. Team NEON made their way out of the plant itself into the yard where countless tire tracks cut through the still falling snow

"Big beasties aren't they" Stein nodded at the trucks "Had to rethink how we shipped when all the settlements started popping up and this is cheaper than airships" the four teens were forced to admit that the vehicles were impressive, each truck was a little less than two stories tall and supported by eight wheels with a diameter equal to Helios's six foot height, three pairs spaced evenly towards the rear supporting the trailer hitch, the front pair located beneath the trucks' smooth and swept back cab, the rear of which was fitted with dozens of huge fuel tanks and a pair of smoke stacks, from what could be seen from the ground the cab of the truck seemed large enough to contain a small one room apartment.

"This is the efficient way of doing things?" Olivine demanded with a disbelieving stare

"Cheap, not efficient" Ether grinned as he brushed away snow that had fallen on her shoulder

"Either way" Stein shrugged as he gestured to the row of vehicles "One of these at the head of a land train, one trailer is a portable base of operations and then there's about a dozen trailers full of Dust. That's gonna be your home for the next two weeks and the job is to make sure nothing happens to the cargo; should be quiet work provided none of you lot manage to pick a fight with the snow"

"Don't rule it out" Ether chuckled as he nudged Helios who admittedly saw the funny side to the comment

"Right then, just gotta find the yard marshal….there he is" Stein waved over a short and stocky Emperor Penguin Faunus clad in a parka jacket with a high-vis vest worn over it

"What's up Stein?" the Penguin asked in a businesslike tone, withdrawing a clipboard from inside his coat

"Looking for my rig and driver" Stein answered "Got a Team of students with me, it should be marked up"

"Mmm….gimme a minute" the yard marshal flipped through several pages of documents, muttering under his breath that this would have been easier with a digital copy of the records "There it is, number fourteen; the Ansturm model that needs repainting" he eventually informed them, pointing at the truck in question

"Driver?"

"He'll be in the canteen" the yard marshal answered as he signed various relevant paperwork in triplicate before handing it to Stein to do the same "I'll get one of the loaders to run upstairs and find your driver. Have a safe trip"

"Thanks mate, come on kids" Stein led Team NEON away, as they left the yard marshal let out a sigh of relief before readjusting the coat sleeve that had ridden up when he'd pointed out the truck; quickly hiding a tattoo that had become visible for a brief moment, a wolfs' head on top of three claw marks adorning the inside of his right wrist. Taking a quick look around he made sure that there was no one nearby who could listen in before taking his Scroll from his pocket and dialling.

* * *

"Whoa" Felix breathed out as Team FADE got their first real look at the ruins of Eisenstadt Siebte, the Killer-Bee still trailing behind the APC Coco was driving; the prows of rusted and sunken ships protruded from the rippling surface of an impossibly vast harbour whilst Felix kept a watchful eye out for whatever was causing those ripples

"We need to keep going" Velvet instructed "Keep following Coco"

"We're looking for somewhere to set up camp?" Diamond surmised

"Exactly" Velvet answered "If we set up here and there's Grimm in the water we'll get surrounded" Felix complied and kept his car close on the tail of the vehicle in front as they moved beyond the ruins of what had once been the cities' commercial docks at a cautious and deliberate pace.

"This is what New Vale could have looked like" Eagle whispered, stunning her friends with the morbid thought as they passed buildings that had clearly suffered the brunt of a sustained conflict; piecing together what information he had Arctus came to the conclusion that the majority of the damage he saw had been caused by Atlas's own military as they attempted to round up the last of the escaping White Fang

"I never imagined it looking like this….I never really gave it much thought" he admitted, causing Diamond to gently squeeze his hand. They continued on in silence for a while longer, passing into what had once been a nearby residential area; Felix followed the Nashorn-N2 APC as Coco brought it to a stop in the car park of what had once been a large supermarket

"Everybody out, weapons ready" Velvet instructed, clutching her camera close, the four teens did so; Felix, Arctus and Diamond readying their weapons in their ranged modes while Eagle stood ready with her sword and shield. The rear doors of the APC opened, revealing Onyx, Raffia and Hellion while Coco and Carcharodon exited from the front of the vehicle

"How're we doing this?" Velvet asked, eyes darting around warily. Coco paused for a moment weighing up her options

"Have a quiet run through this place and clear it out, then we can use it as a base camp. We've got lines of sight if we set up a watch point of the roof"

"Leave that to us" Carcharodon offered, deploying the Red Waves along his forearms "Hellion, with me….we do this quietly"

"Wait" Coco raised a hand to stop them "There're some dangerous Grimm in this city, we do this carefully"

"Woman I killed my first Grimm before I was a teen, do not attempt to coddle me" the Shark Faunus hissed, nodding to Hellion who twirled a pair of throwing knives in her hands as she made to follow him into the super-market

"Wait" Felix murmured "Does anyone else hear that?" the ten of them fell silent, ears straining for a moment before the sound that Felix had heard came again, something akin to barking in the distance followed by low rattling clicks and hissing

"Fuck" Coco breathed out, her deep concern showing on her face

"What was that?" Felix asked

"Shadow-Stalkers" Velvet answered "Intelligent Grimm, they hunt in packs and co-ordinate their attacks"

"It sounded pretty far away though right?" Eagle sounded hopeful, her face fell when Velvet shook her head

"Doesn't mean anything, everyone stay focused….Coco" the fashionista didn't need to be told what to do merely withdrawing a silvery fist sized spherical device and making her way cautiously to the main entrance of the super-market where several glass panes had been shattered

"Cover your eyes but be ready to fire" with no more warning she rolled the metallic sphere inside and silently counted down from five. The moment she reached zero the darkness was transformed into a bright summers' day for a fraction of a second by the light of the flash-bang; if any of Team FADE or Team GORE had been able to open their eyes without being blinded the illumination would have shown them the true extent of the destruction around them. The moment the light faded a deep, insistent buzzing sound began to emanate from within the super-market, followed by the scrabbling of countless feet.

"TAKE COVER!" Coco bellowed, leaping aside before a lightning bolt ripped through the space she had occupied followed by the monster responsible; roughly thirty feet long with a tubular body made of rounded segments whose upper halves were covered in overlapping plates of chitinous armour, each segment supported by a pair of legs which tapered down to a jagged point and sporting an arrowhead shaped skull with countless glowing compound eyes, an oversized pair of serrated pincers and a pair of antennae still crackling with electricity. The infinipede let out a furious buzzing hiss of anger before rearing up on its' hindquarters, preparing to lunge at the Hunters; only to struck by a maelstrom of bullets as Coco deployed her Mini-Gun _'Satani Arbor'_ and opened fire while issuing orders

"Heavy weapons open up on it! Do not get hit by that ranged attack and don't let it start burrowing, keep it pinned!" Eagle Deployed Sentinel whilst Onyx Shifted Jotun Fang into its' artillery piece mode and began aiming at the Grimm's skull, Arctus aimed Gefroren-Erbe and discharged burning plasma into its' armoured carapace, burning through it with ease

"I can get in close and rip the thing in half if you've got Fire Dust handy?" Felix offered, Velvet shook her head

"Stand back" she then activated her own weapon, leaving the Lion Faunus with his mouth agape as the camera, _'Leporidae Rampant'_ created a hard light constructed that he instantly recognised as a rendering of Magnhild in its' Grenade Launcher mode, Velvet's first shot found its' mark squarely between the mandible of the Infinipede and the resultant explosion rent the Grimm's skull apart leaving it fading away into nothingness as its' headless corpse fell to the ground with a thud

"Well we're off to a great start" Coco noted with a snort "Every Grimm for miles around probably heard that

"We have a scout, she can keep watch" Carcharodon informed her, opening the rear doors of Coco's borrowed APC and allowing Marauder to fly over to Hellion; the bird of prey gave a warning screech a moment too late as the Dragonfly Faunus found herself tackled to the ground by a pair of dark shapes and struggled to defend against the slashing attacks of clawed feet and bladed tails

"SHOOT THEM!" Raffia demanded, preparing to connect to the two swords that formed his new weapon before Carcharodon stopped him

"You fool, you'll hit her!" he had a moment to take in the sight of the Grimm that had managed to catch them unawares; bipedal and roughly six feet tall and ten feet long with a birdlike body and a powerful tail ended in a jagged blade, one toe on each foot was raised upwards and curved like a serrated sickle, a row of small spines trailed along their spines and their heads were decorated in bony armoured crests. Hellion managed to kick one of the beasts away momentarily before Eagle leapt into action, producing a Lightning Dust crystal and feeding it into a hidden port on her automaton

"Sentinel, lightning claws!" the droid bleeped angrily before launching its' clawed appendages forward on their retractable cables, Carcharodon had seen this before but what came next was new, rather than try and drag the Grimm away lightning arced and crackled along the length of Sentinels' arms and the Grimm hissed and shrieked as its' form began to lose cohesion; it was put out of its' misery by Diamond who placed a bullet squarely between its' eyes. The second hissed and snapped at the Hunters before fleeing into the darkness, Velvet created a replica of Crescent Rose and joined the silver haired sniper in her attempts to shoot the Grimm to no avail.

"Oh my Oum are you okay?" Eagle demanded as she rushed over to Hellion, pulling her to her feet and checking her for injuries, it seemed that her Aura had held and she had suffered no more than miniscule scratches

"I'm fine little canary, but thank you"

"I mean it was Sentinel that did all the work" the blonde mumbled as she began to blush, suddenly self conscious "All I did was upgrade him a little when I repaired him over the summer"

"What the hell was that thing?" Felix demanded, turning his attention to the older Hunters

"Shadow-Stalker" Coco answered bluntly "Told you they're nasty"

"Is it a bad sign that we saw them before we've seen any sign of the people we're looking for?" Diamond asked, Velvet shook her head in response

"No, this place was the site of a massive battle so the residual energy draws Grimm; kinda like Menagerie. Doesn't mean that the Grimm got our people"

"That being said" Coco interjected "I'm pretty sure that this place is clear now, we're gonna set up base camp. I want two people up on the roof keeping watch in case the rest of that pack get curious….you and you, we'll rotate every few hours" she seemed to pick out two of the students at random, settling on Felix and Carcharodon; earning tense expressions from the rest of their teams. The Shark Faunus merely stared at his opposite number among Team FADE, he disliked the Lion Faunus as much as he disliked any Hunter on principle but he knew Felix Xiao Long was capable if nothing else, and the ruins of Eisenstadt Siebte had already proven that they held monsters which would care little for his feelings towards his supposed allies. Finally he let out a slow breath

"Can I rely on you to not attack me from behind the moment it becomes convenient?" Felix merely snorted in response

"Can I rely on you to not try and kidnap anyone while we're here?" with that the Lion Faunus began searching for a way to climb onto the roof; Carcharodon decided that was the best he could ask for and followed.

 **Authors Notes:**

Okay ladies and gents; we are on a mission, we are officially on the final stretch of Vol.4  
I know I've said this a few times lately _(And the reason for that is that some recruitment agencies are about as much use as cock flavoured popsicles)_ but I'm starting a new job on Monday so my upload schedule might be out of whack for a week or so while I get into the new routine, just bare with me.  
Also the Transformers story, I have a very rough plan of a three volume plot and an epilogue….It may end up actually becoming a thing.

Anyway, let's summarise:  
Seriously waking up at 5am for a 7am start is some bullshit.  
I imagine students in Atlas work with the military as well as qualified Hunters on their training missions.  
For everyone who read The Downward Spiral, Neo's name is on one of those plaques; Winter insisted on it.  
I just imagine a younger Atlas in a really expensive private school where his history teacher asked if anyone had ever heard of General Ironwood, Arctus raised his hand and answered _"My Dad thinks he was a dickhead"_.  
Helios hates guard duty lol.  
Of course Arctus can reel off SDC plants from memory.  
The Reintegration Act was mentioned while Arctus was on Gangrel's ship.  
Felix and Helios are the hottest gayest mess.  
Is Nyanza slowly become a responsible adult?  
Speaking of hot gay messes; Eagle and Hellion.  
You've gotta admit you can see why Felix finds that a little bit galling.  
Team FADE & Team GORE on a joint mission, what kind of buddy cop antics is this.  
Cross-hares mother fucker! Told you I'd be bringing back some fan favourites.  
Also yeah Eagle is distantly related to Velvet due to Flax marrying into the family but they're not exactly close due to Velvet living on Menagerie _(Why they're in Atlas will be explained)_.  
Coco may have come across a little blunt there but you'll hear the reasoning next chapter.  
 _Machen-Rustung_ = Make Steel.  
People like the Coalition, Gang, Weiss and even Whitley try to change Atlas but politicians will always be politicians.  
For the way the White Fang grunts spoke I took inspiration from Northern English factory workers I've worked with.  
You can't exactly argue with Chestnut's reasoning.  
Factory floor lads and office rats don't get on under any circumstances.  
' _Questionable faith and mistaken belief that we are the only ones with needs to be considered'_ is the polite way of telling someone to get in line or they're gonna get hurt.  
I imagine being told the Cult of Taurus will be the ones inspecting your work is a strong motivator.  
Only two ways into a city, through the caves system that holds the docks or a giant hole that a Grimm ripped into the side of the mountain.  
Velvet's nickname 'Thumper' now that's a callback.  
Poor Eagle, she heard stories about Jaune growing up and this is where that story ended.  
 _Nashorn-N2_ or a Rhino N2 APC  
Of course Coco wanted one with a turret.  
The Scavenger Guild are back baby.  
So it's search and destroy, Team FADE are searching while Team GORE are destroying.  
Villsvin Stein….or stone pig.  
I imagine Helios being thoroughly annoyed every time he has to deal with the unglamorous side of being a Huntsman.  
One thing you can rely on is for workmen to look out for each other, because God knows the management won't….yes that scene with Nyanza was partially drawing from personal experience.  
The disrespect of a backhand slap cannot be overstated.  
Yeah miss me with that "Go along to get along" bullshit, if something's out of order then speak up about it.  
Atlas loves it's tech and I imagine the land-trains they use to ship dust across a tundra would be immense, I'm imagining the trucks looking something like Optimus Prime in the "War Within" Transformers comic series.  
And there's the inside man; so Team NEON are gonna have to deal with a White Fang cell.  
Eisenstadt Siebte is probably a haunting place to look at.  
Hunting in a dark and enclosed space is easy for someone like Carcharodon even before you factor in his Semblance.  
He does not take well to orders.  
Infinipede and Shadow-Stalkers, two breeds of Grimm I made for The Downward Spiral, back by popular demand.  
Shoot them? Or "Shoot her! Shoot her"….I hope someone gets that reference.  
Shadow-Stalkers are raptor Grimm if anyone is unsure.  
That's Sentinel's upgrade I promised, let's see Carcharodon try and cut his cable arms off now.  
Does that count as a shipping moment?  
Felix you sassy bitch lol.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Araniladin, FleetOfWarships, Funlander, TigerRose, Bulletproof Vanguard, Ferrous, iSassenach, FluffyFirefly and ShadowAlex2000 for their reviews on the last chapter.  
I have no idea why Ao3 was having problems with reviews.  
Cinnabar is shit-bag and I love how much you all hate him.  
He's going to be a low level irritant while we're at Atlas.  
I think we both know that Helios immediately went in search of the gym.  
I never thought I'd say this but I might start listening to Pol Pot to get into character then.  
I'm glad that the Cult got the desired effect….don't worry we'll see them again soon.  
Where else would the drama collide.  
The Shadow Cadre and the Cult of Taurus do have some parallels, the difference is that the Shadow Cadre while everyone outside of their tribe saw them as a ghost story they were loved and respected among their own people. The Cult of Taurus are only known to people in the new White Fang and the people that know about them are horrified and disgusted.  
Celeste in twenty-seven and her cult are too old to be students.  
The New White Fang are surviving members of the old White Fang who started recruiting, in effect the problem never went away they were just biding their time until a new figurehead rose to prominence.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	53. The Conspiracy

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 53: The Conspiracy**

Team FADE were following Velvet Scarlatina through the ruined city of Eisenstadt Siebte on foot, the Rabbit Faunus having argued that they were less likely to spot any traces of the missing Scavenger Guild treasure hunters they were searching for if they were driving as well as noting that the Grimm that filled this city were more likely to hear the muscle cars' engine than the sound of footsteps; the way ahead lit by torches for the benefit of Eagle and Diamond who lacked the advantage of Faunus night vision. So far their search had passed without incident, the only sounds being those of their footfalls and the sleepy grumbling about the cold of Diamond who had relieved Felix on guard duty the night before; only to be partnered with Raffia whom she had given serious consideration to kicking off of the roof on at least a dozen occasions. Brushing a few stray strands away Diamond rubbed her eyes and focused, the Axolotl Faunus was far away right now along with the rest of Team GORE and Coco Adel; she needed to focus on the task at hand. Peering around and adjusting her grip on Lex Talionis in its' sniper rifle form she searched for anything out of the ordinary, in this case anything that seemed less desolate that the majority of her surroundings, she found none but one thing did strike her as odd

"You've been leading as in a straight line, seems like you know where we're going?" she asked Velvet, keeping her voice barely above a whisper.

"There's only two ways into the city" Velvet reminded them, her voice equally hushed

"And we made our base camp at one of them" Diamond surmised, Arctus was the first to catch the implications and his eyes widened in surprise

"You think the Scavenger Guild airdropped in through the Grimm hole?"

"Seems like the sort of thing they'd do" Velvet shrugged "Those subcontractors they hire tend to be a bunch of dumb-asses" behind her Eagle tried to suppress a sudden fit of giggles as Felix gave an affronted glare but chose to remain silent. It was perhaps another half an hour of carefully making their way through the abandoned subterranean hive before they caught sight of something in the distance

"Tents" Felix breathed

"They just set up outside?" Arctus raised an eyebrow "I mean, outside of the buildings not…." he trailed off while Velvet's eyes narrowed

"They wouldn't leave the place completely unguarded" she murmured taking a few moments to consider her options

"Eagle, have Sentinel scout ahead and check the floor for traps. Diamond cover the droid" both girls gave a nod of understanding and their surroundings, an empty pavilion surrounded by ruined businesses, were filled with the echoing sounds of Eagle's shield shifting into its' droid form and Sentinel's mechanical yet expressive beeps and chirps. All present winced at the noise but after several moments with nothing to indicate the arrival of any creatures of Grimm they returned their attention to the mission, Eagle prompting Sentinel to trundle forwards towards the half a dozen tents, grey with an urban camouflage design.

"Don't be a landmine, don't be a landmine, please don't be a landmine" Eagle almost whimpered under her breath as she watched Sentinel carefully inch closer to what could be identified as a rough perimeter of the Scavenger Guilds' encampment. There was a moment of panic bordering on terror when Sentinel pushed a piece of debris aside and triggered a series of electrocuted tripwires to be pulled taut around the perimeter, lightning arcing and crackling around them; the moment ended when one of the wires smoked and snapped, its' severed halves glowing orange allowing Sentinel to make his way into the camp itself and let out a series of sounds that indicated that it was safe

"Those were some badly rigged traps" Felix noted "Definitely not the same stuff your brother uses" he added to Velvet as she and Team FADE made their way towards the camp, the Rabbit Faunus made a non-committal noise before giving them instructions

"Look around, see if you can find anything. I want to have a look at something" the four teens did as they were asked and split up, each busying themselves with a different part of the base camp which they now saw included a trio of small quad bikes and several stacks of crates intended to carry ammunition and supplies, this was the first indication that something was amiss

"Velvet" Diamond called over to the Faunus who was currently inspecting the trip-wire as loud as she dared "Something's not right here; all these crates are empty, no weapons, no ammo and no rations….but they wouldn't have relocated and left the tents"

"That trip-wire shouldn't have burned out the way it did, that debris was on top of it holding it down; it was actually running before we got here" Velvet informed her, confirming her suspicions

"But if they ran into trouble why didn't they call for help?"

"Scroll signal is non-existent down here; they'd need a signal booster like the one on the APC" Arctus answered, joining the conversation as he exited one of the various tents and holding up a twisted and blackened device whose original form was hard to discern though he had managed to make an educated guess "And it looks like theirs was broken" seeing this Velvet's eyes widened and she made her way over to Arctus and Diamond

"Any other signs of a struggle?"

"No blood and no bullet holes that I can see" Arctus answered with a shake of the head

"Um guys?" Felix waved them over to the trio of quad bikes that had presumably belonged to the Scavenger Guild

"What is it?" Velvet enquired, Felix gestured to a collection of ropes bundled near one vehicle

"It looks like they used a pulley system to get their stuff down here-"

"Safer than parachuting in" Arctus noted

"Exactly, but this is all that's left of it….someone's pulled down the rest of the rig"

"Oh I'm getting a bad feeling about this" Diamond muttered

"Yeah me too" Felix agreed "'Cos that's not all, someone's cut they fuel lines and there's no stains under these quads; they've been siphoned" there were several moments of tense silence as Velvet, Felix, Arctus and Diamond gazed at each other silently considering the implications of their discovers before being abruptly joined by Eagle who arrival made them collectively jump

"I've found something"

"What is it?" Velvet demanded as she followed Eagle back in the direction she'd joined them from, a sense of urgency creeping into her voice. Eagle gestured to one of the buildings nearby; its' roof and one of its' walls having being torn asunder although the amount of rust present indicated that this was not a recent development. It took Velvet a moment to spot what Eagle was pointing at, but when she did her eyes widened, a red cross had been spray painted onto a wall

"That's not the only one" Eagle added seeing Velvet had followed her gaze "I checked that one out and there's another one further down the road….I think it's how the Scavenger Guild were finding their way back to camp, I mean maps of the city aren't reliable any more"

"I think you're right" Velvet agreed, before gesturing for the rest of Team FADE to join them

"What's the plan?" Felix asked, twirling Hack and Slash in his hands

"We follow these markings" Velvet nodded towards the sign that Eagle had found, her expression becoming serious "Keep your eyes open and weapons ready….right now, we have to consider the possibility that Grimm aren't the only threat in this city"

* * *

The air outside the truck was freezing, a condition only worsened by the fact the vehicle was moving at a speed greater than one would assume possible given its' monstrous size; resulting in a frigid wind whipping around Team NEON who were taking currently situated atop the first trailer of the land-train as per Villsvin Stein's orders, a situation that the students were far from pleased with

"So how much of this is Stein punishing us for Heely slapping his friend and how much of it is just the fact that he's a bit of an ass-hole?" Olivine asked, her usual chipper tone sounding delightfully sarcastic in this instance as she brushed snow off her shoulders and made to de-ice her tactical goggles yet again. Sensing her discomfort Ether stopped using a Fire Dust crystal sculpted into a pick both strum and defrost the strings of Ghost Reverie.

"Probably about fifty fifty" he snorted as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer; he was hardly comfortable in Atlas's climate himself and found the idea of sharing body heat appealing to say the least.

"If he thinks acting like an annoying child will force me to back down he is sorely mistaken" Helios interjected with a huff as he folded his arms before adding a murmured afterthought "My sister would have had more success" Villsvin Stein himself, while being figuratively burned in effigy was riding in the cab of the Ansturm, the gargantuan truck pulling the land train as he had been since they had arrived at the first stop on their voyage in the early hours of the morning; Wiedergeburt, a settlement that had by good fortune, strong leadership and sheer force of will prospered and grown into the icy continents' first open air city since before the fall of Mantle in the great war and if rumours were to be believed would host at least some of the matches in the upcoming Vytal Tournament; Villsvin had instructed Team NEON to assist with the unloading of the relevant containers before conveniently vanishing from sight

"We've gotta meet your kid sister Heely" Olivine smiled

"Yeah, just to prove that you didn't just spring out of the ground wearing armour and a scowl" Nyanza snorted from where he was perched nearby, holding onto the edge of the trailers' roof while using his far superior senses to pick out anything approaching the land-train through the perpetually swirling flurry of snowfall that obscured their view which could be described as beautiful in harsh and imposing way, Atlas and the continent of Solitas as a whole was a mixture of pure white and overcast steely greys.

"One day I will" Helios assured them, green eyes twinkling with a rare mischief "She would most likely traumatise you all"

"Are your family going to come to the tournament?" Olivine asked

"Very unlikely" Helios sighed "My Mothers' place is leading my people and they have never travelled en mass out of Anima"

"Yeah well we can be lonely together" Nyanza shrugged, his tone suddenly unusually morose "My folks aren't gonna have money to be able to come over here"

"Are you okay man?" Ether asked, Helios without giving the matter conscious thought made to sit beside his partner only to stop when he saw Nyanza's pale mint green eyes glow with the telltale light of his Semblance; the redheads' tone instantly became serious

"What do you see?" seemingly unperturbed by his partners' seriousness the feline merely shrugged as he drew one half of the Pharaoh Mafdet, shifting the tonfa into its' long barrelled pistol mode as his usual joking nature resurfaced

"I spy something beginning with….boom" with that he snapped off a trio of shots, followed by a pause before two more shots; their reports muted to echoing cracks

"Pack of Beowolves, caught their eyes as they turned and starting heading our way" he explained nonchalantly; the gunshots however had obviously been loud enough to be heard from Villsvin Stein's relatively comfortable position within the drivers' cab as within moments Helios's Scroll received a call and answering it invited the older mans' irritated tone

"What the hell was that? You kids better not be shooting bottles off the back of the truck or any other dumb shit like that" Helios merely stared at the device nonplussed for a moment before forming a reply which while not strictly offensive made his opinion of the Atlas native clear

"We spotted Grimm, I assume you're aware of them? No need to worry yourself or come out into the cold, the scary monsters are gone now" the other members of Team NEON stared at Helios is stunned silence with wide eyes, with the exception of Nyanza who was curled up on the roof of the trailer in a silent fit of laughter. Villsvin himself audibly growled at the extremely thinly veiled insult

"The whole aloof bad-ass routine was boring before you were born kid" he shot back "besides the point, keep an eye out for more Grimm….I doubt we'll see too much out this way though, we're not too far from our next stop"

"And that would be?" Helios asked, clearly annoyed

"Some irrelevant shithole, think its' called Machen-Rustung or something like that. You'll be able to see it when we get a little nearer" with that the call ended, leaving Helios to glare at the Scroll as if he could strike fear into the Hunter they had been partnered with through the device

"This imbecile could never hope to be a Hunter in Anima, he wouldn't survive" he gave the Scroll one last disparaging shake of the head before pocketing it and falling into a comfortable silence with his friends, less affected by the cold than they were owing to an upbringing that had involved trekking through frozen forests each winter. Eventually a sound reached their ears, Nyanza noticing it first and Helios soon after; the sound of engines slowly growing louder than the howling winds around them

"They're coming from ahead" Helios noted, indicating for Nyanza to focus his attention in that direction; he did so straining his ears and peering intently

"There's a lot of 'em, I can make out about a dozen pickups and a few….I wanna say modified quad-bikes" there was a brief pause before the Faunus's eyes widened and he turned to Helios

"Call Stein, he needs to know what's coming….They're all wearing White Fang masks"

* * *

The Shadow-Stalkers had attacked again, catching Team GORE as Coco led them towards the first of many buildings they were aiming to plant explosive charges on. Circling them as they made their way on foot through several levels of the hive city whose roads may not have withstood the weight of the Nashorn-N2 APC, moreover the vehicle was being used as a communications hub so that the two teams could stay in contact. The raptor Grimm had attacked in far greater numbers this time, rushing out of seemingly every inch of darkness that Team GORE's flash-lights' failed to illuminate this time was different to the Grimm's previous attack though, for one simple reason; Coco and Team GORE knew they were coming. Without the element of surprise the Shadow-Stalkers were reduced from nightmarish apparitions that snatched up even trained Hunters without warning or trace to merely another creature of Grimm, albeit a highly dangerous breed owing to their intelligence

"Damn it!" Coco spat as one of the pack she'd levelled her Mini-Gun at seemed to sense it was being targeted and slipped back into a shadow between buildings; this followed the pattern that had been set early in the skirmish wherein the Grimm used their agility and speed to avoid the heavier weapons before they could be brought to bear. Thankfully the students she had been entrusted to care for were seemingly savants in the art of close quarters brutality; part of the darkness was illuminated as Onyx crushed a Fire Dust Crystal between his teeth before unleashing his Semblance, the mineral turning the concussive force of his roar into an expanding crescent shaped wall of flames which incinerated a trio of Shadow-Stalkers and momentarily exposed where the rest were lurking, information that Team GORE exploited with ruthless efficiency; the Grimm which turned towards the source of the flame hissing and spitting in defiance had their moment of distraction taken advantage of by Hellion who hurled her throwing knives between their armour plates, the Ice Dust crystals mounted in each blade causing the monsters' to freeze solid as their effects spread. Spinning and beating a Shadow-Stalker back with the barrel of her weapon with enough force to collapse its' skull Coco saw Raffia and her eyes widened in shock as she watched Axolotl Faunus fight; he was soaked in his own blood which had spilled from wounds that had already healed while his swords were reduced to near invisible flashes as they tore Grimm asunder with each wild slash, the whole berserk display being complemented by his demented cackling only serving to unnerve the fashionista; though when a lone Shadow-Stalker rushed him from behind and prepared to leap on his back Coco still reacted quickly enough to aim Satani Arbor and open fire, bullets ripping through the Grimm and leaving nothing but obsidian mist in their wake.

"Where's Carcharodon?" she barked

"Fixing your mistakes" Raffia snapped back before she could demand to know what he meant, or give him a firm slap upside the head for his attitude a series of pained yelps and screeches could be heard, the sounds coming from one direction and then the next in a clear direction until eventually a Shadow-Stalker was hurled through a ground floor window in two fading halves, each of which struggled and thrashed independently; it was at that point that Carcharodon stepped into view, his body rippling like water as it melted trough the wall, Grimm mist trailing from the blades of the Red Waves as his dark eyes sought out his next victim, pausing to linger on Coco's weapon

"Some fights require the stomach to face your opponent head on" Coco's answer came in the form of her aiming and firing at a second story window directly above him, the flicker of movement she'd seen being revealed as a Shadow-Stalker preparing to leap down and attack the Shark Faunus from above

"All fights require you to keep your eyes open kid" Coco noted dryly with a pointed glance over her sunglasses. A roar of exertion from Onyx as Jotun Fang cleaved the final Grimm in two signalled the end of the battle; Coco looked at the students whose care she had been trusted with and found herself unable to prevent the small sigh that escaped her; Carcharodon looked aloof, detached and almost bored with the inconvenience, Onyx was wearing a manic smile and his eyes had a dangerous gleam to them, Hellion was stroking her pet now that the bird had returned to wherever it had hidden during the fight and the fashionista wasn't even sure where to begin with Raffia's physical or mental condition

"Students" she huffed with an irritable glance "Come on we've still got work to do and trust me I want to be here even less than you do" she gestured to the bag of explosives they had taken from the APC before leaving their base-camp which Onyx picked up and hauled over his shoulder

"Then why are you?" Carcharodon demanded, his voice quiet but demanding "Why not stay wherever it was that you got that tan if this mission bothers you"

"The first target is that way" Coco pointed down what remained of a once busy street, the rusted shells of cars being used as a makeshift barricade in the distance, she took a few steps in their direction only to realise that Team GORE weren't following her, having halted at a silent gesture from Carcharodon who spoke again

"Why did you take this mission?" he asked again "Either give us a reason to trust you or we'll find our own way out of this city and leave you here. I have no more blind faith to give" Coco balled her fists and took slow deep breaths while mentally counting backwards from ten; the sheer gall of the Shark Faunus combined with his attitude, that of someone who was used to giving orders and having them followed made him hard to deal with but Coco also understood on some level that he was questioning her out of loyalty to his team and that was something she could understand and respect, as such she chose to give him an answer.

"A favour to General Schnee, Velvet and I were part of her Black-Ops unit in the war and she promised to help us with something important if we took a training mission for her" Coco saw that the teens were listening so she added "Menagerie has a lot of small settlements now and no Hunter Academy, it's going to reach a point where we won't be able to convince enough Hunters to emigrate so we'll need to build our own. Me, Velvet, our partner Yatsu and a couple others are going to build Menageries' first Hunter training academy….so yeah I took this mission because there was something in it for me, not because I wanted to come back to this war zone that I still have nightmares about; is that okay with you?" Carcharodon nodded silently before turning to his team

"Hellion use Marauder to scout ahead, Raffia guide her while we move forwards, Onyx stay close to me. I'll cover you and Coco in case anything too fast to be shot gets close" with that he fell into step beside Coco who swept the area with her Mini-Gun, as they advanced she turned to him and asked in a conversational tone

"So what's the deal with you kid? You clearly think this whole Hunter gig is beneath you….Trust has to work both ways" she thought Carcharodon was going to ignore her until he eventually rasped out

"We're in a similar position to you, we made a deal" his tone made it clear that he would divulge no more than that; Coco debated the idea of talking to Onyx, the Puma Faunus seemed less secretive, before dismissing it as they clambered over the destroyed cars blocking the way and finally reached what had once been a police station

"This is the first stop" Coco informed them "Things in here need to be buried so start planting those adhesive Nano-bomb charges onto the walls, one stop closer to going home to my guys"

"Boys? Plural?" Onyx waggled his eyebrows suggestively at that the tone

"Hmm I could have sworn you and the Rabbit were together" Hellion noted, Raffia having alerted her to return her senses to her body. Coco rolled her eyes before making a snap decision and withdrawing her Scroll and finding a picture that had all of her little family in it

"Velvet and I are together, have been since we were your age" she explained before gesturing to one of the other two people in the picture, a giant of a man whom everyone else seemed to be using as a pillow; the fourth person was a child who bore rabbit ears clearly inherited from velvet atop his head and sported a skin tone that matched the large man "The big guy is Yatsu, we were all on the same team together. When Velvet and I were thinking about having a kid we went to him and asked if he could help y'know….he didn't want to father a child he wouldn't play a part in raising; that was kinda when we all realised we all loved each other and were going to spend our whole lives together one way or another. So that's why little Fox has a Dad and two Mums"

"I can respect someone who would brave these ruins for their families' sake" Carcharodon murmured, something Coco assumed was the highest praise the Shark Faunus could give willingly.

"Now let's stop getting emotional and start a firework display" Raffia giggled almost gleefully, the expression sliding off his face when the ground lurched beneath their feet

"Now what?" Onyx demanded, slinging the bag of explosives aside and readying his axe.

"I'll find it-" Hellion was silenced by a wave of Coco's hand

"It's coming from under-" Coco was in turn silenced when part of the street they had made their way down exploded outwards, sending the stacked chassis of cars tumbling downwards as something tore its' way from the hive city level below. Its' full form hadn't yet come into view but it was already clear that what ever this Grimm was it dwarfed the Shadow-Stalkers, Coco gave a lopsided smirk as she sidled back towards the monster, weapon at the ready

"Well aren't you a nice big target for me to hit….prepare to die"

* * *

Conditions on the roof of the land-train could only be described as chaotic, the White Fang had initially tried to force the Ansturm to a stop by having one of their pickups collide with it head on, this had failed with horrific consequences for those inside the smaller vehicle; the pickups and quad-bikes that remained, each crewed by a team of masked Faunus wearing a white jacket over a black uniform were fitted with what could best be described as a harpoon gun. Steel screeched in protest as the harpoons tore through the armoured hulls of the land-trains' trailers and the snow-chain coated, deep grooved off-road tires of the various vehicles struggled but ultimately failed to gain any traction on the compacted snow, spraying the powdery substance behind them and leaving deep tire tracks in their wake as they were dragged alongside the far more powerful vehicle.

"WE'VE GOT INCOMING!" Ether called out, shifting his guitar into its' axe form. Eyes widening in shock as the dozens of pickups and quads sped outwards, pulling the steel cables the harpoons were attached to taut and allowing armed White Fang fighters to clamber along them; a boarding action

"Stop them!" Helios demanded as he readied Olympus Enforcer in its' sword and shield form before turning to Nyanza and muttering "We could use some good fortune" Ether tuned them out as he saw an insectoid Faunus scurrying along the nearest steel cable, some kind of bulky almost antique laser rifle slung over their back. Ether gave a bellow as he swung his weapon down on the cable, it gave way with an audible twang and there was a moment where he could see the terror in the grunts eyes behind their mask before they were sent hurtling downwards into the snow, narrowly avoiding a grisly fate beneath the trailers' wheels. Behind him the sound of Olivine deploying Buster Bravo served as brief warning, he turned around in time to watch her unleash a devastating salvo at the ground ahead of a pair of quad-bikes, a cloud of superheated steam erupting from the various impacts and causing the drivers to veer violently off course, ripping away the harpoons they had fired and sending the White Fang fighters climbing along them crashing downwards with screams of fear. It wasn't enough, there were too many attackers clambering onto the roof where Helios and Nyanza were waiting with weapons drawn

"Remember lads, we've just gotta hold 'em in place!" the leader of the group bellowed, masked like the others though his tail gave away that he was a Squirrel Faunus. The first wave of attackers to successfully board the land-train, almost a dozen in total rushed towards them, an esoteric variety of older weapons at their disposal

"What do they need to pin us for?" Nyanza demanded, an answer reaching him in the form of a several thuds and metallic tearing sounds as more harpoons found their mark, this time fired into the back of the cab of the Ansturm, another group of attackers already preparing to traverse the cables with power tools in hand; realising their intentions Nyanza snapped off a trio of shots at the group charging him and Helios before calling over to Ether

"HELP HELIOS, I NEED TO GET TO THE CAB!" seeing his team leader raise a question eyebrow while crouching behind his shield he added "They're gonna try and separate the cab" with that he sprinted forwards, Ether using his Semblance to close the distance and reforming his body from its' mist like state in the midst of the White Fang and wreaking havoc while Helios charged into battle. Nyanza tapped into his Semblance as he saw a ring tailed Lemur Faunus bounding deftly across a steel cable, without thought or hesitation he raised his pistols and fired only for his eyes to widen in horrified realisation at what would happen next; the cable snapped at the Faunus attempting to make their way onto the land-train instead tumbled beneath its' wheels.

"Oh my Oum" he whispered, blood pounding in his ears and hands trembling, too stunned to realise that the White Fang grunts who had already made it onto the cab catch site of their comrades demise and draw their weapons until the first bullet whizzed passed his ear

"FUCKING KILL HIM!" a feminine voiced Rattlesnake Faunus screamed as she aimed a machine gun, only to be dragged free of the Ansturm and hurled over a dozen away into the snow by something Nyanza didn't see. The new combatant quickly revealed themselves

"DON'T JUST STAND THERE KID!" Villsvin Stein roared as he barrelled into view, clutching onto a fuel tank and swinging his shoulder into the chest of an attacker with crushing force before unleashing his weapon, Maelstrom on another; the barrel and stock of the assault rifle had collapsed and the ammo drum had slid forwards, combining with the bayonet which had fanned out into several thin blades; both of which were now attached to the rest of the weapon by a chain forming a morning-star. Stein dragged a grunt from their feet and quickly rendered them unconscious before bellowing up to Nyanza who was yet to move

"GO, HELP YOUR TEAM! I'LL HANDLE THIS!" Nyanza whipped around to see that Olivine had collapsed her weapon and was currently pinning a White Fang to the roof of the trailer, Ether was weaving between a small group of well armed but obviously untrained attackers and picking them off one at a time with ruthless efficiency while Helios was forcing back at least half a dozen opponents, including the Squirrel Faunus leading the attack; yet Nyanza didn't move, instead he looked down at the pistols in his now shaking hands before a deafening booming sound caused his head to snap up again. Helios had picked an attacker of off the ground by the throat and used his gravity warping Semblance to slam them into the trailer they were fighting on with monumental force, using everyone's momentary shock to sweep the legs out from under another grunt; yet still Nyanza found himself unable to charge into battle beside his partner.

"Time to go!" the Squirrel Faunus called to the few remaining White Fang grunts "The job's a bust!" with that he fired a few pot shots from a heavy duty pistol that looked to be antique before hurling himself over the side of the land-train into the bed of a waiting pickup which sped off, its' windows shattered as Helios shifted his weapon into its' Tommy-gun form and opened fire, the remaining grunts following his lead.

"Nikos, that'll do" Stein called out as he leapt onto the roof of the front trailer, several unconscious White Fang grunts slung over each shoulder "Everyone okay?" everyone gave an affirmative response except for Nyanza who merely grunted and holstered his weapons before hiding his hands in his pockets where he could ignore their trembling; something which Helios saw but chose not to draw attention to

"Good" Stein breathed out "Fucking hell, White Fang….I thought this lot were over and done with"

"So what do we do with them?" Ether asked, weapon still in hand

"Throw 'em in our trailer" Stein sighed before gesturing ahead "I can see Machen-Rustung in the distance; the police there are already gonna be waiting for us to arrest them….they'll probably round up the rest of 'em soon enough as well"

"We're putting them where we sleep?" Helios raised an eyebrow

"Scared they'll steal your blanket and teddy bear?" Stein snorted back "We've got bigger problems right now"

"Such us?"

"These weapons" Olivine offered, reaching up to place an arm on Helios's armoured shoulder in an attempt to calm him

"Exactly" Stein grunted, kicking an odd looking rifle that one of the grunts had dropped "Look at this shit, it's flashy and expensive, hell some of it looks custom made….but it's all old and rusty. It looks like the kinda shit the Scavenger Guild deal with"

* * *

The monstrous Grimm had withstood every attack that Coco and Team GORE had thrown at it thus far, a fact that made the fashionista's eye twitch beneath her sunglasses every time she thought about it. At its tallest point the monster was roughly fourteen feet tall with a body roughly twice the width of a car; its' entire back covered in the chitinous bone armour common to all creatures of Grimm, protecting its' sloped wing casings, abdomen and thorax. Six legs with countless joints, each wider than a mans' chest jutted out from the Grimm's massive from supporting it and behind layers of armour the things head, disproportionately small could be seen, inky black with six unblinking glowing eyes and a pair of constantly moving antennae. The thing was armed with a devastating weapon, the means by which it had torn its' way up from the city level below; its' skull was protected by a horn which curved upwards while its' thorax grew outwards into a monstrous bone spike adding an additional six feet to the things' considerable length, the horns could act both as the prongs of a gigantic pincer or lock together and form the tip of a spear like implement which had already torn down one nearby building. Coco had called the Grimm a Titan Beetle when had initially ordered Team GORE to bring it down and the monster was currently living up to its' name

"We might have to fall back and rethink this!" Onyx offered as Jotun Fang in its' artillery piece mode failed to pierce the things' armoured carapace, while the maelstrom of bullets Coco was unleashing continued to patter off of its' shell harmlessly, Hellion had chosen not to waste her throwing knives in a futile attempt.

"Negative we have to take this thing out now!" Coco demanded

"Its' legs!" Carcharodon called out "Its' legs are unprotected, cripple it first and we can kill it later!" with that he used his Semblance to melt into the ground and reappear between two of the Titan Beetle's limbs and crossing his arms over his chest, bringing his blades around in wide arcing slashes which while they failed to sever the Grimm's legs they did draw its' attention

"Hang on!" Onyx roared as he watched the Titan Beetle kick Carcharodon aside and begin to turn on him, shifting his weapon into axe form the Puma Faunus rushed forwards with a furious yell and cleaved through a forelimb. His victory was short lived as the Titan Beetle whipped its' head around and sent Onyx crashing to the floor, his weapon falling beyond his reach a moment later Onyx was being hoisted into the air by the Grimm's pincer and crushed, his Aura beginning to flicker out of existence as he thrashed and struggled

"Help him!" Hellion demanded, beside her Raffia drew his swords, only to be held back by Coco

"I've got this" she assured them and rushed forwards, collapsing her weapons and drawing a jagged amber coloured crystal that had been fashioned into a rudimentary blade, lightning Dust. With Onyx in its' grasp the Titan Beetle was too distracted to pay any attention to Coco, its' priorities changed the moment she stabbed one of its' eyes with the crystal causing it to hiss and click its' mandibles at her in agonised fury before attempting to swat her away with its' remaining forelimb

"That all you-" Coco's taunt was cut short as the Grimm simply swung its' head and hurled Onyx's limp form at her with enough force to send them both crashing through a nearby wall

"Just us then" Raffia spat as Carcharodon re-emerged from the ground beside him; Hellion drew a pair of knives and the three of them prepared to face down the Titan Beetle which was regarding them malevolently as the lightning coursing over its' body ceased

"I think this would qualify as extreme circumstances" Carcharodon hissed, eyeing Raffia's swords which had once belonged to the Atlesian Specialist Kafsi Asteri

"I agree" the Axolotl Faunus chuckled

"Do you hear something?" Hellion asked before turning around, her jade eyes widening as she saw a pale blue form easily twice the size of a person sprinting towards them, its' footfalls oddly muted as if the thing were not quite real

"STAND CLEAR!" Velvet's voice bellowed from the hard-light replica of an Atlesian Paladin as it surged towards them weapons at the ready, behind the glowing azure construct Hellion could see Team FADE preparing to join the fray

"Take cover" Carcharodon rasped out, placing a hand on her shoulder and pulling her aside as Velvet opened fire with the Paladins' plethora of weapons, blasting smoking gouges into the Grimm's carapace. The Titan Beetle's reaction was stunning, its' horns locked together forming a giant bone spear and its' wing casing opened, with a deafening buzzing sound which echoed throughout the abandoned streets it launched itself forwards at blinding speeds with a whoosh of moving air

"NOW!" Velvet ordered as her hard-light constructed disintegrated into countless glowing fragments allowing her to roll aside. The gloom was then pierced by firelight as Team FADE took their positions, Felix's body glowing with golden flames and burning magma as he entered his Balrog state, Arctus crushed a glossy black Gravity Dust crystal in his palm and conjured a Glyph which launched Felix towards the oncoming Grimm like a missile. Carcharodon, Hellion and Raffia were left momentarily dumbstruck as the two collided in front of them, the Grimm's momentum utterly halted by Felix who was now locked between its' pincer like horns but far from being crushed like Onyx he was forcing the horns growing from its' skull and thorax apart, slowly causing hairline fractures to form along their chitinous surfaces while Arctus, Diamond and Eagle opened fire with everything they had

"I will NOT be upstaged and _rescued_ by the likes of him" Raffia spat indignantly, the words leaving a foul taste in his mouth; he rushed to where the Titan Beetle struggled with the Lion Faunus and combined his two swords, the shorter laying flat along his forearm and mechanical bands secured it in place and the longer reaching outwards as its' blade separated along the centre and expanded with several intricate components becoming visible as the weapon began to glow

"Stand aside" the Axolotl Faunus sneered; Felix let out a guttural snarl, barely capable of speech in this state but Raffia understood the shake of the head he gave and merely shrugged in response "Suit yourself" with that he fired the laser lance, unleashing the full might of an Atlesian warships main weapon on the Grimm in a single burst; what the experimental weapon had in power it lacked in sustainability and in mere seconds the light faded, revealing that the right side of the Titan Beetles' skull had been completely sheared away and a hole large enough to crawl through had been bored through its' entire body. Felix gave one final roar of exertion and a disturbingly wet tearing sound not only ripped the Grimm's thorax spike away but widened the hole Raffia had blasted into to and tore the entire back carapace and upper body away, ripping the Grimm in two before dropping to the ground and reverting back to his natural state, gasping for breath as he sunk to his hands and knees amidst the rapidly dissipating remains of the Titan Beetle. It came as a shock to everyone present when Carcharodon was the first to step forward and pull the Lion Faunus to his feet

"Yay for teamwork right?" Felix managed to pant out

"Teamwork?" Raffia scoffed "You added nothing to the battle that I-" he was silenced by Carcharodon cuffing him around the back of the head before simply giving Felix a bemused grin

"Yay for teamwork" with that the Shark Faunus handed Felix over to his own team and turned his attention Velvet who approaching him with a concerned expression

"Where's Coco?"

"She and Onyx should be inside that building" he pointed to the wall that the pair had been knocked through; silently nodding Velvet made her way through the partially collapsed wall, the students following

"Coco, Onyx?" she called out nervously

"We're okay" Coco's voice assured her "But you need to come and look at this" something about her tone made Velvet hurry forwards into the next room where she assumed that Coco had moved an injured Onyx to safety. What she found made her mouth hang open and eyes widen as she came to an abrupt halt

"Oh my Oum" Diamond gasped from behind her

"I think I'm gonna be sick" Eagle could be heard rushing back out into the street. Onyx leaned against a wall clutching ribs that he suspected had been cracked by the Grimm while Coco was crouched on the ground, positioned between several dimly lit shapes and the entire floor of the room was covered in bloodstains. The shapes were bodies, their hands tied behind their backs and their misshapen heads covered with bloodstained sacks

"I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you didn't find anyone at the Scavenger Guilds' camp" Coco whispered, her voice hoarse and appalled.

"We'll have to inform Atlas's council about this" Velvet murmured as she nodded "This wasn't the Grimm, this was murder" bile rose in her throat as she stepped between the bodies and surmised that the blood on the floor was the result of the Scavenger Guild being knelt on the ground and shot in the back of the heads, a mass execution

"Why do it here though?" Felix asked, trying to make some sense of the situation "Their camp was miles away"

"To keep Grimm away from the camp while it was being looted" Diamond surmised, all eyes turning to her "Whoever did this wanted whatever the Scavenger Guild had found down here, took all their supplies as well. Attacking their camp would have attracted Grimm so they had them tied up and dragged out here then killed….Grimm sense fear"

"Oh my Oum" Arctus whispered, screwing his eyes shut and forcing himself not to think of the last dead body he'd seen, that of Neon Katt "I need to get out of here" Diamond gently squeezed his hand while Coco and Velvet shared a look

"Velv you're mission is officially over-"

"I'm not leaving you down here" Velvet interjected "What's your situation?"

"We were about to rig the first target before we were attacked"

"Okay" Velvet nodded in understanding taking a moment to consider her options before turning to Team FADE "Change to our mission parameters, we assist Coco and Team GORE while looking for any traces of the attackers or undocumented entrances to the city; then we get the hell out of here"

"And the bodies?" Carcharodon rasped, his tone surprisingly one of concern "Are we leaving them here?….Surely even here you don't just abandon your dead?" there were a few moments of heavy silence before Arctus, the only native of Atlas spoke up

"You're right we don't; in Atlas we cremate….Who's got Fire Dust?"

 **Authors Notes:**

Okay so that was a thing, if this chapter was any more dark and gritty it would be a DC movie.  
Two more chapters left of Vol.4  
Vol.5 will have new outfits (Because winter clothes are not optional in Atlas)

Anyway let's summarise:  
Okay so the Killer-Bee is sitting this chapter out, but I did bring the car for a reason….which we'll see next chapter. I promised upgrades after all.  
Diamond being from Mistral does not like cold, funnily enough the people from the Anima tribes (Team GORE and Helios) cope better due to living without things like central heating; Team GORE are from the north of the continent and are actually pretty comfortable in Atlas.  
Being partnered with Raffia must be nightmarish.  
The Scavenger Guild are the people who tried to loot weapons out of the Exclusion Zone in Vale, they will do pretty much anything for money.  
Indirect shade throwing at Team FADE and CLIR for Vol.1 antics.  
Outside is a weird concept in the Atlesian hive cities, there was a line in Downward Spiral where (I think) Gangrel said _"You always remember the first time you saw the sky"_.  
After rigging traps with Flax Scarlatina everyone else must look like an amateur.  
Yeah looking at that camp and not just leaving is like being a white high school kid in a horror film.  
Olivine and Ether are adorable and the ship name "Gunmetal" is still funny to me, they are admittedly background characters though.  
So Atlas now has a city that's actually outdoors and we'll have some tournament matches there, with the tension between the settlements and the council on top of everything else what could possibly go wrong.  
Stein is definitely the sort of guy who treats students as free labour.  
Helios adores his sister really and we will see her again.  
I love how far Helios and Nyanza have come as partners.  
Sarcasm from Heely, you know you fucked up.  
Helios is having to learn an important lesson, sometimes you have to work with utter dicks and its' illegal to beat them with a broom.  
The White Fang may officially be over but everyone still knows what their uniforms look like.  
Yeah Team CFVY are on foot as well (I imagine that they rigged their own perimeter defences before leaving) because it actually helps the two teams stay in contact….and also you don't drive something that weighs roughly the same as a tank through an abandoned hive city.  
Team GORE are used to having the element of surprise and being able to chose how and when an attack happens, they were caught off guard last time, that's all.  
Onyx using Dust with his Semblance needs to be a thing I do more often, he used an Ice Dust Crystal on Helios but the idea of him literally breathing fire on Grimm was too good to pass up on.  
Raffia doesn't block.  
Carcharodon is the master of the dramatic entrance.  
Yeah Carcharodon sounds like a dick but be fair, he's been stabbed in the back enough times to not trust people.  
Team C_VY are going to build an Academy with help from Winter (And others) on Menagerie, can you imagine being taught weapon maintenance by Velvet.  
Also Coco has nightmares.  
Raffia needed to guide Hellion because while she's using her Semblance to see through Marauder, or any other animals eyes she can't actually control her own body.  
The Nano-bot rounds that Felix had in first year, Coco has the heavy duty bomb versions.  
And there's a little catchup on Team CFVY post the Downward Spiral, Cross-Hares has become a poly relationship with Yatsu and they have a kid together.  
" _Prepare to die"_ \- Coco Adel.  
The way I had the boarding scene described in my notes was _"Mad Max Fury Road: On Ice"_.  
Olivine could have shot the quads themselves but she was going for non-lethal.  
A Squirrel Faunus leader, remember last chapter.  
Remember Ether and Helios's Semblance work kinda similarly, Car's body is effectively a liquid and Ether's can become a gas; but Ether can't phase through walls like Carcharodon can.  
Yeah Nyanza just killed that guy.  
Oh look Stein actually did something.  
So Chestnut got away….but considering who was supposed to picking up the Dust he now doesn't have, is he really any better off.  
The Scavenger Guild camp was raided and the White Fang happens to have the kind of weapons that the Scavenger Guild were dealing in, coincidence? I think not.  
The Titan Beetle is a Hercules Beetle Grimm.  
" _Cripple it first and kill it later"_ an insight into Carcharodon's mind.  
The Grimm just beat a mother-fucker with another mother-fucker.  
Yes Velvet's weapon just did that.  
The Titan Beetle has a rocket tackle.  
Admit it, that was one hell of a combo attack.  
Raffia you amazing shit-post of a Faunus.  
There are no words for the absolute moral outrage Raffia has towards inadvertently performing a team attack with Felix.  
And that's where the missing Scavenger Guild are.  
Also it's worth noting that a methodically done mass execution as a means to an end is NOT the work of the Cult of Taurus, it doesn't have the insane over the top feel to it.

Thank you to Araniladin, SumoSnipe, iSassenach, TigerRose, ShadowAlex2000, Funlander, FleetOfWarships, FluffyFirefly and Ferrous for their reviews on the last chapter.  
I would have loved to write the bitching between the two teams but honestly I felt it would have detracted from the pacing of the chapter.  
All squeal and pay homage to the bunny girl.  
The lack of Team CFVY in canon is unforgivable.  
The inside man was the penguin Faunus yard marshal.  
Catch on? At this point even Stevie Wonder can see it.  
I appreciate the DnD commitment, I'm in four games with the same group of friends.  
I did not create all the additional lore and world building in The Downward Spiral just to not bring it back.  
Battle-Cat and Tamagotchi ships are coming people, don't worry I will deliver.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	54. Coming Home

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 54: Coming Home**

It had been days since the failed attack on the Schnee Dust Company owned land-train carrying Dust into the mining town of Machen-Rustung and the Faunus who had been given the dubious honour of organising and leading the attack was cautiously making his way back to his home for the first time following his failure. Chestnut new that many of the men and women he had led had been captured by the Hunters guarding the shipment and doubtlessly handed over to the authorities, they would most likely be moved to a prison in one of the hive cities where the Kingdoms' officials could interrogate them at their leisure; he also knew that several had died during the attack but his shame and grief battled each other they both completely dwarfed by the sheer unrelenting terror seeping into his bones like the freezing weather itself. In the days between then and now Chestnut had been lurking around the periphery of the settlement he called home in the futile hope of catching sight of anyone he could identify as a member of the Cult of Taurus despite having never met the elite group of enforcers before; sleeping in doorways and alleys mercifully without being spotted by anybody whose relatives he taken on his ill-fated mission and subsisting on whatever food he could scavenge.

After days of such a pitiful existence Chestnut had decided that enough was enough, reasoning that the Cult of Taurus must have come for him and since left without being seen or simply assumed he was among the dead the Squirrel Faunus crept towards his home in the dead of night; eyes darting around and scanning the darkness nervously as he reached the small two bedroom house situated in a row of identical buildings. He winced at the sound of of snow crunching beneath his boots, horribly loud in his ears and realised he would have to find a way to cover his tracks before he left; his numb fingers almost dropped the key as he fumbled trying to unlock his front door, too scared for the strangeness of his home being left seemingly untouched by the authorities to register. Closing the door gently behind him Chestnut let out a slow hushed breath and waited for his eyes to adjust to the gloom as he saw no sense in turning the lights on and potentially throwing away his one chance to leave with his life. He first took a few moments cautiously creep through the ground floor of the house, ensuring that there were no attackers waiting to block his path when he made to leave; upon finding no such individuals he slowly made his way up the stairs taking to avoid those which creaked underfoot and took slow and silent but deliberate steps towards his bedroom, a small hopeful smile finding its' way onto his face as he drew nearer. He'd made it, the Squirrel Faunus had been skimming a little off the top of union contributions at the foundry he worked at for over a decade and kept them in a duffel bag under the floorboards to ensure there was always funding in place in case either he or another member of his cell needed to disappear and now it was simply a matter of taking that money and whatever he could pack in two minutes and getting out, he could sneak onto a coach between the settlements and the hive-cities without drawing too much attention and use one of his fake passports to get himself to Vaccuo where he would never be heard from again; with a plan of action in mind Chestnut opened the door to his bedroom.

"Hello Chestnut" what little colour had remained in his face after so long in the cold promptly vanished at the sound of the smokey, hypnotic and distinctly feminine voice "We've been waiting for you….Do come in"

"I-I can explain, I swear….there were too many Hunters I was only told to expect the one I-I"

"Come in Chestnut" the hypnotic voice was a little more insistent this time and the edges of Chestnut's vision became blurry and indistinct as his attention was forcefully focused on the speaker, everything else fading away until, with a terrified whimper he stepped forwards into his bedroom fighting to keep control of his bladder and remain standing as his knees shook. The speaker was sat on his bed, face totally obscured by her mask. As the effect her words had on his sight subsided Chestnut let out another whine of fear, stood behind his bed flanking their obvious leader were a pair of Faunus with their faces partially obscured by bone white masks, the first was tall and carried himself with an almost regal bearing that was at odd with the oversized sword slung across his back, the other almost defied description, shorter and stockier than the first but infinitely more monstrous; their terrifying visage somehow worsened by the fact that they were eating a ham and cheese sandwich from what Chestnut recognised as one of his own plates, as if the mundane act underlined the horror.

"You were given a task, blessed with the opportunity to serve" the hypnotic voice started speaking again "You were given this in spite of your lack of faith in the cause-"

"I swear-"

"Shh, I'm talking now" Chestnut's vision faltered again as she raised a finger to where he supposed her lips were in a shushing motion "You have constantly questioned the leadership and wisdom of the high commander, constantly demanded more as if our cause exists to serve you and nobody else and now, when given a chance to prove that you are in fact a true believer you leave your people either dead in the snow or at the mercy of our human oppressors, only to scurry back here planning to run" to highlight her words one of the two Faunus flanking her threw a duffel bag onto his bed, one Chestnut instantly recognised as the one containing the money he needed and his fake passports; something that the Squirrel Faunus noticed through the haze of terror clouding his mind almost caused him to burst into hysterical laughter; they had cleaned his room, perhaps the whole house.

"Do forgive the impropriety" the leader of the groups' tone was almost amused as she seemed to sense what Chestnut had noticed, slowly growing colder as she continued "But we have been we've been waiting for you to return for some time now and unlike you Chestnut we don't allow ourselves to fall short of the High Commanders' vision….and besides, one would assume it's better to die with your affairs in order" hearing his fate discussed in such final terms prompted Chestnut to do the only thing that seemed feasible to him at that moment, he turned and made to run only to be halted and sink to his knees as he realise that he had been trapped. The hypnotic effect of the female Faunus's Semblance fuelled voice had been a distraction while the fourth member of the Cult of Taurus moved into the position, crawling along the ceiling in a truly inhuman fashion and scuttling down to the ground, silently closing the door Chestnut had entered through. A moment later the two Faunus flanking their leader made their way across the room while the woman with the hypnotic voice rose and followed them at a leisurely pace  
Chestnut never heard the footsteps or the weapons being drawn.  
All Chestnut heard was her voice when she started to sing.

* * *

Velvet was pulled into a brief and gentle hug by Coco who quickly planted a kiss on her cheek as Team FADE followed the Rabbit Faunus into the perimeter of their base-camp which was formed by an extensive series of traps that had been set around the ruined supermarket they had been operating out of.

"How're we looking?" Velvet murmured quietly "I wanna be out of this place" Coco gave her an understanding nod and another quick kiss, this one brushing against her lips before she answered

"Nano-bot Charges are rigged, having your team helping cut down on the time. There's gonna be nothing worth salvaging when we leave this place….Just need to break down out camp, so maybe two hours give or take"

"Help Team GORE out" Velvet instructed Team FADE, eyes narrowing a little as she watched Eagle gravitate towards Hellion. While she may have lived on Menagerie Velvet still spoke to her brother Flax enough to be well aware of who Team GORE really were and be more than a little concerned at how obviously head over heels the blonde was for the Dragonfly Faunus, even if it was adorable to watch. She was forced to focus on more immediate matters by Coco

"What about on your end?" Coco paused anger creeping into her expression "We both know that the authorities are gonna try and write this off but did you guys at least find anything that could give us an idea of what happened to the Scavenger Guild team?"

"Nothing" Velvet sighed with a shake of her head; Coco's anger was understandable; when they had used the communication system onboard the Nashorn-N2 APC to contact Atlas they had been met with a wall of bureaucracy and general disinterest; the Scavenger Guild had entered a sealed city to loot, what happened to them was seemingly considered to be of less consequence than destroying the entrance at the docks and the known weapon caches, Coco and Velvet had been ordered to proceed with their mission.

"Fuck" Coco growled, succinctly capturing both of their feelings

"Yeah" Velvet muttered "It doesn't make sense, how can someone do _'that'_ and steal everything the Scavenger Guild had without leaving any kind of trace-" she was interrupted by a derisive snort which upon turning towards the source of the sound was revealed to have come from Raffia, the Axolotl Faunus had obviously been eavesdropping but before either Huntress could scold him for it a more pressing matter presented itself, a pair of red eyes in the darkness nearby

"Grimm" Velvet whispered

"I see it" Coco nodded, without warning the monster charged forwards hissing and snapping; the lone Creep was soon halted by one of Hellion's throwing knives being neatly and painfully lodged between the bones of its' leg, then being utterly shredded by gunfire from Sentinel at Eagle's behest. Seeing the problem was dealt with Coco turned her attention back to Raffia, who was now smirking and seemed to be on the verge of a fit of his demented giggling

"Something funny kid?"

"The idea that you thought you'd find clues when you couldn't spot a Grimm that close" the diminutive berserker finally burst out laughing with those words, self control seemingly utterly beyond him as he fixed both Coco and Velvet with a mocking sneer "You should have us do the hunting, we would have found something-"

"Yeah I bet you would" Felix spat "All things considered you're lucky you've got an alibi or you'd look like prime suspects" the Lion Faunus was furiously stalking towards Raffia until Carcharodon stepped between them

"Are we breaking this up?" Velvet asked in a concerned tone, one constant that had remained from her own time as a student was that while she could obliterate Grimm without hesitation violence between people was something she found unsettling

"Honestly….nah" Coco replied with a shrug "Not yet, kinda feels like they need to get it out their systems"

"Fine" Velvet huffed, staying but standing ready to intervene if things got out of hand. Members of both teams rose from the traps they were disassembling, seemingly having the same idea as Carcharodon stepped in Felix's personal space and loomed over him while the Lion Faunus rolled his shoulders back, clearly spoiling for a fight

"I will explain this to you once" the Shark Faunus's voice came out in a low ragged snarl, increasing in menace but never in volume "My people raid, we take what we want by besting those who have it in combat. My tribe have raided the Scavenger Guild before and it was done fairly, our fighters against theirs….what happened to those people we found was cowardice, nothing more and I will not be called a coward"

"Kidnapping seems pretty fucking cowardly to me" Felix growled back "Eagle's Mum wasn't a fighter and as for the Scavenger Guild, well it's not like you haven't got a reason to want them gone"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa everyone calm down" Velvet gently pushed the two apart and stepped between them "Nobody is accusing anyone of anything here" Carcharodon's void like eyes narrowed as he stepped around the Rabbit Faunus and tried to close in on Felix

"Calm down knuckleheads" Coco ordered, neither teen seemed to pay her any mind

"What reason could I possibly have to wish those people dead" Carcharodon rasped

"Well when they had the Hunters in that shipping town turn on you you wiped the place out-" Felix stopped, his deep blue eyes widening as he saw a matching expression on Carcharodon's face and comprehension dawned on him "You didn't know?"

"We knew that someone must have persuaded that village to turn against us, to murder our people, women and children included" Carcharodon whispered, his usual composure tenuous as his voice shook with unfathomable rage. Hellion, Onyx and even Raffia remained silent as they processed what Felix had unwittingly told them

"But we never knew who it was that gave them their orders" the grey skinned Faunus finally breathed out "And now we do….thank you Felix, truly. We will remember this"

"That's enough!" Coco barked "Everyone get to work, I want this base-camp broken down in an hour and a half tops!" hearing their orders Carcharodon stepped away, leaning down to murmur something in Raffia's ear that made the smaller Faunus scowl and glare in Felix's direction; the Lion Faunus for his part suddenly felt an icy weight in his gut that only intensified when he looked over to his team-mates and saw their wide-eyed and almost fearful expressions. Felix realised as he moved towards them that he may have just said something that would have consequences far outside of his control and there was little he could do about it.

* * *

In the days following the attack on the land-train outside of Machen-Rustung Helios had noticed a change in his partners' behaviour that he found troubling and had been waiting for an opportune moment to talk to the feline about, that moment had seemingly presented itself. The land-train had stopped between two more of the destinations they intended to deliver Dust to in order to make some minor repairs; the damage to the cab of Ansturm caused by a pickup truck colliding with it had been fixed free of charge by a mechanic in Machen-Rustung as a show of gratitude and the various holes ripped into the trailers by harpoons had been patched up, but the vehicle was apparently old and needed maintenance on a fairly regular basis, Helios had heard the driver complaining about specific parts but the jargon meant little to him.

"Nyanza?" Helios called out, his tone soft as he climbed into what amounted to Team NEON's quarters for the duration of their mission, the first of the land-trains' gargantuan trailers, its' interior effectively forming a small apartment complete with a living area, small but functional kitchen, a considerable amount of supplies, both tactical and medical as well as several beds in an area of the trailer that had been soundproofed to allow its' occupants to sleep despite the noise the land-train made. Hearing no reply and seeing that his partner was not sprawled on the couch that had been secured to the floor Helios reasoned that he would find Nyanza in his bunk, where he had been spending a lot of time since the attack. The redhead had asked Stein if he knew what was bothering Nyanza as the leniency the older man seemed to be showing was at odds with his previous attitude, Stein had merely answered that Nyanza would talk about it when he was ready, something that only worried Helios even more.

"Nyanza" he called again, quieter this time as he stepped into to soundproofed and enclosed area of the trailer that could generously be referred to as a bedroom, it took Helios a few moments to adjust to the sensation as it always did before he caught sight of Nyanza; wrapped up in blankets and staring at seemingly nothing in particular with dark rings around his eyes suggesting that he hadn't slept well for the last few nights

"Are you ill?" Helios asked as he sat near next to him

"Nah man" Nyanza croaked out, refusing to meet his eyes. Helios waited a moment for his partner to elaborate, when it became apparent that he wasn't going to do so the redhead placed hand on his shoulder

"Talk to me Nyanza, what's wrong" the Faunus slipped his shoulder free of his grasp and looked away, remaining silent. Helios fought the urge to clamp down on both of Nyanza's shoulders and force him to at least look at him, instead exhaling slowly before continuing "I'm your team leader….and you're my friend, I need you to tell me what's wrong to be able to help you"

"You can't" Helios's eyes widened a little at Nyanza's tone, his voice cracked and he sounded close to tears

"Nyanza-"  
"I killed someone!" the admission silenced Helios and words seemed to fall of Nyanza as if he were unable to stop them "When those guys in White Fang masks attacked, the ones that tried getting on to the cab, I didn't think I just shot at the cables and when it snapped….fuck man I watched that guy go under the wheels, I'm a fucking murderer man" there was a heavy, oppressive silence for several moments that seemed to stretch on for far longer before Helios answered

"No, you're not a murderer. You're a Huntsman"

"I didn't sign up for this shit man! I just wanted to fight monsters, get off of Patch and buy my parents a house, I didn't want to kill anybody!" Nyanza was openly crying at this point, shaking as tears streamed down his face

"I won't say what you did was the right thing" Helios started, frankly clueless as to how to handle the situation "But I won't condemn you and nor would anyone else….We were under attack, they came armed and prepared to kill people; you had to react and you did what you could"

"I don't think I can do this any more" the feline hunched forwards, bushy tail wrapping around himself as he wiped his eyes "I'm thinking about dropping out….Halo probably has a load of people who didn't quite make the grade to get it, they can get Team NEON a new fourth-"

"Don't leave" Helios's voice was barely above a whisper, but insistent nonetheless "Team NEON without you isn't Team NEON any more. Killing someone is hard Nyanza, it's supposed to be….people who can do it easily are not people to be trusted" Nyanza made to object but paused when he saw the way his partner absently traced one of the many scars marking his body, momentarily lost in his own thoughts. Instead he simply mumbled

"I don't know if-"

"If you can't do this then we will take other missions" Helios countered softly "I'll speak with the head of Atlas when we return and ask them to send us on missions focusing on dealing with the Grimm"

"I'll think about it" Nyanza finally sighed, voice weak "Thanks man….I think I'm gonna talk to the student counsellor at Atlas when we get back, try and figure out if this is what I wanna do"

"I understand" Helios nodded, wearing an expression that suggested he truly did which Nyanza wanted to question him on but decided against

"Until then" Helios rose to his feet "I think you need to get out of this trailer, it isn't doing you any good being stuck in here alone"

"I dunno man-"

"Olivine and our driver need someone else who can work with machines if we want to get moving again, I don't see Stein offering his services do you?"

"Fair point" Nyanza grinned, some of his usual sarcasm creeping back into his tone as he followed, wiping his eyes again and as the two of them made their way back out of the trailer he gently nudged Helios's shoulder

"What is it?"

"Just do me a favour and stop dicking around with Felix and ask him out"

"I-" Helios's sputtering was cut off before it could start

"Look you're a good guy Heely, a really good guy. You deserve someone like Fluffy who'll make you happy….besides there's a betting pool on you two now and I need to cash in."

* * *

Team FADE were crammed into the Killer-Bee once again, Velvet taking the passenger seat while Felix drove and Arctus, Diamond and Eagle shared the back seat. Any tension remaining after Felix and Carcharodon's early confrontation had faded as they made their way out of the ruins of Eisenstadt Siebte, the Nashorn-N2 APC being driven by Coco following close behind them

"There's definitely something in that water" Felix muttered as he chanced a glance downwards, their vehicles were traversing the artificial roads built into the sides of the vast caverns that freight ships had once sailed through; below them murky water rippled though whatever lurked in the icy depths had thus far chosen to remain hidden from view.

"As long as it stays down there we don't have a problem" Velvet assured him, a dull thud behind from behind alerting them to one of Team GORE throwing the last of the explosives out of their transport, intending to destroy a sizeable portion of the road into the city as they left, the cave system being far too large to collapse in its' entirety. After driving a while longer the first rays of weak light from outside reached them, indicating that they were finally close to the surface, a sign that was met with tired smiles from all present before Velvet's Scroll buzzed in her palm and the Rabbit Faunus answered, putting Coco on loud speaker while motioning for Felix to bring the car to a stop

"Okay I'm at the edge of the remote detonator's range and we're clear of that last charge" the fashionista informed her, her voice almost a purr as she added "So let's blow some shit up"

"I love you but you really do put the maniac in pyromaniac….fire away" Velvet giggled before turning to Felix "Be ready to step on it….Coco usually get the mix right on explosives-"

"Usually?" the Lion Faunus demanded, eyebrows vanishing into his hairline

"We'll be fine" Coco snorted, having heard his concern "By the way say hi to Yang when you get chance, haven't spoken to her in years….anyway, FIRE IN THE HOLE!" hearing Coco's unusually excited, almost giddy exclamation Felix stepped down hard on the accelerator and sent the Killer-Bee racing ahead while a quick glance into the rear-view mirror revealed that a large section of the steel bridge-like artificial road they has been traversing had been ripped away and engulfed in flames, debris from the blast careening into the water below and it was a safe assumption that dozens of larger explosions were occurring in tandem throughout the ruins, destroying anything that might entice treasure hunters and explorers into the ruins.

"Well damn" Diamond noted as she turned to see the explosion

"Erm….guys" Eagle pointed downwards towards the water below, voice laden with concern "We might have just ticked something off" Felix dared to take another glance downwards and saw that the movement the icy depths had become far more urgent and taken a unified direction while the first hints of something resembling a fin could be seen breaching the surface, bony white in colour

"Velvet we've got a problem!"

"Get clear of the caves and get ready to take it out" the Rabbit Faunus ordered, her previous cheer vanishing "Coco make that crate you're driving go faster!"

"Working on it!" there were several frantic, tense moments before the muscle car burst out into the snow covered open space beyond the caverns, spraying the powdery substance as it came skidding to a halt and the passengers leapt out drawing their weapons as they waiting for the battle that now seemed to be inevitable

"Okay everyone behind me, I wanna get a good look at what we're dealing with!" Velvet barked out as she created a glowing replica of a hammer that Eagle recognised as Siegebreaker, her Aunt Victoria's weapon; Velvet quickly shifted it into its' shoulder mounted rail-gun mode.

"Here they come" Arctus noted, his voice tense as he readied Gefroren-Erbe in its' sword form and a moment later he was proven correct as the APC came roaring into the open, slowing to a halt near to the Killer-Bee its' rear hatch flying open allowing Team GORE to leap out

" _SKREEEEEEE!"_

The deafening screech seemed to tear the air asunder, before the monster that the sound preceded tore its' way into view. Its' form was that of some long extinct predator, bipedal and slender despite the obvious power its' frame possessed; from the tip of its' snout to its' wildly thrashing tail it was perhaps thirty feet long and stood at a little under twenty feet in height if one didn't take into account the gigantic, swept back bone blades which appeared almost like talons growing from its' spine with a translucent layer of Grimm flesh so pale as to appear a deep violet rather than the usual black stretched between them forming a sail of sorts. The spikes tapered off as they progressed along the tail which ended in a large fin, its' powerful legs were birdlike in appearance and covered in chitinous armour plates, armoured ribs could be seen over the obsidian flesh of its' underside, its' relatively small forelimbs tucked close against them and its' long, narrow skull was almost entirely encased as it tapered down almost to a point while countless jagged fangs jutting from the sides of its' jaws as if its' mouth couldn't hope to contain them all. The Grimm regarded the assembled Hunters with its' twin pairs of glowing red eyes for a moment before letting loose another hateful shriek, gobs of a viscous purple substance flying from its' maw caused the snow to evaporate with a foul stench on contact.

"Scytheback" Coco noted dispassionately, naming the creature as she exited the APC, Satani Arbor unfolding in her hands "Fast, powerful, amphibious and its' got corrosive spit….this is gonna be a pain in the ass"

"How're we handling this?" Velvet asked, preparing to open fire at a moment's notice

"Fan out and hit from the sides, force it to split it its' attention….The more we huddle up the worse that spray is gonna be" the Grimm by some bestial instinct seemed to sense that its' quarry was planning to strike and with another ear-splitting screech surged towards the group and their now empty vehicles

"Go! Scatter!" Coco bellowed as she and Velvet opened fire, sounds of heavy weapons filling the air as the Scythe back closed the distance between them and opened its' jaws wide as it lunged, intending to snatch up one of the Huntresses only to be brought to a crashing halt as it collided with a Glyph from Arctus, the Bear Faunus having remained close by despite his orders

"Not bad kid but not what I asked for" Coco noted as she continued to tear gouges into armour and rip through pitch-black flesh

"Got a plan" Arctus grunted out, as he crushed an Ice Dust crystal in his palm and fed the mineral into his Glyph, its' surface changing from a pure white to a shimmering pale blue as ice crystals began to spread along the snout of the Scytheback, slowly forming a block of solid ice around its' jaws

"Hit it now!" Velvet ordered the students "Hit it while it can't use its' acid spray!" the first to react were Team Fade, machine gun fire courtesy of Felix wielding Hack and Slash pattering against its' hide while Eagle deployed Sentinel and set the droid to work with its' larger calibre ammunition

"Go to your team….and good work" Coco slapped Arctus's back and the Bear Faunus sprinted towards Diamond, shifting Gefroren-Erbe into its' plasma pistol form and firing one handed while simultaneously creating a series of Glyphs around the Grimm which rampaged towards them and calling to his partner

"FIRING PLATFORMS!" the sniper nodded in understanding and began leaping from Glyph to Glyph in a display fuelled in equal parts by her natural athleticism and her Semblance, in some cases hanging suspended from the bottom of a Glyph as she shot at the Grimm which tried to swat her away, lashing out with its' tail as it struggled with the ice encasing its' snout; steam beginning to billow from between its' jaws.

"This isn't working!" Felix called over to Arctus "We're not doing enough damage"

BOOM!"

"COME HERE YOU SCALY BASTARD!" Onyx's berserk roar seemed to serve as an answer to Felix's problem as the Puma Faunus aimed and fired Jotun Fang in its' artillery mode, acrid black smoke rising from each point of impact. Beside him Raffia drew his swords and began combining them into their experimental laser lance form, the weapon still as yet unnamed; though he never got the chance to unleash the weapon as the Scytheback's acid finally managed to eat through the ice holding its' jaws in place and with a furious shriek ait doused the surrounding area in the vibrant purple spray, Onyx managed to leap aside but Raffia's cheek, shoulder and chest smoked and burned on contact

"Raffia!" Onyx bellowed rushing to pick his friend up and carry him out of the Grimm's reach, his stomach lurching as he saw that one of the caudal fins sprouting from the Axolotl's Faunus skull had been entirely melted away and his eye was a milky orb devoid of pupil and iris, with a hiss of pain Raffia focused his Semblance and his pale pink rippling Aura engulfed his body, taking the shape of his injured body parts as they rapidly regrew and regenerated. Team FADE watched this happen and collectively decided they needed to act. The Scytheback was currently distracted by Coco and Velvet who had lured it away from Team GORE and their vehicles with massed firepower but their weapons were taking little, if any toll on the beast.

"Eagle, load Sentinel with incendiary rounds! Arctus, launch me!" Felix ordered, a feral smile coming to his face as he crushed the Fire Dust crystals he had on his person, golden flames engulfing him and powering him as he activated his Semblance. His team-mates followed his instructions and a moment later the ground around the Scytheback was set ablaze, causing the Grimm to turn its' attention towards them, just as Arctus conjured a Gravity Dust infused Glyph and much like he had done in their battle with the Titan Beetle, fired Felix forwards. With a primal roar Felix shot forwards, using the same flames that had distracted the monster to provide additional power to his Semblance he finally absorbed enough heat from his surrounding to enter his Balrog state. The Scytheback staggered back several paces, the chitinous armour of its' ribs breaking with an audible crack; in response the monster swung its' tail at the Faunus who in defiance of all logic simply caught it and used his Semblance fuelled strength to spin, pulling the Grimm from its' feet before swinging it around by the tail several times and throwing it into the distance where it landed with an earthshaking thud.

"Okay, don't ask me to do that again" Felix gasped out as he reverted back to his natural state, knees buckling. As Eagle rushed over to help him to his feet, Arctus and Diamond close behind Coco yelled words that seemed to make everyone's hearts stop for a single moment

"THAT THING'S NOT FINISHED!" as if to underline her statement the Scytheback let out an acid-spraying shriek as it righted itself and began charging towards them again, its' body beginning to show signs of the onslaught levelled against now in the form of countless cracks and gouges in its' armour and the fact that the end of its' tail had been torn away and reduced to a burning stump by Felix's attack.

"Spread out and fire!" Velvet demanded as she created a copy of the Atlesian Paladin and charged towards the Grimm, delivering a series of punches which landed with booming impacts before the Scytheback recovered and lunged the construct, its' jaws snapping dangerously close to the hard-light cockpit the Rabbit Faunus was controlling her construct from, even as countless weapons tore into its' flank

"Careful!" Coco demanded "Don't hit Velvet!" watching the replica battle-suit grapple with the monster as it struggled gave Felix an idea and he turned to Carcharodon

"Can you help her hold that thing in place….I've got some upgrades to try out" the Shark Faunus looked up from his position behind Onyx where he was attending to Raffia while the Puma Faunus fired on the Grimm and silently nodded. A moment later Carcharodon had melted into the ground and moved across its' surface like a living shadow before re-emerging between the legs of the Scytheback and grabbing, slowly sinking back into the ground with obvious difficulty as he dragged the Grimm with him, forcibly trapping it calf-deep in the rock beneath the snow. Seeing this Felix bounded towards the Killer-Bee as fast as his still shaky legs would carry him and brought the engine roaring into life before frantically reaching under the steering and unfurling a mechanism that had been added over the summer, a trigger. Turning in his seat he saw Velvet abandon her construct in order to pull Carcharodon to safety, the Shark Faunus swaying from exhaustion; at the same time the trunk of his car opened and the upgrade he had been waiting for an opportunity to test came whirring into life, _'The Stinger'_ a laser battery taken from an Atlesian warship during Team FADE's first year which began to target the Scytheback as it powered up, ethereal green light beginning to emanate from within the barrel of the weapon. Without preamble Felix squeezed the trigger and the weapon discharged, ripping through the still trapped Scytheback until nothing remained before the destructive light flickered and faded, the weapon retracting into the trunk as Felix sunk back in the drivers' seat wearing a satisfied grin.

"Nice shot kid" Coco noted as she, along with everyone else trudged over to where their vehicles had mercifully remained undamaged in the battle

"Yeah I think you're gonna have to tow me the rest of the way though" he sighed, exhausted

"Oh my Oum that was so cool, was that the upgrade you added over the summer? You've gotta let me have a look at the design 'cos that was super awesome!" Eagle's words came out in their usual rapid fire, excitable rambling way and behind her Felix noticed a soft smile form on Hellion's face; he paid it no mind instead turning to Raffia whose burned and melted flesh had healed, and was now supporting Carcharodon

"My one's bigger" he chuckled, nodding to the smaller Faunus's weapon. There was a round of laughter at the comment, relief and fatigue washing over the Hunters before Carcharodon cut through it as a thought occurred to him

"You're an imbecile" he snorted "Why didn't you just use that weapon straight away?"

* * *

At the rear of the heavily armed fortress that was Atlas Academies' main building there was a far less grandiose structure, its' exterior comprised of thin metal sheets though the interior was thankfully well lit and at least heated to above the freezing temperatures outside. While the Academy had its' official launch pads and terminals situated a short walk from the main entrance the facility at the rear was the hangar in which its' own small fleet of Bull-Heads was stored, this was also where lessons for older students who wished to learn to both fly and maintain the craft were held, as was currently the case.

"Oum damn it" Iris snapped as a small cog she had been attempting to fit into its' proper place within the inner workings of one of the Bull-Heads' left thruster bent out of shape; her pale eyes glowing with the light of her Semblance in an uncharacteristic display of anger

"You okay?" Corvid asked from her position working below her, Iris hopped down from the step ladder she was balanced on and let out an annoyed sigh, flexing the fingers of her golden prosthetic as she did so

"My whole arm keeps seizing up" she admitted "It's this cold, it's messing with the workings"

"See if this helps" Corvid removed the yellow scarf that had once belonged to Yang Xiao Long, an accessory that she was almost never seen without and wrapped it around as much of Iris's cybernetic limb as it would cover before she turned towards the vast array of tools and supplies towards the rear of the hangar "I'm gonna grab a few more parts, between your arm and Rusty dropping things we're gonna need spares"

"It's colder than a witches' tit in a brass bra" the Vaccuan gunslinger defended from where he was working nearby "I can't feel my Oum damn fingers"

"That's so sad, Iris play Despaci-snow" Corvid snorted, receiving a chorus of groans from her friends in response. Chuckling to herself she made her way through the hangar at a comfortable pace, noticing that their teacher had left the hangar for some reason and giving nods of recognition to some of the other teams working on their own craft, many of whom she knew from her time as a transfer student at Haven Academy during her first year; the final Bull-Head had had its' repairs entrusted to Team CNBR, whose leader was conversing louder than was strictly necessary with his partner

"Hey Nitro, seen any chicks you wanna ask to the dance?" Nitro himself, a slightly odd looking young man was currently hanging suspended from one of the wings in a blatant misuse of a safety harness who merely shrugged when he heard the question

"That chick with the gold arm is kinda hot" Corvid merely snorted at that while continuing past them, she knew Iris's tastes and he fell spectacularly short of them; Cinnabar's response however forced her to halt

"Suit yourself, thought I might ask Dee Dee if she wants to come-"

"You know damn well she's dating someone" Corvid interrupted, her tone calm but firm as she stepped towards him "And I made it clear that you need to back off" Cinnabar's tattooed hands balled into fists as he squared up to Corvid, refusing to be intimidated by someone roughly a foot shorter than himself

"Not sure where you get off giving orders like you're someone that matters" he spat "But that fuck boy she's hooked up with is clearly a rebound. Dee knows what she's missing and I doubt your little friend on her team is providing it" Cinnabar had no chance to react as he was forced against the hull of the craft his team were working on, though with his experience as a tournament fighter he wasn't completely helpless; when Corvid's hand clamped around his windpipe he drove a fist into her inner elbow and successfully blocked a fist aimed at his gut

"I'll say this once and I'll say it slowly because your hairspray has clearly leaked into your brain" Corvid snarled out "Diamond is dating my cousin, they've been together for a while now and they're happy. If you interfere my little brother will probably crack your skull, touch him and so help me Oum I will hang your body from a flagpole with your man-bun" Cinnabar silently placed a heel against the hull of the craft and forced himself forwards, throwing Corvid off of him and as she prepared to retaliate she was forced to a stop by Lux who had obviously come to see what was taking her so long, reassessing the situation she also realised that while she had been focused on Cinnabar the remaining three members of Team CNBR had been circling around preparing to rush in if things got out of hand. She silently fumed but allowed herself to be led back towards the Bull-Head Team CLIR were working on, entering the passenger compartment from the rear before wheeling on her partner

"Oum's sake, I should have used my Semblance and let that son of a bitch break his own leg trying to throw me off"

"No" Lux reasoned, trying to keep his expression neutral even as his lips twitched at the thought "You should have just left it, you can't just start fights in class and expect to get away with it"

"He's a sleazy prick and he's trying mess with Diamond and Arctus!" she shot back

"And that makes him an ass-hole but they're more than capable of taking care of themselves"

"I know, I know….I just…." she trailed off, giving an annoyed growl "You're an only child Lux you don't get it"

"Then explain it to me"

"I look out for people, it's what I do" Corvid answered simply with a shrug, it was the simplest way she could explain it; for as long as she could remember even before the two of them had been adopted together she had looked after Felix, upon becoming part of her family that instinct had simply grown to encompass her cousins; following her mothers' footsteps and becoming a Huntress was a perfectly natural choice for her as it felt like something she was simply meant to be doing. The tension was relieved when Corvid's scroll vibrated in her pocket

"Mind getting those parts? I never got a chance to pick 'em up" she asked

"Sure" Lux quickly replied and Corvid watched him leave, briefly stopping to explain to Iris and Rusty what had happened. Turning her attention to her Scroll she withdrew the device and opened it, revealing that she'd received a text message from Felix

' _So the Stinger works….Problem is it emptied the tank in seconds and I wanna have a look under the hood and see if it burned anything out'_ she re-read the message a few times, a smirk forming on her face as she typed out her response

' _I'll Bee waiting to Insect the damage when you get back….Hi've got ideas on how to improve it'_

 **Authors Notes:**

Okay so one last chapter to get through, tying up the last of the lose end and setting the stage for the rest of our time in Atlas _(And also so long-term plans)_ and Vol.4 will be over.  
Stay tuned 'cos I've got more fun stuff planned….and I'm having fun with it, seriously the imagining how the Scytheback scene would play out was great.  
There might be a late update/change to my upload schedule coming….I know I seem to keep saying that and it doesn't happen but I'd rather give people a warning in advance just in case.  
Also I'm still planning a Transformers story, I've got a three volume/season plan and the basics of some OCs, I've also planned out the first few chapters so I could start work on that at any time.

Anyway, let's summarise:  
Chestnut you silly boy, you should have just run and kept running….They would have caught you eventually but still.  
Reading the scene back, there are traces of a good person there, Chestnut wanted the best and genuinely though he could make things better by being part of the New White Fang.  
Okay, the way this scene was written was deliberately to not give a description of the members of the Cult of Taurus….but you will get that, next chapter.  
Her Semblance isn't hypnosis exactly, but I'll explain more later.  
I've said before that the idea of the Cult of Taurus was based on the Decepticon Justice Division from the IDW Transformers comics but it's not a _'Like for like' adaption'_ ; their leaders' mannerisms are definitely lending from Tarn a little bit though.  
There's something just a little bit more unnerving about the kind of villain who does normal shit like sing to themselves, make a sandwich or clean up before/during a killing spree.  
There were two Semblances being used in this scene the voice and how the fourth member of the Cult was able to stay hidden….and no they don't turn invisible.  
The little cute Cross-Hares moments are always fun to write.  
Velvet isn't really Eagle's aunt even though Flax is Eagle's uncle by marriage….but she's still worried, and yes; everyone can see Eagle has an adorable crush.  
Atlas will always be Atlas, finding some missing treasure hunters would be a nice bonus but the mission was always to seal as much of the ruins as they could and halt the flow of weapons coming from old military/police/White Fang stockpiles making their way onto the market.  
Raffia is a dick, people seem to like him for some reason and assume he's like Nyanza; no Nyanza is a good kid with a slightly messed up sense of humour, Raffia just enjoys messing with people.  
Coco would definitely let them have a fight for a while before she stepped in.  
Interesting look into Shadow Cadre/Frost River Tribe morality _"It isn't stealing, it's trial by combat"_.  
Oh dear, Felix you just fucked up badly. Remember that Mousey gave that little bit of information away in Vol.3….so now we can add the Scavenger Guild onto Team GORE's hit-list right after the Cult of Taurus.  
Remember, none of Team NEON saw what happened, only Nyanza and Stein know about the White Fang grunt going splat under the wheels.  
I feel like I had to write this scene, these characters are kids who signed up to fight monsters; I don't want them to be able to just kill someone casually with no real downside to it.  
" _Team NEON without you isn't Team NEON any more"_ remember when those two couldn't stand each other.  
Oh and Helios, tracing one of his scars and zoning out….yeah there's a reason. I was gonna have Helios and Nyanza have a moment, but then I realised I can have him have the moment with Felix later for all you Battle-Cat shippers.  
Don't worry Nyanza is staying.  
You know damn well there's a betting pool and that every member of Team FADE, NEON, CLIR and probably a few of the other Halo students are in on it….hell Team GRAY from Haven know them, they'll be in by next week.  
Seriously those caves are massive, if you can get two freight ship next to each other and have them comfortably sail through the caves I don't think a bag of dynamite or C4 is gonna be enough, but it will blow up what the caves lead to.  
You know Coco loves explosions, you just know it.  
Yes I made a Spinosaurus Grimm….You have no idea how tempted I was to call it a Sickle-back and make puns, if Team CLIR were in this scene I would have.  
Arctus getting more versatile with his Glyphs, he's no Weiss yet though.  
Diamond Dust combo, because I feel like Diamond hasn't had enough chances to be bad-ass this volume.  
Onyx is a treasure, that is all.  
I do need to give the experimental laser lance a new name.  
Nope, used the laser lance last time; not using it again.  
Remember, Felix drains heat from his surroundings to power his Semblance and he needs a lot to fully enter his Balrog state; he can't just light up and go.  
Also yeah, he tried the same trick again. It was never gonna work I just thought the idea of five foot nine Felix swinging a whole dinosaur by the tail and throwing it was funny.  
Velvet went full Pacific Rim.  
Carcharodon also getting more versatile with his Semblance….though I don't expect him to do that to a 'Living' opponent any time soon.  
And there it is, the Stinger….I've been waiting all volume to fire that Chekhov's gun.  
The return of the Eagle ramble, it has been missed.  
Car makes a valid point.  
I mentioned before the teams left New Vale that Team CLIR were taking a Bull-Head operation class.  
Corey let someone borrow Yang's scarf, that's how much she loves her team.  
You know damn well Rusty thought Vale was cold when he moved from Vaccuo, Atlas is a literal frozen hell to him.  
Despaci-snow….I'm not sorry, not even a little bit.  
Yes the N of Team CNBR is called Nitro, their a team of douches.  
Yeah I'm setting Cinnabar up as an antagonist for Vol.5 prior to the tournament itself in Vol.6, think of him as Adam level creepy with Cardin levels of ineffectiveness.  
Notice that he actually managed to hold his own against Corey though.  
I felt like Corey needed a little fleshing out, 'cos at the moment people love her but she's _"Felix's super bad-ass big sister that he takes his problems to"_ Also we haven't seen enough of Team CLIR so far in second year.  
Yes that was a triple barrelled pun, nothing like ending a chapter on a high note.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Araniladin, iSassenach, FleetOfWarships, TigerRose, Bulletproof Vanguard, Ferrous, FluffyFirefly, ShadowAlex2000 and Funlander for their reviews on the last chapter. Also shout out to Funlander for leaving the 350th review on FF Net.  
We'll just assume that the White Fang cell had only really managed to infiltrate the factory and more working class parts of the settlement and the police were honest.  
I mean Aura and anime logic boosts survival rates but yeah, those falls were not enjoyable….especially when the Ansturm truck was described as two stories tall, that's a fall from a moving house.  
Onyx and Felix having a moment over the Stinger needs to happen.  
You call it trauma, I call it character development.  
What if I told you I literally plan on starting Vol.5 with the shopping trip, winter outfits are a must _(But I feel like I might switch back to their main outfits for the tournament….or give them new ones just for that).  
_ I don't feel like Coco would feel a need to earn Team GORE's respect, she took the job as a favour; the kids can either like her or not _(Although there's more to their motivations that we'll be seeing next chapter)_.  
Anything coming out of Florida is terrifying as it is, it doesn't need to be a Grimm.  
Thanks, I had to plan out how those transitions were going to work….Dungeons & Dragons isn't the only time splitting the party is a hard work.  
Nice might be an overstatement lol.  
I kinda feel like Rooster Teeth are holding out on us with Grimm designs, that being said I don't get why people thought the Titan Beetle was so weird, its' literally just a Hercules Beetle taking to its' unnatural conclusion _(Which is a phrase I'm coining)_ it's no weirder than the Lancer in Vol.5 was.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	55. Nemesis

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 55: Nemesis**

They had finally made it. The journey back to Atlas Academy following the completion of their joint mission and the unexpected battle against the monstrous Scytheback had taken several hours and late night was rapidly fading into evening, the sun already setting as the Killer-Bee rolled to a stop in the parking lot situated beneath the academy itself; fortunately Felix had been able to refuel the car on the flight from the extraction point and the damage the use of 'The Stinger' had wrought on the inner workings had turned out to be minimal, though the Lion Faunus still winced at the jarring sounds coming from the engine as he removed his keys from the ignition and climbed out of the vehicle, his team-mates following suit.

"It's good to be….well it's not even home, it'll do though" he yawned as he stretched his arms wide. Beside them the Nashorn-N2 APC came to a halt, having taken a little longer to navigate the narrower route into the parking lot; no sooner had the rumbling growl of its' engine subsided than the rear door was flung open and Team GORE all but leapt free of the vehicle

"We have things to attend to" Carcharodon offered as explanation to Velvet and Coco whose eyebrow's were raised at the sudden eagerness to be elsewhere; the Rabbit Faunus having decided to ride with her lover now that her mission had concluded.

"Suit yourselves" Coco shrugged after their retreating backs, privately annoyed at herself for hoping that her first students would be easier to like than Team GORE had been; a moment later both Coco and Velvet turned their attention to Team FADE

"Looks like we're done here" the fashionista gave them a nod of approval "You did good kids….Things could obviously have gone better, those Scavenger Guild treasure hunters could have made it home safely but that's out of your hands, you did what you could"

"Exactly" Velvet agreed "No doubt you'll have to go through paperwork and a full debriefing at some point but there's no need for it to be right now, you can go and get some rest, Coco and I will will go and give our report to General Schnee or Professor Soleil"

"Do you think you'll stop off in New Vale before you head back to Port Alistair?" Eagle asked, Coco turned to Velvet and saw an almost hopeful expression on her face, Coco's own parents had retired to a small island off the coast of Vaccuo several years ago but there was still plenty for them to go home for

"We've gotta give the APC back and handle some business first but we can. You want me to stop by Flax's place and say hi for you?" Velvet smiled

"Give Honey a hug for me" Eagle beamed back, thinking of her younger cousin

"We should see if Yatsu can jump on a flight, it's been forever since my folks saw Fox" the rabbit Faunus suggested to Coco

"I'll call him when we leave here" Coco replied before offering out her arm for Velvet to take as they made their way out of the parking lot towards' the Headmistresses' office, Velvet waving to them as they went.

"So….now what?" Eagle asked, turning to her team "Felix, wanna see if Corvid's around?"

"Maybe later" Felix answered with a shake of the head "I wanna have a lie down"

"Same" added with a yawn, the lethargy he routinely suffered during the winter beginning to rear its' head

"Sounds like a plan" Diamond agreed, taking her partners' hand as the four of them made their way out of the parking lot and upwards into the academy itself, needing several moments to reorient themselves to the still unfamiliar layout before setting off towards the dormitory that still lacked the homey quality that their room at Halo Academy had. For several minutes they made their way through the hallways in near silence, too exhausted for their usual banter, until they found their path blocked by a familiar face in an otherwise empty corridor.

"Hey Dee-Dee, heard Team CLIR talking about how you guys were on the way back" Cinnabar Blaine moved from his position leaned against a wall, stepping into the centre of the corridor and effectively barring the way as he swaggered towards them. Felix instinctively tensed at the mere thought of Cinnabar being anywhere near his sister and Arctus's fists clenched as he let out a quiet growl, though it was Diamond that gave the most noticeable reaction

"Oh my fucking Oum dude!" she gave an exaggerated groan "We broke up over a year ago, stop following me around it's creepy. What did you even want?" Cinnabar gave a smirk, his amused expression suggesting that he felt Diamond's vehement rebuking of his advances and her current relationship were nothing but minor obstacles to be overcome.

"I mean I was gonna ask if you wanted to hang about sometime before the big dance, maybe come with?….sounds like that mission took it out of you though, how about I give you a massage and-"

"That's it!" Arctus closed the distance between them in a single step, grabbing Cinnabar by the front of the shirt and hoisting him from the ground before forcibly slamming him back first into a wall and leaning close

"She's not interested, she's told you she's not interested. Now fuck off and stay away from her" the Bear Faunus was furious, his voice almost a roar and it was currently taking every ounce of self control he had not to punch the older student in the face. Cinnabar had no such compunctions, Arctus hit the floor in a crumpled heap with a thud, his Aura which had yet to recover from the amount of Glyphs he had cast in a short space of time visibly shattering under a single punch to the temple which left his head spinning and vision blurry for several seconds in which he could hear everything around him erupt into pandemonium.

"OKAY EVERYONE CALM DOWN RIGHT NOW!" Diamond bellowed furiously, Arctus shook his head as he dragged himself back to his feet using a wall for support; Cinnabar had a hand around Felix's windpipe while the Lion Faunus had already bruised his knuckles with several punches to the taller mans' face, Diamond was both trying to place herself between the two of them and stop Eagle from tackling Cinnabar to the ground.

"Come on let's go" Diamond spat, giving Arctus a concerned glance "You okay babe?"

"I barely touched him" Cinnabar sneered as he threw Felix back, releasing him but ensuring he was safe from attack. As the rest of Team FADE passed him Arctus saw Diamond give him a wink; with her back to him Cinnabar had no time to raise his guard or step aside as she delivered a blindly fast spinning heel kick to his face, leaving her ex sprawled on the ground wiping his bloody nose she took Arctus's hand once again and led him towards their dorm; Cinnabar spewing obscenities and threats behind them

"Babe" Arctus gave a weary smile, speech slurred enough after the punch to the head to concern Diamond "I really love you y'know"

"Love you too big guy" she assured him "Now come, let's find an ice pack for that"

* * *

Antonia Arc had long since lost track of time. Currently she was working on a project which Poly-Tech had been contracted to design by one of the more secretive branches of the Atlesian Military, most likely connected to the Specialist Branch in some form or another as she couldn't think of anyone else who would have need of the ideas she was making a reality. She was alone in the laboratory save for one person, Ozymandias Eldritch who was at this point her default lab partner

"Ready when you are" the bespectacled man informed her, still hunched over an exposed panel and adjusting the inner workings of the prototype containment unit

"Commencing testing of prototype zero one" Antonia intoned blankly, rubbing her stinging eyes before stepping over to a bank of computers and entering several commands. A moment later the prototype gave a low whine as power began to course through it, though Antonia frowned as several signs that the machine was working failed to present themselves; she picked up on the scent of burning with barely enough time to shout a warning

"OZ get back!"

 _BOOM_

The laboratory was filled with thick acrid smoke for mere seconds before sprinklers and extractor fans cleaned the atmosphere, as the smoke cleared Antonia was left blinking in surprise and questioning exactly how tired she was; Ozymandias had somehow managed to move himself far enough out of harms' way to be at the other side of the room completely, yet she had neither seen or heard him move.

"Testing suspended….perhaps we'll leave prototype zero two for tomorrow?" he noted, thin lips twitching upwards at their corners almost hidden by his moustache and goatee. Were she working with anyone else Antonia would have made a monumental effort to maintain her professionalism; as it was Ozymandias was probably the only person with whom she had regular human interaction, her former assistant having resigned following her kidnapping, she was tired, she frustrated and now to make matters worse both she and her laboratory were wet; she gave a groan of pure annoyance before beginning what promised to become a rant if left unchecked

"And this is why I tell the liaisons that General Schnee sends that they need to tell us what it is they need me to make for them, in detail and explain what it's needed _for_ ; they keep having us work blind and it slows production down. I mean what on Remnant are they aiming for here? It's a containment unit for what exactly-"

"Antonia" Ozymandias interrupted gently "Pause, breathe, focus. You'll think your way around this" her lips tugged upwards despite her irritation and the room suddenly felt a little warmer

"Thank you Oz" she sighed, the use of the more familiar term rather than simply Doctor Eldritch was something that had become gradually more common and Ozymandias never failed to smile upon hearing it

"But thinking your way around it is a job for another time, neither of us are at our best….care to tell me what's bothering you?" Antonia paused, noticing once again how far removed her interactions with Eldritch were from how she was normally regarded by her employees; it was often as if they were friends who merely happened to work at the same place and Antonia with her habit of isolating herself was a little unsure of what to do with friends. After a moment she decided a professional working relationship had long since been compromised and there was little point holding back now, reaching into her lab-coat she withdrew her personal Scroll and opened an image which she showed to Ozymandias

"Eagle returned to Atlas Academy from a mission"

"Are those her team-mates?" Ozymandias asked conversationally, Antonia's expression darkened a little

"I assume so….I don't know, I've never met them" she gazed at the photo a while longer "She looks exhausted"

"She most likely throws herself into any task in front of her and doesn't eat or sleep until she's beaten it….and if she does then she gets it from her mother" Ozymandias noted with a soft smile before adding "Seriously when was the last time you ate a proper meal"

"There hasn't been time, it's felt like we're close to a breakthrough" Antonia answered a little defensively.

"One day" Ozymandias snorted "I will resort to taking you out to dinner just to ensure you stop working yourself to exhaustion"

"I'd like that"

"Excuse me?"

"I said I'd like that" Antonia repeated "I think I'd like to see you outside of work"

"Oh, I-I see" Ozymandias cleared his throat "Then perhaps I can take you out to dinner tomorrow evening"

"You could get reservations on short notice"

"I'm sure I'll have enough time to work something out" Ozymandias assured her, though Antonia felt as though there was something being left unsaid with that statement; she had no chance to probe further though as Ozymandias spoke again "Although, if it's okay with you I may have to conclude things early tonight….I have something I need to attend to"

"Early?" Antonia raised an eyebrow in a mixture of confusion and amusement as she checked the time on her Scroll "Oz you've been on overtime for the last four and a half hours"

* * *

While Team GORE's dormitory at Halo Academy had been Spartan and minimalist in its' decoration the raiders' living space at Atlas was positively barren; the only concessions to the personality of its' occupants coming in the form of the beds that were pushed together so that the Faunus who slept in them may huddle together for warmth and the weapons kept close by as if they expected to be called to battle at a moments' notice. While the occupants personalities may have been absent from the rooms appearance, they nonetheless filled it with noise as they clashed

"WHY ARE WE EVEN DISCUSSING THIS?" Raffia demanded furiously, the Axolotl's somewhat pinkish complexion enhanced by the redness of his skin which was still healing from being doused in acid, the tattoos on the left side of skull had been burned away by the attack and his red-faced anger

"THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE COURSE OF ACTION!" the diminutive Faunus bellowed, caudal fins slicked back along the sides of his skull "WE FIND EVERY BRANCH OF THE SCAVENGER GUILD AND WE BURN THEM TO THE GROUND, KILL THEM ALL!" Carcharodon remained silent, pure black eyes inscrutable as he weathered the brunt of Raffia's tirade.

"What say you?" the Shark Faunus rasped, turning to Onyx and Hellion who had thus far been content to let their small comrade rage as much as he needed to

"I'm with Raffia" Onyx grunted out as his greenish yellow eyes narrowed, their pupils little more than slits "These vermin had our fleet sunk while there were children on the ships, they murdered our elders….I only wish I'd known in New Vale so I could have butchered them there" Carcharodon nodded silently, still keeping his own thoughts private

"And you?" Hellion's gossamer wings buzzed, becoming little more than blurs of motion before she gave her answer

"We came here with a mission" she started, Raffia immediately rounding on her with a disbelieving expression "The plan was to draw the Cult of Taurus out into the open and have justice-"

"The plan was to use ourselves as bait to get their attention" Onyx growled "We can do that just as easily by leaving a trail of Scavenger Guild corpses to follow" Raffia's eyes shone with manic glee at the Puma Faunus's words

"We acted out of anger and desperation in New Vale and we paid for it, I was captured and we lost our ship" Hellion reasoned "We know our enemies have no honour and no mercy. Rash decisions will cost us"

"She makes a fair point" Carcharodon breathed out, the words barely out of his fang filled mouth before Raffia interjected

"You know what I think Hellion?" He demanded as he stalked towards her "I think you've forgotten who you are in captivity, all this pretending to be like the Kingdom-born and chasing after the blonde Huntress has cost you your nerve; I think you're a coward and a weakling-" he found himself silenced by Hellion's hand closing around his throat, Onyx made to separate them only to be halted by a gesture from Carcharodon; she slowly forced Raffia back several steps despite his berserk thrashing which landed several hits against her, when his back hit the wall she leaned in close; her voice oddly soft

"Raffia you are my crew and my family; the four of us are all we have left and I love you….I need you to understand that, but if you can't control yourself I will kill you. You will not cost us our justice"

"Justice for our people is all I want" he managed to gasp out, Hellion's vice-like grip on his neck was unrelenting "But you don't have the heart for it"

"Enough" Carcharodon ordered tonelessly; Hellion turned on her heel and stepped away as she released the smaller Faunus "You're all overlooking the fact that we are in Atlas now, in an Academy controlled by people we gave our word to"

"A word they coerced us to give" Raffia spat

"It makes no difference" Carcharodon countered bluntly "We gave our word and we will honour it….besides, the Scavenger Guild in Atlas are not our enemies; they aren't the ones who ordered the massacre of our people"

"What're you suggesting?" Onyx growled, his own rage and hatred while not as explosive and all-consuming as Raffia's was still apparent.

"I lead as long as you're willing to follow" Carcharodon took a deep breath "I've only ever been a captain in name only, if you decide to follow your own paths there will be no judgement….but I plan to stay the course" Hellion nodded and gave him a weak smile, Onyx balled his fists and took a deep breath to calm himself before finally managing to accept the situation; Raffia merely glared

"Why?" the demand came in a tone that was both accusatory and pained, the feeling of betrayal unmissable

"Because there's no reason we should only have vengeance against one of our enemies" Carcharodon's face morphed into a smile that was equal parts hopeful and terrifying, the smile of a fanatic "There must be more of our people left, there must have been survivors"

"Car-"

"THERE MUST BE!" he cut across Onyx's gentle tone without hesitation "So we will honour our terms with Atlas, compete in their tournament and draw the Cult of Taurus out into the open. Then after we kill them we abandon this farce and return to Anima with whatever weapons and equipment we can take, the way we always planned to and we find our people. With a list of Hunters we've defeated, Atlesian weapons and the heads of our enemies on display we'll be hailed as the new leaders of the Frost River Tribe….then we turn our sights on the Scavenger Guild"

"I'm sorry I ever doubted you" Raffia whispered, a truly evil expression on his burned face

"There will be no violence against the Atlas branch" Carcharodon stated bluntly, his decision final; though as Raffia looked ready to begin a fresh wave of objections the Shark Faunus brushed them aside

"Torment them, steal from them, burn their wares; do what you must but there will be no spilling of blood" he then turned to Onyx, the Puma Faunus seeming to sense what would be asked of him "I may have need of your people skills"

* * *

Coco and Velvet had returned the Nashorn-N2 APC to its' rightful owner after refuelling it as was common courtesy; said owner had been found in a dive bar nestled in a backstreet in the lower reaches of Eisenstadt Prime, Atlas's capital whose blinking neon lights read _Fandango's_. Flax Scarlatina's old friend and contact had been easy to find, they were the proprietor of the establishment which behind the cheery if somewhat dingy atmosphere served as one of the Atlesian Freelancers many boltholes and rallying points within the Kingdom; if one was a member of the elite but controversial group of Hunters or could find one that was willing to vouch for them a person could find almost anything they would ever require for a mission at a price including weapons and ammunition, vehicles, tactical clothing and armour, a steady supply of dangerous but well paying work and information on almost anyone and anything within Atlas's boundaries. After returning the vehicle and enquiring about a place to stay for the night Fandango, the barkeeper who seemed as though they were charisma made flesh led them into the back of the establishment and pointed them in the direction of a guest room not currently taken by one of the Freelancers; upon learning that they would be charged for neither the room of the rental of the APC Coco and Velvet shared a stunned look, neither of them willing to ask exactly what Flax Scarlatina had done to earn such friendliness.

"Not bad for a hole in the wall" Coco noted as she kicked off her boots and sprawled on a surprisingly comfortable bed, her cincher, cardigan and beret having already been cast aside.

"My baby brother has his uses" Velvet chuckled as she connected her Scroll to a screen mounted on the wall before joining Coco, the older woman's arm sliding around her waist as she left a trail of gentle kisses along the Rabbit Faunus's neck and shoulder

"Tease" Velvet grinned as she shivered a little under the treatment, lacing her fingers through Coco's "You know he'll call us any minute now"

"Later then" Coco purred in her ear before, as predicted the Scroll Velvet had connected to the wall mounted screen began to vibrate, pressing a button on the bedside table caused the screen to flicker into life as the Scroll's video call was sent to it

"Coco, Velvet" the tired, greying and bearded from of Qrow Branwen greeted them with a nod; the shaft and part of the blade of Harbinger visible as the weapon which acted in lieu of a cane rested against the chair he sat in.

"Qrow" Coco replied "You're lucky we're in private, we just managed to get a room"

"Fandango's?" Qrow enquired after peering past them for a moment, taking in their surroundings "Good, that place isn't bugged. How did the mission go?"

"The mission or….' _The mission?'_ " Coco asked with a raised eyebrow

"Both" Qrow answered before pausing "And thank you for taking this on short notice"

"No problem" the fashionista assured him; as well as the resident Hunters within Menagerie's city of Port Alistair the surviving members of Team CFVY had been acting as Qrow's eyes, ears and hands in the region for years; the grizzled veteran approaching them after suspecting that he had found one of the Maidens nearby; alongside Ruby and Penny they had become some of his most trusted agents in the battle against things better left unsaid

"Well first thing's first" Velvet started "Whatever cover-up Atlas's council tries to put on it is bullshit, that Scavenger Guild crew was murdered"

"Hopefully they'll be the last people to try getting in there….there's no way of blocking that giant Grimm hole without collapsing the whole mountain though" Coco added

"Atlas won't do it" Qrow sighed "All the Hives are connected"

"We know" Velvet reminded him, during Adam Taurus siege of Lower Atlas she had lived and fought within the hive cities, the Councils' fear that collapsing the entire mountain in which Eisenstadt Siebte was housed lest the resulting wave of Grimm burst into the other cities was reasonable, if frustrating

"On the bright side though" Velvet's expression became an almost playful smile "Your daughter's a good kid"

"Sweet weapon" Coco grinned devilishly

"I take it your heard from Flax"

"Everyone's related to an Arc somehow" Velvet chuckled, Qrow allowed the brief moment of casual conversation before pressing onwards

"And what about the real mission. Any traces?"

"None" Coco shook her head "Some real nasty critters down there but none of 'em were sentient"

"Just means we couldn't find one" Qrow scowled "Salem hid in plain sight for a generation"

"Are you sure about this?" Velvet asked, her remaining Rabbit ear twitching with concern

"I suspect and I've seen nothing to convince me otherwise" Qrow told her, rubbing his eyes due to his own tiredness before continuing "Look at the way those Grimm attacked New Vale, tell me it wasn't intelligent….Eagle said afterwards that her team fought an Alpha Beowolf that could talk"

"So this is serious" Coco breathed out; she had admittedly taken both Qrow's assignment and the missions' Winter had given them as a cover as a means to an end but what he was suggesting, that the resurgence of the Grimm as an organised force with a creature like Salem at the helm was staggering and chilled her to the bone.

"I've been having sites of large scale battles searched, it's where the Grimm congregate" Qrow explained "Eisenstadt Siebte was the focal point of the fighting in Atlas, the capitals of all the other Kingdoms were hit in the war-"

"Menagerie is one giant war memorial" Coco pointed out

"And I'm going to need you to search some key places" Qrow answered

"Got it" there were several moments of heavy silence as the three of them considered the information they were privy to until Qrow spoke up, his tone a little lighter

"So you're serious about building an Academy on Menagerie?"

"It needs to be done so we're doing it" Coco answered

"Can't imagine better hands for the island to be in, you two and the big guy will make it something special" Qrow nodded, the ghost of a smile on his tired face "That being said Winter and I keep our promises; she'll have some of the best architects in Atlas start drawing up plans….just make sure you explain to them that your place will need air conditioning. I'll drum up some interest for the idea, my seal of approval carries some weight and I'll be able to get you some funding….maybe coax a few people out of retirement to help you run the place"

"Who've you got in mind?" Velvet asked, part optimistic part cautious; the company Qrow Branwen was reputed to keep were people she wasn't sure she wanted working in the school she was envisioning

"I can talk to Barty and Pete, Barty would love being near so much history and Pete won't admit it but he hates retirement, he literally wrote the book on killing Grimm for Oum's sake" both women smiled at the thought of meeting their old teachers again before Qrow continued "Tai's talking about retiring again, already named Yang as a successor. I can try talking to him but it's a long shot….he'll never move that far away from his girls without a fight"

"What about you?" Coco suggested

"No" Qrow answered bluntly and without hesitation "Keeping an eye on Remnant is a full time job, I'm not Ozpin"

"Was worth a try"

"Let me know when you get to Menagerie, I'll send you the list of places that need to be searched"

"Want us to say hi to Fandango for you before we leave?" Velvet offered

"Oum no" Qrow scoffed "I've been barred from the place for nearly thirty years"

* * *

Team FADE had delayed their planned rest briefly, opting to first rearrange their new dormitory a little and give themselves more space; converting their individual beds into bunk beds much like they had at Halo Academy. Now though, they were free to relax a little; something made all the more enjoyable by the knowledge that they would not have to attend scheduled lessons until more of their fellow second years returned from missions.

"You okay big guy?" Diamond asked as she cuddled into Arctus a little closer, fresh out of the shower she was clad in one of his T-shirts that she wore to bed

"Just tired" the Bear Faunus grunted out, playing with her hair absently with one hand while he pressed a bag of frozen peas against his face with the other; he didn't know where Felix had found the peas and he wasn't sure he wanted to

"Same" Diamond assured him "But don't fall asleep if you might have a concussion….you're sure you don't want to get that looked at?" she regarded the ugly purple bruise which spread from his left temple to his cheek bone and jaw, her cherry red eyes concerned

"It's fine babe" Arctus assured her, eliciting an annoyed huff from Felix who was reading on his bunk and absently scratching at skin that was left dry and flaky after the use of his Semblance as if it had been sunburned from the inside. Below him Eagle was already dozing off on her own bed, one arm wrapped around the three foot tall stuffed Ursa her Aunt Nora had given to her; Sentinel was dormant and recharging in a corner of the room

"It's not fine, I'm gonna break his fucking jaw for that" the Lion Faunus growled angrily, his decision to take one of his weapons with him while searching for an ice pack suddenly making a lot more sense

"Dude….just not tonight" Diamond sighed wearily as she leaned her head against her partners' shoulder; Felix relented with another huff while Arctus planted a soft kiss on her forehead and leaned down a little to murmur close to her ear

"Hey I'm sorry if you didn't want me to react earlier; I just couldn't stand there and not do something while that guy was bothering you….I know you don't need to be protected but-" he found himself silenced by Diamond's lips against his for a brief moment

"You're sweet big guy, don't worry about it you weren't possessive or anything like that if that's what you're worried about….Honestly I was already thinking about hitting him before you grabbed him"

"Wish I could have got that on camera" Arctus chuckled, obviously referring to the way Diamond had kicked her ex boyfriend in the face, Diamond joined in his laughter

"Yeah I honestly don't know how he didn't see that coming….he knows my dad started teaching me basic self defence when I was five"

"Your dad honestly scares the crap out of me" Arctus admitted, prompting Diamond to land a playful slap on his shoulder

"You dork" she rolled her eyes "You'll be fine….hell he hated Cinnabar, he'll probably like you just for grabbing him"

"Uh-huh" Arctus remained thoroughly unconvinced, pausing to consider something while mildly distracted by the throbbing pain in his skull "Speaking of parents, we're in Atlas now….if you want to meet my parents I can call them and see when they're both free"

"Definitely, but I'm still a little nervous about it to be honest….I mean come on your Mum is Weiss Slate dude"

"They'll love you" Arctus assured her

"I'm gonna try and meet my Mum one weekend and try and patch things up" Eagle interjected, evidently having been a little more awake than the had seemed "Do you guys wanna come with me?"

"Hell yeah" Felix assured her "I'm guessing her place is in the capital?"

"Yeah" Eagle nodded "She actually has an apartment right above the main Poly-Tech building"

"So we can all go for a trip into the capital then, try and meet everyone on the same day" the Lion Faunus suggested

"I think we need a shopping trip" Diamond added, expanding on the idea as she saw her friends' eyes on her "Come on I can't be the only one that's freezing right? The first thing I'm doing if we head into one of the cities is buy some warmer clothes"

"Fair" Felix managed to choke out between fits of laughter, Diamond's inability to deal with climates harsher than the cities she had lived in was well known.

"Want me to lend you a jacket?" Arctus offered as he wrapped his arms around her a little tighter, sharing his body heat; Diamond merely extricated herself and laid flat on their shared bunk before turning and giving him a wink

"No, but I'm still sore from earlier….can I get a back rub?"

"Anytime" Arctus flashed her a toothy smile as he positioned himself above her and setting himself to the task, after a few moments Diamond gave a low groan of pleasure, only to be left blinking on confusion when something soft and cuddly collided with her; sitting up she realised it was Eagle's stuffed Ursa

"Stop it" the blonde pointed an accusatory finger at them, freckled cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment

"Did you just…." Diamond trailed off

"She did and I cant believe neither of us did that sooner" Felix cackled, draping an arm over his bunk for his partner to fist bump. A moment later the good natured jokes and teasing that were common amongst Team FADE returned in full force and everything that had happened in the last few days; from the bodies they had found and the Grimm they had fought to their personal issues seemed to melt away.

* * *

The darkness of the clear night sky from which a light snow fell was little obstacle to the heightened senses of a Faunus, especially not one who had spent years living in the frozen landscape beyond the reach of Atlas's authority; likewise the inhospitable climate meant little to Celeste Lupus, clad as she was in the her power armour whose glossy black surfaces caught what little light the broken moon provided. Behind her mask her magenta eyes narrowed and her thin lipped with formed a scowl as she processed the information that her domain was under attack. She stood on the snow coated mountain which was home to the settlement of Tartarus that she ruled over; said settlement had once been one of the many military installations around the mountain whose hollowed shell had housed the upper reaches of Eisenstadt Siebte; in the distance she could see the wound that the Grimm the human attackers had unleashed against the White Fang had inflicted on the surroundings as it burrowed its' way out of the subterranean reaches of the hive city.

"Kuro" the single word served as a greeting for the Tarantula Faunus who had managed to approach almost silently from behind, her long time advisor, took his place beside her and peered downward following her gaze.

"What news?" Celeste demanded, while her tone may have been even her fury was all too apparent "Should we prepare for war?"

"It would seem not" Kuro answered "Our scouts infiltrated the ruins of Eisenstadt-"

"New Menagerie" Celeste corrected forcefully "This was the capital city of Adam Taurus's empire"

"Our scouts infiltrated the ruins of New Menagerie through a series of hidden ventilation shafts and found that the entrance to the city near the freight docks has been destroyed, as well as several other buildings"

"The explosions we heard" Celeste nodded in understanding

"Precisely….I think it's safe to assume it was in response to our previous actions" Kuro offered, a cruel smile coming to Celeste's lips at his words

"The invaders" she noted; weeks prior her people had spied a group of humans lowering themselves down into the ruins; in her mind desecrating sacred ground. The response had been swift and brutal, she had sent a team of younger recruits who were not yet blooded down into the ruins through what had once been maintenance and ventilation shafts and they had sought out the human invaders encampment; upon finding it they had taken their weapons and supplies as the spoils of while having the humans executed for their crimes and the crimes of their species.

"Shall I have our scouts recalled?" Kuro asked, absently brushing snow from the wiry hairs that grew from his body while making a conscious effort not to display any discomfort in front of the high commander.

"Yes" Celeste nodded "The only thing down there now is the Grimm….was there anything else?"

"I um….yes" Kuro swallowed, unsure if he would be punished for not informing her immediately of this particular development "They've arrived"

* * *

It took Celeste only minutes to return to Tartarus itself, the propulsion system of her power armour hastening her progress and despite the burning ache of her muscles the Ram Faunus refused to discard the suit in favour of her wheelchair as she stalked towards the meeting room she knew she would find her guests in; Kuro had not followed her here, while he was undoubtedly a loyal follower he like many within the New White Fang was left uneasy at the mere thought of her most favoured and had no desire to be within their reach for any reason. Celeste made her way through the myriad corridors before reaching her destination, closing the door of the meeting room behind her before turning on the lights which flickered into life, tinting the room with a sickly yellowish hue and revealing four Faunus who had dropped to one knee, showing their deference to the high commander of the White Fang in unison.

The Cult of Taurus

"Stand" Celeste intoned, studying them as they rose and smiling to herself. The fall of Adam Taurus had been preceded by desertions and treachery, Celeste would allow her own reign to be brought to an end from within; she commanded the Cult and they in turn commanded fear, with them at her right hand she would ensure loyalty from her less devout followers.

Each member of the Cult of Taurus had a name once but each of them had given it up in favour of the alias by which they were now known, they were implements of judgement and nothing more. The first of them Celeste's eyes passed over was known simply as Gamma, the Pangolin Faunus stood at a little under six feet tall with a broad chest and muscular arms, the physique of a man who could move mountains. He was clad in black boots and pants, his bone white mask covering the lower half of his face, leaving his shaven skull and grey eyes visible; the mouth of the mask being comprised of an angled forward grill which gave the appearance of a cage or muzzle. Gamma's chest was completely bare despite the inhospitality of the Atlesian climate, a deliberate choice made to ensure that as much of what had been done to him was on display as physically possible, his chest, arms and face were a mess of hideous scarring and ink where various quotes from Adam Taurus and White Fang emblems had been tattooed, branded and in some cases crudely carved into his red raw flesh. The truly horrifying aspect of his appearance was his Faunus attribute, as a Pangolin Faunus Gamma sported dozens of overlapping angular keratin plates along his back, shoulders and the outsides of his forearms; these plates had since been sharpened into deadly blades and at the deranged killers' insistence coated in Atlesian steel which had been molten at the time of application. Gamma did not carry a weapon, he simply was one and his Semblance only served to make him a greater threat.

The second member of the quartet Celeste appraised from behind her mask was Delta, they were an androgynous Spider Faunus, barely five feet tall with a slender physique that belied impressive strength and reflexes as well as a cruelty few could imagine. They wore mostly black with the exceptions of the white Vambraces and gauntlets they wore which were bore several notches where Delta had tallied their kills and a single shoulder guard on the right shoulder to absorb the recoil of their weapon. Their mask covered their entire face leaving no skin visible but exposing their Faunus attribute, Delta had eight eyes, eight dull waxy brown orbs peering out from behind an elliptical and unadorned mask. Their weapon was slung across their back, a high powered sniper rifle named _'Prae Dolore'_ that had been modified to dispense death in the form of three feet long steel spikes which could be used as harpoons and retracted, dragging the Cult's targets towards their fate. The taciturn Faunus served as the Cult of Taurus's infiltrator, their Semblance forcing those who saw them to immediately forget doing so.

The third member of the team was Beta, a Snow Leopard Faunus who stood at six foot four and boasted a powerful and athletic frame that promised both strength and agility, he wore a uniform that greatly resembled the rank and file of the White Fang, black boots, pants and a flak vest with a white jacket worn over it leaving his forearms bare and displaying his dark skin. His Faunus attribute was a tail coated in thick fur of a dirty white colour with several black spots, a colouration which carried to the hair on his head shaven close the skull at the back and sides. Icy blue eyes peered out from beneath a mask which covered much of his face, his mouth left visible and framed by twin protrusions which reached below his jaw and were intended to imitate the fangs of some ancient sabre toothed cat. Beta wore his weapon across his back, a pair of katanas whose blades were sheathed parallel to each other known as _'The Indominus'_ these swords could either combine into a single broadsword or a rail gun, the false edges of the blade acting as the rail; this was the weapon that had been used to dispose of a human driver before the Cult dealt with the blasphemer Harry Regal.

The final member of the cult was Alpha, their leader; a woman whose Semblance twisted and limited the perceptions of those who heard her voice, making it seem as if she were the only thing in the world. She stood at a hair above six feet tall with a slender build and like her team-mates wore an outfit of mostly black, the exceptions being a sleeveless white tailcoat whose tails reached to below her knees and her mask, sharp and angular covering her entire face with little to distinguish it save for a trio of vents located on each cheek and a crimson tinted visor in place of eyeholes. Alpha was a Lionfish Faunus and her trait became apparent when one looked at her hair, the hair itself was silky black and cascaded down to her lower back but clearly visible interwoven with the hair and also angled backwards, trailing behind her were countless faintly luminescent and highly toxic spines which ranged in colour from deep crimson to vivid pink and pastel orange, growing paler towards the tips. Alpha's weapons were known simply as _'Judgement'_ a pair of gauntlets covering her hands and forearms comprised of pale silver metal and pristine white plating; once activated the gauntlets encased Alpha's hands in a multitude of torture devices, each finger being tipped with a drill while saw-blades sat beneath her palms, the whole monstrous device crackling with electricity. The sound of these weapons being unfurled was a death sentence and Alpha used her Semblance to prevent the Cult's targets from focusing on anything besides herself and the pain she inflicted, ensuring that they suffered for their crimes against the White Fang.

"You were successful?" Celeste asked, it was a given that they would return with their task completed but their assignment had relied on the resolve and abilities of others

"As suspected the cell in Machen-Rustung were led by a coward" Alpha answered, nodding to Gamma who placed a black bag on the meeting room table with a wet thud before she continued "He failed in his mission, we succeeded in punishing him for it"

"Exactly as I thought" Celeste breathed out as she reached into the bag and withdrew the severed and mutilated head of the Squirrel Faunus known as Chestnut.

"The rest of the body's been dealt with" Gamma gave a cruel chuckle

"I only wish he could have suffered more" Alpha sighed regretfully "He cost us so much"

"Oh?" Celeste raised an eyebrow, barely visible above her mask "How so?" the leader of the Cult looked confused for a moment before reciting the crimes Chestnut had been executed for

"Dozens of our number dead or captured, constant defiance, failure to secure the Dust shipment, weapons were lost when we have need of them-"  
"Alpha my friend" Celeste soothed while removing her mask so that her most devout followers could see the glee in her expression "Have faith"

"Of course High Commander" Alpha apologised, bowing her head and remembering her place; Celeste continued

"The deaths of our people were regrettable but they will be avenged in time. The mission was never about the Dust, it was about weeding out the unbelievers; the captured members of the Machen-Rustung cell have been taken to prisons inside the Kingdom, those that prove loyal will be given a chance to strike at the heart of the enemy when the time comes, those that do not will be dealt with" she allowed her words to sink in for a moment, an almost visible ripple of excitement passing through the Cult of Taurus at the thought of further opportunities to serve "The weapons they lost were merely what was taken from a group of humans who dared desecrate the ruins below. We will soon have far greater weapons at our disposal" to highlight the point she activated an overhead projector with her Scroll, its' image being displayed on the wall, the blank screen flickering into life moments later

"Punctual as always" Celeste noted as the figure on the other end of the video call adjusted their glasses

"Greetings High Commander" the man bowed slightly

"Alpha, this man is based within the Kingdom of Atlas and shares our belief that it should be brought to its' knees; he is also in a position to help us realise that goal, with his help we will soon have all the weapons and Dust we need" the Ram Faunus explained, the Cult peered at the man from behind their masks with obvious curiosity "Isn't that right Doctor Eldritch"

"Please" the man smiled, eyes seeming to glow with a poisonous green light behind his glasses "Call me Oz"

 **Authors Notes:**

And that's the end of Vol.4, that little plot twist and the reveals and little details I worked into this chapter set us up for not only the remainder of the second year arc (Vol.5 & 6) but the overarching plot of the story which will become more apparent as we get into the third year arc….I play the long game, trust me.  
There may not be an upload next week, just due to me needed to take some time out and plan out how things are going to go scene by scene for a few chapters; I have the idea of how plots and arcs are going to happen I just need to fill in the gaps.

That being said let's summarise:  
So yeah this chapter is set the same day as the last one.  
I imagine Coco wants to be a good teacher but she's going to struggle with any student that has an attitude problem.  
Just domestic team C_VY for no reason other than its' nice to see.  
' _Diamond's vehement rebuking of his advances and her current relationship were nothing but minor obstacles to be overcome'_ \- That is probably the most important thing about Cinnabar, he's toxic masculinity cranked up to eleven; think Jaune pestering Weiss in Vol.1 but with Adam's obsessive and aggressive tendencies.  
Yeah remember, Cinnabar went through the same tournament circuit as Pyrrha; he wasn't as successful but he's good. Moreover he's just plain strong.  
Anyone who expected less from Diamond has sorely misread her character for the last four volumes, damsel in distress she is not.  
Antonia back to her old ways, she pulls all nighters and goes for days without eating when she's had an idea that she wants to work on.  
We all know who and what Oz is, we know exactly how he flashed stepped away from that.  
Remember Antonia's assistant? The one that was with her before she got kidnapped, honestly I can't imagine her staying around after that and I don't have much use for her in the story anyway.  
What if I told you I'm burying a lead, what if I told you that the 'Containment unit' and Ozymandias's involvement with it are actually going to tie into the third year plot and the grand overarching plot that actually started in first year.  
Antonia wants to be a better parent.  
Antonia and Ozymandias…..don't ship it, I beg of you people don't ship it.  
Yeah Raffia and Carcharodon actually have facial tats, just a little detail I feel like reminding people of; they also probably have more that are hidden by clothing. Hellion's tats are on her left arm and reach onto her back and chest, Onyx's are on both forearms _(But you just know he has a full back tat)_.  
You can't really blame them for wanting the Scavenger Guild dead.  
I feel like Raffia needed to hear that, someone needs to reign him in or he will get a lot of people killed because of his own vendettas….but it doesn't mean that the rest of Team GORE love him any less.  
And here we can see that despite all appearances Carcharodon is honestly struggling to keep it together, the hope that there are more of his people left out there is all that's keeping him going.  
How long do you think it's going to take for Raffia's self control to crack.  
Okay imagine the dive bar as the hotel from John Wick but seedier.  
I could probably give Flax a mini-series.  
Plot twist, Team C_VY work for Qrow.  
Kinda had to answer the obvious question of why the mountain can't just be blown up to fix the problem entirely.  
Qrow's having Remnant scoured for Sentient Grimm, Atlas's military is having a containment unit designed, Oz is the Wizard….are you seeing where this is going yet?  
Qrow has celebrity status whether he wants it or not, he occasionally uses his power for a good cause.  
" _Fantastic Grimm and how to kill them"_ by Professor Port is the standard which all other textbooks are held to.  
Damn, Arctus got roughed up.  
Felix may have had anger management counselling but come on, he wouldn't be Felix if he didn't want to fight Cinnabar.  
We do still need to have a proper conversation between Merc and Arctus at some point.  
Yes, new outfits are coming in Vol.5.  
Proof that Eagle is not quite as shy as she was when we first met her.  
We knew that Tartarus was housed in an abandoned Atlesian Military base somewhere that Atlas had no real control any more….I deliberately kept the fact it was near Eisenstadt Siebte back as surprise.  
I think little things like correcting her underlings and forcing them to call it New Menagerie gives an insight into how Celeste thinks and how she attracts followers; she reframes reality to suit her narrative.  
And that's how Chestnut's crew had Scavenger Guild weapons.  
Wearing the suit still takes a physical toll on Celeste.  
And now after a volume of teasing them we get to actually see the Cult.  
Note that while Celeste is a fanatic she still accurately identified one of Adam's main problems and took steps to fix it; she's not stupid.  
The whole giving up their names thing was based on the Decepticon Justice Division.  
So Gamma is a fucking maniac, he's the one that stopped the car Harry was in….and when I say his Semblance only makes him worse oh boy am I not joking.  
Delta is Non-Binary.  
Prae Dolore = Agony.  
Delta was the one who was actually at the comedy show, nobody noticed them though….obviously.  
Beta's a pretty good all rounder, he hasn't spoken yet but I'm thinking of making him the 'refined' sounding one that all these kinds of groups have.  
Alpha's character design was actually one of the first things I came up with for this whole story and I've been waiting to finally be able to get her on screen.  
And that's how Celeste operates, this is why she leads the New White Fang; she's always a step ahead.  
Bet you didn't see that plot twist coming.  
So that's the end of Vol.4 and now pretty much everyone has a character arc (Some people have two) to be dealing with for the next two volumes.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Araniladin, ShadowAlex2000, TigerRose, Funlander, Bulletproof Vanguard, Svette117, FleetOfWarships anf FluffyFirefly for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Raffia is indeed a dick lol.  
To be fair Coco's APC could have used the Stinger, it originally had a turret but it had been removed, Felix just needs to make it more fuel efficient or set up a secondary power source.  
Yeah Chestnut waved a death flag in every scene he was in.  
I've been waiting all volume to fire the fricking laser.  
Exactly you get it, you don't fire the big gun straight away; it's not anime enough.  
I would love fan art of the Scytheback.  
HEY….I make the puns here.  
Sweet I love giving other writers ideas, send me your story when you have your monstrous Grimm creation ready.  
Yeah I try not to make my characters feel two dimensional  
Well that was a laser weapon not a plasma one like Arctus's...But Felix has used molten plasma as a heat source for his Semblance before (Vol.2) so quite possibly.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	56. First Impressions (Vol5)

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 56: First Impressions**

The Prime Promenade was the undisputed holder of the title of _'Largest shopping centre in Remnant'_ taking up several levels of Atlas's capital hive city of Eisenstadt Prime, located close to the central trunk of massive supports holding up the city within a hollowed mountain and having a total size that made it a veritable metropolis in its' own right; on a Saturday the entirety of the shopping centre was buzzing with activity and a ludicrous amount of bodies that forced Team FADE to find somewhere they could sit down before they could be overwhelmed. It had been one week since their return to Atlas Academy following their mission to the ruins of Eisenstadt Siebte and the four of them had agreed that a little sightseeing was in order, as were new clothes as their current outfits were simply not suited to the harshness of Atlesian winter, prompting them to change as soon as they had made their purchases.

They were currently seated inside a small diner situated on the outskirts of the Prime Promenade finishing their meals and Felix could feel the eyes of some the other patrons on him, he supposed it could have been due to his accent identifying him as an outsider but considering what he knew of the icy Kingdom he had other suspicions which he voiced as he turned to Arctus

"They got a problem with Faunus in here?" his cousin merely shrugged; the Bear Faunus's new outfit being quite similar to the one it replaced; a white jacket clearly intended to evoke an Atlesian Specialists' uniform with countless pouches and pockets and a harness for his weapon, the key difference being that this jacket had sleeves and a faux fur collar. Black pants and boots and gloves which worked armour plating into their exteriors.

"They might have, but not to the extend that they'll say anything….especially not if I'm the one paying" he held up his bank card which bore a Schnee Dust Company logo and Felix shook his head and grinned; race may well be an issue in Atlas but money and prestige ruled supreme and Arctus had been born with plenty of both to spare

"Cool, I just don't wanna hear anything about they don't serve our kind in here" the Lion Faunus leaned back in his chair; his own outfit consisting of a new slightly darker pair of jeans which lacked the tears most of his older pairs had accrued, new more minimalist gunmetal coloured armoured knee pads and a pair of vibrant yellow high-tops which matched the new hoodie he wore, black with sleeves that displayed all the colours of the rainbow and a small rainbow flag decal on the right breast just visible under the weapon harness containing Hack and Slash slung over the hoodie; he had also considered buying a hat to protect his ears from the biting cold but eventually decided that leaving his mane of curly dirty blonde hair unmolested was a higher priority.

"I still can't believe there are people that backwards" Diamond sighed "It's depressing to think about" currently she wore grey sweatpants and a matching hoodie over a black tank top, black sneakers and a bulky and puffy black coat; an outfit clearly intended for warmth and comfort, completed by a small black harness which held Lex Talions; the weapon being moved from its' usual place at Diamond's back to her waist, black woollen but fingerless gloves and a matching hat with a pale mint green bobble which her silvery bangs and ponytail protruded.

"It's not as bad as Dad tells me it used to be" Arctus sighed "But yeah New Vale honestly feels like a breath of fresh air….and I know I've got it better than most as well"

"Hey guys" Eagle spoke up to get their attention "Where are we going after this? I saw a little bit of the capital over the summer and Arctus is from here. Felix, Diamond is there anywhere you wanna see?" at first glance her outfit seemed unchanged, covered as it was by her freshly polished white armour, however a closer inspection revealed that she sported new fur-lined boots and a much thicker and warmer hoodie, the cartoonish emblem of which was hidden by her chest-plate while a black and white striped scarf was wrapped around her neck.

"I mean if we're doing clothes shopping we could always just buy something for that dance that's coming up; Edna Mauve's Boutique isn't far from the way we came, just a few levels up….what?" Arctus trailed off as he saw the stunned looks suggestion was getting

"Dude seriously?" Diamond laughed, playfully nudging him

"Arctus" Eagle leaned forwards, her voice a stage whisper "I've got money but seriously you're the only person here who could just walk in there without an appointment" Felix merely snorted and muttered something suspiciously like _'Rich kids'_

"Besides big guy" Diamond noted, her expression turning serious and almost nervous for a moment "We've gotta go soon"

"Oh right, the driver" Arctus nodded, he usually made his own way back to Schnee Manor from the capital but on this occasion Weiss had arranged for an SDC company car to pick he and Diamond up "Alright I'll just pay for the food and we'll get going; catch you two later tonight?"

"Have fun" Eagle beamed as the two of them rose from the table and took their bags, Arctus making his way over to their waiter who would no doubt be receiving a hefty tip. Felix studied his partners' face, distracting himself from the glances he knew he was getting

"You okay?….I know you were set on us meeting your Mum as well"

"It's fine, there'll be other chances" she sighed, the fact that Antonia Arc had been unable to schedule time off work due to a project she was currently occupied with stung a little more than Eagle let on but she comforted herself with the fact that her and her mother were at least on speaking terms again; Felix seemingly took her answer at face value

"Okay so where do you want to go?" he asked, voice raising a little as he continued "I really don't wanna hang around here and get stared at" Eagle noted that a few people visibly turned away and the atmosphere in the diner subtly changed; after thinking to herself for a moment she offered a suggestion

"I mean there's a few museums with old Hunters' weapons in them that I missed over the summer but it'd have to be a quick visit….and I kinda wanna find a bookshop or a comic store"

"Sounds cool" Felix grinned, overlong canine teeth protruding from beneath his lip as he grabbed both his and Eagle's bags "Wait, comic store? If you want I'll ask Corey if she brought any of her collection over with her"

"Thanks but it's not for me, comics are cool but I prefer book" Eagle answered, Felix nodding in understanding as he shared her sentiment "I just thought they might help with teaching Hellion to read"

"Oh okay" Felix shrugged as the two of them left the diner and turned back towards the main bulk of the Prime Promenade, the Lion Faunus catching sigh of the way his partners' heavily freckled cheeks coloured at the mere thought of being alone with the Dragonfly Faunus

"If we've got time we could always look at outfits for the dance?" he offered "I mean I still don't exactly trust her team but you've clearly got a thing for Hellion; ask her to the dance"

"Are you gonna ask Helios?" Eagle asked, cheeks darkening further

"We're not talking about me" Felix countered

"Honestly I wasn't sure if I was gonna go to the dance" Eagle shrugged as they made their way towards the sprawling shopping centre "Hellion is super cool, and really pretty but I've had crushes before….it won't go anywhere, they never do" she gave a resigned sigh and thought the subject over; Felix however had the tenacity of both of his mothers and prepared to spend the rest of the day if needs be explaining why that was nonsense.

* * *

It was mid afternoon which meant that in Atlas the winter sun already far passed its' zenith, the steely grey sky rapidly darkening though Hellion Eudialyte saw none of this as she worked, the curtains of Team GORE's dormitory were closed and the room was lit by the overhead light fixture. Nearby Onyx was sharpening the blade of Jotun Fang; his appearance having changed somewhat after their return to the Academy, is tangled and unkept mess of black hair and scraggly beard had been cut and styled into something far more tame and pristine, Hellion noted that the look suited him. The two of them worked in silence, her gossamer wings laid flat against her back in concentration and the sound of the whetstone Onyx never travelled without rhythmically scraping against metal was oddly soothing, allowing her to focus and keep her hands steady as she dipped the wooden rod tipped with many thin and incredibly sharp needles she had crafted earlier in the week into a pot of ink and returned to the task of marking Raffia's face

"Don't breathe so much"

"Not the wisest advice ever given" the Axolotl Faunus hissed between clenched teeth while trying to keep his face as motionless as possible for Hellion while she repaired the tribal markings that had been removed when his flesh was burned away by the acid of the Grimm they'd fought at the conclusion of their last mission.

"How much longer?" asked "Raffia and I have somewhere to be"

"The line-" Hellion was cut off by the sound of someone rapping against the door, the sound woke Marauder who had been roosting on a perch in the corner of the room, the birds' screech of protest causing Hellion to lose concentration and in turn draw a small wince of pain from Raffia

"Open that" Hellion nodded towards the door and Onyx rose to his feet to do so as the Dragonfly Faunus returned her attention to Raffia "The line work is almost finished, it looks….presentable; I can add colour tomorrow" as she added the final few rapidly healing punctures to his skin she heard someone entering the room behind her; their footsteps indicating some trepidation before the their voice gave them away

"Hey, you were late for our lesson in the library so I thought you might be in the canteen, when you weren't there I decided to come and look for you….but it uh, looks like you're busy, if you want I can-"

"She was just finishing and we were just leaving" Onyx assured her, crossing the room in a few strides and entering the bathroom, throwing out a wet flannel to Raffia who wiped stray ink away from his face, the Axolotl Faunus working a crick out of his neck after laying still for so long. The two of them prepared to leave their dormitory, their manner suggesting that the were planning on leaving the campus for a while as Onyx turned and gave Hellion a wink

"Have fun now" her wings buzzed irritably before she turned to Eagle, a moment of awkward silence between them

"So what are you teaching me today?" she asked the freckled blonde, whom she noticed had removed her armour before visiting

"Come, sit down" she added, making herself comfortable on Team GORE's pushed together beds with her legs tucked beneath her; Eagle fidgeted for a moment, seemingly unsure before joining her and reaching into the small plastic bag she carried, producing what appeared to be several thin books with colourful and eye catching overs

"Well I thought since you've got the basics of sentence structure down and you can sound out words you don't know I thought we could start reading together….these are comics, it might be easier to start with these than full sized books, the pictures give things context"

"This" Hellion breathed out as she flipped through a comic with rapt attention, wings stilling as she took in what she was seeing "This is how to tell a story" Eagle giggled softly at the reaction, hands covering her mouth as she did so, she then reached into the bag again

"Oh and I don't know what Marauder eats but I picked up some beef jerky for him so-" no sooner had she removed the packet from the bag than the bird of prey swooped over to her with an inquisitive squawk; showing impressive intelligence as he opened the packaging with a single talon before stealing a strip of meat and flying away, leaving Eagle somewhat dumbfounded

"Letting him taste an animal he can't carry off himself, you're spoiling him little canary" Hellion cooed with a playful smile, jade eyes shining with mischief "Tell me, is bribing each others' pets how you flirt in the Kingdoms?" Eagle's only response to that was to choke and sputter on air for a moment before changing the subject while her cheeks glowed with embarrassment

"Will Carcharodon mind me being in here? I mean, it is kinda all of your bed that we're sitting on" if she found their sleeping arrangement odd she chose to say nothing about it

"He won't be back for hours, he's in the gym" Hellion snorted "The first years seemed to have latched on to him and leadership suits him well, he's teaching them"

"I can't imagine him teaching in a classroom but he really did seem to get the best out of those first years he was helping at Halo" Eagle noted

"Some things can't be taught in a classroom" Hellion shrugged, there were a few moments of silence where Hellion waited for Eagle to begin their lesson but the blonde herself seemed to be struggling with something she wanted to say, finally letting curiosity get the better of her and blurting out

"What were you doing to Raffia's face?" Hellion burst out laughing at the question, realising how it must have looked to an outsider

"Our tribal markings" she gestured to the tattoos on her own pale brown skin which began on her left arm and extended beneath her clothing to her chest and back "They're done the old way, none of the guns your people use"

"Does that hurt?" Eagle's crimson eyes were wide

"A lot" she nodded, brushing her deep violet hair, undercut hair aside "But it's a tradition we won't part with. I may speak with Onyx or Car about some new markings myself, I feel I've earned them….besides its' good to have a reminder of home, Atlas is similar on the surface"

"What was it like?" Eagle asked gently, her interest piqued "Your home, apart from all the raiding and fighting I mean"

"It was beautiful" Hellion said simply, eyes becoming distant for a moment "The Frost river led from the Sea between the cliffs and the Dongjie-De mountains all the way to the Hailong hot springs and the Fire Dust mines beneath them. We may have lived on our ships but there was an artificial island where our elders and the captains of the feet convened….when the whole tribe gathered you could walk for at least a mile in any direction without leaving the decks of our vessels, after a successful raid we'd set off fireworks and celebrate together; the snow was so white that it reflected the lights and the water….not enough fish lived in the river to feed as all but the river glowed as our ships moved through it"

"Glowed?" Eagle raised an eyebrow in confusion, the attention she had been paying momentarily broken.

"There was a word Onyx's father used" Hellion paused for a moment, struggling to dredge the word from her memories "Bioluminescence….it's not a word my people know; we called it the Xing-Shui"

"It sounds amazing" Eagle admitted with a sigh

"It was, one day I plan to return there" she remained quite for a moment, discreetly watching the way Eagle stole glances at her before deciding to lay flat on her stomach and stretching out on the bed, making herself comfortable and patting the space next to her indicating that Eagle should join her

"Are you ready to begin?" she asked, practically able to feel the blondes' heartbeat as she reached over her, ostensibly to grab an extra pillow instead leaving an arm draped over Eagle's back, feeling her tense and defined muscles even through the thick fabric of her hoodie

"Y-yeah, yeah okay" Eagle stammered out, obviously overwhelmed by the sudden closeness. Hellion removed her arm but remained close, their hands occasionally brushed against each other as they turned pages. While Hellion was trying her best to pay attention to Eagle's explanations and the story of the comic was interesting she found herself distracted by a thought that came to her

' _The little canary is never going to make the first move….how should I make my intentions clearer without seeming vulgar'_ as the beginnings of an idea formed in her head a smile formed on her face.

* * *

Felix made his way through the pristine hallways of Atlas academy without any real purpose in mind; his team-mates were all preoccupied and Team NEON were yet to return from their mission, making them one of the last teams to arrive do so, a brief conversation over the Scroll with Corvid had informed him that Team CLIR were currently too swamped with assignments to take any time off despite it being the weekend. He was still making his way back from the canteen, as he had still been hungry while considering contacting his fellow native of Patch, Grease Thunderbird and seeing if Team GRAY were doing anything interesting when a familiar gruff voice called out to him

"YOU!" Felix took stock of his surroundings, he was currently quite close to the main entrance which he assumed was the intended destination of Onyx and Raffia as they approached him

"Me" he answered while rolling his shoulders back and mentally preparing himself in case the situation got out of hand; he hadn't spoken to any member of Team GORE since their mission together but after accidentally revealing that he knew details of what had happened to their tribe he was wary of being alone with them.

"I've been looking for you for days, we really should talk sometime!" Onyx greeted him jovially as he drew close, Felix noted that both he and Raffia were also dressed in clothes that appeared far more normal than the usual fur and armoured covered garments they usually wore

"Really now, what would we be talking about?" Felix asked eyeing them suspiciously, while Onyx seemed to be genuinely cheery Raffia was regarding him with narrowed eyes and wide mouthed scowl, though whether it was due to malicious intent, the long standing animosity between them or simply a manifestation of the Axolotl's barely contained anger at most thing was anyone's guess

"That weapon mounted on you car, the same one I spent months working on-"

"Let me guess" Felix interrupted "You want it back? Not gonna happen" Onyx's response was a hearty belly laugh

"I don't need to take your toys, they give tools and materials freely here" the Puma Faunus paused for a moment to consider that fact, seemingly still struggling to believe it "Given enough free time I could build another laser battery by the end of the Vytal Festival….but making it a part of your car was a stroke of genius, how did you stop it from crippling the suspension? Redesigning the intakes must have taken weeks?….We have to work together on something, we could make a weapon that wipe out entire packs of Grimm in seconds" Felix smiled at Onyx's excitable rambling despite himself; it almost reminded him of Eagle or Corvid when the urge to create something took hold of her, an illusion that was shattered when Raffia spoke

"We can already kill Grimm in seconds….Come, we have a flight to catch" his somewhat reedy voice was oddly determined, more focused than Felix remembered hearing him before; Onyx promptly snorted and slapped a meaty paw down on Felix's back

"Come, drink with us!" he must have caught the confused look the Lion Faunus gave him as he merely spread his arms in an almost defensive gesture "It's not such a strange idea surely? The rivalry we had is over, we've fought together and returned victorious; come"

"I've only just got back from the capital" Felix answered, pausing for a moment before adding "Maybe some other time" Onyx looked as though he would try and persuade him a little more until the sound of the main entrance to the Academy opening echoed through the hallway, followed by Raffia's annoyed hiss

"The Nikosi"

"Well if you're heading this way then cool, I'm gonna say hay to Helios" Felix informed them without thinking as he caught sight of gleaming gold armour and spiked crimson hair; he'd barely taken half a dozen paces when Onyx fell into step beside him

"So you and the Nikosi?" his tone was almost conspiratorial and he gave a wink and playful smirk

"What?"

"I mean I see why you would, the boy is of the tribes" the Puma Faunus paused and flexed, the muscles of his arms and chest bulging against his shirt to the point the fabric audibly strained "And the tribes breed real men"

"Ass hole" Felix sighed under his breath, unable to completely remove the smile from his face as he reached Team NEON who were still in the main atrium; Team NEON collectively gave Felix a confused stare as they saw him approaching with half of Team GORE who then proceeded to leave, making their way towards the Bull-Head terminals, the howling of the wind assaulting Felix's ears for the few moments the door was open.

"What was that about?" Nyanza asked with a raised eyebrow

"Team FADE and GORE had a joint mission" Felix explained "The big one seems more or less okay, Raffia's still a prick though. How'd your mission go though?"

"Yeah not bad" Nyanza gave an irritable shrug before stalking off in the direction of the dorms assigned to the transfer students; with a silent gesture Helios sent Ether and Olivine after him

"What was that about?"

"Not my place to say" Helios answered, shaking his head before tiredly rubbing at his eyes and the long raised scar running from the corner of his mouth to behind his left ear; Felix thought the gesture looked adorable and needed to take a moment to focus himself before speaking again

"Alright man, just keep an eye on him for me will ya….What about you, are you okay?"

"Exhausted" Helios yawned "I've spent weeks sleeping in a rattling metal box and dealing with a Huntsman who didn't want to teach us anything"

"Ouch" Felix chuckled "Well I had to spend a week with Team GORE's collective attitudes and nearly demolished my car fighting a Grimm five times my size that had acid breath….wanna trade stories?"

"That-" Helios yawned again despite it only being early evening "Would be fun, is the canteen still open? I've been living on tinned food and rations for weeks, I'll eat whatever they have"

"Yeah it's open man come on" Felix chuckled, catching sigh of the way Helios's muscular shoulders sagged he added "You okay, want me to take that armour off your hands for ya? It looks heavy" for a moment he was worried that he had made a social faux pas and that all of Helios armour was as culturally significant as the bracers that Felix had never seen him without; the moment passed when Helios removed his weapons from his back and began unfastening his golden chest-plate before hoisting it over his head as he walked in the direction of food. Taking the armour from him Felix repositioned it in his hands a few times, struggling to find an easy way to carry it before simply shrugging and hauling it over his head, wearing it but keeping it unfastened

"Oum this ways a ton, no wonder you're jacked" he muttered under his breath, Helios had obviously heard him if the way his neon green eyes widened was any indication. It took Felix a moment to realise why Helios's expression looked off for a moment before he realised that his fellow team leader was blushing. Fighting to keep a wide and his own opinion somewhat goofy smile off of his face Felix allowed Helios to lead the way and silently decided that if he could just not make an idiot of himself for tonight he might just be in with enough of a chance to justify broaching the subject of the upcoming dance.

* * *

Arctus and Diamond had met the driver sent to pick them up just outside of the ever bustling Prime Promenade and the unmarked black sedan with heavily tinted windows belonging to the Schnee Dust Company had begun the several hour long journey by road towards Schnee Manor at the height of Upper Atlas leaving Diamond shocked by both how luxurious the more affluent areas of the Kingdom managed to be despite being contained within the same hollow mountain and the disparity between the upper and lower regions of the Kingdom, everything she knew of Lower Atlas painted it as a subterranean dystopia which bore little to no resemblance to the upper middle class districts they passed. The true shock however came when the sedan took an exit which led outside of the confines of the hollow mountains and into the true upper echelons of Atlesian society

"You okay?" Arctus asked, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze as he saw her cherry red eyes widen

"Yeah it's just….dude" her vague statement and gesture at the window struggled to convey just how out of her depth she felt "I grew up in cities, I live in an apartment….I've never even seen a mansion up close before"

"Just remember, the people that live in them are probably dicks" Arctus shrugged, flashing her a toothy grin "Except my family obviously"

"Obviously" Diamond rolled her eyes and returned the smile before looking outside once more, socially conscious as she was she couldn't help but wonder how many affordable apartments each mansion would equate to but there was no denying they were beautiful things, each mansion visible at the end of a gated driveway with a considerable amount of attendant land, the buildings growing more opulent as the car ascended the mountain before eventually reaching the plateau where its' once snow capped peak had been removed and smoothed into a flat surface upon which to build

"We'll be reaching Schnee Manor momentarily" the clipped voice of the driver informed them, speaking for the first time since greeting them

"Whoa" Diamond breathed out as the car made its' way along a long driveway flanked by snow covered hedge-mazes and what at first glance appeared to be a pair of statues, a close inspection caused Diamond to turn and face Arctus with her mouth agape

"Are those giant robots?" she demanded incredulously

"Mantle Sentinels, older than Atlas as a Kingdom" the Bear Faunus confirmed "They're pretty much gutted shells though, Mum says they haven't worked since the Manor was attacked in the war….Dad says they're like scarecrows for the press" as she attempted to process the almost ludicrous sight the car came to a stop in front of the manor itself and Arctus let himself out and extended a hand to Diamond, who was once again reduced to staring blankly as she took in the massive and grandiose form of Schnee Manor, its' almost marble like stone construction and sharp angles looking imposing in the already dark evening with snow falling around them; it took a moment but Diamond managed to find her voice

"So….Felix wasn't lying, it really does have the supervillain vibe; I'm guessing there aren't any volcanoes in Atlas?"

"Such a dork" Atlas chuckled the term having become something of a pet name between them, though it was predominantly Diamond who used it. Still his girlfriends' hand he fished his now rarely used keys from his pocket and quietly opened the door, stepping inside revealing the grand atrium and the stairs and balcony leading to the upper floors. The interior of Schnee Manor had the air of having once been overly extravagant but had since been deliberately scaled back

"Wait for it" Arctus beamed "Wait for it….where's my dog" his face fell into a slight pout, Diamond was distracted by the sight of the most notable decoration in the hallway; an almost life size and ornately framed portrait of a noticeably younger and smaller Arctus carrying a smiling toddler upon his shoulders, obviously a young Athena-Jade, flanking them was their parents both smiling proudly

"Aww this is so cute" she almost squealed, stepping closer to the portrait "Look at your baby face on this" before Arctus could answer a creaking step above them reached their ears, followed by a dull reverberating crack; Gangrel Slate appearing beside them with wisps of black smoke trailing from his body

"Hey Dad" Arctus grinned, only to pulled into a loose one armed hug by his father who then turned to Diamond

"Um, hi Mister Slate" she tried to stave off the sudden nerves and sense of awkwardness but found herself failing; even in a far more casual outfit than his Specialist uniform Gangrel cut an imposing figure with his scarred face, clawed cybernetic limb and massive frame; at six foot eight he stood almost a foot taller than Diamond and a had a more muscular physique than even his noticeably broad shouldered son

"None of that Mister Slate shit, my old man is Mister Slate" Gangrel snorted, giving her a smile that reached his glinting amber eyes "Besides there's no point with formalities now, we've both seen each other soaked in blood" both Diamond and Arctus struggled to sputter out responses to that, Arctus managing to recover first

"Yeah well, at least it wasn't only a Deathstalker" he nodded to the scar running along his fathers' cheek

"What did mess your face up though, take a fall on a mission?" Gangrel asked as he cupped Arctus's cheek and tilted it so that he could get a better look at the still fading bruise around the side of his face

"Nah it….it was nothing, don't worry about it" Gangrel looked concerned for a moment before nodding

"Alright, you wanna talk about it you know you can come to me" he murmured just loud enough for Diamond to hear before shifting his attention back to her "So, Diamond how're you finding Atlas?"

"Cold and bleak" the words escaped her before she could stop herself, thankfully Gangrel gave a deep rumbling laugh and nodded in agreement

"Yeah pretty much, and you can't get a takeaway up here either….come on kid, Weiss is out back with Athena and Scruff; didn't wanna spoil the surprise" with that he led them through the manor, taking the shortest route to the gardens at the rear and Diamond was once again left in stunned silence for a moment at the beauty and sheer scale of Arctus's childhood home; the gardens were expansive with several features that clearly indicated that it was used as a training area and a pond in the distance which was currently serving as an ice skating rink. Their attention was drawn to people far closer who had yet to notice their arrival, Athena-Jade Slate was currently balancing on one of Weiss's Glyphs as she sculpted some form of animal ears onto the top of a snowman's head, creating a snow Faunus, as the girl hopped down Weiss who had yet to turn and face then hoisted a chew toy from the ground and used her Glyph to launch it into the air in a wide arc. The result was instantaneous, an ageing but still energetic and chunky mastiff set off bounding after the chew toy, catching it in slobbering jaws before it could reach the ground

"There he is" Arctus grinned before giving a short whistle and stepping into the garden which got the dogs' attention and a moment later it was bounding towards him, in doing so causing Weiss and Athena-Jade to turn

"Didn't think that through did ya?" Gangrel snorted, before Arctus could answer the air was forced from his lungs as first Scruff the Mastiff and secondly his sister collided with him demanding affection, causing Diamond to want to simultaneously giggle and _'awww'_

"Hey squirt, miss me?" Arctus grinned as he lifted Athena off of the ground with one hand while scratching behind Scruff's ears with the other

"Nope" she laughed, sticking her tongue out before wrapping her arms around his shoulders and burying her face in his neck

"Okay that is too cute" Diamond laughed, just as Weiss reached them and reaching up to give Gangrel a peck on the cheek

"That it is, and you must be Diamond"

"Oh, it's Arctus's _girlfriend_ , smoochie, smoochie, smoochie" Athena mimed kissing in an overly dramatic fashion

"Pest" Arctus sighed as he set her down "Hey Mum" he soon found himself pulled into another hug, Weiss wordlessly fussing over his bruised cheek, fully aware of the embarrassment on her sons' face

"How have you been? Obviously I can't ask if you've been looking after yourself, have you been eating right? Sleeping enough? Training for the tournament? Keeping up with your studies?"

"We might actually be a little ahead right now" Diamond chimed in, Weiss giving her an appraising glance as she continued "With us getting back from our mission earlier than planned we've had chance to sit in on some of the older students lessons and meet our new professors"

"And lurk at the back of combat classes and get a look at everyone else's weapon and Semblance" Arctus added

"A good use of time, it pays to be prepared" Weiss gave an approving nod "Glad to see you're a positive influence on Arctus"

"Mum!"

"Actually Arctus is probably the most consistent on our team when it comes to studying and assignments" Diamond answered without missing a beat

"Mum stop making her talk about school" Athena-Jade whined with her hands on her hips "It's boring"

"Boring?" Diamond gave a faux offended gasp "Just over a week ago me and your big brother were fighting a monster dinosaur outside an abandoned city on a field trip; Arctus froze its' mouth shut with his Glyphs so it couldn't spit acid at us" the result was exactly what she'd been going for; eyes that were identical to her brothers' widening in childlike wonder; knowing that Arctus had given her a Scroll intended for Hunters for her last birthday and how entrenched in the Hunter lifestyle her family was it had been a safe bet that the anecdote would get a reaction _'Besides'_ Diamond thought with a grin _'We are cool'_

"AWESOME" Athena cried "Have you seen any other dinosaur Grimm? What about a jellyfish Grimm….or, or what about geese? Geese are nasty there has to be geese Grimm?"

"No we, haven't seen any geese Grimm….yet" Arctus laughed, sensing that Diamond had slightly underestimated how energetic his sister could be "We're gonna be busy practising for the Vytal Tournament; we'll let you know if we see any though"

"YOU'RE GONNA BE ON TV?" the younger Faunus exclaimed "Have you got any super cool team attack? Like a ninja death-kick, or….I don't know something cool?"

"We've got some cool ones" Diamond confirmed with a grin that only served to fuel Athena's excitement; Weiss chose that moment to step in

"Athena maybe you can show Diamond around while she tells you" the words had barely left her mouth before Diamond felt Athena-Jade's hand around her wrist gently tugging her along. Arctus watched her leave before turning to his parents

"So….did I just lose my cool older sibling privileges?"

"I think you might have" Gangrel laughed

"Oh shush" Weiss sighed, nudging her playfully before turning to her son "Look at you, all grown up"

"Oh my Oum, Mum are we really doing this"

"Yes" Weiss answered bluntly "Because I'm your mother and if I want to tell you how proud of you I am I will. You've grown up so much since you started studying at Halo….and your partner, she seems nice, I'm glad you've found someone that makes you happy" hearing that Arctus exhaled slowly, feeling as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders; his parents liked the woman he was in love with and his sister seemed to utterly adore her, he couldn't ask for any more than that.

* * *

While Qrow Branwen's basement, something he often thought of as a lair to himself served as a fitting base of operations for a shadowy protector with its' countless computer screens and access to almost any database on Remnant, rivalling even Atlas's own intelligence gathering abilities the fact remained that the lighting was just not suitable for reading old and faded text and he didn't have enough space anywhere except for on the floor for the various books, academic papers and occasional newspaper report that forming the mass of reading material he had been working through; as such Qrow found himself in the almost incongruous position of studying the nature of Semblances at his kitchen table with a steaming cup of coffee, both the mug and the blend being gifts from former Beacon Professor Bartholomew Oobleck.  
Ever since learning that his daughter had thus far been unable to discover her own Semblance Qrow had taken it upon himself to help her find the answer and while he would never be the genius in the field of Auras and their benefits that the late Doctor Geppetto Polendina had been, he was still capable, resourceful and highly motivated; his telling Eagle that he may be able to help her had only served as further encouragement, he may not have been a part of his daughters' childhood but he would at least give her this.

"Oum I think I've got it" he mouthed, voice a hoarse and cracking whisper that highlighted his exhaustion though he paid it no mind; his efforts had paid off and as he double checked his findings, cross-referencing countless heavily abridged and truncated notes with various sources a smile of pure joy crossed his face.

"Only one thing for it now" he murmured to himself knowing that all the research in the world meant little if it failed to produce results, which would require testing with this in mind and the thought of both Eagle's face when she used her Semblance and his own suspicions as to what that Semblance would be motivating him he drew his Scroll from his pocket, forgetting the lateness of the hour as he called Ruby

"Hey Squirt, did I wake you?"

"No it's fine" Ruby answered, though he heard her suppressing a yawn on the other end of the call "I was watching a movie, if you hadn't called me and Penny would have probably ended up sleeping on the sofa"

"Good, do you have any missions coming up?"

"No why, what's up?" Ruby only took a moment to consider possible emergencies despite her own tiredness "Do you have a lead on one of the other Maidens?"

"No nothing like that" Qrow assured her "I just might need you to house sit for me and keep an eye on things in the basement….It looks like I might be heading to Atlas a little sooner than I planned"

* * *

It was late evening and Weiss and Gangrel were currently in bed together, Athena-Jade having been put to bed hours ago and Arctus and Diamond both having left to return to Atlas Academy, the current joint head of the SDC pulled her husbands' flesh and blood arm a round herself a little tighter as she made herself comfortable nestled into his massive frame, the mechanical arm was just too cold to do so with. Seeing that he was still awake, if only just she spoke

"So, Diamond seems nice….although I'm a little surprised you didn't mention her parents once" Gangrel grinned sleepily, seeing the joke for what it was and shrugging

"Yeah well we both know I've got nothing positive to say about Merc; no point in upsetting Arctus by telling the first girl he's brought home that her dad's a cunt"

"Will you not use that word" Weiss sighed at the vulgarity, Gangrel had matured immensely from the foul mouthed and angry young man he'd once been but some old habits still died hard

"Sorry babe" he readjusted himself, pulling Weiss a little closer while his hand trailed along her thigh "But yeah she seems nice, they're obviously serious about each other-"

"He's head over heels about her" Weiss made a noise that was decidedly 'un-Weiss-like' Gangrel made to retort but found himself stopping short, cocking his head slightly as a sound reached his ears from down the hallway and though Weiss's hearing was not so sensitive she knew the expression on his face well

"Athena has decided bedtime is optional again hasn't she?" she sighed "She gets her stubbornness from you"

"I feel like you're definitely a contributing factor" Gangrel snorted "And yeah"

"I have no idea what you mean" Weiss feigned a haughty huff as she climbed out of bed "I'll deal with it, Oum knows she's got you wrapped around her little finger anyway" she left the room to the sound of Gangrel's grumbled protests against her playful teasing and padded along the corridor, feet silent against the thick carpeting; the corridor was long enough that it took her a few moments and easily a few dozen paces to reach her daughters' bedroom and as she did so the picked up on a faint snipping sound. Pursing her lips she opened the door and strode into the bedroom

"Athena-Jade Slate what are you…." she trailed off realising that the bedroom itself was empty, however the larger bedrooms in the manor each had an en suite bathroom and Weiss saw that the door leading to Athena's en suite was open and the light was on

"Oh honey do you feel ill?" Weiss asked, voice instantly changing from stern to soft and soothing only to halt again as she heard the snipping sound from a moment ago and suddenly managed to identify it

"Are you playing with scissors….Oh my Oum what have you done to your hair?" Weiss exclaimed, hand covering her mouth in shock at the sight that greeted her. Athena-Jade Slate, the child who bluntly refused to wear her snowy white hair tied back for any reason was currently trying to hold her own her back into a ponytail while cutting at with a pair of scissors that had been taken from the kitchen drawer the results were the work of an obvious amateur,

"Mum….I think I messed it up" she whined with a defeated pout

"What on Remnant are you doing?" Weiss demanded as she took in the shorn strands of hair visible against the floor and sink

"I just wanted to look cool like Diamond" Athena answered as if it were the most sensible thing in the world "But I ruined it"

"We will go and get your hair fixed tomorrow" Weiss sighed as she pinched her nose and made her way across the bathroom to confiscate the scissors "Now will you please go to bed and stay there"

"'Kay" Weiss watched her daughter clamber into her bed while still pouting and pulled several of her stuffed animals closer and then left the bedroom, bidding her goodnight while lost in her own thoughts; she knew it was unfair to blame Arctus and Diamond for this but the fact remained her son would be receiving a strongly worded text message in the morning, although she expected that Arctus would find the hilarious.

Perhaps she'd see the funny side herself in the morning.

 **Authors Notes:**

Firstly welcome to Vol.5, hiatus? Nope never heard of her.

That being said let's summarise shall we:  
Atlas's capital has a shopping centre that's basically a small city on its' own, seems like something they'd have.  
New outfit updates, as promised.  
Race is still an issue in Atlas, but money will always override prejudice.  
Felix is a hoodie with rainbow sleeves and bright yellow converse, I imagine he looks pretty damn good.  
I love the idea of Diamond just walking around in a Puffa jacket and a bobble hat because of the cold, her gloves are fingerless just because she doesn't want any kind of interference when handling her weapon.  
Edna Mauve….yes it's a reference to exactly what you think it is and yes we will see her at some point in the story.  
Yeah, Antonia gave Eagle ten grand for her eighteenth birthday remember; Poly-Tech is probably a serious contender to the SDC in terms of money; they just don't have the prestige yet due to being 'New Money'.  
Felix will be meeting Antonia next chapter….and someone else.  
Corvid Xiao Long is a comic book nerd, it's canon now.  
Look at these two blonde hot gay messes.  
Onyx is basically looking like a cross between a young Ghira and Drake's "Nothing was the same" album cover at this point.  
I'm imagining Team GORE's tattoos being done in the Japanese Tebori style or something similar.  
Onyx know what's up, Toe-beans for best wingman 2K18.  
Eagle is going to inadvertently turn Hellion into a comic book nerd.  
Carcharodon has been back in Atlas a week and already has a gaggle of first years following around; he's gonna be Shark Senpai by the end of the year.  
I felt like the Frost River needed a description, it's obviously incredibly important to Team GORE but we haven't seen it and I only recently learned that bioluminescent waves are a thing so I was kind of inspired; it also serves as a nice contrast to the Nikos tribes' encampment.  
If you listen closely you can hear the sound of Cyberpet shippers screaming.  
I feel like just how angry Raffia is gets overlooked, out of all of Team GORE he's probably in the most fragile mental state and never really more than one bad day from a total meltdown.  
Onyx might be a hulking degenerate but he's also the tech guy of his team, of course he wants to talk shop with Felix….I wonder, maybe Corvid and Onyx should hang out some time; we all know he'd need new pants if he saw the Omega Wing in action.  
And no Onyx and Raffia are not just going out for no reason, more on that next chapter.  
Onyx is MVP of the chapter, reading everyone on their crushes.  
I feel like trading war stories is a popular Nikosi pass time.  
Felix making moves without even realising….to the sound of another group of screaming shippers losing their collective shit.  
Arctus lives in what is basically upper, Upper Atlas; literally on top of everyone else; it's probably a little intimidating for people the first time they see his place.  
The Mantle Sentinels are a callback to The Downward Spiral.  
" _Scarecrows for the press"_ ….Quite possible peak Gangrel right there.  
Seriously the best part of having a dog is how happy they are to see you when you get home.  
"My old man is Mister Slate"….Note the present tense people, Bjorn is still kicking around; we'll have to see him at some point.  
Yeah I fell like no matter how good of a relationship they have I don't feel like Arctus would want to tell his bad that his girlfriends' ex punched him out.  
Snow Faunus. That is all.  
Younger siblings are pests, I say this as the eldest sibling. I love you, but also you can fuck off.  
" _How have you been? Obviously I can't ask if you've been looking after yourself, have you been eating right? Sleeping enough? Training for the tournament? Keeping up with your studies?"_ Weiss has turned into canon Vol.3 Winter.  
Diamond had nothing to worry about, she came and made all the right impressions.  
Also yes, Geese Grimm would be terrifying.  
Okay so that whole scene was originally gonna be more Weiss centric but when I started writing it Athena literally just stole the show.  
Yes Qrow was having to read at his kitchen table because his super aesthetic Bat Bird Cave lair is just too dark to read in.  
You know you've been working too long when you have to break out the Oobleck juice.  
Qrow's heading to Atlas.  
Domestic Polar Bear will always be adorable to me.  
And yes Athena-Jade is as stubborn as both of her parents.  
Yes Arctus's little sister tried to give herself Diamond's haircut.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Araniladin, ShadowAlex2000, iSassenach, TigerRose, Funlander, BooDawg, Ferrous and FluffyFirefly for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Mr. Pancakes is the stuffed Ursas' canon name now (I was actually gonna work in into this chapter but I couldn't find anywhere where it would fit).  
I love the idea that everyone loves Onyx.  
Being compared to late 80s/early 90s cartoons is a compliment and a half; I was born in 1990, that's what I grew up on.  
Yeah the Cult and Celeste herself are gonna be the big Vol.6 bad guys.  
Yeah Oz is Gendo Ikari but slimier.  
I see a few people seem to annoyed that Cinnabar doesn't have more impressive motivations but realistically we've got the New White Fang and the Wizard to deal with; sometimes a school-yard bully is just a school-yard bully and lets not act like you won't enjoy it he gets what's coming to him.  
No Oz doesn't have a Semblance, he's not really a trained fighter anyway.  
Basically everyone who was part of the Black Ops unit in Downward Spiral knows about Qrow, as well as the heads of the academies and Winter.  
I too would love to see art of Diamond in Arctus's coat.  
Take all the time you need dude.  
Team GORE Vs the Cult of Taurus is gonna be great….but let's not for a single moment pretend that they're not gonna interact with Team FADE.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	57. Explosive Reaction

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 57: Explosive Reaction**

Felix muffled a yawn behind his palm as he continued to pay scant attention to the droning of the professor. Currently the second year students were in history class and the most charitable description one could give the teacher was the one provided by Eagle 'He's just not Uncle Lie' Professor Beige was positively ancient, bald and slightly hunched by his advanced age with skin that was both wrinkled and somewhat papery in appearance. As Felix understood it Professor Beige had never been a Huntsman himself but had retired from his job as part of a military sponsored _'Sanitation team'_ whose role was to make former war zones habitable again and taken the teaching position at the end of the war against Salem while already in his fifties, after seeing how much of Atlas's history could be lost in the conflict.  
While committed to his job and possessing first had experience from a different perspective to that of another Hunter the fact remained that Professor Beige was sorely lacking in charisma and utterly failed to engage with his students; as such his lecture about the events leading up to the conflict, specifically the fortieth biennial Vytal Festival and Tournament in Vale had simply served as a springboard for several conversations between cliques of students.  
To Felix's right Eagle had finally given up and was currently sharing a comic with Diamond, the series she had been using as a teaching aid for Hellion apparently being one that the silver haired Mistrali had enjoyed as a child and was nostalgic for; Arctus was making a valiant attempt at listening and taking notes but it was clear his heart wasn't in it. To Felix's left Team GRAY, led by his fellow native of Patch Grease Thunderbird were discussing which teams they thought they would be able to beat in the upcoming Vytal Tournament and Felix fought the urge to join in and torment them. A few rows ahead Onyx seemed to be relishing the attention a young woman Felix believed was a student of Shade Academy was paying to his Faunus trait of padded palms and fingers, the rest of Team GORE were watching this with expressions that ranged between amused and faintly disgusted. Felix subconsciously found himself seeking out Helios, though he was at least honest enough with himself to admit why; eventually he found the redhead seated to his right and close to the front of the lecture hall, clearly having decided to be as close to the Professor whose voice failed to carry as possible in order to take notes, a decision he was regretting if his ever darkening expression was anything to go by

"What the fuck?" Felix mouthed to himself almost silently, Helios was a notably dedicated and hard working student, a driving force responsible for his team-mates good grades and seeing him so visibly angry at a teacher, silently seething with rage was enough to make Felix sit up a little straighter and actually listen to Professor Beige's lecture

"-while it is impossible to say with any degree of certainty due to a lack of any available records and those involved being deceased, thus unavailable to provide testimony; whatever her loyalties and intentions may have been it is clear that Pyrrha Nikos's attempted murder of Penny Polendina during the Vytal Tournament was used as a signal to begin what became known as the Battle of Beacon, a misnomer given that it spanned-"

"Oh no" Diamond mouthed silently from beside Felix; her own expression suddenly inexplicably nervous, a moment later Helios erupted

"I WILL HEAR NO MORE OF THIS!" he bellowed as he rose to his feet, hands slamming against his desk with enough force to crack its' surface "YOU WILL NOT STAND THERE AND CAST ASPERSIONS ABOUT MY FAMILY!"

"Ah, Mister Helios" Professor Beige's tone and cadence remained unchanged, as if the furious outburst had been anticipated, which was admittedly the most impressive thing the man had done thus far

"I am prepared to accept that this is a subject you will struggle to deal with objectively due to your closeness to it" he sighed "However in this field objectivity is key, history is facts and facts exist independent of our feelings towards them"

"I don't want excuses, I want an apology or-

"Professor!" Felix called out, cutting over Helios whom the Lion Faunus was almost certain was about to demand single combat with the teacher

"Yes Mister Xiao Long?" Professor Beige raised an eyebrow, as if considering expecting similar objections; Felix however grinned as he delivered what was in his mind a perfect rebuttal

"By that logic testimonies from those directly involved would be useless because they would be unable to be objective"

"I fail to see-"

"You said available testimonies, I'm guessing a lot of stuff is classified" Felix's grin widened to comical proportions as he delivered the punchline "But Penny Polendina is my aunt, I can literally call her right now if you want? She'll tell you that what happened wasn't Pyrrha's fault, then you can give Helios that apology….You want me to call her? Come on do it for academia"

"I suppose that would change matters" Professor Beige answered slowly "But her original testimony was most likely classified for a reason and I don't find it pertinent to-" he was cut off by Helios rising to his feet and marching out of the lecture hall, fists clenched and white knuckled, his green eyes blazing with barely restrained rage. As the door slammed behind him the professor tried to regain his place in his preplanned lecture though many of the students were paying even less attention than before; glancing at Team FADE and muttering to themselves

"Arctus can I borrow your notes for this later?"

"Sure"

"Sweet" with that Felix rose and left the lecture hall as briskly as he could without breaking into a jog, his ears strained as he listened for Helios's thundering footsteps but he could hear no trace of him and was instead reduced to guessing which way the redhead would have gone at each turn; eventually though Felix's persistence and luck were rewarded as he found Helios slumped against a wall in an otherwise empty corridor, head in his hands and taking deep breaths in what seemed to be a futile attempt to calm himself

"Wanna talk about it?" Felix asked as he sat beside him

"Not really" Helios grunted running his hands through his spiky hair in frustration, the two remained silent for a moment before the redhead spoke again, seemingly unable to contain his ire "It's not the first time I've heard people say Pyrrha Nikos tried to kill your aunt intentionally….usually muttering cowards or drunks in the settlements my people pass through, they say it's proof that the tribes are savages, weather she was raised by the Nikosi or not"

"That's messed up man" Felix shook his head in disgust "Trust me, nobody here thinks that"

"With my position among my people I feel like it falls to me to defend the honour of the Nikosi. I just hate the assumptions, these people can't even tell one tribe from another-"

"You're all just the bogeyman and they don't need or want to know more than that" Felix finished, swishing his golden fur covered tail in front of Helios in answer to his confused expression before resting the appendage on the redheads' lap "Yeah I get it man….racism is still a thing; hell last year I had a gun pulled on me because someone thought I was working with Team GORE, their whole point was that we're both cat Faunus so we must know each other"

"I….it's just….thank you for being here" Helios murmured slowly evidently calming down; the two of them sat in peaceful silence until something made Felix jerk bolt upright

"Are you stroking my tail?" he demanded, slightly incredulous and unused to the sensation

"Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it" Helios answered "I'll stop"

"It's fine" Felix shrugged, eyes slowly closing as Helios resumed the treatment and leaning against the wall; having his tail stroked and gently scratched was surprisingly relaxing. though before he could fully settle into the experience the bell signalling the end of the lesson sounded within moments doors opened and a press of bodies moved around them the majority of the crowds paying no mind to a pair of students only slightly blocking the corridor and simply moved around them, as the last stragglers made their way passed Helios turned to Felix

"Are you going to our next lesson?"

"Are you?"

"No" Helios answered after considering for a few seconds "I'm not sure I'll react well to everyone staring at me right now"

"No nice way to say this Heely" Felix chuckled, the words leaving him faster than he could prevent them "But you're gonna have a hard to being inconspicuous looking the way you do"

"Now I understand how you and Nyanza are such good friends" Helios breathed out with a content smile "Thank you….Fluffy" hearing the affectionate way Helios used the nickname was enough to make the Lion Faunus rest his head on the taller teens shoulder and a few moments later Helios reached down and laced his fingers through Felix's loosely holding his hand. Neither of them were exactly sure how long they remained like that and as they sat their peacefully neither of them heard Nyanza approach, the bushy tailed Feline using his Semblance and inexhaustible luck to speed up the process of finding them. He took one look at his old friend and his partner and silently retreated, forcing himself not to cackle like a madman, though gleeful muttering about how it was about time and a certain betting pool still escaped him.

* * *

After lessons had ended for the day Diamond had stated, in a manner reminiscent of Felix, that she was going to the gym to work off some stress, naturally her partner had offered to accompany and spot for her while she used the weight bench; Arctus had left his notes from the days' lessons on Felix's bed for his cousin to copy at his leisure and was now watching while Diamond lifted weights that while not quite as monumental as Felix or Eagle's were still impressive for her. As she did so she managed to explain what troubling her, her words coming through a series of grunts of exertion

"You know how my parents were….how they started the war on the wrong side" Arctus nodded and as Diamond raised the bar again she continued "My mum was….involved in….What happened with Pyrrha Nikos

"Oh" Arctus gasped "Oh shit"

"Yeah" Diamond agreed as she replaced the bar for a moment and motioned for Arctus to pass her water bottle "I don't know if I should tell him" the Bear Faunus remained silent, taking a few moments to choose his words carefully

"Do you want my opinion?" when Diamond nodded he sighed and continued "I don't think you should, I honestly don't think it would do anything but cause problems for everyone"

"How do you figure?" Diamond asked, her clear trepidation making it apparent that she could see the potential for disaster, even if she couldn't articulate exactly how it would play out

"Look as much as we like Helios….he wouldn't take the news lying down, I think he'd tell his people; you remember what he was like with Felix at first" Arctus ran a hand through his hair "Your Mum does charity work, I can't imagine Mistral giving her funding if one the Anima tribes march into the capital demanding blood, if her funding gets cut people are gonna go hungry at the very least….I know how much family means to Helios but the fact is he never met Pyrrha Nikos, she's an ideal he tries to live up to and as ruthless as it sounds his feelings aren't worth trading actual living people's lives for"

"Damn" Diamond muttered more than a little bitterly before laying flat on the weight bench and started another set "You're right….I just hate having to worry about politics and things like that, I just wanna do the right thing and not make it complicated y'know?"

"Makes sense, especially for a Hunter" Arctus nodded

"Exactly" Diamond grunted as she lifted the weights "At least the Grimm are a problem with a straightforward solution….just shoot 'em until they vanish" Arctus cracked a small smile and continued to spot for his partner until the sound of splintering wood and raucous laughter erupted from the opposite corner of the gym and Arctus's stomach dropped at the sight of Cinnabar Blaine, surrounded by his team-mates and the remains of a wooden training dummy, of the kind with multiple arms at various heights, laying in two broken halves on the ground near his feet. So far none of Team CNBR seemed to have noticed Arctus and Diamond were there due to the size of the gym, though Arctus found himself distracted from his task of spotting for Diamond and instead watching Cinnabar resume training when one of his team brought him a new dummy; the sinking sensation in Arctus's stomach only worsened with each strike the older student landed, Cinnabar was incredibly strong and fast with flawless technique leaving Arctus grudgingly impressed and more importantly a little frightened of the idea of further altercations.

A few minutes later another distraction came in the form of a sudden hush falling over the gym, the Atlas students who were able to do so stopping what they were doing and saluting out of habit, Headmistress and General Winter Schnee had entered and was making her way deliberately towards Arctus who gave her a quick salute himself

"Aunt Winter" his toothy grin widened and the stoic facade his aunt wore was lowered for just a moment as she returned the smile

"I was hoping to have a conversation with you, in private if possible?"

"I'll meet you back at our dorm" Diamond offered, recognising that Winter was giving an order despite wording it as a request

"Okay" Arctus smiled, leaning down to give her a quick peck on the cheek before following after Winter whose approach had, whether intentionally or not, draw attention to himself and Diamond and alerted Team CNBR to their presence

"Hey Dee-Dee, if you want a real work out then you know where my dorm is right? Work those hips!" Cinnabar called, his team-mates obviously finding the catcalling hilarious; Winter however did not and before Arctus could take a step back in their direction she had turned towards them

"Mister Blaine, detention for a week. There will be no harassment in my Academy" the moment Winter had turned back around to continue out of the gym with Arctus Cinnabar gave a growl of irritation and launched a spinning heel kick that reduced the training dummy to ruined splinters. Winter didn't bother turning around this time

"A month of detentions Mister Blaine and I presume I can send the bill of the damaged equipment to your agent? Do reign in your temper, it's embarrassing to see Remnant's defenders throwing a tantrum" the entrance to the gym closed behind them as the room seemed to burst into unified laughter

"So what's wrong Aunt Winter?" Arctus asked, Winter simply beckoned him along a deserted corridor and upon finding that it was indeed devoid of life allowed the persona she adopted while dealing with anyone who was not family or a crew-mate aboard her flagship to fall away

"Perhaps I just wanted to see my nephew" she chortled as she reached up to ruffle his hair "But since the imbecile made a spectacle of himself I suppose we shouldn't talk around the subject; Cinnabar Blaine"

"Right" Arctus sighed, realising where the conversation "Did Dad put you up to this?"

"Gangrel couldn't put me up to anything if he tried" Winter answered bluntly as she withdrew her Scroll and opened a folder containing several images "Now, let's talk about Cinnabar Blaine and his relationship with your partner" Arctus looked at the photos, a younger Diamond ringside cheering on a younger Cinnabar in Mistral's under seventeen tournaments

"Nothing I didn't already know" he shrugged "They started dating when Diamond was fourteen and broke up when she decided to study in New Vale. Having an ex isn't a crime"

"Obviously" Winter replied "But with Vytal Tournament drawing closer you need to remember that the Atlesian media will enjoy inventing a narrative wholesale….and we both know who gave you a black eye Arctus"

"So what are you getting at?" the Bear Faunus huffed as he slouched against the wall, the bruising around his face had mostly faded though it was entirely possible that word had reached his Aunt through various sources

"The Schnee family name will always attract media attention and you are a Schnee who will be competing against Atlas, your partner and girlfriend was previously in a relationship with a moderately famous Mistrali tournament fighter. The personal attacks are coming Arctus, I just want you to know that I'm here for you; and your partner….she seems to have made a positive impression on the family, or your sister at the very least" Arctus couldn't help but laugh at that, Weiss had sent him a photo of Athena-Jade with her hair cut and styled to imitate Diamond's usual style; Diamond herself had squealed at the cuteness upon being shown the picture.

"So what're my options?" Arctus asked

"You could convince Team FADE as a whole to transfer to Atlas and be welcomed as a returning hero" Winter grinned knowing it was an option her would never take "Or you could talk to my brother, I'm sure Whitley could teach you how to control the incoming media circus if you asked him to"

"Can I just focus on studying and training?" Arctus asked with clear exasperation "I mean it's not even guaranteed that Team FADE and CLIR are gonna fight each other….Oum I hate all the conniving and scheming, it's why I didn't study here in the first place"

"Of course, that's honestly the answer I was as hoping for" Winter nodded, giving her nephew a reassuring smile "I was hoping you wouldn't stoop to Whitley's antics. You will certainly be able to avoid the press while at the academy, they'd be prosecuted if they set foot here and students are _'discouraged'_ from leaking stories to them"

"Thanks"

"You're welcome, I wanted to have this conversation with you before I left for my ship. You'll most likely see Weiss before I do so tell her I send my regards, and give Athena-Jade a hug for me" Winter pulled Arctus into a loose hug which he happily returned

"Will do; say hi to Matte for me" Commander Matte Skye was the admiral of Winter's fleet and her former first mate, they were equal in standing to Arctus's own father and despite the appearances that were maintained for the public it was common knowledge that Matte and Winter were very much an item.

"Oh and Arctus" Winter gave him a grin that was rare in its' mischievousness "If you do find yourself competing against Atlesian students don't take it to heart if I seem to be cheering for them, I am their Headmistress after all"

* * *

While Diamond and Arctus had departed for the gym after their classes had ended for the day, Eagle had sought out Felix who had been absent since leaving the history class which had been the penultimate lesson and informed him that they had a somewhat more distant destination they needed to reach; her mother had asked to meet her in the capital.

"I still can't believe you missed a lesson just to hold hands with Helios" Eagle chastised him as they made their way through the still crowded streets of Eisenstadt Prime "It's irresponsible….really, really, really cute but still irresponsible" she had been teasing and supporting her partner in equal measure for the duration of the flight from Atlas Academy and showed no signs of stopping

"Am I really being called out by someone who sleeps with a stuffed Ursa?"

"You leave Mister Pancakes out of this!" Eagle gave a gasp of feigned offence before the two of them burst into peals of laughter which gradually trailed off as they caught their first real glimpse of their destination, the Atlesian Museum of Military History

"Damn" Felix noted bluntly, struggling to find a more fitting response to the grandiose building. Located several layers of the Hive City above the Prime Promenade put the museum firmly in upper Atlas and while the surrounding area was limited to a height of two stories by the roof of the city level, the city itself seemed to have been sculpted around the museum allowing to reach a height far greater than the buildings around it; it was constructed with pale chalky white stone and gleaming Atlesian steel, its' entrance flanked by a pair of ancient war machines from the Kingdom of Mantle mounted on plinths and through the large windows through which the outlines of exhibits could be seen it was apparent that several armed guards were on patrol.

"I know right!" Eagle almost squealed as she began walking noticeably faster "I wanted to come here over the weekend but we didn't really have time, I mean we've barely got time now, it closes in an hour or two and I could spend at least a day in here; I've wanted to visit this place for ages and-" the blonde's signature hyperactive rambling was brought to a halt as she saw someone unmistakably familiar stood off to the side of the entrance; a moment later Eagle had grabbed Felix and was all but dragging him along

"Mum, hey Mum!" she called out before she reached Antonia, the older Arc woman seemed to have regained the air of quiet control that had been absent since her return to Atlas; the bags under her eyes while present were a little less pronounced and she looked notably less dishevelled dressed in a smart business jacket over a soft high necked sweatshirt and comfortable jeans

"Hello Eagle, how've you been?" her eyes honed in on Felix, or more specifically his tail "I take it this is your partner, you didn't mention that they were a Faunus"

"Should she have?" Felix growled, suddenly defensive. Eagle seemed unsure which of them to reproach first, a situation that ended when Antonia Arc seemed to realise her faux pas

"You're right I'm sorry, it shouldn't be an issue. It isn't an issue" she seemed unable to make eye contact with the Lion Faunus "I cannot stand ignorant bigotry, yet I find myself wary after the….incident in New Vale"

"Shit" Felix muttered under his breath "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything"

"Hey, hey it's okay, everyone is okay" Eagle assured them both, eager for her mother and best friend to get along "So are we heading inside? There're so many cool things on display here and we won't be able to see all of them"

"Actually" Antonia answered with a smile as she and Felix followed Eagle inside "I was discussing seeing you again with Oz over dinner, he suggested that I simply offer to pay the museum to stay open a little later tonight; we're by no means poor after all and I sent emails to the local colleges to alert any history students of the fact"

"Oh my Oum thank you, letting the colleges know was really thoughtful as well-" Eagle stopped dead in her tracks as something occurred to her "Wait, Oz? As Doctor Eldritch? You were having dinner together?"

"We're simply two colleagues who enjoyed a meal together, and plan to do so again" Antonia answered tonelessly, though her face gave her away as she was unable to prevent the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth

"Mum that's great to hear" Eagle beamed, not fooled by her mothers' answer for a moment

"Thank you" she paused for a moment, reading signs directing patrons of the museum to different exhibits "So tell me how did your last mission go, also I think the exhibit dedicated to the Salem conflict would be a good place to visit first; they actually have a White Fang tank from the battle at the bio-domes where your Aunt Victoria and Uncle Jaune fought….I think it may actually be one that Vicky destroyed herself"

"Cool" Eagle gasped as they neared an elevator that would take them towards their destination. As the three of them made their way through the museum Felix found himself feeling like something of a third wheel, any hostility between Eagle and her mother that may have lingered since the summer was gone and the two of them chatted animatedly with only brief input from the Lion Faunus as they entered the exhibit dedicated to a conflict that was still within living memory, the aforementioned tank clearly visible nearby. Felix's attention however was drawn to something else entirely

"Holy Oum" he mouthed out almost silently as he stopped to look at the katana whose crimson blade had been broken cleanly in half in a glass display case; a small card beneath the stand supporting the weapons proclaiming it to be;

' _Wilt: one of two weapons wielded by terrorist and leader of the White Fang, Adam Taurus'_ the Lion Faunus was unable to wholly explain the mix of emotions that came over him while looking at the display, this was the sword that had taken his mothers' arm.

"It's a convincing fake, but a fake nonetheless" an unfamiliar voice noted conversationally beside him and Felix jumped, unaware that anyone had approached. He was confronted with the sight of a white haired and magenta eyed Ram Faunus with horns which curled around her temples, the woman whom Felix guessed to be in her late twenties or early thirties was confined to a wheelchair which glided over the tiled floor of the museum silently.

"Fake?" Felix raised an incredulous eyebrow "You're sure?"

"The real Wilt could withstand Adam Taurus's Semblance which tore Atlas's most dangerous war machines apart in a single strike. This blade is broken therefore it's a fake, the real Wilt would have withstood whatever happened to this"

"Have you mentioned it to the museum?" Felix asked, finding himself oddly invested

"History is written by winners and the image of Adam Taurus's broken sword being put on display is too powerful to be hindered by trivialities like facts" the Ram Faunus noted, her tone amused but with an unmistakable edge "Besides, we're only Faunus-"

"Ah Miss Lupus" Antonia's voice called out, her and Eagle having noticed that Felix was no longer with them and doubled back with some embarrassment "I take it you've recently left your treatment session with Doctor Eldritch"

"Indeed, he mentioned that the museum would be open late this evening and I do have an interest in the history of my people; as I was discussing with Mister…." she trailed off looking at Felix expectantly

"Xiao Long" Felix answered "Felix Xiao Long"

"Ah" Celeste's eyes took on an almost predatory gleam "Could you be related to Blake Xiao Long, formerly Belladonna?"

"You know my Mum?"

"I'm sure all Faunus know of her" Celeste answered "And as much as I would love to discuss our shared history I must be going, transport to the outer settlements isn't the most reliable"

"Uh yeah sure, goodbye" Felix murmured, waiting until the Ram Faunus had entered an elevator to turn to Antonia Arc "Who was that?"

"Celeste Lupus, one of Oz's projects is to build a new line of Faunus specific prosthetics and cybernetics. Celeste's is one of the test subjects, she's making progress and eventually she won't need that chair any more"

"Cool" Felix nodded, not quite able to suppress the shiver then ran down his spine "Is she always that fucking creepy?"

"Felix!" Eagle gasped, hands covering her mouth "It's true but that doesn't mean you should just say it"

* * *

Diamond kissed and gently nipped at Arctus's neck and collarbone while she lazily traced the scar running diagonally along his chest, her breathing slowly returning to normal in the afterglow of an intense make out session that had begun in the shower and ended on the bed; sharing a room with two other people meant that privacy was at a premium and neither of them were willing to waste the rare opportunities they were given. Eventually Diamond made to roll off of her boyfriend in search of clothes only for Arctus to gently reach out and grab her wrist, pulling her back down onto the bed and into his embrace

"Seriously?" she breathed out, her breath hitching as his lips found a sensitive spot on her neck

"Why not?" Diamond could almost feel his smirk against her skin with the answer "Eagle and Felix won't be back for hours"

"I know but still" Diamond almost giggled as the Bear Faunus continued to tease her, eventually playfully pushing him away; she found herself frowning at her reaction when he propped himself against the headboard and let an an audible sigh

"Okay fine"

"What's up with you?" she demanded, suddenly annoyed

"Nothing….It's dumb" Arctus sighed, turning away in something close to embarrassment "Don't worry about it"

"And now I'm worrying" Diamond retorted with a snort, returning to the bed and getting comfortable as she sat beside him "What's wrong?"

"It's…." Arctus trailed off for a moment seemingly unable to find words "I just don't know how to word this without sounding like an ass-hole and I swear I don't want to sound like I'm pressuring you into anything"

"Talk to me Big Guy" Diamond was fairly certain she could deduce what he wanted to say, but still wanted him to be the one to say it "Come on Arctus it's me, you know we can talk about anything" the coaxing seemed to have an effect as Arctus leaned forward, still not quite able to meet her eyes

"Okay so we've been dating for a while now….Is there a reason we've never had sex? I mean if it's something to do with me having no experience-"

"Dude no" Diamond held a hand up to silence him before cupping his chin with and kissing him briefly on the lips "Just answer me this; are we having this conversation because of what Cinnabar said in gym?"

"I mean kinda" Arctus mumbled

"Okay first of all" Diamond sighed "The relationship I had with Sin does not have anything to do with our relationship, at all. I loved him once, we broke up and now he's a dick"

"Agreed"

"As for why we haven't, I promise it's nothing to do with any inadequacies you've managed to convince yourself you have….There just hasn't been a moment where it felt right"

"How do you mean?" Arctus asked as he took Diamond's hand in his, before answering she wrapped his arm around her shoulders and worked her way beneath the sheets as the Atlesian climate made its' presence known

"I mean I don't want our first time to be something we feel like we have to do just because we've got the dorm to ourselves for an hour" she shrugged and snuggled into Arctus a little closer "I just want our first time to be special; it's for us, not anybody else"

"Okay, I understand" Arctus smiled, kissing the top of her head "And I'm sorry if I was-"

"Dude it's okay" Diamond assured him "We need to be able to talk about this" the two of them remained in easy, comfortable silence resting against each other until Diamond's Scroll buzzed as it received a text message, reaching over and opening the device she scanned the contents of the message and turned to Arctus

"It's from Razz" she informed him, Arctus liked her Diamond's old friend well enough; even if her excitability made her a little tiring to be around "Team GRAY and Team NEON are having a Street Brawler Four tournament, she wants to know if we're coming?"

"Do you want to?" Arctus asked already preparing to climb out of the bunk the two of them shared only to be halted by Diamond who wrapped her arms around his shoulder, resulting in his face being drawn close to hers while leaning over her.

"Nah" both of them spoke in unison before tumbling back down onto the bed.

* * *

Raffia trailed behind Onyx as the pair made their way through streets that were almost completely deserted, making the two Faunus stand out more than they already would as they made their way into what was decidedly upper Atlas.

"We're lost" the Axolotl Faunus hissed irritably

"We're not lost, we're exploring" Onyx answered, his words slurred by the considerable amount of alcohol he'd consumed over the course of the evening

"We're not here to explore" Raffia snapped, growing steadily more angry

"That's exactly what we're here for and the first place we explored yielded no results" the Puma Faunus gave a drunken grin "Trust me" Raffia begrundgingly did as requested and continued following. The two of them had been making regular visits to the capital since Team GORE had returned from their mission, their goal was to learn the whereabouts of the Scavenger Guild or at least find someone who could serve as a contact between them; thus far they had little to show for their efforts despite the ease with which Onyx navigated the sea of crime, debauchery and machismo that permeated the countless dive bars which served as the home of Atlas's underbelly. The closest thing to actionable information they'd managed to find were the semi coherent ramblings Onyx had coaxed out of a drunkard with a questionable smell who had seemed to find remaining upright a challenge; those ramblings had informed them that the Scavenger Guild in Atlas were well paying but woefully infrequent employers who offered no retaining fees to those whose muscle and dubious skills they required and that they only ever ventured into the lower reaches of the Hive city when they needed to recruit, Onyx had been undeterred by this and had pressed the man on where to find the elusive antiques and weapons pedlars, pointing out that they must have a property somewhere to store their wares and conduct business with their more discerning and reputable clients; the talkative drunk had laughed in response and wafted his stinking breath at the Puma Faunus while doing so before answering that they sometimes rented out offices _'Up town'_ for entertaining their buyers, prompting Onyx to all but drag Raffia out of the bar and set off in search of the Scavenger Guild in more affluent surroundings.

"Perhaps we should turn back?" Raffia offered

"Scared?" Onyx snorted

"Of these cowards?" Raffia shot back, offended at the suggestion "Never, I want the Scavenger Guild to suffer but Carcharodon told us not to draw suspicion, if we miss the flight back to Atlas Academy then the General will begin to suspect-"

"She will suspect nothing" the Puma Faunus waved him off "If we're questioned I'll answer that we came to the city because there was a woman I wanted to spend some time with and we lost track of time, easy enough to do while distracted….you were with me because she had a friend" Raffia let out an annoyed hiss at his team-mates' joking tone before he realised that anyone even remotely familiar with Onyx Ursabane and the antics he tended to partake in would likely have no reason to doubt such a story; as the realisation sunk in a cruel and comically wide smile split his face

"Then let's go" with his faith in their mission restored Raffia seemed to find boundless energy and Onyx was reduced to trailing behind letting out drunk and raucous laughter as the smaller Faunus insisted that he hurry up

"And where exactly are you eager to get to" Onyx laughed "We're looking for them, we don't know where they are yet….besides, we have no weapons"

"If we find them I'll kill them with my bare hands" Raffia insisted, the fact that they had decided against carrying their admittedly distinctive weapons with them after they drawn countless glances on their first expedition into Lower Atlas evidently not concerning him in the least. The two of them continued through the streets of Upper Atlas, in search of a clue which they were both certain they would recognise when they saw it eventually coming to a halt in front of building that was clearly of some importance given that the city itself seemed to have been sculpted around in and a pair of war machines were mounted on plinths, flanking its' entrance

"I'll never understand how the Kingdoms manage to produce such weapons" Raffia murmured as he took in the sight of the museum which had closed for the night without knowing what it was "They don't have the heart to be warriors"

"Exactly" Onyx grunted "They don't want to fight so they make machines to do it for them….like their metal men" the pair shared a look and shook their heads at the memory of their experiences with Atlesian built robots; for machines built specifically for combat the automatons had been underwhelming opponents to say the least. Onyx cast his eyes around their surroundings, searching for anything that would indicate where they should go and was about to speak bur found himself cut off

 _BOOM!_

A large chunk of the building was ripped away as an explosion ripped it apart from the inside, flames and debris bursting from the resulting hole; Onyx and Raffia instinctively lunged aside and covered their sensitive eyes only to find the rest of their enhanced senses assaulted, smoke clogged their noses and high pitched alarms screeched futile warnings and within the space of a minute sirens could be heard drawing close

"We should flee!" Raffia urged

"No" Onyx shook his head "We had nothing to do with this and the General will vouch for us, no sense in making ourselves look guilty" Raffia begrudgingly conceded the point and the two of them returned to their feet, before they could take in the full extent of the damage that had been done to the museum an armoured transport, its' roof fitted with flashing lights an a piercing siren screeched to a halt behind them and several people could be heard disembarking; Onyx and Raffia turned to face half a dozen police officers wearing full riot gear, weapons already drawn

"We're students from New Vale, we saw everything-"

"ON YOUR KNEES FLEABAGS! GET YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEAD AND DON'T MOVE!" one of the officers cut Onyx off, waving his weapon in a way that suggested panic and a lack of self control could override whatever training the man had received at any moment; glancing at each other Raffia and Onyx complied, though the Puma Faunus muttered to his comrade as his did so

"I'm going to break that ones' jaw before sunrise"

 **Authors Notes:**

There you go, some more cute shit and some foreshadowing/set up that needed to be done.  
Also…..the next chapter's gonna be even cuter.

Anyway not much to add this week, so let's summarise shall we:  
 _"_ _Professor Beige"_ so boring I couldn't even be bothered to make his name a pun or reference, he just gets to be the most pointless colour….also yeah, imagine having this guy after getting history lessons from Ren for a year.  
Seriously, he led the clean up crews getting rid of White Fang booby traps in Lower Atlas after the war; the sad part is could actually be a really good teacher.  
You know it's bad when even Eagle just gives up.  
Dread Pirate Toe-Beans has admirers.  
Atlas being what it is there's no way they would ever see what happened to Penny as anything other than a direct attack on Atlas and its' Hunters on Pyrrha's part.  
You know damn well Helios would have demanded single combat with the teacher.  
Beige was expecting Felix to get up and argue in defence of Yang's actions _(Remember Downward Spiral differed from canon in that Yang actually beat the shit out of Mercury after the match ended)_.  
" _Come on do it for academia"_ is now in the top five Felix quotes.  
Helios has grown up with a lot of weight on his shoulders and the idea that the racism towards the tribes he heard growing up is a parallel to the racism towards Faunus Felix experienced just seems to make sense.  
" _You're all just the bogeyman and they don't need or want to know more than that"_ If this sounds like right wing politics the good, it was meant to.  
Remember when the Scavenger Guild thought Felix and Onyx 'Must' know each other.  
THEY WERE HOLDING HANDS LIKE FILTHY PERVERTS….To all of you Battle-Cat shippers I say: You're welcome.  
Nyanza used Pay Day, it's super effective.  
Yeah Diamond can lift, she's the slim one of her team, but when that Team includes Felix, Eagle and Arctus then that's not really saying much.  
Yeah, you get why Diamond looked worried in class now.  
It might leave a foul taste in your mouth but Arctus has got a point there, telling Helios the truth does more harm than good….I'll be honest it's not a plot point I'm gonna do much with, I was using it more as a way to get to the Battle-Cat scene than anything else.  
Yeah Cinnabar, as much of a dick as he is, is really good at what he does and Arctus is honestly a little scared of him….it's gonna make the tournament interesting.  
I love that Arctus gave the salute, both both he and Winter obviously know that it's just to keep up appearances.  
The skin-crawling sensation every time I write Cinnabar continues.  
Winter is taking none of anybodies' shit.  
You wanted more Winter and you got more Winter, someone had to tell Arctus that fact of the matter is now he's back in Atlas he is going to be under scrutiny and the media are going to make his life difficult.  
Arctus and Diamond have the same reaction to having to deal with any form of politics.  
Battle-Cat: Eagle ships it.  
Mister Pancakes is now the canon name of Eagle's stuffed Ursa, thank you SumoSnipe.  
Antonia is still a little fucked up after being kidnapped, she doesn't mean to be jumpy around Faunus but she is.  
Remember, Eagle's Mum is rich. She gave Eagle ten grand as a birthday present, she is more than capable of paying a museum to stay open late then inviting all the local college kids to come for free.  
Oh dear, Antonia enjoyed dinner with Oz….oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.  
If you read The Downward Spiral then you remember Victoria Arc just tearing Adam's tanks apart like they were paper.  
Celeste was telling the truth, she has the real Wilt the one on display was a replica.  
She's also right about the reason why the fake sword was put on display.  
Well now Celeste knows who Felix is, that can't be good for Felix.  
That whole ineraction was loosely based on the museum scene with Killmonger in Black Panther; I feel that if Felix had given his last name Celsete would have most likely tried to recruit him.  
Yeah Cinnabar managed to get in Arctus's feelings; knowing that the guy who punched him the face and he's scared of has actually had sex with his girlfriend before is gonna mess with your head a little no matter how illogical you tell yourself it is.  
I kinda feel that Diamond is better at talking about these kind of things just because Emerald and Mercury went out of their way to ensure that she knew she could talk to them about anything free of judgement.  
You know damn well that Team GORE were going to go looking for the Scavenger Guild.  
Onyx's alibi would have worked as well.  
Remember how Carcharodon specifically said not to attack the Scavenger Guild straight away….well we can see exactly what Raffia thinks of that order.  
Yes that was the same museum from earlier; I'll just come out and confirm it now, the White Fang blew up the exhibit with the fake Wilt just for daring to use Adam Taurus's.  
And some things in Atlas will never change, like police racism.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Araniladin, ShadowAlex2000, iSassenach, Funlander, TigerRose and Ferrous for their reviews on the last chapter.  
I'm glad everyone enjoyed the cuteness, there's more to come.  
If you though "Getting into his armour" was joke worthy I dread to think what you'll do with "Stroking his tail".  
Athena-Jade is always a pleasure to write, honestly all of the younger siblings and cousins are.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	58. Broken Wings

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 58: Broken Wings**

Two more weeks had passed and those students who had transferred to Atlas Academy from Halo, Shade and Haven had settled into something of a routine; classes and assignments taking up the majority of their time and the upcoming dance, missions and the Vytal Festival and Tournament being prominent subjects of discussion alongside the ever present gossip and drama that came with a large number of students sharing a living space.

None of this was what Felix Xiao Long was currently concerned about as it was currently last class of the day and a Friday; which at Atlas meant a return to something which had been a part of Team FADE's first year at Halo Academy, ending the week with a combat training class.

"Not bad" the Lion Faunus taunted as he leaned back, allowing the blades of his opponents' weapon to pass over his face quickly carrying his momentum into a black flip as his opponent followed their own strike up with an incredibly acrobatic manoeuvrer that would have seen their knee colliding with his solar plexus; instead Felix landed safely in a one-kneed crouch before the two fighters circled each other in search of another opening, twirling the weapons impatiently. Felix's opponent was Sandrock Wufei, leader of second year Shade Academy Team SABL; a young man with a somewhat wiry physique who matched Felix's own admittedly average height, narrow eyes and glossy black hair which was tied back. His unassuming appearance was belied by the weapon he carried, a staff with a long curved blade like that of a scimitar at each end facing in opposite directions. Felix however had never been fooled by the appearance, he'd seen Sandrock spar before and as he gave a quick glance at the monitor which indicated that they were almost tied in terms of remaining Aura and that the class was almost over he gave an annoyed growl

"You're holding back, you haven't used your Semblance"

"Neither have you" Sandrock countered, his tone soft "I suppose you're trying to keep some secrets for the tournament as well?"

"Fair" the Lion Faunus conceded with a grin, deciding to waste no more time and simply charging forwards with the blades of Hack and Slash roaring; only for Sandrock to prove how capable and prepared he was as he brought his weapon _'Jufeng-Yin'_ flashed outwards imperceptibly fast, the first strike landing against the flat edge of one of Felix's swords and forcing them against each other in a shower of sparks and mechanical screeches of protest, the follow up attack from the weapons other end passed over him as he leaned back once again, this had been anticipated as Sandrock used his momentum to launch himself into the air and knee Felix square in the ribs, knocking the air out of him and forcing him to his knees as he struggled to breathe right as the bell signalling the end of the lesson rang.

"Dismissed" their professor, a burly veteran Huntress by the name of Cobalt thundered "Xiao Long stay behind, I want to discuss your performance" Felix fought to keep an annoyed groan from escaping him as he sheathed his swords over his back, looking towards the rows of seats showing that the rest of Team NEON had already managed to get Helios to leave with them; he and the redhead hadn't had a discussion about whatever was happening between them and things hadn't progressed beyond the fact that they now seemed to find themselves holding hands both unsure of who had initiated it or ending up with one of them draping the others' arm over their shoulder whenever their teams were together, but the fact remained Felix would have liked to walk back to their dorms with him; instead he made his way into the teachers office still sucking in painful gasps of air after the crushing blow to the chest he'd received.

* * *

"How bad was it?" Eagle asked, concern etched into her freckled face as Felix exited the hybrid of coliseum and lecture hall where combat classes were taught; Sentinel deployed at her side and giving Felix an inquisitive stare

"Nothing serious" Felix shrugged "Professor Cobalt just called me out on holding back, she knows I can hit harder than I was doing….I just told her I don't wanna give all my tricks away before the Tournament"

"How'd she take that?" Eagle asked as the two of them began walking in the general direction of the canteen with Sentinel trundling along behind them, sensing that her partner with his infamously voracious appetite would probably be hungry

"Said she understands but still expects better out of me in lesson and if that means giving away something that costs me in the tournament so be it….I'll bet fifty Lien right now she never tells an Atlas student that" Felix paused to work out a crick in his neck before asking "Where're Arctus and Diamond?"

"Oh they're in the dorm, they're trying to get ahead with assignments 'cos it's their anniversary soon and they wanna be able to go and enjoy themselves without worrying about studying"

"Cute, can't blame 'em for wanting to get out of here either" Felix noted; following what was being called a terrorist attack at the museum he and Eagle had visited earlier that same evening students had been discouraged from venturing out of the academy by the professors, Eagle herself had received a call from a frantic Antonia Arc all but ordering her to stay on the grounds where it was safe.

"Well if you're looking for a day out I have something that might interest you" a smooth, oily and distinctly familiar voice from behind them stated prompting both Felix and Eagle to turn around, coming face to face with Qrow Branwen

"Qrow!" Eagle exclaimed happily, lunging forwards and pulling her father into a hug

"Is it too much to ask for you to let people know you're coming?" Felix snorted "Seriously how do you even sneak around like that at your age?"

"I'm not gonna dignify that with an answer Fluffy" Qrow shot back as patted Sentinel's gleaming cranium in greeting which only made Eagle smile even brighter; though not as much as his next words did

"I came here to deal with something for Winter, mainly a second opinion she wanted on tournament arrangements" he paused, clearly for effect "But Eagle I did say I might have an answer to your Semblance problem, I'm pretty sure I'm on the right track….we just need to test it"

"Oh my Oum let's go, this is gonna be so cool I can't wait to see! What do you think my Semblance is gonna be?" Eagle's words came out like machine gun fire, her excitement uncontainable

"Easy kiddo" Qrow "This is something that's gonna need a little space and I'd honestly rather not do this in the dark. There's an old holiday resort around fifty miles from here-"

"A holiday resort?" Felix snorted incredulously "Here?"

"Yeah it was a doomed idea from the start; they made some artificial hot-springs in the middle of nowhere and tried to market it to gullible rich people, now it's closed down and it'll make a good place to try and unlock Eagle's Semblance. I can meet you there tomorrow morning?"

"Yes!" Eagle answered before the words had fully left Qrow's mouth, her enthusiasm enough to make Sentinel give her a quizzical glance and a series of animated chirps

"Okay cool, I'll drive you there" Felix offered

"Awesome, thank you"

"Okay I should probably go and let Winter know I'm here" Qrow said as he gave a conspiratorial wink "I think Soleil would actually scalp me if she saw me out of place" Eagle giggled and pulled him into another quick hug while Felix merely nodded, as the two of them watched Qrow leave Eagle turned and saw an expression on her partners' face that made it clear he was planning something

"What's up?" she asked, nudging him gently

"Just had an idea" he answered somewhat distractedly before pulling his Scroll out and quickly making a call

"Hey Arctus, can I ask you for a favour?" Eagle was unable to hear the Bear Faunus's reply but she assumed it was positive as Felix continued "Do you think there's anywhere in Atlas that rents dirt bikes or quad bikes that could do really short notice….like tomorrow?"

* * *

Team GORE were counting down the final few moments of their last detention, the circumstances that had led to this being unconventional to say the least. Their problems had started when Onyx and Raffia had been taken into police custody following the terrorist attack on one of Atlas's most famous museums, racial bigotry evidently playing a part in the police officers' decision despite their insistence on the contrary; General Schnee had thankfully still been on Atlas Academies' campus at the time and had both vouched for the two of them and sent a member of staff to collect them, the situation could have ended then and there were it not for Onyx catching sight of the police officer who had racially abused and pointed a weapon at him during the arrest and deciding to make good on his promise to break the mans' jaw.

Winter had been furious to say the least and had given Onyx, who was sporting countless fresh burns from the many tasers that had been used to subdue him, what was considered the standard punishment at Atlas; formal reprimands involved a student Hunter being given tasks that were considered grunt work such as cleaning bathrooms and shovelling snow in addition to their regular assignments. What Winter had not counted on was the reaction that Carcharodon Gore would have to this, the Shark Faunus had been incandescent with rage and had almost torn the door to her office from its' hinges when stormed inside demanding an explanation as to why _'His people were being used as slaves for the crime of defending their own honour'_ Winter had firstly demanded that Carcharodon calm himself before she was forced to place him in an Aura dampening collar and confine him to a cell she assured her Academy contained. When he finally did so she was willing to listen to his grievances and eventually come to a compromise; Onyx would still serve his detentions but they would instead be spent with a teacher willing to help his reading and writing as Team GORE were uniformly abysmal in that aspect of their studies despite Hellion's gradual improvement; what Winter had not expected was that the rest of Team GORE would join those detentions, not out of any desire to learn but out of solidarity with their comrade.

"Okay that'll do for tonight" the professor overseeing their 'punishment' sighed, clearly relieved to finally be able to enjoy the beginning of their own weekend "The Headmistress wants me to inform you that additional tuition will be offered if you require it, though from this point onwards it will be on a voluntary basis"

"I decline" Raffia spat before tearing out of the classroom in a cartoonish display of speed and agility, hopping over desks to get to the door a fraction of a second sooner and leaving Hellion, Onyx and Carcharodon in his wake

"I need to train, I've been cooped up in this room too long to meditate" Carcharodon announced before leaving in the direction of the gym; he hadn't been selected to spar in combat training class and was in need of something to vent his frustrations on

"I have something I'm working on" Hellion murmured before heading in the direction of their dormitory

"Still trying to impress the blonde" Onyx snorted, slapping a meaty palm on her shoulder; Hellion had been secretive with something that had been occupying her free time for the last few weeks but now that he could read a little of the language of the Kingdoms the Puma Faunus could make an educated guess at her intentions, though he chose not to pry any further. He gave Hellion a cheeky grin in response to her eye-roll before turning and jogging until he'd caught up with Carcharodon

"Coming to train?" the Shark Faunus asked quietly

"That and we need to talk about something" Onyx answered, making his rumbling voice as quiet as possible; seeing Carcharodon looking at him expectantly he continued "It's about Raffia, when I next venture into Atlas's cities I don't want to take him with me….he's becoming dangerous"

"How so?" Carcharodon's voice was toneless and held no no judgement, though the Puma Faunus still gave an irritated sigh

"We all want the Cult of Taurus and the Scavenger Guild to face our justice, but I worry about Raffia's temper" Onyx paused, privately disgusted at himself for betraying the Axolotl Faunus's trust but seeing no other option "I'm not sure he'll be able to stop himself from doing something reckless and putting our plans risk"

"Then you will have to be the one to stop him if I'm not there to do so" Carcharodon answered calmly "Raffia is loyal, that much is beyond doubt but I do understand your concerns….hopefully he can find another outlet for his anger until the time comes; perhaps the tournament"

"Maybe" Onyx grumbled, unconvinced

"You still want me to take him into the cities with me?"

"I think you have to" the Shark Faunus sighed, pure black eyes unreadable as always "Raffia needs to feel as though he's contributing and that we're making progress; if I force him to sit idly around Hunters he'll search for someone else to antagonise"

"Point taken" the larger Faunus growled, quietly resigning himself to the fact that he would effectively be his brothers' keeper while searching for the Scavenger Guild and that Raffia would most likely need to be reigned in at some point in the future, better that it be one of the Shadow Cadre to do it than a Hunter who would only exacerbate the situation.

"Good" Carcharodon sighed rolling his shoulders back as they finally reached the gymnasium "Since you're here you can help me" Onyx was about to ask help his comrade needed but found the answer waiting for him as they entered, one of the gyms' many sparring rings was surrounded by roughly a dozen students all of whom were first years from the various Academies, all of them standing a little straighter at the sight of Carcharodon

"You really were meant to lead weren't you" Onyx grunted with a gentle smile at the sight of the gaggle of students the Shark Faunus had taken under his wing.

"Just help me make sure these sheltered cretins don't die on their first mission into the real world" Carcharodon sighed, Onyx jokingly mirrored the posture of the younger students and stiffened up as he answered with a wicked grin

"Aye Captain"

* * *

The next morning came though sunlight was slow to arrive with it and heat seemed to be absent entirely, leaving both Felix and Eagle grateful for the warmer clothes they had purchased while the Lion Faunus had turned on the heating inside the Killer Bee for the sake of Helios, who despite the figure hugging black sweatshirt he wore beneath his armour was clearly uncomfortable in Atlas's perishing climate.

"I think that's the place" Eagled gasped, the excitement in her tone spectacularly at odds with the depressing sight that greeted them

"They built this place just to abandon it?" Helios enquired disbelievingly, the hotel had obviously once been an extravagant affair but now now it stood as a gutted husk of what it had once been with its' windows broken, mounds of snow piling around it and general air of desolation

"It wasn't making money so they cut their losses" Felix shrugged as he steered his car through the gate of the abandoned hotel, snow crunching beneath his tires and an uncomfortable rattling coming from behind "Would have been nice if the road here was gritted at least" he sighed before parking and turning off the engine

"So do we just wait for Qrow?" Eagle wondered out loud

"Come on, he'll already be around here somewhere Felix sighed as he opened the door and climbed out the Killer-Bee with Eagle and Helios following suit, as they did so Helios turned to the source of the rattling, a small trailer whose contents were covered with a thick sheet that had been buckled in place

"So are you going to tell me what this surprise you brought me out here for is now Fluffy?" he asked, Felix's response was a smile that was both excited and somewhat nervous as he began unbuckling the sheet

"Okay remember on the flight from Halo how you said that your people have actually got some bikes that you never get to use?"

"The ones we use to draw Grimm away from the convoys we're escorting" Helios confirmed

"Well, surprise!" Felix beamed as he whipped the sheet away with a flourish, revealing a pair of high end Atlesian snow bikes; dirt bikes modified for the Kingdoms' climate and terrain with wide tires that would find purchase on the snow and large ostentatious exhausts visible beneath panelling that seemed to be almost armour plated. When Felix had asked Arctus if he could rent such vehicles the Bear Faunus had lamented that Weiss's old prototype hybrid Chopper ATV named 'Stardust' had been sitting in the garage in need of repairs for as long as he'd been alive. Helios took in the sight of the snow bikes with wide eyes and an expression of pure glee forming on his face

"Smooth Fluffy, very smooth….y'know Yang is never gonna let you hear the end of this right, you've basically just admitted that bikes are cooler than muscle cars" the three teens whipped around and were almost predictably met with the sight of Qrow Branwen

"Qrow!" Eagle beamed as she deployed Sentinel who trundled over to the older man

"Told you he'd be around" Felix snorted "Where were you?" he asked

"Inside, making sure there's no surprises of the red eyed and nasty variety" he gave Helios a brief once over "And you are?"

"Helios Nikos" he answered calmly

"Nikos" Qrow murmured quietly, eyes taking on a distant look for a moment before whatever he was feeling was quickly buried "I knew Pyrrha Nikos, she died a hero"

"You'll have to tell about her sometime" Helios answered quietly

"But in the meantime" Felix grinned, fishing the keys for both snow bikes out of his pocket "Let's see if you can actually ride one of these. Eagle watched the interaction and stifled a giggle at the sheer cuteness of it before turning to Qrow and letting out a slow breath

"So you think you can unlock my Semblance here?" there was nothing she could to prevent her nerves from creeping into her tone

"This way" Qrow nodded, evidently equally nervous and desperate for his first gift to his daughter to be something special. Qrow set off towards the hotel which formed the main building of the abandoned resort and Eagle fell into step behind him, entering the building revealed its' interior to be equally bleak as the outside; plaster was chipped and flaking away from the walls which were cracked in several places where pipes had frozen and burst, the floor was littered with slivers of glass and assorted detritus and ahead of them a large fountain, easily two stories tall which had clearly been intended to be the main feature of the atrium stood tarnished and lifeless, its' water stagnant and frozen.

"Come on, we need to be on the roof" Qrow told her, directing her towards a stairway off to one side of of the atrium. Eagle reverted Sentinel into shield mode and slung the automaton over her back knowing that it would be faster than allowing the droid to struggle with stairs. Their ascent went without incident and brought them onto the roof of the twelve story building where the wind howled in their ears and snow had piled high after years of neglect

"Okay, we're here" Eagle breathed out, trying to keep her hands from shaking with nerves and anticipation

"This'll probably go a little easier if you're not carrying the tin man" Qrow mused, scratching his beard; Eagle quickly removed her shield from her back and allowed Sentinel to unfold once again

"Okay, I've done as much research as I can but honestly I think there's nothing for it now; we're gonna have to take the direct approach to this" the veteran Huntsman murmured as he strode purposefully to the edge of the roof

"So what's the plan?" Eagle asked as she took a position next to him

"Your Semblance will manifest itself in reaction to a need, that's the way me and your Aunt Raven learned" Qrow ran a hand through his grey hair and let out a bitter sigh "I really wish there was an easier way to do this Kiddo, but you need to be under serious strain and the fear needs to be real"

"Erm….what are you going to do?" Eagle was suddenly very nervous, fingers drumming against the hilt of her sword until Qrow's hand rested on her shoulder

"I want you to know that you're completely safe, the fear is real but I won't let anything happen to you, you're in no real danger….and I really am sorry about this kiddo" before Eagle could ask what he was apologising for Qrow had shoved her hard and sent her staggering forwards; over the edge of the roof and falling with a panicked scream escaping her lips.

As she plummeted downwards something happened, her scream sounded different to her ears and the rapidly approaching ground suddenly came into much sharper focus, the pure white glow of her Aura became visible and she began to feel lighter and time seemed to slow down as the flailing of her arms became more rhythmic, her body acting of its' own accord. The inexplicable sensation ended as Eagle's feet reached the snow and she staggered several steps before collapsing in a heap, her breathing fast and shallow

"CAW!" hearing the sound of Qrow swooping down from the hotel Eagle rose to her feet on trembling legs, adrenaline still coursing through her and blinding her to just how far away from the hotel she'd landed

"You jerk!" she shouted, shoving a finger into Qrow's chest as she stomped over to him "Oh my Oum you just pushed me off of a roof, what on Remnant were you thinking you crazy old-WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?" Qrow was almost doubled over in hysterics

"Eagle, you did it" he pointed to the hotel "A twelve story drop and you landed over twenty feet away"

"I-I….What?" Eagle was still too shaken by the experience to process exactly what had happened, Qrow placed his hands on her shoulders and gazed at her with an expression of pure pride and joy

"You didn't fall Eagle, you flew" the words seemed to make everything snap into place in her mind though the shock still took a few moments to wear off

"Oh….my….OUM THAT'S SO COOL"

"Yeah it is Kiddo, yeah it is" Qrow chuckled "So, Sentinel is still on the roof….wanna go back up and get him, maybe have a few more practice runs?" Eagle's eyes widened and she didn't bother with a verbal answer, instead tearing off back towards the hotel, eager to try and experience her Semblance again.

* * *

Ozymandias waited in an office that was not his own, the only office that was currently occupied within the secondary production facility of _'Libertas Incorporated'_ one of the many subsidiary companies which had been purchased by Poly-Tech since Antonia Arc had taken charge. Libertas Incorporated was responsible for manufacturing many of the weapons and vehicles used by the Atlesian military and ever increasing demand had allowed for the company to expand, moving a considerable portion of their weapons manufacturing to Ozymandias's current location; a state of the art and highly automated facility based in Freiheit, the largest of the post-war settlements built outside of Atlas's Hive Cities which had grown to a city bearing the half joking moniker _'The other Capital City'_

"Right on time" Ozymandias murmured with a soft smile that would have unsettled any who saw it in ways they would find themselves unable to describe as the sound of footsteps echoing along the corridor outside reached his ears. Ozymandias adjusted his glasses and rose to his considerable but spindly height and strode in front of the desk of the commandeered office just as its' door was opened, his visitor evidently deigning themselves above knocking

"Good evening; glad to see you're well and walking about freely no less. I must say the attire suits you, though I don't recognise the specific design; modified I assume?" Ozymandias spoke jovially while bowing slightly at the waist, indulging the Ram Faunus in front of her followers

"Doctor Eldritch" Celeste gave a barely perceptible nod, she made a striking and imposing figure clad in the suit of black power armour that strengthened her somewhat sickly physique, crimson bladed katana hanging from her waist and harsh magenta eyes visible behind her glossy black mask which was in turn framed by the horns curling around her temple while her curly locks of prematurely white hair were cut close to the skull at the sides and worn in a tight bun atop her head; flanking her on either side were a pair of Faunus clad in black pants and jackets with a white vest bearing the logo of the faction to which they pledged loyalty, faces obscured by the unadorned gunmetal grey mask of a White Fang initiate and each of them clutching a shotgun with a demeanour that suggested they were looking for a reason to justify shooting the human that presumed to speak to their leader.

"So, to business I presume?" Ozymandias suggested

"Naturally" Celeste answered, allowing him to pass and gesturing for him to lead the way; the spindly human strode calmly passed the body guards and gave no thought to the weapons they discreetly pointed at his back except to prevent himself from smirking at what was ultimately a futile gesture. He led the quintet of Faunus through the corridors of the administration department and various other offices based areas of the plant before reaching a heavy steel door which led to the factory itself

"Why are we stopping?" Celeste demanded

"Proper safety" Ozymandias noted with a faintly amused edge to his voice as he handed each of them a pair of earplugs "We can overlook hi-vis vests for tonight, I assume that all of your boots are steel capped?"

"Do not test my patience" Celeste warned, though she still took the earplugs and was grateful that she had done so when Ozymandias opened the door and led them out onto an overhead walkway where the sounds of machinery and various workers shouting to be heard over it assaulted her sensitive ears.

"As you can see the plant relies heavily on automation" he gestured at the machines below which were mass producing weapons on automated assembly lines "Which naturally didn't go over too well with the Coalition, you've heard of them I presume? Faunus and workers rights advocates-"

"Traitors to their species who would compromise with the same humans who subjugated the Faunus" Celeste snapped

"Of course" Ozymandias breathed out, his as neutral as he could make it "But as you can see there are now living and breathing employees on site; order pickers, maintenance crew, cleaners, despatch, quality control….it's taken some time to implement but I now have the night shift completely under our control"

"All Faunus" Celeste nodded in understanding "All White Fang"

"Precisely, would you like to take a look at the latest fruits of our arrangement?" Celeste again merely gestured for him to lead the way, silently taking in every detail of the of the facility as they made their way down a flight of stairs that clanged underfoot and between the rows of machinery; the Faunus they passed as they moved through the plant either bowed reverently and whispered between themselves at the sight of the power armoured woman carrying the sword of Adam Taurus, or pointedly turned away and continued about their duties while giving themselves the excuse that they had seen nothing if questioned. Eventually they moved beyond the factory floor and into a somewhat quieter part of facility where the main sources of noise were forklift trucks, several dozen workmen and the howling wind which became audible each time a shutter door was raised

"You see these crates here" Ozymandias gestured to scores of crates organised in neat rows and stacked several high, from some of which a faint green glow emanated, the silver haired doctor gave a wry smile as he continued speaking "Unfortunately there seems to be an error somewhere in the production process, leading to an increase of goods which have failed quality tested after assembly, unfortunately this same issue is leading to inefficiencies and more high quality Eco-Dust than expected has been used this quarter"

"Truly a shame" Celeste dead-panned, a cruel smile forming on her face as she turned to her underlings "Contact the others and help them load the trucks" the grunts did as they were instructed without pause or comment

"You can expect similar shipments every three months, although I would consider breaking them into less noticeable monthly deliveries. The paper trail and digital records will be dealt with" Ozymandias stated, knowing better than to tell Celeste exactly how he achieved his results and give her no reason to continue her reliance on him. The Ram Faunus herself nodded in understanding

"And in response-"

"Your services when I require them, you'll know more when you need to" Ozymandias answered enigmatically. Celeste, unused to being dismissed so bluntly lowered herself to a taunt which she delivered with same conviction as her sermons

"Thank you Doctor, for giving me further proof that the Faunus are the superior species; your kind will turn on each other for even the slightest gain and you've only achieved what you have be building it on the backs of Faunus"

"An interesting take from a Faunus whose back I built" Ozymandias noted in a bored tone, continuing as Celeste's armoured fist clenched around Wilt and her expression became something ugly and fierce "Petty squabbles over land and race and resources are childish things that I thought humans and Faunus would have moved beyond. I have my own plans High Commander and they are far more grand than a mere power play"

* * *

The journey back to Atlas Academy had been a monumentally happy one, Eagle saw the glances that Helios and Felix were giving each other after spending the day on what neither of them had outright called a date but could easily be interpreted as such, this only fuelled her ecstatic giddiness at finally discovering her Semblance; several dozen more leaps from the roof of the abandoned hotel had seen Sentinel's metallic claws shooting forwards on their cables to catch her or Qrow using his own Semblance and Aura to break her fall several times but by the time they had decided enough Eagle had a success rate of more than fifty percent and had on one occasion managed to shift into her avian form mid fall and return to the roof beside the father whose Semblance she had inherited.

When the three of them had returned to Atlas Eagle was overcome by the urge to tell someone of her achievements, her mothers' phone had gone unanswered though this bothered her less than it could have; for a moment she debated telling Arctus that she too had a family who passed down a Semblance even if it was a less certain thing than that of the Schnees; in the end though there was one person Eagle desperately wanted to know, whose reaction she wanted to see and praise she wanted to receive.

"Hello little canary, odd place for a lesson" Hellion noted with a slight huff as her gossamer wings shivered, the Atlesian night air a little too frigid for even someone as used to cold as the Shadow Cadre were.

"Okay so I maybe kinda lied a little bit about why I wanted to meet you up here" Eagle answered, words increasing in pace as her cheeks flushed "But I wanted it to be a surprise"

"Oh?" Hellion raised a curious eyebrow, jade eyes startlingly intense as she peered at Eagle expectantly, prompting the armoured blondes' cheeks to colour even more under the scrutiny as she stammered out a reply

"I, well, um….So you know you know how I didn't know what my Semblance was? Well I've been out in the tundra training with Qrow Branwen, um my Dad and I found it….I just wanted you to be one of the first-" Eagle's words came to an abrupt halt as the air left her lungs when Hellion dashed forwards so fast as to be almost invisible and flung her arms around her

"I'm so proud of you" she sighed gently in Eagle's ear, fully aware of the effect she had on the slightly taller and distinctly more muscular woman; Hellion could almost feel the blondes' heart hammering in her chest through her armour at the sudden contact and suddenly felt emboldened, gently cupping one cheek and brushing the freckled skin with her thumb while planted the briefest of kisses on the opposite cheek and whispering

"Can you show me?"

"Uh huh" Eagle gulped, a sudden lump in her throat and her crimson eyes reminiscent of a deer in headlights "Yeah I can show you, that's actually why I asked you to meet me here instead of inside, I haven't figured out how to take of from the ground yet so I need to…." she trailed off aware that her hyperactive rambling would spoil the surprise if not reigned in, with that she took a deep breath and deployed Sentinel behind her, using her Semblance while carrying the droid was another variable she was yet to explore. She took stock of her surroundings, she had met Hellion atop the ramparts of the fortress like campus, as close as she could get to the gargantuan weapons systems mounted on each of Atlas Academy's towers without an access code; suddenly giddy once more eager to show Hellion more than anyone else what she could do she grabbed the snow covered wall and hauled herself onto it, standing on the edge with nothing between her and the harsh wind

"What are you doing?" Hellion demanded, clearly unsettled

"This is my Semblance" Eagle beamed "I can fly, watch" with nothing else to be said she leapt convinced that her Semblance would respond to her needs, spreading her arms wide and waiting for the momentary flash of her Aura that preceded each of her transformations only for dread to wash over her in a wave as nothing happened, Hellion's panicked yells and a series of chirps from Sentinel barely registered as blood pounded in her ears and the snow covered ground rushed up to meet her at frightening speed; Eagle's crimson eyes widened and she tried her best to curl up and protect herself as best as possible before she hit the floor with a dull thud and everything went black.

 **Authors Notes:**

So another cute chapter and it will only continue next chapter.  
Honestly the first quarter/third or so of Vol.5 is gonna be cute stuff/set up, you're welcome.  
Also a little personal update and I feel like I've said this quite a few times since February but I have a new job that I'm starting on Monday; the difference is this isn't temp to perm basis work through a recruitment agency, an hour after my interview the company called me and told me they wanted to cut out the middle man and hire me directly; the hours make it so that I should honestly be able to keep my upload schedule without any real changes or problems though.

So anyway, let's summarise:  
So note that this doesn't take place directly after the last chapter.  
Ending the week with combat class again, although the teacher will never be Nora.  
The student Felix was sparring was obviously based on Gundam Wing characters and Mobile suits.  
The sparring match serves to show that Team FADE are not invincible and also it stops tournament fodder characters from just appearing out of nowhere when the plot calls for them and then vanishing afterwards.  
I imagine students would hold back on using their Semblances in sparring matches when the tournament was coming up, I also imagine that the teachers would not take kindly to that  
' _Jufeng-Yin'_ \- 'Hurricane Silver'  
Felix and Helios are that awkward "What's actually happening with us" stage and it's adorable.  
Diamond Dust one year anniversary coming soon.  
Okay yeah just clearing this up, the museum was open a couple hours later than usual but the New White Fang attacked it in the middle of the night; a few people seemed to think Eagle and Felix were there when it happened.  
You knew Qrow in Atlas was coming….I love the idea that Felix is just so used to his antics he's kinda dismissive of them.  
Can you imagine Ciel Soleil and Qrow having to interact with each other.  
Surely you already knew what Felix was planning.  
Atlas will always be Atlas; it's not as openly racist as it used to be but there's still a definite tension there and a Faunus at a scene of a crime is always gonna be the first person the police arrest.  
Onyx does not make idle threats, he said he was gonna snap someone's jaw so he did.  
Atlas is a military academy, I feel like grunt work like shovelling snow would be a big part of their punishments.  
The culture of the Anima tribes and Atlesian culture rubbing up against each other is always an interesting thought, and we all know Carcharodon would throw a fit at the idea of his people being used as forced labour _(The Frost River Tribe were raiders but they never took slaves or prisoners, remember?)_.  
Also the whole of Team GORE serving Onyx's detentions with him, it made someone awww when I told them about it in advance.  
Hellion _"Trying to impress the blonde"_ ….We'll see next chapter.  
The main point of this scene was to have Onyx bring up his concerns about Raffia, I don't want it to come completely out of nowhere when he does something shocking.  
Carcharodon is slowly progressing as a leader, even in first year he would have just beaten Raffia into submission.  
I did mention that Onyx has a gaggle of first years that've just gravitated towards him.  
Yes, Felix remembered Helios saying that the Nikos tribe use dirt bikes and quads to draw Grimm away and that he wished he could use them, so he went and rented a pair of the Atlesian equivalents so he could treat Helios….adorable.  
If you read The Downward Spiral you remember Stardust, it's still at Schnee Manor.  
Also friendly rivalry between Yang and Felix over whether muscle cars or superbikes are cooler.  
Okay Downward Spiral was planned before Vol.4 started and obviously before Vol.5, hence the bird thing actually being the Branwen twins' Semblance, I'm carrying that a little further and making it a Branwen family Semblance that isn't as fixed as the Schnees' but still turns up often enough in their family to be noteworthy.  
Also you know damn well that Qrow would use that kind of hands on teaching.  
So yeah, Eagle can fly….note that I haven't actually explicitly shown what her avian form is yet.  
Oz and Celeste doing business in person, you know you wanted to see these two interact more.  
Also, we haven't really see Oz use his powers for much yet but note that he literally does not care about weapons being pointed at him.  
Workers, wear your PPE.  
Interesting to hear Celeste's thoughts on the organisation Blake is a large part of.  
And that's how Oz is getting the guns and Dust for the New White Fang, fudging numbers at an automated plant and writing off large amounts of goods and materials as damaged; it's nothing super flashy, but it doesn't need to be.  
The little insult trading between the two near the end is telling; Celeste definitely has one thing in common with Adam: Her calm and in charge persona works best when people believe it and things are going as planned.  
Also, Oz really isn't joking about grand plans.  
Above fifty percent…..So Eagle hasn't immediately mastered her Semblance.  
Hellion was the first person Eagle told, she's got it so bad.  
And that ladies and gents is what showing off gets you….Surely somebody saw that coming right?

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Araniladin, Funlander, iSassenach, ShadowAlex2000, Ferrous, FleetOfWarships, TigerRose and CanadianCavalier for their reviews on the last chapter.  
I thought the tail stroking would send your minds into the gutter.  
It's not arrogance if you can back it up….Isn't that a Muhammed Ali quote? Seems fitting if it is.  
Okay I'll reiterate, the White Fang blew up the museum after it had closed; Antonia only had kept open a couple of hours….getting Felix would have been a nice added bonus for her but she didn't change a plan specifically for it…..there will be plenty of time for a confrontation though.  
It was more Onyx acting as a wingman.  
Surprise, I have plenty of ways to hospitalise characters.  
Celeste in her wheelchair maybe looks a little like L, Celeste with her armour on and in full bad-ass mode looks way more intimidating.  
I love how much everyone hates Cinnabar.  
Phrasing….The Battle Cats are nowhere near that stage in their relationship yet.  
I think there would have been riots if Onyx or Raffia were politically savvy enough to go down that route, as it is Onyx decked the guy and left it at that.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	59. Silver Lining

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 59: Silver Lining**

The first sensation Eagle felt as she regained consciousness was pain, it came in various shades and degrees but was an all consuming thing that demanded her attention. She kept her eyes closed as her nose was assaulted by a distinctly medical smell while trying to force her mind to form coherent thoughts despite the drowsiness, nausea and incessant throbbing behind her eyes; her entire body ached and she felt several stabbing pains in her chest as she inhaled, her right arm was a mess of unpleasant sensations, stabbing aching pains and what could best be described as an itch on the inside of the limb. It took a few moments for her to recall what had happened and as her stomach lurched at the memory of plummeting towards the ground her eyes flew open, the ceiling of what could only be the medical wing of Atlas Academy coming into focus. Her awakening had obviously not gone unnoticed as a familiar voice began to sing, though it sounded as though the singer were on the verge of laughter

"-Take! These broken wings and learn to fly again, learn to live so free! When we hear-"

"Oum damn it Corey!" a voice than clearly belonged to Felix snapped before speaking more gently to Eagle herself "Nice to see you're awake….you're an idiot though, you know that right?" Eagle's only response was a long wordless groan before attempting to push herself into a sitting position, an endeavour that required several attempts as she realised her right arm was in a cast and sling which explained the discomfort the limb was causing her. She was greeted by both Felix and Corvid Xiao Long as well as Arctus and Diamond, all of whom seemed to have been there for several hours and slept little judging by the bags under their eyes

"How bad is it?" she asked, bracing herself for the worst

"The _'You jumped off the roof'_ kinda bad" Diamond snorted "Broken arm, a few cracked ribs, broken nose and you're basically one big bruise….nothing too serious though, they've got you pumped full of painkillers and Aura stimulant" Eagle noted that the medication easily accounted for the wooziness she was suffering from

"The nurse must know some of your family" Arctus added "Heard her muttering about _'Typical Arc'_ amounts of Aura" Eagle chuckled at this, only to end up wincing at the pain that lanced through her ribs in response

"I'm okay, I'm okay" she managed to cough out upon seeing Felix move to help her; instead the Lion Faunus reached behind him and produced something that had been hidden from view, a familiar and absurdly oversized stuffed Ursa

"You're still gonna be in here tonight, thought you might want Mr. Pancakes, and the book you left open on your bed"

"Thanks Fluffy" Eagle beamed, her partner merely looked down at her with a bemused yet clearly exasperated expression

"So do you want to tell us why you took an amateur skydiving class, emphasis on amateur"

"It's my Semblance" Eagle huffed

"What, hardcore snow angels?" Corvid snorted, grinning almost ear to ear

"No" Eagle sighed, realizing that Felix had in fact not seen any of her successful transformations and would thus have been unable to spoil the surprise for her team-mates, leaning back on her pillows she explained "I unlocked my Semblance with Qrow yesterday….I can fly, I turn into a bird like he does-"

"Holy Oum that's awesome!" Felix gasped

"I know right!" Eagle beamed, crimson eyes lighting up with excitement "I wanted to show Hellion….but I uh, I couldn't do it….is that weird?"

"Dude no, you're fine" Diamond assured her "Nobody controls their Semblance perfectly as soon as they unlock it. I fell off walls and ceilings all the time when I first learned how to use mine, I had pretty much permanent motion sickness and vertigo for the first month or two"

"There's still things my Mum and Aunt Winter can do with the Schnee Semblance that I can't" Arctus added, the admissions from her friends gradually putting Eagle's fears that she was abnormal or her Semblance was somehow broken to rest; seeing the worry slowly leaving her face Corvid decided to contribute

"Seriously Fluffy is the only person I know who managed to master their Semblance early on and that's only because our parents made him practice for hours at a time every day until he did because of how dangerous it could be" Felix nodded silently in agreement, unable to get a word in before Corvid gave Eagle a wink and a cheeky smile "So, you were showing off for the same girl you're giving extra tutoring to? You've got it bad Eagle….you could say you 'fell' for her" Eagle let out another wordless groan with a key difference being that this time she was not the only person to do so this time; Corvid merely smirked in satisfaction at the reception her pun received while Eagle looked around and realised that there was someone missing, the very person she had been hoping to impress when she leapt from the roof of the academy

"Hey guys, do any of you know where Hellion is?" she asked, trying to keep the disappointed tone out of her voice, though the glances her friends gave her made it clear she was unsuccessful.

"She was here all night" Felix assured her "She climbed down the walls and carried you inside"

"Then Uncle Qrow turned up" Corvid noted with a shake of the head "Apparently he's staying nearby"

"Did he say something to her?" Eagle demanded

"Warned her that your Mum is gonna be on the way and that the two of them running into each other might be a problem" Corvid explained. Eagle remained silent for a while with no idea how to respond after a moment something occurred to her

"So where's Qrow….and my Mum?"

"Uncle Qrow went to meet her at the main entrance" Felix answered "She called him and didn't sound happy a few hours ago….I think he's trying to avoid an argument in front of you"

"Okay" Eagle sighed, a little disheartened at the news that her parents would most likely be on bad terms the first time she was with both of them at once before quickly searching for the silver lining that she assured herself was there

"Hey the rest of you can meet my Mum then" she smiled

"Sweet" Corvid grinned

"Corey she's not gonna let you in Poly-Techs' labs" Felix teased good naturedly

"Let me dream Fluffy" she shot back, a moment later the smile slipped from her face as the sound of a furious raised voice delivering a tirade reached their ears, drawing closer with each passing second

"That sounds like them" Felix noted

"Yeah" Eagle sighed as it became obvious that it was indeed her mother delivering a lecture about responsible testing procedures and proper safety while Qrow gave tense, restrained single word replies.

"Sounds like Aunt Winter whenever Uncle Whitley does something dumb" Arctus noted, earning himself a gentle elbow in the ribs from Diamond

"Yeah" Corvid grinned, her expression an unmistakable precursor to one of her puns "It's kinda ironic that she wants to _'Murder'_ him right?" when Eagle's parents opened entered the medical facility they found themselves silenced as they were met with a chorus of resigned groans from Team FADE.

* * *

The laboratory located in a section of Poly-Techs' research facility designated above top secret and accessible to less than a dozen individuals within the entirety of the company was dimly lit, the primary source of light being countless banks of displays and blinking lights mounted around screens and control panels; lending the laboratory a sinister air which went unnoticed by its' sole occupant, Doctor Ozymandias Eldritch. The scientist moved around the darkened workspace in a manner that truly showed off precisely who and what he was; while still not as adept as manipulating the powers of the Wizard as his predecessor Oscar Pine and most certainly not as capable as Ozpin had been Ozymandias still vanished and reappeared at will or seemed to be in several places at once for brief moments, all feats accomplished through subtle manipulations of the flow of time much like his ability to move between the Hive Cities of Atlas and the settlements that were slowly being overtaken by the White Fang out in the tundra with far less difficulty than one would expect. The sight of the silver haired and bespectacled man utilizing his powers would have been deeply unsettling to anyone unfortunate enough to have witnessed it, clouds comprised of ethereal green light roiled around his body while the irises of his eyes shone with an acid green glow behind his glasses and the sound of his ramblings echoed unnaturally around the room, this demented muttering seemed to speed up and slow down like a record playing at the wrong speed, though the words were still clearly discernable

"Work you blasted thing, work, yes, yes, yes YES!" the machine his sinister attentions were focused on was a cylindrical reinforced Atlesian steel container, large enough for perhaps a dozen people to comfortably stand in and encased in countless layers of specialised coating made of a matte black material, its' inner workings completely hidden though the pale green glow of Eco-Dust could seen emanating from within the countless pipes and cables attached to the main body, whatever was taking place inside the prototype containment unit was obviously taking a lot of power as the entire assembly vibrated and hummed, electricity arcing dangerously across its' surface, much to Ozymandias's pleasure his experiment was responsible for the failure of several other experiments as power was diverted away from the rest of the facility, exactly as planned.

"It's working, IT'S WORKING!" Ozymandias cackled gleefully, his voice coming from all directions as he appeared to be in a dozen different locations around the laboratory taking scores of readings and making minute adjustments to the parameters, his manic laughter finally subsiding until it was nothing but a fit of giggling that remained incongruous to his usual persona, the light and crackling energies of the Wizard dissipating as he brought the lights back on

"Merlot you degenerate imbecile of a hack" he chuckled to himself with a fond smile "Artificial Grimm indeed, you sickening wretch. This, now this is the future" Ozymandias's smile twisted into something feral and monstrous at the thought of the man who could once have been considered his contemporary, Merlot had gone into hiding long before the fruits of his insane labours had been delivered to Atlesian citizens in the form of _'Project Hexxus'_ during the war, his artificial Grimm hive ravaging almost an entire city before being stopped, despite the lies in the history books, by the combined efforts of the military, Hunters and the White Fang; Ozymandias had perused Merlot's research and dismissed it as a perversion of nature fuelled by wishful thinking, before promptly breaking Merlot's neck and spine and casting his body into the sea where it would could be devoured by true Grimm. Ozymandias however recognised the current project entrusted to Antonia by the upper echelons of the Atlesian military for what it was, an opportunity to create one of the missing pieces of his puzzle; a containment unit designed to pacify Grimm for study with the intended subject being a sentient Grimm, one capable of controlling scores or hundreds of other monsters, a different path to Merlot but with the same end result.

"A paradigm shift is coming" Ozymandias whispered excitedly to himself, unable to mask his elation at the thought of the Grimm becoming a force that could be controlled by those with the knowledge and the technology; both assets he had an abundance of, as well as a vision that far exceeded whatever petty uses the humans or Faunus would inevitably find if they were not restrained; most likely weapons of war or a cheap replacement for the Hunters. He soon found himself forced to mask his emotions with a jovial facade as his Scroll began to ring with a tone that indicated a video call, meaning it could only be coming from one person

"Afternoon Toni, is the emergency taken care of?" he asked, pouring concern into his words

"It is" Antonia sighed "Eagle was injured at the academy, nothing lasting or that will even really slow her down thank Oum"

"She is her mothers' daughter after all, glad to hear that she's okay" Oz noted wryly and watched the smile creep across her tired face, exactly as predicted "Will you be visiting the lab today?"

"I have meetings to attend to unfortunately" Antonia lamented "I'm sure you can work without me for one day Oz" her tone was teasing, a relatively recent development in their conversations as banter slowly morphed into flirting with each dinner date they shared.

"I can indeed, however I feel like we're close to a breakthrough on _'Project Snare'_ it was working for a few seconds before we had a power surge….I can shelf the project until you're available?"

"Nonsense" Antonia answered bluntly, tone becoming business like at the mention of the code name pertaining to the containment unit "I will make myself available, if our theories on what General Schnee intends to use this for are correct it's our top priority"

"Thank you" Oz nodded, doing his best to appear humble while at the same time calculating the easiest way to hide his results and mask the source of the power surge he had caused

"We're on the brink of something great here Oz" Antonia sighed almost wistfully before ending the call

"If only you knew" he snorted, his reasoning for allowing Antonia to believe she was the one to make the essential breakthrough when she inevitably did so was twofold; firstly he did have a certain fondness for the woman, it was good to have someone who was if not an equal at least a competent follower who could keep up with at least one of his trains of thought; more practically it kept suspicion away from him, if he outshone Antonia she would check his notes and research and various other things that he would rather keep hidden until the perfect moment, after all there was plenty more to be obtained from the company built on the legacy of Geppetto Polendina before he was done.

But he was getting ahead of himself, that was for another time.

* * *

Arctus and Diamond's one year anniversary fell on the following Tuesday, causing both of them to agree to celebrate the milestone over the weekend instead and allow themselves a little more freedom to enjoy themselves. The first obstacle to this plan had been getting reservations for where Arctus planned to take Diamond to dinner, though he had eventually managed to wrangle one for the Sunday evening; the second was that both of them had slept little since leaving Eagle's room in Atlas's medical wing where the blonde herself remained, albeit surrounded by friends and with frequent calls from her many relatives. Their plans for the evening included going to say a band that Diamond loved and had introduced Arctus to perform live, he hadn't told her that the tickets he'd managed to procure included a backstage pass and was eager to see the look on her face when she realised; currently however they were enjoying their meal in one of Atlas's most famous up market restaurants. The Borealis while accessible from the interior of Atlas's capital Hive City it was actually located on the outside of the snow capped the mountain inhabiting what had once been a military observatory and research outpost but had since been turned into something grandiose and opulent; the proprietors of the business using the location to commodify the truly breathtaking view of Atlas's sky at night, including the phenomenon after which it was named, a sight which the majority of the Kingdoms' citizens rarely, if ever saw

"Okay I'll give you this one, it really is a great view" Diamond admitted with a soft smile "We don't get anything like this in Mistral" outside the entirety of the side of the mountain the Borealis was built into could be seen while snow swirled beneath them, away from the harsh utilitarianism of its' settlements Atlas's geography was beautiful in a way that could best be described as brutal, yet majestic; Arctus saw none of it, his attention utterly consumed by the smile on Diamond's face which in their year of dating had never once failed to make his heart skip a beat. The moment ended too soon, interrupted by a nervous and apologetic waiter who appeared distinctly ruffled

"Sir, Miss; the chef assures me that your desert will be ready momentarily-"

"It's no problem dude" Diamond assured him, her relaxed manner and utter lack of pretence delightfully at odd with the restaurants' usual patrons

"However there is another….issue that I have been asked to bring to your attention" Arctus gulped, for a brief moment that notion that his card might be declined occurred to him until the waiter elaborated, the reality turning out to be far worse "The press have decided to make a scene and we don't have enough door staff on hand to escort them all away"

"The press?" Diamond's eyebrows vanished behind her silvery bangs in confusion; the teens were dining on an upper floor balcony and her words were punctuated by a commotion at the entrance below as a mass of bodies tried to gain entry to the restaurant, cameras and microphones clearly visible in the fray

"No seriously, the press?" Diamond demanded "What the hell, we're not even doing anything"

"Miss, you understand that Mr Slate is considered something of a celebrity in Atlas and through your association with him you are quite well known as well, you're also a pair of Hunters competing in the Vytal Tournament; I imagine a few of the 'news' outlets would go to such lengths to get your first interview" the utter distaste in the waiters' voice was enough for Diamond to decide that she liked the man and would definitely be tipping; she made this decision at the same moment the first of the reporters to slip inside hollered up to Arctus

"WOULD YOU LIKE TO RESPOND TO CLAIMS THAT YOUR LOYALTY TO ATLAS IS QUESTIONABLE?"

"ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS?" Diamond demanded furiously as she shot to her feet, cherry red eyes flashing dangerously

"Come on Dee, let's go" Arctus sighed, turning to the waiter and adding "Tell the chef to cancel dessert, or if it's already made it can go to whoever removes these reporters….I'm sorry for being the cause of the disturbance"

"MR SLATE WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENT ON THE POSSIBILITY OF FACING YOUR PARTNERS' EX BOYFRIEND IN THE UPCOMING TOURNAMENT? THE PEOPLE ARE DYING TO KNOW!"

"The people are dying to know how much Henry Marigold pays you to stalk teenagers, and if you do it for free on your days off!" Arctus shot back venously as he recognised the journalist hurling questions as one who worked for the Marigold media empire, people his parents had always assured him were parasites

"Come on then, let's go" Diamond breathed out, glowering at the press as she stalked towards the stairs leading to the ground floor and exit

"Miss Sustrai, we have a back door we would be happy to allow you to leave without any more unwanted attention-"

"No need, we're not doing anything wrong. If I'm leaving that I'm walking out the front door, coming Big Guy?"

"One sec" Arctus quickly paid for the meal on his card and joined her, making out several familiar yet unwelcome faces in the mob of journalists and attendant camera crews, the same faces could be seen at every formal, social or charity event desperately grasping for a story that would be sensational enough to distract their audiences away from issues that actually affected them.

"On the bright side we've got plenty of time to get to the gig" Diamond shrugged as she took her hand in his, the moment ruined by the same obnoxiously loud journalist shouting at Arctus once again

"MR SLATE! WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO LEAVE ATLAS, KNOWING THAT YOU WOULD END UP FIGHTING AGAINST STUDENTS OF YOUR OWN AUNTS' ACADEMY?"

"Mainly so I didn't have to deal with this every time I left campus" Arctus growled before flinging up a pair of Glyphs, one of either side of himself and Diamond, both rotating at an impressive speed which blocked the pair from view and made photographing them near impossible

"Think they'll follow us to the gig?" Diamond asked as they stepped outside, only to find a distinct lack of taxis waiting to take them to the venue

"Not likely, remember that mission I went on with my Dad over the summer?"

"Yeah why….holy Oum" Diamond gasped as Arctus summoned a construct in the form of the Valknjoggr that he had aided in the destruction of, glowing pearly white and shrunken down enough to fit in the street, though still large enough to make following impossible

"Come on" Diamond pulled Arctus along gently and triggered her own Semblance, the physical contact allowing the Bear Faunus to follow her as she warped the dimensions and forces acting on her surroundings as she ran along a wall; by the time Arctus's construct had failed due to the distance between him and it and the energy involved in maintaining its' cohesion the pair had managed to put some distance between themselves and the grasping vultures that comprised Atlas's tabloid media

"So is this what you imagined dating me would be like" Arctus snorted, his obvious embarrassment and displeasure with the situation still obvious beneath the teasing tone

"Dork" Diamond laughed, nudging him playfully as the two of them remained stood on the ceiling of the Hive level unhindered by trivialities such as gravity "Come on, let's go find a ride" they had barely taken a dozen steps before Arctus's Scroll vibrated and he retrieved the device from his pocket, momentarily taken aback by the identity of the video caller before answering

"Really Arctus, a fancy dinner date and you didn't even bother with a fake name? Have I taught you nothing" the pale, angular and bearded face of Whitley Schnee greeted him as the sardonic faux lecture began

"Hey Uncle Whitley" Arctus breathed out, noting that his mothers' younger brother sported noticeably red eyes and slurred his words ever so slightly, conditions which were usually a precursor to Whitley engaging in drunken antics that would find their way to the front page of the same gossip rags now desperate to find a story pertaining to Arctus and Diamond

"So heard you got mobbed by the press on your date, the owner of the Borealis looks out for me….call this a late birthday present" Whitley gave a conspiratorial wink and raised a bottle of vodka into view  
"What're you gonna do?" Arctus sighed, almost scared of the answer

"I'm gonna upstage you, should keep you off the front page" Whitely smirked, pale blue eyes glinting with drunken mischief "You kids have fun now" with that the call ended

"So that's Whitley Schnee" Diamond noted conversationally "What do you think he's gonna do?"  
"Well the last time he decided to run interference he used a private aquarium as a water park while dressed as what was meant to be a penguin Grimm"

"Oh my Oum that's amazing" Diamond cackled gleefully, laughing so hard she nearly lost control of her Semblance and sent them both tumbling to the ground "Wanna see if we can find what he's up to after the gig?" she asked as she regained her balance

"Honestly, I would rather never know the specifics" Arctus answered blankly, his dead-pan delivery sending Diamond into peals of laughter again as they made their way towards the centre of Atlas in search of a taxi so they could continue to enjoy their anniversary.

* * *

Darkness had fallen over Atlas several hours before it could fairly be considered evening and the beds of the medical wing were surprisingly comfortable, in an odd contrast with what appeared to be a culture of minimalist utilitarianism within Atlas; yet Eagle Arc still found herself unable to sleep even as the digital clock on her Scroll informed her that midnight had passed a few minutes ago. An unusually irritable huff escaped her as she tried to turn the page of the high fantasy novel she was reading, which turned out to be a more difficult task to perform than expected with her dominant arm still rendered unusable, trying to keep her Scroll in place so that she could continue to use its' light to read only made things more difficult and eventually a decidedly un-Eagle-like stream of muttered curses escaped the freckled blonde as the book slipped from between her fingers and pain shot through her still aching chest as she struggled to catch it

"This sucks" she huffed as she slouched in a manner that could only be described as sulking. She was unsure how long she remained like that, silently fuming at her own hampered mobility before she heard something that made her sit a little more upright; a sharp rapping at the window

"Huh?" she muttered under her breath, the odd idea that someone was throwing stones at the window despite it being several stories above ground occurred to her only to be dismissed as she heard the tapping again, short rhythmic series of sounds that were unmistakably intended to get the attention of anyone inside the room. Eagle rose to her feet and slid on the pair of fluffy slippers that she'd asked to be brought from Team FADE's dorm so that she wouldn't have to walk barefoot on the cold floor before shuffling across the room towards the window where she came to a halt, eyes widening in happy surprise at the sight of a glossy black feathered bird with glowing red eyes. She quickly threw the window open, instantly shivering as the freezing air found its' way into the room where Eagle's hospital gown provided little protection; her eyes followed the familiar birds' flight into the medical wing and onto her bed as a bright smile crept across her face, a moment later the bird had vanished in a flash of crimson Aura as its' true form was revealed

"Hey kiddo, thank Oum they gave you your own room or this could have been awkward" Qrow Branwen greeted her as he produced a book that Eagle recognised as being written by the same author as her current novel

"Hey Qrow" Eagle beamed as she made her way back to her bed and sat down beside him "What're you doing back here?"

"Didn't feel like I apologised enough this morning" he sighed

"You don't have to, you didn't push me off a….well that specific roof anyway" Eagle snorted, Qrow chuckling slightly

"So have you had any other visits today? I though Corey might have dropped by again for a midnight visit like she would have for Fluffy"

"They both dropped by after dinner with some food from the canteen because hospital food sucks" Eagle grinned, Hellion visited me as well" she felt her cheeks colouring at the admission and was utterly unable to prevent the smile forming on her face

"The girl you were showing off for?" Qrow gave her a knowing look which only caused her to blush a deeper shade of scarlet before adding "The one from the Frost River tribe?"

"You disapprove?" Eagle asked, immediately frowning a little

"I am too old and I've seen too much to question what makes people happy" Qrow shook his head "I'm definitely concerned and I think that your mother is going to need to have things explained to her very carefully"

"I know" Eagle whispered "Team GORE, her people….they were so angry and desperate when they did what they did, they were grieving. Hellion is so much more than that"

"Just be careful kiddo and not just because the girl you're sweet on is who she is, getting hurt is never fun"

"Can we change the subject?" Eagle asked "There isn't even anything going on with me and Hellion right now anyway, so it's kinda pointless"

"Sure, anything you wanna talk about?"

"Our Semblance….my Semblance, is it always gonna be always so hard to control?" her tone was anxious, worried about what the answer could be

"No, eventually changing and flying will be so easy for you that you won't even need to think about it" Qrow assured her "And I'm gonna be in Atlas for a while so if you want we can keep training together, there's a lot of fun to be had with what we can do"

"Has the famous Qrow Branwen got some stories to tell" Eagle noted with a sly grin

"Qrow Branwen is famous because of some of those stories….and some of them I'll tell you when you're older" he teased in response

"Come on!" Eagle pouted

"I mean when Team STRQ were in Atlas competing in the Vytal Tournament me Raven and Tai used mine and Raven's Semblance as part of scheme to smuggle booze onto campus and sell it, then Summer found out and shut us down" he smiled fondly at the memory, the stabbing pain of loss that came with thinking about Raven or Summer was one he had come to terms with.

"Now that sounds like something Corvid or Felix would do" Eagle laughed before something occurred to her "How come you're in Atlas for so long? The tournament isn't for months"

"Now that's classified information" Qrow gave her a conspiratorial wink "It does involve the tournament but I can't say any more than that….Winter would actually kill me if she found out I told someone"

"I can't wait to see, it sounds cool" Eagle beamed

"I just came to see if you were doing okay" Qrow told her "I can stay and chat if you want, or do you want to try and get some sleep before lessons tomorrow?" as much as Eagle tried to be responsible, her dedication to her work and punctuality were noteworthy she found herself completely unable to pass up on the opportunity to get to know her father more

"I can sleep through first period"

"That was practically my slogan on Mondays" Qrow snorted as he ruffled her hair playfully.

* * *

The next morning came around all too quickly for the three quarters of Team FADE who had slept little the previous evening, Eagle from her late night talk with Qrow and Arctus and Diamond from their date which had seen them returning to campus in the early hours of the morning with their ears still ringing from the gig they had attended. The Bear Faunus was awake enough to be observant however and noticed a few odd glances directed at him and amused mutterings between students wearing grey and white Atlas uniforms as he joined his team at the table they were sharing with Team NEON, a decision that had naturally been made by Felix though nobody was complaining. Eagle was perking up somewhat under the influence of caffeine and leaned over to glance at the magazine Olivine was reading while Ether asked Diamond about the bands she and Arctus had heard last night, the bear Faunus watched Nyanza dig through his rucksack with a tired yet bemused smile, mentally timing how long it took the bushy tailed feline to ask him for some last minute help on an assignment; though he never got chance as a mocking and regrettably familiar voice called out to him from behind

"Hey Slate! Hey rich boy! Running out of the place because of the press really bro? Wow you know how to show a girl a good time….Dee-Dee what do you see in this jackass?" Arctus turned slowly in his chair knowing what sight would greet him, Cinnabar Blaine stood on a table to draw the most possible attention and cutting an admittedly imposing figure in his Haven Academy uniform as he held up his Scroll whose screen displayed on article from one of the various media outlets whose journalists had interrupted Arctus and Diamond's date. The students gathered in the canteen erupted into laughter at the spectacle, Cinnabar's own team chief among them while several others moved aside and cleared the way in case a fight broke out while the amber eyed and acne scarred third year fixed Arctus with a cocky smirk, almost daring him to confront him before pulling up another article from the same source

"I guess it runs in your family though, I mean your uncle is-" Cinnabar halted mid sentence and hopped down from the table cracking his knuckles as Arctus rose to his feet and squared his shoulders

"Dude no" Diamond grabbed Arctus's wrist gently pulling him back

"He's a big boy he can make his own mind up" Cinnabar sneered

"Dude what the fuck is your problem?" Diamond spat "Can your fragile little ego not handle the fact we're not together any more?" there were a few laughs and _'oohs'_ from the gathered crowd before the mass of bodies parted like a wave, revealing four students who were easily identifiable to Team FADE. It was decidedly odd that when Team CLIR grabbed Cinnabar Blaine by the shoulders, Corvid whispering something in his ear before marching him out of the canteen none of the other members of Team CNBR felt a need to intervene and merely watched events unfold with expressions which varied from concern to mild annoyance.

"Felix sit down!" Eagle snapped as Felix almost predictably made to follow after Corvid and presumably lend his considerable skill at fist-fighting to whatever form of punishment she chose to dispense "Where were all the teachers?" she added with some dismay as Helios gently guided the Lion Faunus back into his seat, much as Diamond was doing with Arctus.

"They only intervene if things start getting out of hand….it's a military academy, being able to fight and knowing when not to are encouraged. Basically the only rule is don't get caught, my Dad uses it to pick out potential candidates for the Specialist Branch" Arctus informed her. Eagle, whose right arm was still held in place by a sling stared in shocked silence at the idea of a school allowing its' students to settle their differences in such a fashion for a few moments before shaking her head and began the inglorious task of grappling with a fork full of scrambled eggs left handed. Around them the crowd of other students dissipated, either returning to their seats or making their way to their first class of the day and leaving Teams FADE and NEON to eat in relative peace. No sooner had an aura of normalcy settled over the seconds years, the adrenaline rush brought on by the threat of violence slowly leaving them, than it was shattered

"NO ANIMALS IN THE MESS HALL!" one of the cooks bellowed furiously as the source of their ire screeched angrily and landed at the table teams FADE and NEON shared

"Pretty sure it's for you" Felix grinned at Eagle whose cheeks were suddenly reddening at the sigh of Hellion Eudialyte's bird of prey, Marauder; or more specifically what the raptor which was now preening itself proudly had deposited on the table

"Oh my Oum that's so cute" Olivine cooed at the sight of the bouquet of incredibly colourful flowers, to which an envelope was attached. Eagle whipped around in her seat, wincing a little as her injured arm twinged in response. A moment later she located Hellion herself, the Dragonfly Faunus watching her with an expression that was both hopeful and perhaps a little anxious

"Gonna open the letter dude?" Diamond asked, prompting Eagle to do so almost frantically and withdraw a single sheet of paper from within, the writing upon which made her eyes widen in disbelief

"She's asking me to the dance" she squeaked, cheeks colouring to a ludicrous degree

"Well go say yes then" Nyanza urged her, warily eyeing Marauder who was in turn eyeing the Faunus's breakfast with some interest

"Yeah….um, right" Eagle stammered, suddenly discombobulated as she rose from her seat and took the flowers; eager to tell Hellion that she would indeed love to go to the dance with her, Marauder taking to the air once more and following.

"So, that was the cutest thing ever" Felix noted conversationally, his tone masking the nerves he felt and the sudden dryness of his mouth as he took a slow breath and prepared to ask a question he'd been waiting for an opportune moment for "But hey Heely, I don't have anything that flashy on hand right now but….do you wanna go to the dance, y'know together?" the table fell silent, Helios's vivid green eyes met Felix's navy blue and for a moment Felix saw confusion on the redheads' face and worried that he was going to be rejected; however none of the times he'd imagined this moment in his mind prepared him for the answer Helios gave him

"I thought we already were?" whether it was the answer itself or the note of confusion in his tone the effect was instant; the rest of the teens gathered around the table burst out laughing with the exception of Nyanza who went a step further and cheered

"LADIES AND GENTS IT FINALLY HAPPENED, I WANT MY WINNINGS!"

 **Authors Notes:**

So that was the cutest thing ever, as promised the first third/quarter of Vol.5 has been nice and fluffy, now the darkness is going to seep back in.  
Also my new job isn't hindering my writing schedule at all, I'm still writing a scene every night and honestly it's so good to have some regular, secure and well paying work again….I've missed being in a factory more than you'd believe.  
This story is now my most popular work on Ao3, surpassing _'The Downward Spiral'_ in number of Kudos.  
There's a couple chapters to go before the dance which will be the official first date for both ships but consider this Battle-cat and Tamagotchi confirmed….I can hear the shippers squealing from here.

So anyway, let's summarise:  
Have some Corvid, I feel like we haven't had enough of Team CLIR lately, also headcanon that Corvid can sing surprisingly well.  
Anyone who has ever had an arm in a cast….I fell your pain.  
Arcs have an obscenely large Aura pool to draw on, its' a hereditary thing.  
So yeah, Eagle's Semblance is patchy not because of any Dues ex Machina nonsense, but because that's how things work in universe _(As evidenced by Weiss struggling with summoning in Vol.2 and Ruby in Yang's character short)_.  
Hellion stayed by Eagle's bed with Team FADE and Corvid.  
Yeah as much as Qrow and Antonia both love Eagle they are not people that work well together.  
Corvid puns….How I've missed them.  
See now I'm outright showing Ozymandias's powers off, not just letting him drop hints.  
I like the idea that when Oz uses his powers he looks and sounds like he's out of sync with everything around him, like one of the Reverse Flashes.  
Yes the Dr. Frankenstein vibe was deliberate.  
So in the Downward Spiral Merlot's research led to _'Project Hexxus'_ which is what actually destroyed Eisenstadt Siebte, the city Team FADE & GORE had their mission in, and where Celeste was born and her base is above.  
And there we have it, Ozymandias is planning on taking a machine designed to pacify sentient Grimm _(Like Phobos)_ and turning it to his own ends….and if you think you know what those ends are then oh boy you've got a surprise coming.  
Oh yeah, he knows exactly how to play Antonia.  
And the ominous aside about Geppetto Polendina's legacy….third year, I'll say nothing else.  
I don't know where the idea of Atlas having a fancy restaurant that used to be an observatory came from but it works and I like it.  
Yeah, Arctus and Diamond were going to have to deal with the media at some point.  
Henry Marigold, or shitty Neptune to give him his proper name; in the Downward Spiral his family run a media empire and Weiss punched him in the throat.  
Remember the Valknjoggr from early Vol.4? Good, cos I might have some fun with summoning it at full size.  
Feels like we haven't really seen enough of Diamond's Semblance lately either.  
Uncle Whitley, antics incarnate….and yes we'll be seeing more of him.  
Seriously a broken arm is horrible….luckily she'll be able to use it in a couple days because of Aura accelerated healing.  
Eagle's fluffy slippers are canon now, feel free to vote on the colour.  
" _Well that specific roof anyway"_ Eagle Arc everyone, I love how much you love her.  
Qrow will support Eagle's crush on Hellion, he just has some concerns that are pretty legitimate.  
Imagine the luck on Summer's face when she found out Team _TRQ were smuggling.  
I'm sure the people who read The Downward Spiral can figure out why Qrow is gonna be around for the tournament.  
I can see Arctus as the guy everyone goes to for notes and help, not just Felix' not even because he's much smarter than everyone else but because he will definitely have his work ready on time every time.  
Cinnabar is still a jealous prick and a playground bully, but we'll get more of him over the next couple chapters.  
Yeah Corvid is gonna break his face, here's the thing as much as we all love Corey she is no saint. She does odd jobs for morally questionable people like the Scavenger Guild and as capable in a fist fight as Felix is, Corey is still the one that nobody on Patch ever dared mess with; I can imagine that she was honestly a little bit of a bully herself before left the island.  
In Downward Spiral Beacon actually allowed students to have referred fights to settle problems, in canon the teachers do nothing about open bullying and racist abuse; Atlas goes one further and specifically looks for students who can break rules without getting caught and shortlists them for black ops units.  
That's what Hellion was working on, she specifically wanted to ask Eagle out by letter because Eagle taught her to read and write….is that not the cutest thing ever.  
And boom, just like that: Double barrelled shipping action.  
Was Helios's reaction not perfect though?

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Araniladin, ShadowAlex2000, FleetOfWarships, Bulletproof Vanguard, Funlander and TigerRose for their reviews on the last chapter.  
I wouldn't call it villains flirting, I can't imagine Celeste would ever consider a human as a possibility.  
Yes the riding was done on bikes you pervert lol.  
I mean "Throw people off high things and see what happens" is literally initiation.  
Here you go, more cute shit for all your cute shit needs.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	60. Hostility

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 60: Hostility**

It was mid-week and classes had ended for the day, meaning that Cinnabar Blaine was currently in the dorm assigned to Team CNBR for their time in Atlas; currently he was clad in the black pants of his uniform and a tight fitting white tank-top while his shirt, tie and jacket lay in a discarded heap on his bed. The amber eyed, acne scarred but otherwise handsome teen stalked agitatedly around the dorm in a manner resembling a caged animal, his team-mates eyeing him with worried faces as his own expression darkened with every sentence that came from the speaker on the other end of the Scroll; eventually Cinnabar's patience seemed to expire and he snapped

"Look I don't care how you do it, just fix it!" without waiting for an answer he collapsed the device and hurled it across the room where it impacted against the wall with a concerning crack

"FUCK!" he spat as he continued his furious pacing, only halting when caught sight of his reflection in the window and leaned against the windowsill to examine himself more carefully, letting out another annoyed sound as he did so

"You okay?" the speaker was Rainy Zise, a small young woman with naturally died hair which had been dyed blonde at the tips, pale brown skin and almond shaped, whiskey coloured eyes

"Do I fucking look okay?" Cinnabar demanded, Rainy gave her dismissive hand gesture and returned to the assignment that she been distracted from by her team leaders' anger while the rooms' other occupant visibly flinched. Cinnabar considered his partner Nitro Smoke to be something of a contradiction; the boy was easily six foot tall with a powerful if slightly portly frame with a waxy ill looking complexion and wide protuberant eyes that gave him the look of being perpetually nervous and despite his clear and undeniable skill at decimating Grimm by the score he was also, at least as far as Cinnabar could tell, an utterly weak willed sycophant. Cinnabar disregarded his team-mates and returned his focus to his own reflection as he considered just how much antagonising Arctus Slate had cost him; first of all his face was a bruised and battered mess courtesy of Team CLIR, when Corvid Xiao Long had approached him in the mess hall she had whispered in his ear that she had warned him and she wanted him in the ring, Cinnabar had taken the only course of action that made sense and allowed himself to be led to what he had thought would be a one on one fight in the gym, instead he had been set upon by Corvid, her partner with the lilac hair and his boyfriend with the Vaccuan accent, the three of them flooring Cinnabar and unleashing a flurry of kicks, punches and stamps to his head and chest until the fourth member of Team CLIR had used her Semblance of telekinesis to break up the brawl, leaving their victim with a split lip and eyebrow, a broken nose and a countless purple and yellow bruises that were yet to fade even with the help of Aura. From there Cinnabar's problems had only worsened as one of the students who had witnessed his taunting of Arctus Slate had, despite General Schnee's edicts regarding the media, managed to record part of the scene and send it to at least one Mistrali news outlet leading to several opinion pieces which while almost entirely devoid of facts had managed to paint a damning picture of him as nothing but a school-yard bully; prompting him to spend a sizeable portion of today performing damage limitation first with his mother who had called him angrily stating that she had raised him better than this and most recently with his agent who had told him that several of his sponsors were giving serious consideration to severing all ties with him and that unless he gave a performance worthy of Pyrrha Nikos in the Vytal Tournament his career as a professional fighter would be in serious jeopardy.

"Still throwing a tantrum then Sin?" an irritable voice growled from behind him and Cinnabar scowled in response, he hadn't heard the shower stop or the bathroom door opening to announce the arrival of the final member of Team CNBR, Bracken Thorn

"Fuck off" Cinnabar growled, in no mood to think of a more elegant reply. While Rainy was too kind hearted to seek out an argument and Nitro was too easily intimidated, Bracken took no prisoners and tolerated no nonsense from her team leader; exceptionally tall with a slender, athletic build she easily matched Cinnabar in height and her short spiky black hair from which her Faunus attribute of a pair of bat ears sprouted, and piercing emerald coloured eyes, usually highlighted by dark make up, combined with a ubiquitous scowl which was further accentuated by a pair of protruding fangs gave her a somewhat unfriendly appearance. Her personality was the product of a harsh upbringing, her parents had been Atlesian refugees to Mistral; Faunus with no ties to the White Fang who had soon learned upon settling in one of the smaller settlements that the icy Kingdom they had left was not the only one in which racism found a home. Under normal circumstances Cinnabar and Bracken were surprisingly good friends, both of them happy to have at least one other person on their team who could pick up the slack, currently neither of them were willing to deal with the others' attitude.

"Grow up Sin, it's about time somebody pulled you up on your attitude" she snapped

"Oh so that's why you three decided to get second helpings at breakfast and leave me to fight Team CLIR on my own?" he shot back furiously as he stomped towards her "Come on you wanna have this conversation, let's have it!"

"Sin calm down" Nitro sighed meekly, flinching away even as he spoke

"What? Shut up you spineless-" Cinnabar's tirade was cut short as he felt the sting of Bracken's backhanded slap connecting with his already bruised cheek

"LOOK AT YOURSELF RIGHT NOW!" Bracken screamed in his face, taking a shuddering breath before continuing more quietly "You've been a mess since we came here, where did our Team Leader go?"

"Where did my team go?" Cinnabar shot back "Cos I got jumped and you just sat there and let it happen!"

"You had that coming!" the air seemed to leave the room with Bracken's reply, the atmosphere becoming noticeably colder "Let's not sugar coat it Sin, you've turned into everything they're calling you. Messing with the rich kid was funny the first time but you've got a problem-"  
"Of course I've got a fucking problem!" Cinnabar fought the urge to punch a wall out of frustration "What am I supposed to watch him walking around with my girl and smile about it?"

"She's not your girl any more. Cope" Bracken's staggering bluntness once again left Cinnabar speechless for a moment and when he spoke again it was as if the will to fight had left him

"I loved her….I still love her-"

"And it's sad, it hurts and you're gonna have to grow the fuck up and deal with it" Bracken snapped "'Cos if you ever gave a fuck about her you've got a weird way of showing it"

"I just….Fuck this I'm going for a drive I can't deal with this shit"

"Whatever Sin" Cinnabar seemed not to hear her as he grabbed his weapon from the rack that Team CNBR shared and slung it over his shoulder before yanking the door of the dorm open and setting off towards of the campus garage. For a while the dorm was silent until Rainy spoke up

"Think he'll stop picking on Diamond's new boyfriend?" Rainy asked "I mean Diamond's cool, she doesn't deserve the hassle" Bracken simply shrugged as she pulled out her own assignment that she had been saving until after she refreshed herself with a shower; unsurprised that the remaining members of Team CNBR were suddenly my vocal now that their leader was absent

"If he doesn't I might just kick his ass myself"

* * *

Arctus was clad in an outfit far more pedestrian than the highly stylised and personalised military uniform that served as his combat gear; instead he was dressed in a pair of grey sweatpants he usually wore in the gym and a black hoodie whose hood failed to wholly conceal his face even when pulled low due to his somewhat snout like features. The reasoning behind Arctus's current outfit was a simple one, he didn't want to attract any more attention from the media than he already had; between the articles regarding the press intruding upon his and Diamond's date and the subsequent fracas with Cinnabar which had caused it's own bevy of speculation from people who had no stake or business in the matter the Bear Faunus had almost grown sick of the Kingdom he called home; more than once on his journey from the Bull-Head terminal, whose hangar was built into the side of the mountain which housed Atlas's Capital, he thought he'd seen the same car following, unremarkable save for its' tinted windows.

"Oum's sake" Arctus almost whined under his breath as a new possibility occurred to him; he was leaving the Prime Promenade and heading firmly in the direction of Upper Atlas, something that no matter what social progress had been made was still odd for a Faunus and his current attire only served to make him even more conspicuous, the exact opposite of his intention. With the realisation that he may be inadvertently be attracting even more unwanted attention fresh in his mind he let out a quiet sigh of relief as his destination came into view; in the space between the shopping district proper and the beginnings of Upper Atlas's residential areas was a small and unassuming boutique whose proprietors' name was displayed above the door in elegant lettering, the business did not need to advertise its' existence as it catered to a select clientele and despite what his friends may think even Arctus could not simply walk in without a prior appointment despite the fact that this was the establishment from which he had purchased every outfit he had worn to a formal event ever since he was a toddler either clutching Weiss's hand or riding on Gangrel's shoulders. He found himself grinning slightly as he pressed the buzzer to be allowed entry, a moment later he was rewarded with a slight crackling of static preceding an irritable and somewhat scratchy voice

"Who is it?"

"Mister Slate, A" Arctus answered" there was a brief pause and when the voice on the other end of the intercom spoke again their tone was decidedly warmer

"Arctus, it's been too long darling" the last word stretched to an almost comical degree "Come in, come in" with that the locks holding the door in place, which were surprisingly advanced, unfastened and Arctus stepped inside for his suit fitting with renowned tailor and designer, Edna Mauve.

"What is this you are wearing? What is this? It is a hobo suit" Edna chattered frantically as she came into view from a back room where many of her custom orders were hidden from prying eyes.

"This is why Ruby Rose doesn't shop here" Arctus snorted

"It's in the past, I never look back darling it distracts from the now" Edna waved him off before muttering under her breath "I stand by what I said, a wedding is a wedding….no capes" She continued to rant under her breath about arguably the most famous Huntress on Remnants' alleged lack of taste as she led Arctus behind a screen where measurements and fitting would take place. Edna Mauve herself was a tiny woman, barely reaching four feet tall with a harsh gaze framed by thick rimmed glasses. As Arctus stood on a small stool placed in the centre of the secluded room Edna in turn stepped onto a taller stool and reached for a tape measure with which she promptly began measuring across his shoulders

"I see that your old measurements are out of date and for goodness sake boy stop tensing to make your muscles look bigger, the suit won't fit right"

"Alright, alright" the Bear Faunus sighed as he relaxed his shoulders, allowing Edna to get a more accurate measurement

"You disappoint me Arctus, when you told me you needed a fitting as soon as possible I thought you might have finally outgrown your urge to dress up like your father and were coming for a real uniform….Instead you want a tuxedo, how pedestrian"

"Oh I'm sorry I thought making suits is what you did for a living" Arctus shot back snidely, he knew better than to take Edna's comments to heart but was also not above giving a few back

"Pah, catering to pretty boys and stick insect models….I design for gods!" Edna posed dramatically as she spoke

"Maybe one day" Arctus chuckled, Edna Mauve was indeed the premier source for tactical garments for Atlesian Hunters with sizeable incomes and was far more reputable than those establishment that catered to the freelancers

"In the meantime" Arctus worked out a crick in his neck "Atlas Academy is hosting a dance for the students competing in the Vytal Tournament and I need a new suit" Edna nodded silently as she drew out a notepad and began scribbling frantically and began firing questions in a tone that was both excitable and somehow businesslike

"Tell me Mister Slate is this a formal event or a social affair"

"Social" Arctus answered after some deliberation, from what he'd heard through gossip from older students the dance may start out as formal but they without fail became less so as the night progressed

"And is this for day or evening wear"

"Evening"

"And what style?"

"Mistrali" Arctus answered, again taking a moment to think and seemingly surprising Edna with his answer which was a departure from his usual

"How many buttons?" Edna had now moved from notes to rough sketches, her pencil moving at blinding speed

"Two"

"And the trousers?"

"Tapered"

"How about the lining?"

"Tactical" Edna's pencil stopped and the diminutive woman treated him to a particular piercing gaze

"Silly boy, you watch too many action movies" Edna pondered for a moment, a smile of ludicrous proportions forming on her face as she murmured to herself "Although I most certainly could….a possibility for another time, I have something for you" Edna hopped down from her stool, casting her notebook aside but keeping the tape measure to hand as she rummaged through draws

"I hear you have yourself a girlfriend now"

"Didn't think you read those articles" Arctus grumbled

"I wouldn't use them to line my poodles litter tray" Edna assured him with a haughty huff "A Huntress by the name of Coco Adel made an appointment recently, your name came up in conversation, she and her partner took your team for a training Mission yes?….here it is" Edna retrieved a narrow rectangular case coated in black leather and fastened with a polished silver clap; Arctus's pale blue eyes widened in shock as he opened the case

"I can't take this" he stammered out?

"Take?" Edna raised an eyebrow "Silly boy you can buy, I'll add it to your order….it's a little pricey but it will be worth it no?" Arctus stared at the item in the case for a few seconds before nodding in agreement

"Okay, sure" Edna's smile widened as she resumed taking the Bear Faunus's measurements

"Good, now that that's settled we can get to the serious work….You will leave here looking presentable darling"

* * *

The city levels of Atlas's Capital city of Eisenstadt Prime closest to the actual surface of the snow covered ground were home to countless warehouses and factories, many of which had been vacant for a prolonged period of time as their owners had relocated to either the other cities or the settlements beyond them in search of cheaper running running costs; new business had been slow to move in even as Atlas's economy recovered owing to urban regeneration often being overlooked by the Kingdoms' ruling council in favour of more glamorous projects. It was against this backdrop of inner city decay and deprivation that Alpha, leader of the Cult Of Taurus moved through a crowd of Faunus who identities were concealed by the unadorned gunmetal grey masks of White Fang initiates; these people were not yet active members of the cause merely people who claimed to believe in it, mainly angry young man desperate for any opportunity to change the situations they had been born to. While the High Leader intended to deliver them a better world as she did all Faunus she also understood that these Faunus had lived their whole lives under the sway of the humans' Kingdom meaning that if any attempt at outright treachery were ever to be made they would be likely be the culprits, as such she had ordered her shadowy right hand to seek out any prospective recruits who may be simply weak willed or worse yet actively conspiring against them like the late Neon Katt had been. Alpha had replaced her customary red visored, white mask for one identical to the rest of the crowd and the gauntlets which formed her weapons had been removed from her forearms, Gamma was similarly disguised as a lower ranking individual and keeping track of the comings and goings of the crowd while acting as security, Delta was situated across the road from the officially empty warehouse using their Semblance to deflect attention while aiming their sniper rifle through a window poised to fire at the first sign of trouble; Beta stood on the makeshift stage which the crowd were focused on with his head lowered respectfully as he stood at the right hand of the individual drawing the gaze of several hundred low ranking grunts and their prospective comrades, Celeste Lupus. The Ram Faunus stood in her full power armour and mask with Wilt hanging from her hip, the glossy and metallic surfaces reflecting the glow of the hastily installed lighting rig overhead; she appeared as the avenging warrior of the Faunus that she wished to be perceived as and when she stepped forwards clutching a microphone the dull buzz of gossip permeating the venue instantly faded away, Alpha dropped to one knee and was quickly followed by those present who had already been initiated while those new to the White Fang took a moment longer; prompting the Lionfish Faunus to entertain thoughts of teaching them proper respect as the multicoloured poisonous spines intertwined with her raven locks stood on end with anger

"Rise" Celeste spoke in a hushed tone yet Alpha felt that it would have carried throughout the venue like a freezing draft even without the microphone in her hand, as the crowd returned to their feet the High Commander spoke again

"It pleases me to see so many new faces present, with each new member the cause grows and eventually we will be too great to oppose" Celeste nodded to a figure towards the front of the crowd, the insectoid Faunus who led the faction of the White Fang operating within Eisenstadt Prime "I offer my gratitude to those who make this possible, you continue to do Taurus's work even after your destruction of the humans' blasphemous _'Museum'_ sullied his name" there was some excited chattering among the newcomers as they received confirmation to what they suspected while the White Fang initiates cheered until Celeste raised a hand to silence them; privately Alpha relished the opportunity to watch the High Commander address the rank and file, it never failed to leave her inspired

"But we must do more, each Faunus owes it to those like Adam Taurus who came before us and fought! We owe it to our ancestors who would weep if they saw what has become of Menagerie! We owe it to our brothers and sisters being extorted by the Kingdom of Atlas and each of you owes it to yourself to fight for a future free of oppression!" as her speech grew in intensity the usual cheers could be heard as her inescapable charisma took hold of the audience "The humans made it clear that that they have no intention of ever living peacefully with us when they destroyed their own city rather than allow us to live there. When Faunus ventured out into the tundra to take charge of their own fate those same humans then claimed ownership of all land and extorted the Faunus into submission! This is why I say there can be no peace, there can be no coexistence or compromise! Our people will only be free of the humans when there are no humans left!" the crowd was vocal but divided, some of the Faunus present were obviously unsure if this was what they had signed up for and Alpha assured herself that they would be dealt with; the majority however loudly showed their support for the cause until the High Commander continued

"We will follow the plan laid out by the great Adam Taurus! Seize the means of production and separate the human oppressors from their resources, from there we will take the Kingdom and recreate the grand vision of New Menagerie and expand outwards until Faunus race reigns supreme" the call to action was answered by thunderous cheers and applause that Alpha was certain would not go unnoticed, it seemed that Celeste was aware of this as well as she swiftly followed up with her coup de grace

"Yet we need decisive action! Until now the Kingdom of Atlas has denied our existence and declared our cause a dead one even as they send assassins to kill me! This is why I am came here, in search of warriors who will accompany me on a mission to deliver a message that cannot be denied! The plans are already underway, who wishes to stand beside when the fang draws blood!" the warehouse seemed to shake under the cacophony of cheers and applause and Alpha watched with reverence as Celeste Lupus promised to reforge a broken world into something better.

* * *

Evening had most definitely passed into night when Arctus made his way towards the nearest Bull-Head terminal which would take him back to Atlas Academy, the fitting had gone on longer than Arctus had expected which most likely said more about his expectations than Edna Mauve's mastery of her craft, his suit would be sent to the academy when it was finished leaving Arctus unburdened as he traversed through the divide between Upper and Lower Atlas, now a mere gradient in the quality of the neighbourhoods than a physical barrier that could be closed. The Prime Promenade had closed for the evening which meant the thoroughfare Arctus had used to make the trip was now also closed, forcing him to take a longer route; the Hive City was organised in a fairly simple to understand fashion with each level equating to two stories, at least until one reached the subterranean depths of Lower Atlas where entire apartment complexes existed within almost forgotten catacombs, pedestrians and vehicles alike with the exception of heavy freight could make their way between levels through countless spiralling roads and walkways with junctions that branched off into the cities' many districts.

"Okay what time is it" Arctus muttered to himself as he reached one of these winding roads that would take him within walking distance of his destination in good time, if he took a shortcut. The spiral roads were fitted with guard rails that while high enough to stop someone from tripping and falling to their death could easily be climbed, revealing the height and depth of the Hive City in the form of a sheer drop whose bottom remained unseen. Arctus considered the idea of hauling himself over the railing and using his Semblance to lower himself the half a dozen or so city layers he needed to travel; it was something his mother had forbidden him in strict terms from trying when he was younger but he reasoned that he was far more proficient in his abilities than he had been then, it was also technically illegal but he was sure that plenty of people with Semblances that enabled them to jumped the barriers; _'Besides'_ his subconscious sounding oddly like Felix for a moment _'It's not like anyone's watching'_ with the decision made Arctus gripped the top of the barrier with both hands and began hauling himself onto it, before he could do so the sound of a vehicle approaching the otherwise quiet thoroughfare caught his attention and he hopped back down, as he did so he turned and was less surprised than one would expect to see the same nondescript car with tinted windows from earlier racing towards him at considerable speed

"No interviews" Arctus called out irritably, his expression changing to one of wide eyed fear as the car accelerated and the driver seemed to adjust their course specifically for a collision. Arctus had a split second to throw up the strongest Glyph he could muster without the aid of Dust before the car hit him. The results were immediate and violent, the front of the car buckled and collapsed on contact with the glowing surface of the Glyph while the driver was hidden from view by the airbag exploding outwards while the wind-shield was reduced to an opaque web of fractures; Arctus saw none of this as he was hurled backwards by the kinetic energy he had been unable to wholly redirect, pain shooting through his back and shoulders as he was sent crashing through the barrier he had intended to climb over, then he was plummeting downwards.

"Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit!" he screamed, arms flailing wildly until he managed to regain some self control and withdraw a small silver of glossy, almost reflective black crystal; the miniscule shard of Gravity Dust he had on his person allowed him to create a Glyph to break his fall and haul himself over the nearest barrier, back onto solid ground

"What the hell was, holy Oum….holy Oum" the Bear Faunus gasped out as he rose to his feet from the crouch he had landed in, legs shaking and heart hammering in his chest as he tried to discern where exactly he was. No sooner had he realised that he was in Lower Atlas, a run down part of the city several levels below his original destination than the sound of several speeding cars racing towards him reached his ears

"Of you've gotta kidding me!" Arctus exclaimed as he saw civilians struggle to flee out of the path of the half a dozen cars that mounted curbs and changed lanes at breakneck speed, swerving in and out of traffic; leading them was the car that Arctus had halted, smoke spewing it from beneath its' crumpled hood and its' windscreen kicked out to allow the driver to see, more concerning however was the Faunus in passenger seat; a masked individual wearing a sleeveless white jacket and aiming an automatic weapon squarely at Arctus, the Bear Faunus quickly realised that each of the other vehicles racing towards him was similarly crewed and he did the only thing that seemed reasonable, he bolted

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" he bellowed as ran down the nearest street, gesturing wildly to panicked pedestrians until his Aura visibly rippled as a bullet impacted against his shoulder causing him to wince and stagger for a moment as he ran, stopping as he took a sharp turn down a corner to throw a Glyph behind him and buy a few more seconds. He repeated this process several times, his consciousness narrowed to the simple need to escape, he was alone, unarmed and wasn't carrying enough Dust to use his Semblance to anything close to its' full potential. This was not like being chased by Rhodium Torchwick, without Diamond to watch his back the situation felt far more urgent and each burning sting of pain from a bullet failing to pierce his Aura only cemented the dread in his mind. The next turn Arctus took almost proved fatal as he sprinted directly into the path of an oncoming car whose drivers' reflexes were fast enough to allow them to almost drift around him before screeching to a halt with smoking tires. The car was an unmistakably gaudy thing, a two seater sports car that was all rounded and streamlined edges, its' deep coppery paint accentuated with a smoky and translucent black carbon fibre hood, its' over sized wheel arches filled with glossy black rims picked out with chrome detailing; while the windows were tinted to such a degree that the driver couldn't be seen from outside Arctus could still have ascertained their identity if he had thought to look at the obviously personalised license plate, Mistrali in origin which read _'BL4IN3'_

"I'm gonna break your fucking teeth rich boy" the familiar voice was soon followed by the equally familiar form of Cinnabar Blaine, unmissable with his man-bun, distinctive hand tattoos and angry amber coloured eyes; as he leapt from the drivers seat of his car he reached for something that had been laid across the passengers' side and Arctus allowed himself to hope as he realised it was his fellow students' weapon

"There's White Fang coming!" Arctus shouted as the sound of his pursuers engines and screeching tires drew closer "Half a dozen cars all armed!"

"What the fuck are you-" Cinnabar trailed off as he caught sight of the first car and the armed Faunus leaning out of the passengers' side window

"Okay rich boy" he grinned "I've got this" he gripped his still sheathed weapon which from the shape of its' sheath Arctus guessed was some kind of sword, seemingly a wide bladed, angular and flat edged falchion. Rather than draw his sword Cinnabar gripped the bottom of the sheath in one hand and adjusted the hilt of the weapon with the other causing the whole thing to change shape with a whirring of gears and satisfying mechanical click, forming a shotgun clearly intended for targets much larger and more durable than a simple car

"Say hello to Chernobog-Ultra" Cinnabar sneered as he aimed and fired at the nearest of the White Fangs' cars with a booming report, glass and steel being torn apart by the blast which is the noises coming from the car were any indication, had grievously wounded the passenger. A second shot ripped the rear door of another car apart as its' driver swerved to avoid a worse fate. It was as if they acted on some unseen signal, or perhaps they simply lacked the nerve to face an armed opponent but before Cinnabar could take a third shot all six cars raced passed them, a few stray bullets pattering against the teens Aura and shattering nearby windows before they sped around a corner and out of view. There were a few moments of silence as both Arctus and Cinnabar struggled with utter disbelief at the events they had just been party to; the sound of rapidly approaching police sirens bringing them both to their senses, Cinnabar a little faster

"Where's Diamond?"

"What?" Arctus panted out, still struggling to catch his breath and clutching at his side

"Diamond. Where is she, did you get separated?" the third year demanded frantically

"She's back at Atlas" Arctus had a moment to take stock of the situation and hastily swallow his pride enough to ask "Are you heading back there? I need a ride" Cinnabar slung his weapon over his shoulder and paused for a moment, considering what in his mind was an opportunity to start afresh and possibly make amends, something Bracken would no doubt call him _'Being the bigger man'_. He promptly decided against it and left Arctus sprawled on the ground with a punch to the kidneys that the Bear Faunus hadn't even seen before it connected.

"I don't do handouts" he chuckled as he climbed back into his car and started the engine, secure in the knowledge that in all likelihood whatever the police did to the rich kid wouldn't be _'too'_ bad.

* * *

Elsewhere in Lower Eisenstadt Prime, in an equally disreputable neighbourhood to that which Arctus had been chased through by the White Fang Celeste Lupus reclined in a comfortable leather chair that she was giving serious thought to having brought back to Tartarus for her quarters. Her current surrounding seemed almost absurdly at odds with her station and the mystique that surrounded her, a mid-ranking member of the local cell of the White Fang which had formerly gone by a different name before being brought into the fold, owned a small furniture store which while financially was barely keeping afloat still proved useful due to having an apartment above it that was officially being used as a storeroom; Celeste had gratefully taken the offer of a place to stay where there were no cameras present.

"What news?" the Ram Faunus asked, not bothering to turn to face the door which had creaked almost inaudibly as it opened

"Good and bad" Alpha answered with some hesitance as she stepped into the unlit apartment, Beta looming over her shoulder as he followed behind her, eyes glinting in the gloom

"Then let's start with the bad news shall we?" Celeste raised an eyebrow beneath the mask she was yet to remove despite the strain her power armour was beginning to place on her body which was still unused to simple tasks like walking. Alpha nodded to her subordinate who stepped forward and spoke in a surprisingly mellow, cultured voice

"Members of the cell who were unable to attend your speech tonight spotted the eldest child of Weiss Schnee and the traitor Gangrel Slate and took matters into their own hands….Resulting in several of their number sustaining minor injuries, one requiring urgent medical attention and what we believe will be an increased police presence in the area; while also failing to kill or capture the….abomination" the Snow Leopard almost shuddered in revulsion at the mere thought of a Faunus that would forsake the White Fang and breed with a Schnee of all humans.

"I see" Celeste answered

"Should they be punished?" Alpha enquired, unable to keep the eagerness out of her smoky, sultry voice "They failed to deliver, they acted without authority, they put our cause at risk-"

"They saw an opportunity and they took it, all things they considered I would question their loyalty if they had not" Celeste waved the Lionfish Faunus's obvious with to enact retribution aside "I spoke tonight about sending a message that cannot be ignored and they would certainly have delivered that had they succeeded….regardless, dessert without a cherry on top is still dessert. There will be other opportunities to punish those that have deserted and disgraced our people and you will play a part in them"

"Thank you High Commander" Alpha bowed her head, voice breathy

"Now, you said you had good news?"

"Indeed" Alpha straightened out and gestured behind her "Downstairs….we caught them"

"Take me to them" Celeste growled, her tone immediately fierce. Both members of the Cult of Taurus turned and led their leader down the stairs into equally dimly lit furniture store below, their eyes untroubled by the darkness. Upon entering Celeste immediately found what her most devoted followers considered to be good news; Delta was currently covering every available surface in waterproof plastic sheets and had a bag of cleaning supplies on hand for after the _'situation'_ was resolved, in the centre of the Spider Faunus's workspace was a sturdy wooden chair, tied to which was a gagged and bloodied Faunus, their heritage discernable by the severed tail, canine in nature which lay on one of Delta's sheets. Hearing their arrival the Spider Faunus turned their many eyes towards Celeste before bowing and offering an explanation

"This one is a traitor….took their mask of during and your speech, encouraged others to follow as he left….some followed, Gamma is getting rid of their bodies. Thought you'd want this one alive"

"You're correct. You've done well; all of you" Celeste assured her followers before stepping towards the mutilated prisoner who whimpered through their gag; the sound going unheard as Wilt was unsheathed with a scraping of metal that set nerves on edge.

"Your crimes are serious and undeniable. Your defence or justification is irrelevant….your sentence is clear" she pressed the tip of the crimson blade against the prisoners' chest "So many times the great Adam Taurus suffered at the hands of traitors….It can never be allowed to happen again, examples must be made" Celeste quickly made a decision and pulled the blade away from her victims' chest, pausing just long enough for hope to show on their expression; then the blade flashed out in a wide arc, blood spattering the plastic sheets as the deserters' severed head fell to the ground. Celeste turned on her heel and returned to her accommodations for the evening, pausing only to give a final order to Alpha

"Have his head displayed somewhere public. Traitors must know the cost of their actions"

 **Authors Notes:**

Whoo, another week, another chapter, I'm now another year older and the smell of motor oil is now permanently soaked into my hands with my new job which I'm loving; I've already made my new Foreman spray hot coffee out of his nose…..but that's not what your here for.  
I told you the cuteness of the first four chapters of Vol.5 was going to be absent (Although there's more of that coming)  
I think RWBY Rare-pair week 2018 is coming soon, I planned to participate again this year but I'm honestly not sure if I'll be able to….we'll see.

But anyway let's summarise:  
I feel like this scene gives Cinnabar a little character, even if that character is a total dick.  
So now we know who the other members of Team CNBR are, Cinnabar, Nitro, Bracken, Rainy.  
Here's the thing, as much as my readers seem to love Corey; she associates with criminals, loots/'salvages' whatever she damn well pleases and while Felix can break teeth she was the one that everybody on Patch was a little scared of….Corvid Xiao Long was probably a bully at some point.  
…..I feel like Bracken is going to somehow develop a following of fans lol.  
I feel like it's obvious but needed to stated that the rest of Team CNBR knew Diamond for at least a year of her and Cinnabar's relationship.  
Fame is a double edged sword, which Arctus and Cinnabar are both getting shanked with.  
Edna Mauve….you read everything she said in the voice didn't you.  
Yes you read that right, Edna Mauve told Ruby Rose " _No capes!"  
_ I also wasn't above sneaking in another reference, the exchange about the particulars of the suit was taken from John Wick 2; hence Edna's comment about him watching too many movies when he said "Tactical" lining.  
And history repeats itself, poverty leads to desperation which makes people ripe for megalomaniacs like Adam or Celeste to swoop in and offer them a better future.  
Also Celeste is probably a little smarter than Adam, she at least learned from his mistakes.  
Notice that Celeste doesn't actually lie to her people either, she just interprets the truth in a way that suits her world view.  
" _The plans are already underway"_ ominous indeed.  
Hopping the guard rail in Atlas is probably like trying to cross a motorway in terms of legality and sensibility.  
No Aura? Can't fight? No problem….hit 'em with a car.  
Yeah in a Hive City with Diamond helping him he could have gotten out of that a lot easier.  
Cinnabar's car was based on both the black and orange Nissan from Tokyo Drift (A 350Z or 370Z if I remember rightly) and some of the BMW i8s with two tone paint jobs on display at a car dealership I pass on the commute to work.  
Of course he has a personalised license plate.  
Cinnabar may be a dick, but he's still a hunter….I feel like that was a missed opportunity with Team CRDL in canon.  
We also get to see what his weapon is, sword/heavy duty ranged weapon….actually similar to Arctus.  
Arctus is on the Cult of Taurus's shit list just for the fact he exists; I mean he is living proof of the flaw in their ideology.  
I feel like this is another instance of Celeste playing smarter than Adam, by his crazier stages Adam would definitely have punished people for failure.  
And that is the first time we've actually seen Celeste do her own dirty work on screen.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Araniladin, Funlander, FleetOfWarships, iSassenach, ShadowAlex2000, ShadowWolf and TigerRose for their reviews on the last chapter.  
All hail Thunder-chicken.  
I imagine Eagle's fluffy slippers as bright yellow now.  
Indeed it finally happened.  
Well look who figured out what Qrow's gonna be doing.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	61. Troubled

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 61: Troubled**

Arctus's head pounded and his eyes burned while bone deep exhaustion and countless dull throbbing aches fought for his attention yet the Bear Faunus understood and accepted that sleep was not an option that was available to him. Following the brief skirmish with the White Fang he had been taken into police custody, the sound of sirens drawing close and armoured boots on asphalt had reached his hears only moments after Cinnabar had abandoned him to his fate; indeed he had still been struggling to rise to his feet and suck in a painful lungful of air when he had received a bellowed order to lay face down on the ground with his hands behind his head. From there he had been taken to a police station for several hours and sat through several rounds of questioning that Arctus knew to be illegal as he had yet to be informed of his rights or offered any legal counsel; his desire to see the White Fang brought to justice and help his Kingdom soon found itself at odds with the reflexive impulse to say nothing until he had a lawyer present, something drilled into him by both of his parents as a precaution that they hoped he'd never need. The inquisition had ended when the officers responsible had learned that not only was Arctus's identification genuine, he was indeed the heir to the Schnee Dust Company, but General Winter Schnee had been made aware of the situation and would be arriving to personally escort her nephew to Atlas Academy. He had currently been at the Academy for an indeterminate amount of time writing a formal statement under the watchful eye of his Aunt who had at least been thoughtful enough to have a steady supply of strong coffee on hand as she attended to her duties as head of the Atlesian armed forces, not least of which had been contacting the specialist branch to whom the matter of routing the New White Fang had fallen; which led to the door to office flying open several hours later revealing Gangrel slate in full uniform, a sense of urgency clinging to him as if he ordered his ship be brought to the academy at full speed at the news his son had once again found himself in danger

"Hey dad" Arctus yawned, casting his pen aside and rubbing his bleary eyes

"Hey kid" Gangrel grunted in return, as his father stepped into the office Arctus noticed that stood behind him was Donner, the Specialist with the electric blue Mohawk who served aboard the Gespenst; she gave Arctus a nod and wink of recognition before turning to face away from the door and stand guard as it closed. Arctus assumed that Chiffon, Gangrel's first mate was currently commanding the Gespenst in his stead; he also realised with a start that while the sky outside was slow to lighten it was actually far later in the morning than he had realised, the bell to signal the start of the first lesson of the day was only minutes away.

"What happened?" Gangrel demanded as he dragged a spare seat to Winters' desk

"Seriously? I just wrote a report, you wanna read it?" Arctus quipped before Winter could give a more satisfactory answer

"White Fang or Faunus militants posing as them-"

"Not a distinction worth making" Gangrel interrupted "The Fang's an idea _'Peace through violence'_ if they call themselves the White Fang then they effectively are even if they're outside of the main command structure"

"Fair" Winter conceded before continuing "White Fang insurgents tailed Arctus for an indeterminate amount of time during his visit to the capital, there was an ambush prepared. While Arctus was unarmed there was fortunately another student in the vicinity, no hostiles were captured due to their unwillingness to engage at close quarters, no civilians were injured though it is prudent to note that they were more than willing to open fire with members of the public present" Winter's tone had slowly become more businesslike and expressionless as she continued as if to shield her self from processing the emotional weight of the situation

"I don't like this" Gangrel murmured, clearly deep in thought "This isn't like the attack at the docks last year or the bodies we've found….this was right out in the open"

"You think they could have just seen a chance and taken it?" Arctus offered, on some level he understood that a resurgent White Fang would have their sights on his entire family; Gangrel shook his head

"To a degree maybe, but this on top of the bombing….something's changed. They wouldn't change tactics and escalate for no reason

"I need results Gangrel" Winter pointed out gently "Atlas needs results….We've captured nobody, we have no leads"

"We have our plan, I'm still confident it'll work. If anything it's more likely to get results if they're more willing to act in the open"

"You mean using Team GORE as bait?" Arctus interjected, his father and Aunt both seeming to realise that while Arctus was now intimately involved in the situation they should perhaps not be discussing military operation in front of an eighteen year old student. Gangrel's brow furrowed and he paused for a moment evidently expecting his words to elicit a negative reaction

"Kid I want you to stay on campus outside of missions"

"Dad come on, they got the drop on me I'll just take my sword with me-"

"Neon had full power armour and over twenty years of experience" the older Faunus's words halted any objection Arctus had, the sight of the way Neon Katt's broken body had been displayed was something he would never forget, no matter how much he might want to

"Fine" he ground out

"I'll grant you some leeway at the tournament" Winter offered, shrugging as she felt Gangrel's fierce amber eyes on her "The Vytal Tournament is going to be a high priority target with or without Arctus being there, he may as well enjoy himself" Gangrel nodded in agreement before turning to his son

"I'm sorry about this kid, I just don't want anything to happen to you….the thought of these sick fucks getting their hands on you, it honestly terrifies me" the admission left a heavy tension in the room which was promptly broken a few moments later when Gangrel's ears perked up and a knowing smile came to his face, his superior hearing picking up something Winter was unable to hear and Arctus was simply too tired to notice

"You might want to open the window" he noted conversationally, Arctus slowly rose to his feet and traipsed across the office and did as instructed and stuck his head out into the freezing yet fresh air, in his tiredness he needed a few moments to comprehend the sight that greeted

"Hey big guy" Diamond grinned sheepishly, using her Semblance to scale the outer wall of the academy as if it were merely a flat road before her "We waited up for you last night, you didn't answer your Scroll. Felix checked your location and realised you were back on campus"

"So are you gonna invite her in or what?" Gangrel snorted, finding some much needed levity in the situation. Arctus withdrew back into the office and allowed Diamond to clamber through the window into Winter's office while the Headmistress and General herself looked utterly livid at the intrusion, Gangrel gently wrapped his cybernetic arm around his sister in laws' shoulders and turned her away from the teens

"Come on, let 'em have a moment" Arctus couldn't help the flush of colour to his face at the teasing in his fathers' tone and the Winter looked as though she may lose any semblance of restraint at being escorted out of her own office by a man who was officially her employee she acquiesced, stepping outside and leaving Arctus and Diamond in peace

"What happened?" the silver haired sniper asked immediately, faltering as she saw the exhaustion written plainly across her partners' face "Wanna talk about it?"

"Later" Arctus sighed as he pulled her close and simply held her, the weariness and throbbing pain in his back and shoulders, bruised where bullets had clattered against his Aura seemed to lesson just a little as she kissed his cheek and nuzzled into his neck

"You need to stop having brushes with death big guy, it's like your creepy ex at this point" Arctus marvelled at how easily Diamond had managed to surmise at least the general nature of what had happened while giving her a reassuring squeeze, she may have been joking but the concern in her voice was unmistakable

"Speaking of a creepy ex, yours is still an ass-hole" he grumbled

"Oum damn it dude what now?" Diamond groaned into his neck and for a moment their concerns felt just a little smaller and simpler.

* * *

Doctor Ozymandias Eldritch was unsure of exactly how the events currently unfolding had occurred, leaving him with the feeling of merely being present in a situation that was happening around him without having any influence over it; a state of affairs that he'd thought himself above since the moment he first harnessed the powers of the Wizard and had since grown vastly unaccustomed to.

"Honestly" Antonia Arc huffed, her irritable tone at odds with the soft smile on her face as she led him along corridors of Poly-Techs' headquarters that he rarely travelled "I thought we'd established an understanding Oz, I'm the one who works for days on end and you're the one who reminds me to eat and sleep….you were practically asleep standing up"

"In my defence, Project Snare is of the highest priority" Oz countered half-heartedly

"And now it's as ready as it's ever going to be for a real world test….naturally General Schnee will want it to be collected, she'll want to verify our results herself" Ozymandias nodded along with Antonia's words, work on the containment unit intended for use on a sentient Grimm had indeed progressed greatly; his continuous subtle use of the Wizards' powers to tinker and adjust minute details almost every time Antonia turned away had led to the exhausted state for which he was currently being reprimanded; he may have had great power but beneath it he was still limited by his own humanity, a condition Celeste would no doubt have a snide comment about if asked.

"I can't help noticing that this not the way to the staff canteen" Ozymandias noted conversationally while he adjusted his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes

"Don't be coy" Antonia snorted "You know what's in this direction" Ozymandias made an educated guess which was proven to be correct only moments later as Antonia led him to an elevator and once inside entered a code which would allow access to the uppermost floor of the facility, where her own penthouse apartment was situated.

"Toni?" Ozymandias asked, she turned to face him and slipped off her lab coat revealing a simple shirt and pants beneath; she leaned forward and gently kissed his lips before giving him a tired smile

"We've been on several….Oum it feels juvenile to call them dates" she sighed "We're both adults Oz, if I want to make someone I care about a late breakfast and offer them somewhere to sleep then I will" hearing this something stirred in him, a primitive part of his psyche that he considered a lesser part of himself; a hindrance to his world shaping goals.

"Thank you" he murmured before planting a soft kiss on her lips, his hesitance being understood as the behaviour of a shy somewhat awkward man rather than genuine uncertainty. Eventually the elevator stopped, it's doors opening into a hallway where Antonia hung her lab-coat on a nearby rack and removed her shoes, Ozymandias followed suit before being led into her home.

"This is a lovely home" he kept his tone polite as he took in the spacious living area whose decoration toed the line between tastefully minimalist and Spartan, of the few decorations that Antonia had the majority seemed to be photographs of Eagle that he knew she had not been present to take herself, with a few others photographs showing the Arc siblings at various stages in their lives; those with the late Jaune Arc present seemed be devoid of even a single speck of dust as if Antonia regularly handled them.

"It's just an empty apartment above work" the blonde woman sighed before distracting herself with the tablet she kept on her person at all times

"Just seeing when I need to set an alarm for….ah" she stopped short

"Problem?"

"You can help yourself to breakfast if you want and get some sleep. I'm going to have to get a shower and a coffee then leave, I have a meeting with Whitley Schnee; we're supplying assets to a site the SDC are developing outside of the cities"

"A robotic workforce….I can't imagine the locals will take kindly"

"Neither can I, which is mostly likely why he wishes to negotiate prices for some of our defence models….It seems General Schnee doesn't give her baby brother military equipment under the table" Ozymandias needed a moment to process the information he'd just received, until that moment came he needed to continue to appear to be a caring and considerate partner

"Are you sure you're going to be able to manage?"

"I'll be okay, the shower will wake me up" Antonia assured him "Make yourself at home" she added before making her way towards the bathroom; by the time the sound of running water began to emanate from within Ozymandias had decided on a plan of action and produced a Scroll from his a hidden pocket, an older model that had been bought from a teen who had no doubt stolen it in the lower reaches of the city; this was the Scroll he used for any dealings that could be deemed suspicious, criminal or treasonous by lesser people who failed to understand his vision, with it he sent a text message that would find it's way to Celeste Lupus through a network of proxies

' _I have an opportunity that we need to discuss, schedule an appointment'_ almost the moment he sent the message he heard the bathroom door open behind him and struggled to swiftly replace the Scroll without either being seen doing so or looking suspicious; he turned to face Antonia and whatever he intended to say fizzled on his tongue. Antonia Arc was stood in the doorway clad in a towel which clung to her figure and gave a more than adequate idea of what lay beneath, she fixed Ozymandias with a gaze which was both playful and determined as she placed a hand on her hip while making a come hither gesture with the other

"I decided on a better way for both of us to wake up, care to join me?" it wasn't a hard decision to make, Ozymandias more primal, feeble human side demanded his attention once more and the Wizard simply reasoned that he was taking so much from Antonia without her knowledge, why not indulge himself in what she offered freely. With a crooked smile he followed Antonia into the bathroom, her towel falling away before the door had closed behind them.

* * *

Cinnabar took in breaths of freezing air that felt like icy daggers in his lungs with every step forwards and relished the feeling; the academies' gym had been too crowded for his taste after classes had ended tonight, his usual desire to not only better himself but to better those around him and be seen doing so had been replaced by a rare need for solitude which had led to his current state of jogging the considerable lengths of the battlements which adorned Atlas's perimeter, occasionally taking in the sight of the truly gargantuan weapons arrays mounted on each of its' towers when he paused to catch his breath. He'd missed two classes that afternoon but they had not been any electives or core subjects he was especially concerned about and under normal circumstances would have welcomed the break from a classroom environment, however being informed that he was legally required to give a statement on the events that had transpired the night before had dulled his enthusiasm; especially when General Schnee had instructed him to go into detail when explaining his decision to leave another potentially injured Hunter behind and fall back without checking for injured civilians or waiting for the authorities to arrive, adding that she would be sure to enquire if that was the standard practice that Haven Academy taught its' students. He had hated the judgement in her voice, it had taken every ounce of self control he had not to challenge the Headmistress to a tournament style sparring match so that she could join everyone else who had thought they were entitled to an opinion of him. Tightening his laces he made to continue jogging only to come to a halt as he reached the next stairwell leading to the Academies' interior, standing in the open doorway and highlighted by the lights behind her was a figure he would know anywhere; Diamond closed the door behind her and gave him a harsh glare as she stalked closer clad in a warm and comfortable looking grey sweatsuit with the hood pulled up covering her easily identifiable silvery locks.

"Hey Dee-Dee" Cinnabar sidled closer, forcing his voice into his usual cocky, almost sneering tone

"Bracken told me you'd be up here. We need to talk" her voice was tense and apprehensive, as if bracing herself for a fight

"Why the long face?" he leaned against the wall, brushing away the negligible amount of snow that was yet to melt into his clothing as he purposefully ignored her tone "You and what's his name have a fight"

"You know exactly what this is about!" Diamond snapped, startling him with her vehemence "What the hell is wrong with you Sin? You don't have to like Arctus but you don't just leave a Hunter behind-"

"Oh for Oum's sake is everyone gonna keep giving me attitude for that, really?" he demanded incredulously "I got out the car and dealt with the problem for him. I don't owe him shit!" his temper rising as it did every time his thoughts turned to the Bear Faunus he saw with his arm wrapped around Diamond's waist on a daily basis, Diamond herself brushed a few strands of hair away from her face as she continued to glower at him; after taking a few moments to chose her next words she simply sighed

"I'm not gonna keep playing this fucking game with you Sin, what is you actually want?" her tone was angry yet exhausted and for a second Cinnabar was unsure of how to reply; he'd spent so much effort on trying to get a rise out of her that he hadn't thought abut what would happen when he eventually did, he eventually decided on unembellished honesty

"You….I want you"

"Are you serious right now?"

"YES!" he exclaimed frantically "Dee we were together for years, it feels like it's just _'supposed'_ to be me and you y'know….who else have I got-"

"Don't try and bring your home life into this" Diamond cut him off with a dismissive wave "I'm sorry about you and your dad I really am, but don't hold that up as an excuse for being ass-hole….You're better than this Sin, what happened?" he felt his stomach drop, his eyes began to sting and a lump formed in his throat which he quickly fought to ignore, choosing to channel his pain into something more manageable, anger was easy, he understood it well

"So what then, you just left Mistral with some excuse about branching out and then jumped on the first available-" his head snapped to the side and the impact of Diamond's slap echoed in the night air, followed by more furious words"

"I left Mistral because I wanted to see the world, if I didn't do it now I might never have gotten a better chance. I left you because you couldn't accept that and took it as a personal insult, not everything is about you Sin….and if we're being honest with each I do feel kinda sorry for you; you've turned into everything you used to a hate, a bully and a coward"

"WELL WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO DEE?" He bellowed, tears that he'd been struggling to hold back finally falling as his voice cracked "I TRIED TO BE THIS GOOD PERSON THAT YOU THINK I CAN BE AND IT WASN'T ENOUGH, WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO!" Diamond stepped closer and for a fleeting moment Cinnabar thought she was going to hold him close as she had done countless times before, instead she gently squeezed his shoulder

"Same as you always do Sin, pick yourself up and keep going" he noticed that she wiped her own eyes before she continued and fought the almost overwhelming urge to brush her tears away himself "And this is gonna be hard for you to hear but I need you to listen; I don't love you any more Sin and trying to bully Arctus isn't going to change that. What we had was great while it lasted but it's over, just please don't ruin the good memories"

"He really makes you happy?" Cinnabar croaked out, unsure if really wanted to hear the answer

"Yeah" Diamond nodded, the "Yeah he really does dude" the expression on her face seemed to drive it home for him in a way nothing else had; Diamond was gone, he had lost and for once he would just have to accept that there was nothing he could do to change the way things were, instead he merely wiped his eyes and tried to compose himself

"Then go be happy" making his way passed her he added "Tell Arctus he only needs to worry about me if we see each other in the tournament"

* * *

A middle aged and scruffily dressed drunkard collapsed to the floor in an unconscious heap as his nose was flattened and the bone of his eye sockets fractured with sickeningly wet and dull crunches; a chorus of rowdy and equally drunken cheers erupted a moment later; Onyx Ursabane's only acknowledgement of the crowd was a brief smirk before finishing his pint of bitter ale and returning to the card table he had previously been seated at

"Leave his chips, he can join in again when he wakes up" Onyx growled at the dealer which prompted a round of inebriated laughter from the other players, many of whom had made side bets on what would become of the unconscious man currently being dragged behind the bar the moment he had dared to accuse the towering Puma Faunus of cheating, bringing race into the argument had only sealed his fate. Both Onyx and Raffia were in this particular dive bar which seemed to cater exclusively to those with rough a demeanour and flexible morals at Carcharodon's behest, their leader wanted them to continue their task of looking for any information that would bring them closer to the Scavenger Guild, preferably the individuals managing the organisation rather than the muscle they hired to retrieve and transport their wares; a task that Raffia seemed to be silently reminding Onyx to get on in with as he skulked around the periphery of the noisy and crowded bar while keeping his focus on Onyx's table.

"So blackjack again?" the dealer, a middle aged man with a pinched and heavily lined face asked, Onyx joined the grunted affirmations and waited for his cards to be dealt while silently sizing up his fellow gamblers, while many of their clothes were tattered and worn yet in contrast with their weaponry, the quality, variety and sheer amount of extra ammunition and additional equipment each of them carried and various articles of jewellery and other trinkets they had the impression of having visited the bar immediately after finishing a particularly trying job rather than simply being poor; as the players looked at the hands they'd been dealt Onyx took careful notice of who was more free with their Lien and the tattoos that were on display, hoping to identify a potential lead

"Not sure where you're all getting this kind of money from" onyx grumbled as he folded, the stakes becoming unaffordable "I'm definitely wasting my time at Atlas though"

"No sense wasting an opportunity if it's there, there's always work for a certified Hunter" one of the older individuals at the table noted, Onyx's attempt to appear as nothing more than a poor student lamenting his finances working

"There's always work for anyone with a good head on their shoulders, especially when they're the size he is" another gambler countered, nodding in the Puma Faunus's general direction before downing his drink in one

"Know anybody that's hiring?" Onyx asked, deciding it might pay to be brazen "I've heard the name Scavenger Guild thrown around but I don't know who to talk to-"

"You're fishing" the noted idly as the game of blackjack got underway between those who had the funds to participate "Have been since you got here, your little friend you came in with is still hanging around by the jukebox right?" Onyx halted for a moment, surprised at having been uncovered so easily and briefly annoyed at himself for underestimating his target; however he and Raffia had been equally underestimated as Raffia had already sensed the shift in atmosphere around the table and slunk closer with his hands tightening around his swords without being detected.

"Just looking for someone who can point us in the right direction, tell me who I need to sign up with" Onyx assured the dealer while surreptitiously gesturing to Raffia, indicating that the man would be more useful without a hole in his lungs right now

"I can point you in the right direction" one of the other men at the table grunted out, looking up from the card game that had been progressing without Onyx "It's gonna cost you something though" Onyx let out a low growl, realising he simply did not have the Lien it would likely cost to buy information; not since he'd decided to purchase something special for Hellion. With a sinking feeling in his chest he realised that there was one thing of value he carried with him and reached over his shoulder to grasp Jotun Fang. Before he could hand over the weapon he'd crafted with his own two hands alongside his father, the last real connection he had to the man, Raffia stepped forwards and deposited the swords that had once belonged to Specialist Kafsi Asteri on the table

"You made your weapon Onyx, this is a useful tool but I'm not attached to it" there was a tense silence around the table before the man positing himself as an information broker of sorts gave a nervous, drunken titter which soon devolved into full blown laughter

"Fucking hell lads, calm down I'm not gonna take your weapons off you for Oum's sake" he finished his drink and straightened out "Nah nah, I've just got a job with the Scavenger Guild that's gonna be more hassle than it's worth. So here's the deal, you two deal with the job and I'll point you in the direction of one of their purchasers; you tell them to send payment to Brick Mulligan"

"What's the job" Onyx asked as Raffia sheathed his blades which had, despite Brick's assurance that he wouldn't be taking them, drawn the interest of many at the card table.

"Someone stole some military dog-tags that were recovered from Menagerie, Scavenger Guild wants their property back. From what I understand the guy who stole them is a Hunter who operates out of Freiheit, y'know _'The other Capital'_ ….whole job leaves a bit of a taste in my mouth considering that they were his old mans' tags, he shouldn't have had to buy 'em back" the hired muscle shrugged and let out a loud belch "Ah well, Lien is Lien though"

"We have a deal" Onyx nodded, Raffia silently agreeing despite the disgusted look on his face "I'm not sure when we'll find our way out to Freiheit but give me your contact details and I'll let you know when we have the tags"

"Good lad" Brick hastily scrawled his number on a nearby coaster and threw it to Onyx who caught it and rose from the table

"Now since you've cleaned out everything except my fare home I'm calling it a night" the Puma Faunus started towards the exit, Raffia falling into step beside him

"I hate these people" he breathed out, anger radiating from him in waves that were almost tangible "Weak, cowardly, backstabbing, no respect for fair conquest. No wonder Atlas produces so many of the people who've wronged us….I can't wait to be free of this place"

"Calm yourself" Onyx soothed gently "We have the information we came for, Car will know what to do next" Raffia still seethed but said nothing. The duo were almost at the door when a drunken voice, words slurred by a broken nose an inebriation bellowed behind him

"OI YOU FUCKING FUR-COAT, I WANT MY LIEN YOU CHEATING FLEABAG BASTARD!" Onyx merely sighed and rolled his shoulders, popping his knuckles as he turned to face the man who had finally regained consciousness

"Raffia wait outside, this won't take long"

* * *

Classes had ended for the day Felix's team-mates were busy, Eagle wanted to hone her Semblance to the point it became a reliable tool in her arsenal, Arctus was asleep as he had come to class with Diamond and explained his absence the night before leaving him struggling to keep his eyes open by the end of the day, Diamond had said enigmatically that she had something she needed to take care of. Felix was honestly fine with this arrangement as he was far from at a loose end, he was currently in Team NEON's dormitory alongside Helios, Nyanza and Yuki a member of Team GRAY whose leader hailed from Patch and was an old school friend of both Faunus. Ether and Olivine were elsewhere, most likely on a date of some sort and Nyanza was currently gaming against his guest while Felix and Helios watched absently; the Lion Faunus making himself comfortable leaning against the redheads' muscular chest while pointedly ignoring the occasional well meaning taunts from Nyanza who seemed to be taking well to the idea of his best friend and partner dating, the idea of becoming a third wheel in their relationship not crossing his mind.

"Where are Grease and the others anyway?" Nyanza asked absently as he kept the majority of his attention focused on the screen where the implausible vehicle his cartoonish avatar was piloting avoided a blue shell fired by Yuki; the Faunus was still unsure of Yuki's gender despite them being in the same lessons for weeks at this point and so simply avoided using pronouns wherever possible.

"Helping with planning for the dance" Yuki answered with a sigh "As soon as Grease heard there was gonna be a bar for the night he wanted to get involved and try and swipe some bottles"

"You can take the boy out of patch…." Nyanza chuckled, trailing off as a thought occurred to him "Are they getting paid for helping out?"

"Barely minimum wage" Yuki informed him, shrugging as he added "Free drinks on the night though; they're probably still looking for some last minute help if you want to get involved"

"Lien is Lien and we're at the Academy either way, may as well make some money-" he made an irritable sound as Yuki's avatar on the screen took the lead before half-turning and addressing Helios and Felix "Hey love birds, either of you two want in on this?"

"Might do" Felix gave a non-committal shrug

"I was just thinking Fluffy, you and Arctus could help set up on the night and meet Heely and Diamond there….have a whole moment when you see each other or something" the bushy tailed feline gave a shrug of his own while Felix's face morphed into a wide smile at the idea, his prominent canine teeth on display

"That's actually really cute, I like that idea I might see if Arctus is up for it. Heely you wanna meet at the dance?"

"It does sound nice" Helios admitted as he gave his partner a piercing stare "Nyanza do you have some kind of wager on this?"

"Sweet Oum is that what kind of person you think I am?"

"Yes!" came the unanimous reply, promptly followed by a round of laughter

"Hey Nyanza you asked anyone to the dance?" Felix asked

"Nah" he shrugged, refusing to meet his old friends' eyes

"There's someone he wanted to but he won't" Helios chuckled

"Come on man don't put my business out there like that!" Nyanza exclaimed

"Fine….I still think you sell yourself short though" the redhead noted simply; Felix listened to the exchange and decided not to pry any further, Nyanza would tell him if and when he felt like it. After nuzzling into Helios a little longer he caught sight of the time and frowned slightly

"In fact I'll ask him now, I should probably go and wake him up….besides I left that Grimm studies assignment long enough as it is"

"I'll see you tomorrow" Helios tightened his grip around the Lion Faunus for a moment and gently nuzzled into his neck, the scent of Felix's hair products lingering in his nostrils afterwards; Felix responded by turning and gently pressing his lips against Helios's, his tail swishing lazily in satisfaction as he almost swaggered out of the room leaving a shell-shocked Helios in his wake

"Look at these two dorks" Nyanza cackled as he nudged Yuki. Helios paid them no mind, utterly stunned by what had just happened; he and Felix had never used the word dating to describe what was happening between them but at this point it would be dishonest to call it anything else yet that brief kiss had actually been their first and Felix had done it so casually he hadn't even seemed to realise. Helios's thoughts were then intruded on by something soft colliding with the side of his head, which turned out to be a pair of socks

"Remnant to Heely, you still with us man?" Nyanza laughed

"I'm fine" the redhead grumbled "Just got a little distracted" this answer only served to amuse his partner even further and Helios returned to his own thoughts, worry inevitably seeping in as he realised that he was dating someone now and that could easily become a committed relationship; something that Helios would never deny wanting, but knew would be all but impossible with his duties as the first son of the Nikosi Tribe.

Put simply Helios realised he may have gotten in far too deep and wasn't sure what to do.

 **Authors Notes:**

Okay so that's another Chapter out of the way, this one is more of a filler Chapter but don't worry; next Chapter is the dance.  
Also, it came out after I posted Chapter 60 but I've seen the Adam Character Short; the Vol.6 hype train is most definitely real; also it shows the differences between canon Adam and Adam the way I portrayed him in The Downward Spiral _(Bearing in mind that I planned and started that story Pre-Vol.4)  
_ To quote the esteemed Miss Valkyrie _"This is happening!"_

Anyway let's summarise:  
Atlas is always going to be scummy to it's own citizens no matter how much progress they claim has been made.  
Gangrel who grew up breaking the law and Weiss who grew up in high society definitely raised a child who knows to keep his mouth shut when questioned.  
Come on let's be honest living in Atlas and hearing you just accidentally harassed a Schnee is pretty much a career ending fuck up.  
It's an interesting idea that with Adam Taurus passing into something of an urban legend and a symbol that the White Fang could slowly become less of a unified cause and more of an ideology, that would probably happened if Celeste hadn't taken charge and brought everyone under her banner.  
Gang makes a point, the more willing the White Fang are to attack in broad daylight the more likely it is that they can be led into an ambush with some convincing bait.  
So Arctus isn't going to be exploring much of Atlas for a while.  
Did you seriously think Diamond wouldn't have her dumb-ass's back at the earliest possible opportunity.  
Project Snare: the containment unit Oz has been working on for Winter….but actually for himself, is ready for testing. Brace yourselves.  
At this point writing Toni and Oz together feels like twisting a knife, but I'm not gonna stop.  
Also yes, the Jaune feels were intentional.  
So the SDC are opening a new plant in one the settlements outside of the Hives, Poly-Tech are providing resources and the White Fang will see it as an opportunity.  
As socially inept as she is sometimes Antonia is a woman who went to help Qrow Branwen install a new bat-cave and ended up staying the night; she knows what she wants and she goes for it.  
Winter was definitely having none of Cinnabar's shit.  
Cinnabar is that type of ass-hole, the _"I do what I want regardless of anyone else's feelings or well-being and if you don't like then fight me"_ kind.  
I feel like this conversation needed to happen between Cinnabar and Diamond without Arctus present.  
So yeah the whole Cinnabar sub plot is being shelved, I was planning on doing a scene like this at the dance but I've got other things for that; honestly Cinnabar was only ever meant to be a tournament fodder character with a little bit of background but I feel like I could have used him better.  
Damn Onyx has a hard head.  
I know poker would have been more fitting but I don't play Poker lol.  
Raffia is honestly probably down to kill someone right now, he's the only member of Team GORE who hasn't made any real progress or effort with integrating themselves with the other students.  
But hey, at least he stopped Onyx from giving away his axe.  
So Team GORE/The Shadow Cadre are going to have to take a trip out into the wilderness.  
I know I haven't given real descriptions for Team GRAY yet, I'll do it when they appear in the tournament; it's what they exist for.  
I may let slip who Nyanza was hoping to ask to the dance; also you know he's right about letting Battle-cat and Diamond Dust have a "Whole moment" it'll be cute as hell.  
So yeah, Battle-cat is canon; Felix and Helios are dating and they kissed, happy now?  
Also angst, 'cos y'all love that shit.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Araniladin, Funlander, iSassenach, FleetOfWarships and ShadowAlex2000 for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Winter didn't lock down the academy but Arctus was put under protection.  
The White Fang don't have a salute but they do have Celeste's slogan _"The Fang will draw blood"  
_ Subtle? I wasn't trying to be lol.  
The Adam character short won't affect this story as it exists within the same timeline as The Downward Spiral which was planned and started before Vol.4, I may take ideas and characters from later volumes if I can find a use for them but I won't force my writing to comply with what RT has done after I've started.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	62. The Dance

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 62: The Dance**

The night of the dance had arrived and Arctus and Felix were among those students whom the promise of free drinks Lien for their time had convinced to help with final preparations for the event. Atlas Academy's design was massive and rectangular with a gigantic open courtyard in its' centre, this courtyard would be the venue for the dance which necessitated the erecting of dozens of vaguely gazebo like structures each with their own heaters to keep the Kingdoms' notoriously inclement weather at bay; in addition lighting rigs, a DJ booth atop a specially created balcony and a temporary but well stocked bar had been set up, giving the entire affair the feeling of being a fusion of a formal occasion and an outdoor music festival.

Arctus loved it, he had been helping set up the DJ's booth on it's raised platform alongside Razzmatazz, Diamond's old friend from Mistral and was currently leaning over the makeshift balcony watching events below as she made alterations to the set up to suit her personal tastes as she would be the one using it

"Sup?" Arctus turned and saw that Felix had come to join him, having finished hauling the last of the heaters into place. The Lion Faunus was dressed in a tuxedo that seemed to catch the light despite its' dark colour, a matching bow tie and white shirt; a pair of glimmering gold cufflinks being the only real decoration to his attire though he seemed to have spent an inordinate amount of time on his appearance, more so than usual as his mane of dirty blonde hair which could usually be described as a mane was currently worn in a curly style that some may have called feminine but clearly suited him well.

"Just watching your friend, no offence but the guy's an idiot"

"Who Grease? What's that Hick moron doing now?" Razzmatazz called over as Felix looked where Arctus had indicated. His fellow native of patch was currently trying to appropriate bottles of alcohol from under the watchful eye of Professor Soleil who was currently clad in what Arctus recognised as an Atlesian military dress uniform complete with countless medals

"He's trying to swipe drinks that he's already getting for free" he answered

"Why?" Razzmatazz asked with an exasperated sigh greatly at odds with the smile she wore as she sifted through her record collection, she had been called a vinyl purist more times than could remember and stood by her insistence that digital DJs were an inferior breed

"Probably gonna start selling 'em the second the dance is over" the Lion Faunus answered with a smirk, Arctus merely shook his head and sighed as he watched the finishing touches be added before the event began. His own attire was the three-piece suit that he had purchased from Edna Mauve, a lightweight pale silvery grey material which almost shimmered as the Bear Faunus moved, beneath the jacket and matching waistcoat he wore a black shirt and a tie in a pale shade of blue that matched his eyes, which was a sentence Arctus had assured himself he would never utter out loud.

"Looks pretty much done" he observed, Felix nodding in agreement

"Yeah, Professor Soleil is a bit of a slave driver" the Lion Faunus snorted "She nearly lost it when she saw Nyanza goofing off, I think she'd actually flip out if we ran late" as if to prove his point Ciel spoke, her voice clear and carrying throughout the courtyard

"We have two minutes until our scheduled opening. Are your designated tasks completed?" upon receiving a round of affirmative answers she gave a small, rare smile before adjusting her signature beret and continuing "Unfortunately General Schnee is unable to be here as her other duties require her presence but she wishes for me to remind you that while none of you will be chaperoned for this dance she expects each of you to behave in a way that reflects well upon yourselves and your respective schools. That being said, enjoy your evening; all of you have earned it"

"Let's get this cracking" Razzmatazz beamed excitedly behind them while Arctus and Felix shared grins as they watched her fit her personalised and glitter covered headphones into place and find the first few songs she wanted to play; Ciel uttered a few private words to the members of staff who would be manning the doors for the evening before leaving, either having her own duties to attend to or simply not caring much for social gatherings. Moments later the first students began to arrive and both Arctus and Felix waited for their dates, the first students to arrive were older students whom neither Faunus recognised, followed by a group of first years who weren't native to Atlas, eager for a chance to experience the icy Kingdoms' surprisingly lax attitude towards alcohol. Minutes passed by and the pair paid little attention to anything happening around them until two familiar faces made their way into the courtyard causing Felix to almost bolt down from the balcony while Arctus merely stood in stunned silence wearing a lovestruck smile, unaware of the fact his partners' old friend was practically squealing delight at the cuteness of it all behind him.

* * *

Diamond had found herself leaving Team FADE's dormitory alone after Eagle had announced that she needed a little longer to get ready and assured her that it was fine to go on ahead. Fortunately she had run into Helios who had found himself in a similar situation a little way down the corridor and the two of them made their way towards the dance together. He was clad in a simple black suit with a crimson tie which managed to accentuate his impressive physique, the outline of the bracers which never seemed to be removed from his forearms could be seen pressing against his clothing and the faintest hints of his tattoos could be seen reaching from beneath the collar of his shirt. Diamond in the least vain way possible, looked amazing tonight and knew it; she wore a sheer black dress that clung to and highlighted her favourite parts of her own figure and featuring along the right side which left a considerable amount of her incredibly toned thigh on display, her usually tied back her fell around her shoulders in silvery waves; Diamond couldn't remember the last time she'd owned a pair of heels, it was certainly before she had discovered her Semblance and as such was wearing a pair of stylish yet comfortable flats

"We really should hang out more dude" Diamond noted conversationally

"Our teams are together almost daily" Helios pointed out, still wearing the same distracted look that he had been the whole walk thus far

"I know but I mean just us, like the summer I moved to Anquan-Jia remember?" Helios nodded, he did indeed remember the summer that the Nikos Tribe had acted as guides and protectors for a convoy moving through the wilderness that separated Mistral's cities which had included the Sustrai -Black family

"I remember that you'd never seen so many trees at once before and honed your Semblance running vertically up the tallest ones you could find….You fell more than once"

"Was kinda hoping you'd forgotten that last part" Diamond snorted as she laughed, something she would deny endlessly "You okay though Heely? You look nervous"

"I am" he answered simply

"Dude you're a dumb-ass sometimes" she sighed "Seriously you and Felix are great together, just 'cos this is a more fancy party doesn't change anything"

"Thank you" the redhead murmured quietly, clearly fighting the urge to run his hands through his spiky crimson hair with barely controlled anxiousness. Diamond gave him a reassuring look and a playful nudge, becoming slightly distracted as the music, muffled by distance began to reach her ears

"Oh this is one of Razz's favourites" she gasped "She didn't tell me she was the DJ tonight"

"Your friend makes music?" Helios asked, seemingly eager for a distraction

"Yeah, she plays keyboard as well" Diamond nodded enthusiastically "We had a friend who played drums at Sanctum, his cousin could sing….we always talked about putting a band together but could never find a guitarist"

"You should talk to Ether sometime" Helios suggested

"I always meant to but never seemed to get around to it….honestly though I doubt he'd join another band while Creatures of Grin are on hiatus" Helios merely shrugged as if to say it was her decision to make and the two of them fell into an easy silence, the sound of music growing louder as they drew closer and the door that would lead out into the courtyard came into view

"Hey Heely" Diamond nudged him again as she made to open the door "Have fun tonight dude" with that she opened the door and embraced the sound of festivities as they washed over her and felt the bass thrumming in her chest; the two of them made their way passed a pair of professors who merely nodded in recognition. She planned on searching for Arctus, knowing that he and Felix would be together but before she could do so she felt someone tap her shoulder and turned, coming face to face with Bracken Thorn; the taller woman looming over her wearing even more dark make up than was the norm for her and a deep green dress

"Hey Dee-Dee" the Bat Faunus greeted her, flashing a smile that showed her fangs

"Please tell me Sin didn't put you up to anything" Diamond gave her a glare which only softened when Bracken shook her head

"Nah, he's not even gonna be here tonight; he decided against it….I just wanted to say sorry, he was acting like a dick and we all stood by and let him"

"Yeah sure it's fine" Diamond assured her, she and Bracken had always gotten on well since Cinnabar had first introduced them but in all honesty she simply wanted to end the conversation and look for Arctus; something the Bat Faunus seemed to pick up on

"Anyway Dee, I'll see you around" with that Bracken stepped away and seemed to vanish into the crowd, leaving Diamond glancing around and realising that Helios had also disappeared; the curse she was about to utter as she heard a familiar voice

"Hey"

"Hey yourself big buy" she beamed as Arctus came into view "Looking snazzy" Arctus merely blushed, clearly unable to look away from her

"You look great" he whispered in her ear as her wrapped his arms around her waist, she gently kissed his cheek

"Hey have you seen Felix? I came in with Heely and-"

"We were on the balcony, he took off the second you two walked out here" Arctus assured her, pausing as he stepped back and reached into his jacket to produce a long thin jewellery box "I uh, I got you something" Diamond took the box, cherry red eyes widening as she opened it; the necklace within contained more of the stones she was named after than she could count and glistened under the lights

"Holy Oum big guy" she breathed outlining "You didn't have to"

"I know, but I wanted to" Arctus shrugged, carefully taking the necklace and fastening it for her "I love you babe"  
"Love you too" she reached up to cup his cheeks and pull him into a slow kiss "Now come on, I'm calling dibs on your first dance"

* * *

"Goes without saying" Arctus laughed, wrapping an arm around her as the two of them made their way to the dance floor.

"Carcharodon is an idiot sometimes, he should have joined us" Onyx chuckled as he adjusted a suit that fit didn't fit him as well as he would have liked, he had simply made do and gifted the majority of the budget he had accumulated through gambling in the capital to Hellion; appreciating just how badly she seemed to want to make an impression

"You knew he wouldn't" the Dragonfly Faunus in question answered "He'd much rather meditate alone"

"His exact words were; _if I wanted a meat market I would have sailed back to Anima and stolen cattle….the debauchery disgusts me_ " Raffia recited in his best imitation of Carcharodon's distinctive rasping voice before his composure failed and he was reduced to cackling like a madman. Hellion gave the Axolotl Faunus a bemused sigh, noting that he had had simply worn the shirt and trousers from his Halo Academy uniform rather than purchase a suit with whatever Lien he'd managed to accrue through means best left to the imagination. The three of them had claimed a relatively secluded corner of the courtyard as their own and were currently enjoying drinks together; Hellion waiting for Eagle while Onyx and Raffia simply waited for someone to catch their eye

"Thank you for this" Hellion murmured to Onyx for the umpteenth time as she gestured to her outfit for the evening; after hearing her grumbling about the impracticality of dresses the Puma Faunus had spent a considerable amount of Lien on buying her a slim fitting suit in a dark colour that appeared black at first but seemed to have various shades of violet, navy blues and deep emerald greens, she had forgone wearing a tie and left the top two buttons of her shirt undone; the tailor responsible for the outfit had also thought to cut precisely measured holes into both the shirt and jacket for her gossamer wings; giving her freedom of movement without the lack of coverage a backless dress would have offered.

"I've already told you it's fine, it's only Lien" Onyx assured her before downing a glass of something with a smell that made Hellion's eyes burn; the Puma Faunus then slapped a meaty paw of a hand down on her shoulder and turned her towards the entrance to the courtyard "Now go and look for your blonde"

"She'll be here" Hellion breathed out, instinctively reached to pet Marauder only to realise that both the bird of prey and the heavy armoured gauntlet he used as a perch were both in Team GORE's dormitory

"Maybe, but you're gonna drive yourself crazy until she gets here" Onyx snorted "Go on, have fun"

"Make sure Raffia doesn't cause too much havoc" she joked as she made to leave, knowing exactly what gestures the Axolotl Faunus was making behind her back despite not being able to see them.

Making her way back inside the campus proper, Hellion's footfalls echoed as she stalked the empty hallways in search of Eagle Arc; she found herself subconsciously slipping into practices that had been honed through her upbringing within the Frost River Tribe, controlling her breathing and keeping to the shadows as she altered her stride to minimise the noise she made as much as feasibly possible. Hellion had almost forgotten just how proficient she was at her craft of scouting ahead with how little opportunity Atlas provided to maintain her skills and as such was almost surprised when someone she had heard approaching rounded a corner and nearly collided with her, having evidently not heard Hellion

"Oh my Oum I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to….Oh Hi, um….wow" the slightly stammering but perpetually enthusiastic voice of Eagle Arc chattered out and Hellion took a moment to drink in the sight of her before her mind promptly went blank.

"You look incredible" the former raider breathed out, followed by an exclamation in her native tongue under her breath

"You think so?" Eagle asked, freckled cheeks reddening at the praise; she was dressed in a deep crimson dress that matched her eyes and whose thin straps left her freckled and well muscled shoulders on display, her blonde locks had been carefully styled and Hellion noticed that for the first time that she could remember Eagle was wearing make up, her lips and cheeks a few shades darker than their natural tone

"I don't think, I know" she answered with a smile that bordered on predatory, causing her date to flush an even deeper scarlet in response; seemingly struggling to form coherent thoughts and sentences as she stole lingering glances at Hellion

"You….uh you look really nice tonight" the blonde managed to mumble out somewhat distractedly "Like really, really nice" Hellion not chose to respond verbally, instead sauntering forwards and taking Eagle's hand in hers and gently pulling her close enough that she could finally brush her lips against the blondes', Eagle gave a surprised sound somewhere between a gasp and a squeak before melting into the kiss; Hellion taking the initiative without thinking and gently pinning the taller woman against the wall, her lips moving to Eagle's neck

"Hey, hey can we….can we slow down please?" the worried edge in Eagle's voice brought Hellion to an immediate stop

"Of course little canary" she assured her softly, gently caressing her cheek

"It's that well, I've only ever kissed one person before….and that was kind of a sympathy thing" Eagle explained with a self conscious shrug

"I only want to make you feel as special as you truly are, I can happily do that at your pace" the Dragonfly Faunus murmured quietly, gently squeezing Eagle's hand and causing the blonde to almost whimper in sheer delight. Eagle leaned into the slightly shorter Huntress and allowed Hellion to hold her for a while, neither of them keeping track of time until Eagle's brow furrowed in concentration; realising that the sound of distant music soundly undeniably familiar

"Oh I know this song!" she exclaimed "Aunt Nora and Uncle Lie had the first dance at their wedding to this, apparently Team JNPR did a whole dance routine to it when they were at school together"

"Then we should keep the tradition alive" Hellion suggested with a sly smile; Eagle needed no further encouragement and hurriedly led her date in the direction of the dance, the music hitting them as an almost physical force as they stepped out into the courtyard where Hellion's face became a soft smile when Eagle began singing along to familiar lyrics and pulled the Dragonfly Faunus onto the dance floor with her signature boundless energy

 _"Baby, it's time to make up your mind! I think tonight is when our stars align!…."_

* * *

Arctus and Diamond had spent hours blissfully unaware of their surroundings; sharing almost every available dance with each other, as well as sharing several intense lingering kisses, the few moments rest between each kiss growing ever briefer until the two had been all but inseparable on the dance floor, a condition that had only ended when Diamond had kissed her partner and lovers neck before whispering in his ear and leading him away from the dance in the courtyard by the hand. It was mere minutes later that they found themselves staggering through the unlocked door of an empty classroom, kissing every available inch of each other; necks and collarbones were left with marks and both of them were gasping in pleasure and panting heavily by the time Diamond looped her arms Arctus's shoulders and wrapped a toned leg around his waist while the Bear Faunus pinned her against a wall, teasing an earlobe between his teeth

"I love you so much babe" he breathed gently as his hands moved from her hips trailing upwards, Diamond's response was to curl her fingers in his shaggy ivory hair and pull him into a searing kiss which left him breathless and almost dazed

"Love you too big guy" she paused for a moment, seemingly considering something before pulling him into another, slower kiss while she ran a finger along his chest, tracing where knew the scar he had received in the Breach to be

"Hey Arctus" she almost purred, red eyes half lidded "You wanna help me out of this dress?" Arctus paused, throat suddenly dry

"You're sure about this?"

"Yeah, yeah I am" she nodded, reaching up to unfasten Arctus's tie; taking this as encouragement the Faunus slipped the shoulder straps of Diamond's dress down and return to kissing her neck and eliciting deep throated moans of pleasure from her as he carefully pulled her dress down a little lower, exposing her breasts

"Wait!" Diamond gasped, eyes suddenly wide as a thought occurred to her "Please tell me you've got a condom, I don't have pockets on this dress"

"Shit, I don't" Arctus opened his wallet and searched regardless, as if one could somehow have appeared without his knowledge

"Dude….no way" the silver haired woman laughed somewhat bitterly, slouching against the wall a little

"Wait, don't you have some in your drawer?" Arctus asked, expression hopeful "We can go back to our dorm?"

"And spend the whole night worrying about either Eagle or Felix coming back early, with or without their dates" Diamond lamented, readjusting her dress in a way that felt somehow like admitting defeat "Besides I kinda wanted our first time to spontaneous y'know….we're both dumb-asses, we just killed the mood for ourselves"

"It's still been a great night though" Arctus shrugged, sitting himself on a desk and motioning for Diamond to join him; she did so and leaned into his shoulder as both of them took a few seconds to catch their breaths and try and shrug off the buzz of alcohol that was beginning to cloud their thoughts

"Oh I spoke to Cinnabar recently, that's why Bracken was talking to me when I came in" Diamond told Arctus, unsure of why exactly she was doing so but feeling that it shouldn't be treated as a secret "We know where we stand with each other and I don't think he's gonna be any more trouble" Diamond studied her partners' face, while she felt sure that her actions had been justified she was unsure how Arctus would take it; Cinnabar would certainly have seen anyone de-escalating a confrontation on his behalf as an attack on his manhood. Arctus proved himself the better without ever realising there had been a contest when he simply wrapped an arm around Diamond's shoulders and squeezed gently while lovingly kissing the top of her head

"Thanks Dee….Oum I lucked out when I partnered with you, you've always had my back"

"Yeah well" Diamond nuzzled into him and made herself comfortable "You're a dumb-ass but you're my dumb-ass"

"Wanna head back to the dance?" Arctus offered, Diamond considered for a moment before shaking her head and gently pushing Arctus down on to the desk and straddling him

"Not yet" she whispered, voice sultry as she nipped at his collarbones "We can just stay here for a while"

* * *

Helios was unable to keep the smile off of his own face at the sight of the broad and toothy grin on Felix's, the Lion Faunus had by all accounts thoroughly enjoyed their first 'official' date thus far and Helios only wanted to see that continue. The two of them had shared several dances and laughed more together than Helios had in longer than he could remember, admittedly some of that could be attributed to the Nikosi brew they had been drinking which Felix had been encouraging him to add to some of the other drinks 'for the sake of tradition'. They'd also spent a sizeable portion of the night with their friend group as a whole; Ether and Olivine could be seen still occupying the dance floor swaying rhythmically to the current number, a far slower song that based on Razzmatazz's previous selections Helios assumed had been a request. Eagle and Hellion could be seen getting drinks, both seeming breathless and exhausted; whatever Helios's opinion was of Team GORE and the tribe of thieves and bandits that they hailed from he couldn't deny that the Dragonfly Faunus treated her date with something approaching reverence. Arctus and Diamond had only had eyes for each other all night and looking around Helios noted that they were no longer in sight.

"Hey, seen anything of Nyanza?" Felix asked, casually interlocking his fingers with Helios's as the two took a moment to relax at a secluded table in a corner of the courtyard

"He went for drinks and then never came back" Helios answered, unable and utterly unwilling to hide his smile as he held Felix's hand a little tighter while turning his gaze back to the dance in search of his wayward partner; he noted that Rusty Blackwatch and Lux Lumière of Team CLIR had just stepped onto the dance floor, the Vaccuan gunslinger against all odds appearing in public without his signature Stetson and having miraculously tamed his hair while Lux simply looked even more dapper than usual; nearby Iris Ramal was talking to a student Helios didn't recognise; following a hunch he cast his eyes in the direction Lux and Rusty had come from and was rewarded

"He's with your sister" Helios informed Felix with some apprehension, the Lion Faunus glanced over to where Helios indicated and saw that Nyanza was in fact talking to Corvid, his sister was currently wearing a multi-coloured and obscenely vibrant ensemble that she had shown Felix beforehand, describing it as _'So beautifully ugly I have to make it work'_

"Please tell me he's not gonna try and ask Corey to dance" Felix groaned, the hand that was not currently holding Helios's covering his face, not wanting to watch the inevitable. Helios watched as Nyanza spoke only for Corey to laugh and playfully ruffle his hair before seemingly realising the bushy tailed feline was serious

"He didn't want to tell you" he told Felix with a sigh "He wasn't sure how you'd react" the redhead fought the urge to grimace as he realised just how easily the same could be said of himself, he was still looking for ways to broach the subject of his commitment to his people, instead he only found more and more ways and reasons to delay the conversation a little further.

"He's an idiot sometimes" Felix shook his head with an irritable huff "Corvid doesn't need me to defend her honour or whatever he's worried about….and he knows he can talk to me about anything.

"Can I talk to you about anything?" Helios croaked out, almost forcing the words passed unwilling lips; his sudden nervousness enough to ensure that he had Felix's full attention

"Sure, what's wrong?" the urge to say it was nothing, it didn't matter was almost overwhelming but he set his jaw and took a slow breath through his nose; reminding himself of exactly who he was and what was expected of him

"You understand what my position is within the Nikosi yes?" when Felix nodded in understanding, evidently unsure of where the conversation was going Helios continued "I have a duty to my people, one day I will be called back to Anima to succeed my mother as head of my tribe. It's not a role I can abscond from and I don't know what it means for our relationship" Felix took a few moments to silently process the information, Helios took the fact that Felix was still holding his hand to be a good sign

"I've never known you to shy away from doing something just 'cos it's hard anyway" the messy haired blonde noted before adding something that caught the redhead completely unawares "Is your Mum okay man? It sounds serious?"

"I….she's….my mother is fine?" He sputtered, taking a moment to compose himself before continuing "I just wanted to be honest with you Felix, I like you and a care about you but I don't want to feel like I'm leading you on….If you want to end our relationship here I'll understand"

"You fucking idiot" Felix murmured before pulling him into a hug "You just got us both worried over nothing y'know that?"

"I-"

"So at some unspecified point in the future, possibly decades from now you'll have to go home?" Felix ploughed through any objections Helios may have had "So what man, we've got something good right now; let's just enjoy it"

"Hopefully it won't be for a long time" Helios nodded, a sudden lump in his throat as he realised he was discussing the mortality of the only one of his parents he'd ever known "But life beyond the Kingdoms is harsh Felix, people die often"

"You wanna talk about it?" Felix offered, sensing that something else was bothering the redhead

"Not tonight" Helios assured him, flashing him a bright smile "You're right we should enjoy what we have while it lasts….if you're sure that's what you want?" Felix simply leaned into him, allowing Helios the rare privilege of being able to play with his curly dirty blonde mane

"Exactly and if any problems come up we'll deal with them the same we deal with everything else" the Lion Faunus reached up and gently stroked the scar Helios had received along his cheek fighting Phobos the sentient Alpha Beowolf and Helios responded by leaning down and cupping Felix's cheeks, pulling him into a slow kiss; everything around them fading into irrelevancy until the sound of glasses being set down at their table broke them apart

"Get a room" Nyanza snorted as he joined them, finally bringing the promised drinks

"You okay man?" Felix asked "I know Corey can be pretty brutal with refusals….don't take it to heart man"

"Ah fuck, you saw that?" he grumbled "Y'know what it's fine….was always a long shot anyway" Felix merely took his glass, the smell revealing the contents to be brandy before the first sip as he scanned the dance floor; searching for any of their other friends who were yet to return, he caught sight of Corvid's jarringly vivid outfit and almost sprayed his drinks everywhere as he realised who she was currently dancing with so competitively it almost seemed to be aggressive

"Oh come on sis!" he cried, Corvid never hearing him over the music and continuing to dance with Onyx Ursabane.

* * *

Far away from Atlas Academy and revelry she almost wished she could be present for, General Winter Schnee turned to address Matte Skye, the head of her fleet and Qrow Branwen a confidant whose opinion she held in high esteem when it came to matters of secrecy and urgency. The three of them were currently the only living occupants of a hangar designated even more secret and high security than the rest of the base it was a part of; no small feat considering that this installation was one used to service and refuel ships belonging to the Specialist Branch as well as house several other classified projects. Behind Winter several Atlesian Knights that would later have their hard drives reformatted and memories wiped in the name of security were busying themselves with the task of loading a tall cylindrical matte black onto a vehicle which would in turn load it onto an Atlesian warship.

"As you can see it works-"

"I can see that it works on paper, against an AI representing an average Grimm….we don't have the data on the sentient kind" Qrow interrupted, his cynicism evident

"And we'll never get it unless we're willing to be bold" Winter countered impatiently "This isn't a blind gamble, it's also the best chance we have at turning the tide….Project Snare represents the future Qrow" her voice rose as she spoke, becoming more impassioned with each word and the footfalls of her mechanical leg echoing a little as she paced

"I understand that Winter-"

"I don't think you do" the General the one to interrupt this time "Think about it Qrow, we can already create pheromones that can redirect Grimm with limited success. What if we can find a sentient Grimm and study it, we can keep them away from our borders completely. This is going to change the face of Remnant entirely if it's successful"

"I can see the possibilities" Qrow murmured "But I remember the last scientific breakthrough Atlas got itself excited about; those robot soldiers turned on you in their first real test….And we both remember what happened the last time Atlas tried to control Grimm, hell I'm sure everyone remembers Project Hexxus"

"Too far" Matte warned breaking their silence, hand resting on one of the pistols at their hips until Winter waved them off

"I'm just saying that this technology it might change Remnant, but it might not be for the better" Qrow sighed, suddenly feeling all of his sixty plus years "Even provided that it works and it doesn't end getting your best scientists butchered by escaping Grim; if this ends up in the wrong hands it'll be a catastrophe….And that's not even considering the revolution that this will cause"

"Revolution?" Matte raised a questioning eyebrow

"How have long has Remnant relied on Hunters?" Qrow gave them a haunted looking stare "You seriously think that all those Hunters and soldiers are just going to roll over and accept the fact that this technology could replace them? It'll mean war"

"I've already had these concerns and measures will be put in place" Winter assured him, unable to entirely shake her own doubts "However as I said, progress requires us to be bold….I'm not asking for your permission Qrow; merely keeping you informed so that your own objectives don't interfere with ours"

"I know you're not asking for permission, General" Winter's eyes hardened at Qrow's use of her title rather than her name "I'm just asking you to be careful, as a friend" Winter nodded in silent understanding before turning to her former first mate and right hand in all military matters outside of those she entrusted to Gangrel

"Matte"

"Yes General" Matte straightened up as they awaited orders, eager to please as always

"There are student training missions taking place soon, ready your ship accommodate a team. I'll have Professor Soleil draw up a list of prospective candidates"

"Understood"

"Winter you can't seriously be trusting this to-"

"Matte I trust you're aware of the troubles on the shipping routes off of the west coast" Winter continued as if Qrow hadn't spoken, Matte nodding in response to her question "It may be a chance to test Project Snare's real world capabilities; attach the students to the strike team you send in….take the Baba-Jaegers with you as a precaution"

"Yes General" Matte saluted, a small grin on their face at being given permission to take the next generation of war machines for testing and the trust in them that Winter had. As Matte turned on their heel and left Qrow turned to Winter

"Students Winter?" he growled "I thought we agreed that we didn't bring kids into anything, no more-"

"This isn't related to the Maidens" Winter snapped, taking a moment to calm herself, aware that the opportunity before her was making her a little irrational "They're training to be Hunters Qrow, if they're not on a mission with Matte they'll be on a mission somewhere else….but if it'll put your mind at rest I'll ensure that Team FADE are kept off of Ciel's list"

"Thank you" Qrow nodded before paying her what he knew she would understand as a backhanded compliment "You were always a cut above the rest, but old Jimmy really would be impressed with how you're carrying on his legacy"

"No need to get catty Qrow; come my own ship is being refuelled but I have a full liquor cabinet on board" despite their differences of opinion on this subject Qrow gratefully followed after Winter who decided to throw one final barb over her shoulder as they set off towards the Atlesian flagship "And let's not forget which of us keeps a network of spies and has a hidden base of operations beneath their house" she paused for effect "Hiding things in plain sight and misdirecting the public's attention was something I learned from you"

 **Authors Notes:**

There you go have some more cuteness, and a little foreshadowing.  
One more chapter and then we'll be making our way into the climax of Vol.5, the second year missions….Vol.6 is the one we've all been waiting for the tournament.  
Also I'm aware that a few of my American readers have started college and that some of British readers will soon be in a similar position, to those of you living away from home for the first time I want to say congrats, good luck and stay safe.  
I also have an idea for a writing event, if you follow me on Tumblr keep an eye open on there I might make a post over the weekend.

That being said, let's summarise:  
I wanted to give Atlas's dance a distinct feeling that separated it from the one at Beacon in canon, having it outside as a direct fuck you to Atlas's climate seemed to work.  
Seriously an event like the dance would have students who are into music involved in some way, I know Rooster Teeth used it as a chance to sneak in a Daft Punk cameo but it's my fiercely held belief that Neon Katt was also a DJ, in this case Razz did the honours….I keep working Team GRAY in, they'll get proper descriptions, weapons and Semblances at the tournament.  
Felix got all dolled up for Helios….and the idea of him in a bow tie is hilarious to me for some reason.  
Can you imagine Ciel Soleil as an events planner? Also headcanon that she doesn't actually own any clothes suitable for a party so she just wears her dress uniform.  
Headcanon (Which considering that he's my OC makes it canon) that Arctus has worn so many standard black suits to so many formal events he will never buy another one willingly, hence the silver suit.  
So yeah, Helios and Diamond basically got the cliché slow motion entrance, shippers…..you're welcome.  
Seriously Diamond doesn't need to be told she looks great, she isn't arrogant about it but she's more than comfortable with her appearance….Also yeah, another new (Head)canon, Diamond doesn't wear heels, flats give her more surface area to channel her Semblance.  
I kinda want to do more little aside conversations like the one between Helios and Diamond that don't really add anything to the plot but make the characters feel more real.  
Onyx is a big softie under all that alcohol fuelled violence and gruffness.  
Also Carcharodon is asexual and sex repulsed, he missed the dance because the idea of that much necking makes him squeamish, being soaked in other peoples' blood he can handle, spit swapping is a step too far.  
Hellion in a suit….Cyberpet shippers, you're welcome.  
You know that Team GORE still find themselves slipping into old habits, moving silently, always looking for weak points and potential entrances/exits, working out who to take down first when the violence starts.  
So yeah Eagle still has some self confidence and body image issues, combined with her lack of experience she and Hellion will be taking things slow….but they're head over heels for each other.  
A little bittersweet headcanon that you can pry from my cold dead hands, Ren and Nora totally did the Team JNPR dance at their wedding and dedicated it to two people who couldn't be there.  
But on a lighter note, Eagle and Hellion danced to Shine….enjoy.  
And so my legacy of cock-blocking lives on….but seriously the dance would have been to cliché of a first time for Diamond Dust anyway.  
Also, use protection.  
Okay for the people who asked what I meant when I said Cinnabar is 'Toxic masculinity' personified _"_ _Cinnabar would certainly have seen anyone de-escalating a confrontation on his behalf as an attack on his manhood"_ pretty much sums it up; you know people with this mindset, you know you do.  
The dance had a bar and Felix still wanted Helios to spike the punch, _'You can take the boy out of Patch….'  
_ Little reminder that the Nikos and Frost River tribes hold each other in contempt; Nikosi think Frost River are nothing but pirates with no honour or morals; the Frost River think the Nikosi are lapdogs who bow to Mistral's authority, making them traitors to the Anima tribes' way of life.  
Lux and Rusty needs a ship-name, Olivine and Ether are background characters and they have one (I still think _'Gunmetal'_ is a great pun)  
Corvid could pull off a typical suit or a dress….but why on remnant would she want to do that.  
So yeah they had "the talk" and Battle Cat is still going strong.  
I was tempted to use the conversation as a chance to mention why Helios's dad isn't around _(Remember that Syneffo is his half sister, not that he treats her any differently)_.  
Corvid and Onyx, because the idea amuses me.  
Matte Skye is 112% ready to throw down for Winter at all times.  
I feel like both Winter and Qrow have valid points here, yes Project Snare _(Considering she doesn't know about Ozymandias's double dealings)_ will potentially change the world; at the same time plenty of people would be willing to use violence to maintain the status quo.  
Remember the Baba-Jaegers, Matte's new toys from Vol.4….'cos I haven't.  
So yeah a student team is going to be involved with Project Snare.  
Winter may have looked up to Ironwood but she understands Qrow's opinion of him and that if Qrow compares anyone to Ironwood he means it as an insult.  
And the winning point in that Verbal sparring match goes to Winter.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Funlander, FleetOfWarships, iSassenach and ShadowAlex2000 for their reviews on the last chapter; also congrats to iSassenach for being the 400th review on FF Net.  
Oh yeah Weiss will have those officers destroyed in completely legal ways and smile while she does it.  
Well Sin was there because he just happened to be driving through that part of town, running into Arctus was a coincidence.  
Onyx may have all the subtlety of blunt force trauma but it works.  
Look I gave you a break from the angst.  
When life gives you lemons, stab your readers in the feels and use the lemons to clean the wound…..or demand to see life's manager, one of the two.  
I will try and work in more Gangrel, he was my first RWBY and I'll always have a soft spot for him.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	63. Amore

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 63: Amore**

It was currently Thursday meaning that almost a week had passed since Atlas Academy's traditional dance and the campus had taken on an odd but enjoyable atmosphere once the hangovers had subsided; somehow peaceful yet excited at the same time as the many new couples who had attended the dance as a first date basked in their new relationship while the primary topics of conversation were both the now rapidly approaching Vytal Tournament itself, adverts for which had begun to be seen on Atlesian television and upcoming missions which would presumably conclude before the beginning of the tournament though concerning whisperings about teams being disqualified if they were unable to return from a mission on time had been heard.

Team FADE were currently in the dormitory enjoying the relative normality of working on an assignment that incorporated aspects of both Grimm studies and combat classes; eschewing the library in favour of being able to have music playing as they worked and also have snacks that Eagle had prepared on hand, the blonde herself currently taking notes at breakneck speed and muttering to herself as her pen accidentally pierced the paper

"You okay there?" Felix asked as he caught sight of his partners' steadily increasing annoyance out of the corner of his eye; Eagle put her pen down and leaned back as she exhaled slowly in attempt to calm herself

"Yeah, I just really wanna get this done" she explained, a small blush coming to her freckled cheeks as she continued "Hellion's never been to the movies before so I'm taking her out tomorrow night after class; I don't want assignments piling up over the weekend"

"Sounds nice" Arctus grumbled from his position on the bunk he and Diamond shared, any bitterness at being confined to the Academy hidden behind a toothy grin. After learning how many things that Eagle considered normal parts of life Hellion had missed growing up as a member of the Frost River Tribe the blonde had committed herself to making sure that every date they had was a memorable first experience of something; Hellion herself while somewhat bemused at Eagle's boundless energy had happily agreed.

"Just take a breather, you wanna borrow my notes?" Felix offered

"You mean mine and Arctus's notes that you copied?" Diamond snorted

"Our aggregated notes" Felix corrected without missing a beat, his friends still making teasing retorts when he felt his Scroll vibrate in his pocket; shushing them with a gesture he rummaged in his pocket for the device and seeing that the incoming call was from Corvid

"Hey sis, what's up?" he greeted her as he answered

"Not much, you doing anything tomorrow night?" the elder siblings' voice replied, the call being audio only

"Well I'm not being a third wheel for you and Onyx if that's what you're offering"

"Oh fuck off Fluffy" Corvid sighed, Felix had wasted no opportunity to tease for the dance with the Puma Faunus she assured him with clear exasperation meant nothing

"But seriously though I'm not sure what I'm doing tomorrow" Felix told her "Haven't made any plans with Helios yet, why?"

"There's a club in Lower Atlas I wanna check out….and I mean way down in Lower Atlas, called Club Depth and it's supposed to have a real nice set up; you in? Bring your boyfriend if you want" Corvid's own instinctual urge to tease her sibling barely being held at bay if her singsong tone was any indication; Felix rolled his eyes but paused to consider it

"I'll let you know by lunch tomorrow" he finally answered "Depends on who's doing what and if I get an assignment dropped on me for the weekend….the professors are taking it a little too far now" the last was spoken with an annoyed huff

"Cool, I think Iris might be coming….some fourth year from Vaccuo's got her attention right now though; anyway I'll see you tomorrow"

"Night Corey"

"Night Fluffy" with that the call ended and the Lion Faunus eyed the several pages of completed assignments and pages more yet to be done in front of him with some annoyance before trying to pick up where he left off

"Quiet night in for us?" Felix heard Diamond ask, obviously directed at Arctus

"Don't feel like you've gotta stay in for me, seriously go to the club if you want babe" the Bear Faunus offered

"Nah it's cool, the dance was only last week I don't wanna party every weekend" she shrugged, making a slight correction to her own work before adding "Besides there's a marathon of old crappy horror movies on tomorrow night, gonna text my dad while I watch 'em"

"Sounds like a plan" Arctus gently cuddled her from behind, privately glad that he wouldn't be spending the weekend alone while everyone else left campus to enjoy themselves

"Y'know what I'm making poutine….it's basically tradition" Diamond asserted, the dish something she and Mercury black thoroughly enjoyed gorging themselves on while watching movies that aged badly and were now unintentionally hilarious.

"Oh we've gotta have a movie night sometime-" Eagle added, the conversation being cut short by a Scroll audibly vibrating, this time belonging to Arctus who opened the device to answer a video call from his mother

"Hey Mum, everything okay?" he couldn't help the concern that crept into his voice at the sight of her face, Weiss looked exhausted with dark rings around her eyes suggesting that she hadn't slept in quite some time

"I'm okay, thank you for asking" Weiss assured him before getting straight to the point "I called you because I need to ask you for a favour"

"Yeah sure, what's up?" Arctus answering instantly, happy to help

"I know about you being confined to the academy but I've spoken to Winter, would you be able to come home for the weekend?" before Arctus could answer Weiss explained "It's just that with the Schnee Dust Company opening a new facility in Gerat-Handlung some of my research team are transferring, they wanted to try for management roles; Whitley is busy negotiating with Poly-Tech and the Coalition and your father is aboard his ship at the moment-"

"You need someone to look after AJ?" Arctus surmised

"Precisely" Weiss nodded "If you're busy with school I understand, I can ask Bjorn if he can make the trip from Eisenstadt Dritte-"  
"Mum I'll be on a flight as soon as I change out of uniform tomorrow" her son assured

"Thank you" Weiss beamed, catching sight of Diamond in the periphery of the screen she added "And Diamond by all means feel free to visit, I'm sure Athena-Jade would love to see you again"

"Mum try and get some sleep" Arctus implored her

"I plan to the moment your sister is asleep" she told him before letting out a long yawn "On that note, goodnight son; love you"  
"Love you too Mum"

"Bye Aunt Weiss!" Felix called, hopefully being heard before the call ended and the screen went blank; leaving Arctus staring at it for a few moments until Eagle reached over and nudged him

"Sucks when they work themselves into the ground right?" her tone understanding

"Yeah" Arctus sighed "She'll be fine though, her and Uncle Whitley will manage until they take on some new staff"

"Who's Bjorn?" Diamond enquired as she resumed her customary position leaning against Arctus "Your Mum mentioned him"

"Grandpa Bjorn" Arctus clarified "My Dad's Dad obviously; ran the Atlas branch of the Coalition for a bit, retired back to Eisenstadt Dritte where he grew up and opened a gas station for old times sake"

"When you're allowed out of here you've gotta introduce me" Diamond insisted "You've already met my Dad and that's fifty percent of my family there"

"Will do babe" he assured her, kissing her cheek before finding his discarded pen and returning to his assignment "So do you wanna come to Schnee Manor for the weekend?" Diamond's answer came easily and without hesitation

"Hell yeah Big Guy, your sister's adorable!"

* * *

The following evening came around quickly, lessons barely registering in Arctus's mind and before long he was on a privately chartered aircraft owned by Whitley Schnee, presumably for those occasions when he wanted to make an extra ostentatious entrance and one of his many sports cars just wouldn't suffice. He had been beset by his sister and ageing but equally hyperactive mastiff almost the moment he and Diamond had made their way through the large double doors of Schnee Manor; managing to say a brief goodbye and exchange a few pleasantries with his mother before she had to return to the Schnee Dust Company's primary research and development facility for work while Athena-Jade was preoccupied with showing off her hair style to Diamond, whom it was obviously modelled after; Diamond herself found herself unable to maintain any of her seemingly effortless charisma around the child and found herself falling victim to the contagious, giddy and undeniably cute energy that Athena-Jade exuded.

Currently Arctus was in the pristine and well stocked kitchen that had been one of his favourite parts of the manor ever he since he'd been a small child trying to talk the late Klein Siebte into making him an extra helping of dessert. Whilst Diamond was helping Athena with her maths homework which the Mistrali had noted was advanced for her age, most likely due to the demanding standards set by the exclusive prep school both Slate children had attended, Arctus was preparing dinner and taking care to use vegetables that sister, who could be an amazingly picky eater at times, would eat without complaint as he was in a good mood and had no desire to spoil it with an argument; there was also the fact that he wanted to impress Diamond, Gangrel Slate had ensured that his children learned to cook reasoning that having enough Lien to hire help was no excuse for not knowing how to look after oneself; Arctus knew he was good and frankly felt like showing off a little, while at the same time hoping he wasn't completely out of practice. As he dished up the steaks and vegetables and made an attempt to make it look presentable he convinced himself that it was good enough and made his way into the dining room, where Diamond and Athena were waiting for him at one end of the gigantic table whose length Arctus had often questioned himself, nobody ever even sat in the more ornate seat at its' head anyway. His private musings stopped at the sound of Diamond's voice

"That smells great big guy, I didn't know you can cook"  
"Don't get much chance to at the academy" Arctus answered, shrugging as much as the trio of plates he was carrying would allow before setting them down; Diamond stole a quick kiss which Athena, despite her adoration for her, mimed vomiting in response to. Dinner was a quiet affair, both Hunters in training still tired from the days' classes and Athena unusually quiet; a state of affairs Diamond picked up and gently nudged her partner, Arctus caught sight of his sister pushing her half eaten meal around her plate

"If you don't want it then you can say so squirt" he sighed "No point in sitting there playing with it….I'll feed the steak to Scruff later" Athena's eyes widened, Weiss had always been adamant about never feeding the dog table scraps; her expression quickly reverted to what it had been previously, sullen and unusually thoughtful

"It's not that….I wanna ask something and I don't think Mum and Dad want to answer it, can I ask you?" Arctus felt the atmosphere around the table shift, becoming somewhat uncomfortable

"Sure, fire away" he nodded, unsure as to what could have made such a negative impression on Athena that his parents wouldn't talk about considering that they had been open about Gangrel's membership in the White Fang.

"Y'know our Grandpa? Not Grandpa Bjorn….the other Grandpa, the one that looks like Uncle Whitley" Athena-Jade's lip quivered as she finally dared to ask the question "Why did he hate people like us? I don't want my Grandpa to hate me because I'm a Faunus!" Arctus saw tears welling up in her eyes and all but leapt out of his seat so that he could crouch beside the younger Faunus and wrap an arm around her shoulders

"Hey, what's brought this on?" he asked in the most soothing tone he could manage, a series of dark thoughts occurring to him in rapid succession; given shape by memories of his own time at prep school "Have other kids at school been picking on you?"

"No" Athena pouted, crossing her arms and folding in on herself, bitterly adding "We had a history class last week, people have been staring at me and whispering ever since….And answer the question you're doing what Mum and Dad did" Arctus looked over to Diamond hoping for some shred of guidance; she had none but made her way over to the two of them in an obvious show of moral support

"Okay first off I want you to know, I mean really understand that whatever Jacques Schnee thought of Faunus, your family loves you. You know that right, Aunt Winter and Uncle Whitley love you, Mum and Dad both love you"

"Uh huh" Athena-Jade nodded, wiping her eyes and leaning into her brothers' hug ever so slightly

"Now I only know what I've been told" Arctus sighed, mind racing as he struggled to figure out how to explain that their grandfather had been a hateful bigot who profited from the exploitation that had produced an army of bitter and angry Faunus which included the likes of Adam Taurus;

"So up until maybe fifteen years ago it used to be legal to pay Faunus like us less for doing the same job as humans-"

"Why?"

"Because a lot of people who have a lot of money are mean and greedy and will make up any excuse to rip people off" Arctus found that answer at least came to him without hesitation "Now Grandpa Schnee was always mean and greedy and sneaky but when a group of Faunus said they'd had enough of the way Atlas was treating them he started being extra nasty to Faunus-"

"Why?" Athena repeated

"Because he liked things the way they were; he wasn't a nice guy AJ. He didn't want to pay Faunus more money and eventually those angry Faunus got even angrier and started stealing his Dust and burning down his factories" Arctus wondered if he should have added that part, it almost felt like he was using the actions of the White Fang to excuse Jacques; Athena seemingly didn't think so

"So he would've hated us because other Faunus wanted him to be nicer to them….that doesn't even make sense"

"Sometimes people don't make sense" Diamond lamented, wrapping her own arm around the child and turning it into an awkward crouching group hug with a chair in the way "But you don't know he wouldn't have liked you, he never even got to meet you"

"Exactly" Arctus nodded, biting his tongue and not mentioning that he knew what his maternal Grandfathers' response to his parents relationship had been and was certain that were he still alive their lives would be far more difficult "A lot of people only remember the worst parts of him and a lot of people were right to be angry at him; but I don't think he would have hated you…..you're too cute, nobody can hate you" Arctus ruffled her hair and hoped that he had at least convinced his sister despite not believing his own words in the slightest; Diamond reaching over to give his hand a gentle but reassuring squeeze confirmed that she knew or at least suspected the truth. Arctus flashed her a small grateful smile; the important thing right now was that Athena-Jade wasn't crying, she could learn more when she was older. In the meantime Arctus had one more thing he needed to take care of

"Now are you gonna have another try at those veggies? 'cos there's a big tub of ice cream that me and Diamond might need help with, but only people who eat their veggies can have ice cream" Athena glared at him, seemingly gauging if she could break his willpower through weaponised cuteness before finally giving in and picking up her cutlery

"What flavour?"

* * *

Celeste Lupus, High Commander of the White Fang and the supreme authority within the settlement of Tartarus walked at a pace that most would call leisurely, for her it was torturous; the cybernetic augmentations to her spine could only recover so much of the mobility that had been stolen from her by the destruction of the building she had been cowering in during the pitched battle that had haunted her nightmares since childhood. Her thighs and calves burned and she moved through her domain, muscles still unused to such strain after years confined to a wheelchair contorting her face into a grimace which made those she passed recoil slightly, conversations being brought to a halt and children being admonished by their parents for staring too long. There was seemingly only one person who dared approach the visibly displeased Celeste, leading to the almost comically incongruous sight of the Ram Faunus, Wilt at her hip despite the absence of her powered armour being followed by a chatty and exuberant girl no older than six who seemed to have no notion of how dangerous the adult they were telling about their day was. Hearing the words tumble from the child at breakneck speed brought a small smile to Celeste's face which in no way reduced the menace she was capable of projecting; the girl was the same one who had approached her some weeks ago, a Crab Faunus being taunted by her peers for being born with chitinous pincers in place of hands

"-nobody has called me _'fingers'_ in a while either, not since I grabbed that one boy by the cat ear and twisted until he said sorry" the child whose name Celeste had never learned, though finding out would be a simple matter, explained with a wide smile that showed missing teeth as her pincers clacked together excitedly

"Good little one. Never let anybody make you ashamed for being what you are, even if they're another Faunus….Stop them by force if you need to, better they learn before they can hurt our people any more" the Ram Faunus watched carefully as the little girl processed the information

"Kay!" she chirped earnestly and Celeste made a mental note to enquire after the child's family, she seemingly had few close friends, was pliant and eager to please with what appeared to be a willingness to use violence making itself known early on and if the way she followed Celeste around were any indication she was completely fearless; the White Fang would have many uses for such an individual if they were nurtured properly, perhaps Alpha could take the girl as an apprentice. Such thoughts were brought to a halt as Celeste caught sight of the familiar form of Kuro, the wiry haired Tarantula Faunus responsible for modifying Neon Katt's armour and one of the High Commanders' most trusted advisors in matters regarding technology, he simply bowed slightly before nodding in response to an unasked question and gesturing towards a door further along the corridor. Crouching down to speak to the child at her own eye level Celeste asked

"I have to talk to some people in private, I need you to run along now little one; but first but what is your name?"

"Coral Scylla Miss Lupus!"

"Good night Coral, I'm sure it's passed your bedtime" Coral hurried along on her way, Celeste watched her leave for a moment before rising back to her feet with some discomfort and making her way to Kuro

"That child, Coral Scylla….find her parents and tell them that the High Commander may have a way for their daughter to serve the cause" without waiting for her response she made her way towards the room that the Tarantula Faunus had indicated towards; even if she hadn't sent for them personally she would have known who was waiting for her from the look of mild revulsion in his eyes

"Stand" at her behest the Cult of Taurus who had been bowed on bended knee rose as one, Alpha stepping forwards slightly

"High Commander" she breathed out reverently, head still bowed somewhat while the toxic spines intertwined with her hair lay flat against her back in a display of supplication. Behind her Beta nodded, the Snow Leopard Faunus's expression inscrutable despite his mask showing more of the face beneath than his comrades. Delta remained still and silent, seemingly trying to attract as little attention as possible while Gamma was their opposite, puffing out his bare chest with pride

"I have an assignment for you, one I would only trust to my most loyal" Celeste paused for a moment, letting the praise hang in the air before continuing "With the gifts given to us by the human Eldritch the time for our declaration of war against our oppressors grows close-"

"Can the human be trusted?" Beta asked, cultured voice betraying no hint of emotions; Alpha however made no effort to contain her anger as her weapon _'Judgement'_ unfurled around her clenched fists

"It is not your place to question the High Commander!"  
"Calm yourself Alpha" Celeste admonished gently, the Lionfish Faunus's devotion had the potential to be as dangerous as it was useful "Beta is right to be suspicious of humans, they're a race of deceivers"

"My apologies High Commander" Alpha all but genuflected before her while Celeste continued

"You recall the mission I had you undertake over a year ago, purging the children of deserters and savages who dared to use our name" her voice shook with anger at the thought of the Shadow Cadre of the Frost River Tribe whom the Cult of Taurus had put to death for the crime of their existence "Necessary as it was, it was also a test of your abilities to lead a larger force….when the White Fang steps out of the shadows and makes its' intentions known and undeniable, so to will the Shadow Cadre step out of the shadows; I want you at my right hand leading the charge"

"It would be an unimaginable honour High Commander" Alpha almost gasped, an odd sound coming from the smoky voiced killer

"Good, rest tonight and leave for the cities and settlements tomorrow, I want you to raise an army. Tell each of our cells that you speak with my authority and that they should prepare for war" Celeste thought to herself for a moment, cursing her own uncertainty before making a decision and committing herself to it "I may also have found a candidate with the potential to expand your ranks….though not for some time, tell me Alpha how do you feel about children?"

* * *

Club Depth was loud, it's sound system alone costing more than the house that the Xiao Long siblings lived in; the nightclub whose lights fluctuated through various shades of blue and purple as they pulsated in time the pounding bass, was rumoured to have been founded by a famous local gangster; a Faunus who criminal who had amassed a sizeable underworld empire while at the same time rejecting the advances of the White Fang. Corvid had relayed these local rumours and urban legends to her brother en route to the establishment, Felix's response had been to roll his deep blue eyes and note that it was small wonder she had seemingly honed in on the place, she had a knack finding cesspools. Currently both Corvid and Felix were taking a break from the dance floor and had sequestered themselves away at a corner table with drinks with an alcohol content they burned Felix's sensitive nose every time he raised the glass to his lips; despite the noise the two of them were managing to hold a conversation and be heard

"Shame nobody else could make it" Felix noted as Corvid used the frontal camera of her Scroll to check her make up, satisfied that she still looked presentable she collapsed the device and shrugged

"Iris said she'll probably catch up, she's coming with the guy from Shade she's been talking to. Besides it's Friday we're bound to run into someone"

"With how shady this place is you're probably working out the odds of Onyx walking in" Felix snorted, feigning disgust

"Oh fuck off" was his sisters' reply, laughing while she said it "Seriously you're more bothered about it than I ever was, Onyx was just a little bit of fun….a one night thing"

"Did you have phrase it like that, I really didn't need that mental image" Felix dead-panned before adding "All jokes aside though sis do whatever makes you happy though"

"That's the plan" bro she answered, downing her drink in one before giving him a mischievous look "So since you started it, where's red? I thought you two were a thing….an absolutely adorable thing"

"He wanted to train tonight, he's been getting a little obsessive with it again because of the tournament and a mission coming up" Felix's face slowly morphed into a somewhat vacant smile while his tail swished lazily "But yeah, me and Heely….it's official, we're dating" before he could protest Corvid had reached across the table and ruffled the Lion Faunus's curly hair

"Look at you, all goofy and cute….Tell him if he breaks your heart I'll shoot his balls off with a rail-gun at point blank range" she laughed, the effects of the alcohol beginning to make themselves known "So when are you planning on introducing him to our Mums? They'll love him"

"I'm not sure, but I want to" Felix admitted with a fond smile before a thought occurred to him and he gave a small frown "Actually that reminds me, don't third years have missions coming up?"

"Yeah, Team CLIR are shipping out on Monday" Corvid nodded, a concern flickering across her face for the briefest of moments before she masked it behind her usual somewhat cocky smile "I'm planning on spending tonight and Saturday absolutely blackout drunk and recovering on Sunday"

"You okay, you're never usually this worried?" Felix asked having spotted the momentary unease and failing to be concerned by the attempt to cover it up. Corvid let out a slow breath before she answered

"Yeah well, first and second year you're more or less just shadowing qualified Hunters; third year gets more in depth. I'm basically leading this mission with minimal oversight….doesn't help matters that we're taking one of Atlas Academies' personal Bull-Heads out to rendezvous with a contact"

"They're letting you fly?" Felix gasped "Sweet!"

"They're letting Iris fly" Corvid corrected "I'm in the co-pilot seat working the guns….can't quite get the hang of the handling, it's not like the Omega Wing" she admitted with a slightly annoyed huff

"Still cool though" Felix assured her "You've got this sis"

"Thanks Fluffy"

"Second years ship out a week after you" Felix informed her "No idea what the mission's gonna be but it can't be worse than the last one….saying that you'd probably love the idea of spending a week in an abandoned city with Onyx" Corvid rolled her steely grey eyes at her brothers' taunting and decided to give him the reply she felt he'd earned

"I know right, plenty of privacy I can be as loud as I want" she watched the Lion Faunus choke on his drink, several sputtered curses spilling from his lips, out of the corner of her eye she spotted familiar white hair and brown skin; Iris Ramal had entered the club with the Vaccuan student deemed lucky enough to warrant her attention. Corvid watched her team-mate withdraw her Scroll and type out a message, her Scroll vibrating in her pocket a moment later

"Come on Fluffy, we've got company" as she rose from her seat another idea crossed her mind "Hey I just realised, if your mission goes to plan then you'll actually be getting back around the time the announce the fixtures for the tournament"

"Sweet" Felix grinned confidently as he rose to his feet and fell into step beside her "Can't wait to see who Team FADE are gonna beat first"

* * *

Athena-Jade Slate had been put to bed several hours ago, the energetic child finally falling asleep with the aide of a bedtime story courtesy of Diamond, said story had been one more unique renditions of a popular tale told to her by her own parents; Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black had never in their own bleak upbringings had the experience of being read to and routinely ad-libbed details and plot points, the result was a story that left both Athena and Arctus howling with laughter until the younger sibling had finally closed her eyes while Arctus and Diamond found themselves sharing a chuckle every time they made eye contact at the thought of such memorable moments as the _'Big Bad Wolf's attack on the Ministry of Silly Walks'_

"Hey Dee, I love you" Arctus murmured contentedly, the two of them were currently on the sofa in the living room of Schnee Manor; a space so normal and at odds with the grandiose exterior and main hallway it almost seemed out of place. They were currently watching the vintage horror movie marathon that Diamond had been looking forward to, her Scroll vibrating following every major scene or any time a classic line that had made its' way into pop culture was spoken due to Diamond texting her father, she and Mercury had always watched movies like this together on nights that he wasn't working as a pilot when Emerald's charity work kept her away from home.

"Love you too Big guy" she mumbled, hastily swallowing a mouthful of what she described as _'unhealthy cheesy, gravy coated goodness'_ while sprawled atop the Bear Faunus, the two of them huddled beneath thick blankets to keep the cold at bay while the wind howled outside

"What's on after this?" Arctus asked as he yawned and stretched, taking it as opportunity to snake an arm around Diamond's waist

"Terror-Forming, a bunch of colonists on an alien planet run into the natives….the best kind of trash" the sniper grinned

"Did they get Corey to name it, sounds like something she'd come up with?"

"Hey, you leave my crappy movies alone" Diamond stuck her tongue out at him "Don't make me go wake up Athena and get her to help me out in a pillow fight"

"You wouldn't dare" Arctus gasped, feigning fear and outrage, Diamond rolled her eyes

"Dork" she snorted before leaning down to kiss him, her lips lingering against his while her arms slid around his neck and a small gasp escaping her as Arctus's hands trailed lower from there they grew more passionate in their kisses, before long Diamond had found herself beneath her lover groaning in pleasure as he nipped at her neck and collarbones while his hands moved under her tank-top; her response was to pull his shirt over his head and pull him down into a searing kiss, her tongue slipping into his mouth and muffling her own moans as his thumb brushed against her nipple through her bra, without thinking she wrapped her legs and held him in place only to almost whimper as she felt him grind against her. Her fingers curled in his ivory hair and she gently pulled him back, giving herself a chance to catch her breath before frantically discarding her tank-top and unclasping her bra, as she reached to pull Arctus into another mind-numbing kiss the Bear Faunus stopped her

"Do you want to…." he trailed off, he didn't need to explain what he meant and Diamond only needed a moment to consider before nodding and reaching into her pocket and quickly shedding the sweatpants that she had been wearing beneath the sheets

"And this time we don't have to worry" she informed him as she handed him the little square package containing a condom that she'd retrieved from her pocket. The sound of Arctus's belt and pants being undone was a precursor to the Bear Faunus resuming his previous position atop Diamond kissing her slowly and passionately while using her moans and gasps as guidance while teasing her through her panties with his fingers, when he heard his name stumble from her mouth as her breath hitched, cherry red eyes rolling back as she shivered under his touch Arctus pushed her panties to the side and positioned himself while making eye contact, silently making sure that Diamond was sure

"I love you" she breathed out and Arctus needed no further encouragement, Diamond's back arched as he thrust forwards, her nails digging into his back and the two of them remaining like that for a moment; taking their time to get used to the sensation. Arctus started with slow, gentle movements but soon built up a more robust rhythm, spurred on by Diamond's moans of sheer ecstasy with each stroke; he kissed and bit at her neck while she slipped a hand between her own thighs, reaching her climax moments before Arctus. The two of them panting heavily and glistening with sweat as they held each other, sharing slow gentle kisses. Arctus's arms wrapped around Diamond and she made herself comfortable, tucking her head under his chin and nuzzling into his chest. They both knew that they should probably get dressed or at the very least move upstairs yet neither made any move to do so, their exhausted panting eventually giving way to slow rhythmic breath as they both fell asleep; mercifully being spared an embarrassing moment by Whitley Schnee who returned from the Schnee Dust Company headquarters in the early hours of the morning and merely shook his head and smirked at the sigh of the sleeping couple before sending Weiss a text informing her that it would be better to avoid the living room if she returned home before noon.

 **Authors Notes:**

Okay that's the cute and fluffy _(And NSFW)_ shit you were promised, now we move into the final third of Vol.5; prepare yourselves because much like the Cult of Taurus….I take no prisoners.

That being said, let's summarise shall we:  
The hype for the Tournament in Vol.6 is real now Arc is adorable and I love writing it as much as you all seem to enjoy reading it.  
" _Our aggregated notes"_ Felix's comedic timing is perfect.  
You know damn well Felix asked Corvid precisely what the fuck after the dance lol.  
Club Depth is a call back to The Downward Spiral….one that will become relevant considering who I'm gonna be bringing back soon.  
Okay I'm not even sure where Diamond loving Poutine came from, I'm not even Canadian _(Although we do have it here in the UK, we just don't call it that….And I would go so far as to say we make it pretty damn well)_.  
The new SDC facility being opened outside of the Hive Cities has been mentioned a few times….it's not a coincidence.  
Bjorn Slate….I think the Downward Spiral readers want him to make a return, I should probably oblige.  
Yep, Athena-Jade has adopted Diamond as her new big sister.  
Klein Siebte died peacefully in his sleep of old age, just making sure we all understand that.  
The Slate kids attended a prep school but they still came home after classes instead of living there.  
Seriously guys, learn to fucking cook. In 2018 not being a man-child who can't is just unacceptable.  
There's the difference between the Schnee family with and without Jacques in one moment, none of the Schnee kids feel a need to assert their dominance as "Head" of the family.  
Just 'cos he doesn't get table scraps doesn't mean the dog doesn't get steak….You know damn well Weiss would cook an extra steak for him because she can't say no to a good dog.  
Seriously being bi-racial and finding out your grandparents were super racist has gotta hurt, my condolences to anyone dealing with that.  
I feel like Arctus was right to try and do some damage limitation there, telling Athena-Jade that "Yeah Jacques Schnee was a monster and he would have hated you just for existing, killing him was probably one of the best things Adam Taurus ever did" isn't gonna help.  
When in doubt, bribe with ice cream….when my niece/nephew is born I will be relying on this strategy.  
Celeste is charismatic and has produced consistent results that have made life better for her people, but let's not shy away from the fact that even confined to a wheelchair she was capable of ruling through fear….that should say a lot about how bad it's going to be when we finally get to see her in combat.  
Coral Scylla aka _"Fingers"_ Oh I have a plan for her, you're gonna love this.  
There's the thing about Cults, they're really good at indoctrinating people….  
A little hint towards the actual personalities of the Cult, their body language says a lot.  
The Cult of Taurus are taking an active battlefield role; gee I wonder how that could be bad for our protagonists.  
Yes Ringo Umi the Blue-Ringed Octopus Faunus has become and urban legend.  
Seriously though Corvid finds all the worst/best hangouts.  
Anyone got a ship name for Corvid and Onyx?  
"Tell him if he breaks your heart I'll shoot his balls off with a rail-gun at point blank range" Corvid does not fuck around.  
I honestly just love writing the siblings.  
' _Big Bad Wolf's attack on the Ministry of Silly Walks'_ is something I distinctly remember from an ad-libbed version of the three little pigs I told my little brother and it annoys me that I can't remember the context.  
The only pun this chapter and it wasn't from Corvid….what the fuck am I doing.  
So there you go it finally happened….exactly when I planned for it to happen, are you all happy now? Good.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, ShadowAlex200, iSassenach, FleetOfWarships, Funlander and TigerRose for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Yeah, Battle-Cat and Cyberpet ships are now official.  
Team CLIR and GORE are too much havoc for even me lol.  
Clearly that was the last time I cock-block you.  
Lux's Semblance is that he's a human flash-bang grenade _(It's literally called Flash-Bang)_.  
I'm glad everyone enjoyed the cuteness.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	64. The Assignment

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 64: The Assignment**

The day of the second years' second mission had arrived and Felix Xiao Long had awoken to find himself to nervous to enjoy a light breakfast alongside the rest of Team FADE despite Eagle's gentle insistence that he should probably eat something. The Lion Faunus placed a large portion of the blame for his current uneasiness on the fact that Corvid was yet to return from the mission that she had led Team CLIR on a week previously, while his sister had kept in contact as much as the mission would allow and told him that it was simply a matter of delays being caused by needing to perform maintenance and limited repairs on the Bull-Head they had taken from Atlas Academies' hangar and that they would return any day now, Felix couldn't help but see the fact that his sister was not here to wish him good luck or tease him before he departed as something of a bad omen. He attempted to clear his mind and focus as Team FADE made their way through the hallways leading from the mess hall to the ampitheatre where the available missions were being dispensed; to his left were Arctus and Diamond, inseparable as always, the Bear Faunus currently having an arm wrapped around the snipers' waist; to his right was Eagle and Sentinel, the automaton bleeping and chirping animatedly as it trundled along after its' master. Felix noted that Eagle wore an expression that was both determined and yet full of her usual enthusiasm and zest for life, jaw set with deep crimson eyes twinkling in anticipation

"You okay?" Felix asked, deciding that if he couldn't assuage his own nerves he could at least do something for hers'

"Yeah I'm great" Eagle beamed "This is our first mission since I unlocked my Semblance….I just hope I've practised enough"

"Just be careful" Felix's reply was barely above a whisper though Diamond clearly heard them talking as she chimed in

"Let me know if you're gonna try it, I'll make sure I can catch you….just in case, don't worry you'll be fine"

"Thanks guys, it means a….Hey!" Eagle trailed off only to let out an exclamation of pure happiness as a team of familiar Faunus made their way into view, evidently heading from the ampitheatre Team FADE were making their way to

"And hey yourself little canary" Hellion cooed silkily as she slipped away from the rest of Team GORE, Marauder letting out a piercing shriek before swooping from her shoulder over to Sentinel and perching on the droids' angular cranium while Eagle's bright smile became an expression of flustered shyness while a blush spread across her freckled cheeks the moment the Dragonfly Faunus wrapped her arms around her waist; Felix would freely admit that they made an adorable couple but chose not intrude on the moment that they were clearly having, instead turning to Carcharodon who merely shook his head in resigned disdain at the display of affection

"So, got your mission then?" he asked, the Shark Faunus nodded in response

"We're being sent to Freiheit, I understand it's a large city-"  
"Be careful out there" Arctus warned "The settlements outside of the Hive cities are rough places even at the best of times"

"We've seen rougher and terrorised it" Onyx snorted gruffly before turning to Felix "Any word from Corvid?"

"She's been delayed" Felix answered, keeping his tone as neutral as possible though the Puma Faunus seemed to sense his concern

"Relax, she is one hell of a woman"

"Okay I want you to do me a favour and never say that out loud again" Felix grimaced "So what're they sending you out to Freiheit for?"

"They haven't told us, we're meeting our assigned Hunter there" Carcharodon explained, Felix nodded in understanding but failed to notice the looks that Team GORE shared; Raffia who had remained unusually silent thus far giving a particularly feral smile

"Come" Carcharodon rasped out "Our flight won't wait for us and I have no intention of trekking across this Kingdom" he made his way passed Team FADE with Onyx and Raffia following suit, the Puma Faunus casually slapping a meaty paw of a hand on Felix's shoulder as he passed; Hellion however lingered for a moment, reaching up to cup Eagle's cheek while silently asking for permission which was given in equal silence; Hellion pulled the slightly taller Huntress down into a slow, gentle and tender kiss

"Stay safe little canary and destroy anything which challenges you" the former raider took Eagle's hands in hers and briefly kissed her knuckles before setting off after her team, Marauder taking flight and resuming his position perched upon her shoulder

"Come on let's go" Felix shook his head and grinned at a still flustered Eagle who was staring wistfully after her girlfriend. Before much longer the four Hunters made their way into the ampitheatre of Atlas Academy, the familiar hall filled with digital screens displaying the various missions that the students would be embarking on and whose rear bore the name, rank and honours of every member of the Atlesian military who had fallen in the conflict with Salem. Team FADE made to browse the various screens lining the perimeter of the ampitheatre, however before they could do so a familiar voice called out to them and suddenly it was Felix's turn to blush; he was fully aware of the looks his friends were giving him as Team NEON approached but he paid them no mind, his attention consumed by the sight of Helios whose golden armour gleamed as though freshly polished while his biceps strained against the fabric of the sweatshirt he wore beneath the armour

"Hey Arctus, you've been on an Atlesian ship before right?" Nyanza asked, seemingly to distract himself from the antics of two of his best friends "What's it like, we're being stationed on one for this mission"

"Depends on the ship" Arctus shrugged "Don't suppose you know the model or what class it is?" the bushy tailed feline shook his head while Olivine interjected from nearby

"We've got the name if it helps, we're gonna be on the….I think it's pronounced Gerechtigkeit" the Bear Faunus's eyes widened at the name, the slight mispronunciation being far from enough to hide the identity of the famous vessel

"That's Commander Matte Skye's ship" he explained quickly "They used to be my Aunt Winter's first mate, their ship is officially second only to the flagship-"

"Officially?" Diamond asked with a raised eyebrow

"Well Aunt Winter lets Matte field test a lot of new equipment so just how much of a threat it is varies….it's basically a massive research facility that doubles as an insanely well equipped warship"

"Sweet" Nyanza grinned, clearly already devising ways to extract whatever profit he could from the mission.

"Think we should head off then?" Ether asked "If the ship's that important we probably shouldn't be late"

"Agreed" Helios replied, making to leave only to turn around and pull Felix into a tight embrace and rest his forehead against the Faunus's

"Hunt well and be safe" he murmured before planting a chaste kiss on Felix's lips

"Uh yeah, you too" Felix mumbled, tail swishing lazily behind him as he watched Team NEON depart; eventually shaking his head as if to clear it and focusing "Okay come on, let's go see what we got" refusing to be sidetracked any further they made their way to the nearest digital screen and began searching for their assignment, giving a brief nod of recognition to the Shade academy students Team SABL as they passed

"Found it" Felix informed his team, brow furrowing as he scanned the limited details provided "That's weird….looks like our mission is in two place, we're gonna be in the capital and somewhere called, if I'm saying it right, Gerat-Handlung" the Lion Faunus's pronunciation was flawless after having visited the icy Kingdom dozens of times.

"I've heard that name before" Arctus answered, needing a moment to place the name before it occurred to him "Oh yeah, it's where the SDC are building a new plant outside of the hive cities"

"This is correct" a new and slightly muffled sounding voice from behind them intoned coldly; the four students turned and collectively stared in open mouthed shock. Standing before them, her golden eyes fierce and her deep scarlet hair cut shorter than it had been during their previous encounters, Specialists uniform modified so that it incorporated more armour while leaving a cybernetic limb of the highest quality to replace to the left arm which had been severed at the elbow in New Vale on display, face partially obscured by a respirator of some form; was Specialist Kafsi Asteri

"I see that my presence has given you all some indication as to the importance of this mission" she noted, her golden eyes boring into Arctus's as she added "As such any further acts of sedition against the Kingdom of Atlas will be punished by summary execution"

* * *

Celeste Lupus liked her personal space kept dimly lit, she had been raised in the darkness; first in Lower Eisenstadt Siebte, renamed New Menagerie by a conquering Adam Taurus and then for the many years she had remained inside upon being brought to Tartarus by surviving White Fang fighters as they fled Atlas's forces; the crippled Ram Faunus had been unable to play with the other children that called the abandoned military base home, instead she had listened into adult conversations regarding philosophy and strategy while slowly gaining more of an understanding as she devoured books at a prodigious rate, her fury and bitterness at the humans and their Kingdoms festering all the while.

Much like she had spent a considerable amount of her bleak childhood doing Celeste was reading, the Ram Faunus needing several extra cushions to be anything resembling comfortable, the cybernetic augmentations to her spine still protruded from her flesh in order to integrate with her armour leaving her with a red, raw and never fully healed wound spanning the length of her back. Her current reading material was something that she knew almost by heart yet still handled with all the care one would show a priceless relic whenever she handled it; the first draft of _'Towards Peace'_ what would have been Adam Taurus's Magnus Opus if he survived to complete it, the book which was part biography, part thesis and part manifesto had served as a basis for many of the political and philosophical writings which Celeste had disseminated into Atlas as she solidified her power block within the White Fang before assuming total control. Her Magenta eyes narrowed at the sound of her Scroll vibrating against the leather arm of her sofa, one of few luxuries the High Commander allowed herself, glaring at the offending device she carefully set down the loosely bound collection of papers which formed Adam Taurus's writing before grabbing the Scroll to see who was trying to reach her; she frowned as she recognised one of the many untraceable numbers Ozymandias Eldritch used for his more unscrupulous dealings and decided to use one of her other luxuries, though this one could be argued to have a more practical use; a faintly glowing translucent blue image of the scientist came into view as Celeste fed the video call through and overhead projector; colours slowly bleeding into the flickering image as it stabilized.

"This is unscheduled" Celeste noted in a bored voice, keeping the menace as nothing more than an undertone; direct contact between the two of them had always required several precautions, seeing them ignored set her on edge

"My apologies High Commander" he apologised with a slight bow, an obvious attempt to pander to what he believed to be her egomania "There have been developments which may present a problem and I didn't want to risk word not reaching you in time" Celeste rose to her feet and glowered

"Then speak"

"It would appear that while they are keeping word of your exploits private the Atlesian military is indeed taking your organisation seriously"

"Human that is the exact opposite of a problem" Celeste almost purred, unable to keep a hint of smug satisfaction from her voice

"The problem is that a team of Specialists have been seconded to the protection that Poly-Tech will be provided to your target due to the importance of certain individuals presence" Ozymandias explained, voice strained as though annoyed at Celeste's calm dismissal of the matter "I will be unable to provide any additional support to your mission without exposing myself, a team of Specialists will be nothing like attacking security guards-"  
"A Hunter is a Hunter….and you are more than aware of how Hunters fare against my best" Celeste replied coldly, gesturing in the direction of her armour and while the scientist may not have been able to see the suit itself the gesture was understood "The White Fang are committed Doctor Eldritch, there can be no backing out now. Provide that which you promised us or I will see to it that everything that you hold dear is burned to ashes"

"Well then I hope whoever you have leading this mission is one of your best" Ozymandias sighed, Celeste gave a fierce smile, striding closer to deliver her response

"I will be leading the attack personally"

"I see, the I leave the matter in your hands" Ozymandias did not wait to be dismissed and ended the call abruptly, Celeste supposed that it was his way of reminded her that they were, in theory at least, partners and she had no authority over him other than through crude intimidation. She paid him no mind and simply returned to her sofa and pondered to herself in peaceful silence; a turning point in Faunus history was coming and she would be at the forefront, she felt that she should have words for the occasion; something grander than the speech she planned to deliver to the soldiers that stood beside her on the eve of the attack. Silence reigned for a while longer as Celeste stared at the first draft of Adam Taurus's writing until inspiration struck her and she darted across her quarters as fast as her still fragile state would allow; retrieving the latest discarded entries into what would become her own Magnus Opus, a title for the as yet unnamed work escaping from her lips in a hushed whisper

"Peace Through Tyranny"

* * *

Harsh winds whipped around Team GORE as they stepped off of the small and uncomfortable military transport that had delivered them to the settlement of Freiheit; snow that would have cancelled a civilian flight obscuring even the superior vision of Faunus and crunching underfoot with each step forwards they took as it fell from an overcast sky

"I see our Hunter" Onyx intoned gruffly while rubbing the back of his neck, still unused to the sensation of the cold after having his matted and tangled mess of dark hair cut into something more presentable

"How can you be sure?" Carcharodon rasped, the hood of his dark cloak pulled low enough that the only clearly visible part of his face was his fanged maw

"Because there's nobody else here" Onyx answered bluntly, indicating to their supposed contact whose form none of them could yet make out the details of; however the individual seemed to notice them and made their way closer

"Team GORE?" the voice revealed the speaker to be a man who if the Faunus had to guess would have agreed was no older than thirty, perhaps younger. As he came into view he was revealed to be just under six feet tall with a stocky build and boyish, somewhat round face, his clothing which featured a thick fur lined parka jacket with armour visible both above and beneath it, boots clearly intended for the snow and something that most resembled a ski mask but clearly served a more practical function judging by its' obviously more advanced nature, a holster containing a collapsed weapon could be glimpsed inside the partially opened parka and a pair of recently polished dog-tags caught what little light was available as the Hunter sized up his charges and instinctively recognised their leader, offering out a gloved hand for Carcharodon to shake

"Name's Iskald Grey, I'll be your assigned Huntsman for this mission" he introduced himself in a voice that suggested a pleasant, well meaning individual; something at odds with Team GORE's understanding of Hunters that prowled the edges of their respective Kingdoms' territory

"I'm Carcharodon, these are Onyx, Raffia and Hellion. We weren't given much information regarding this assignment" the Shark Faunus let the statement hang in the air, the Hunter could take it as an accusation if they wished

"Yeah the Academy always did like to keep everything top secret, it's 'cos the head's from the Specialist Branch I think" Iskald shrugged apologetically "Come on let's get out the cold, I get a budget for having you working with me so I may as well pay for lunch; there's a decent place not too far from here" he indicated that Team GORE should follow him as he turned and made his way out of the small terminal which seemed insufficient for a settlement the size of Freiheit, Team GORE gave no thought to the matter and simply followed in silence, each of them silently getting the measure of their assigned Hunter; Raffia having a particularly malicious glint in his eyes that Carcharodon would be sure to question him about later. Making their way through snow covered streets the Faunus managed to get an idea of the scale of the settlement, noting that its' title of 'The Other Capital' was mere hyperbole; while it was a large and sprawling town particularly by the standards of the above ground settlements founded by Atlas since the war it was still utterly dwarfed by any of the remaining Hive Cities. The buildings in Freiheit were constructed with stone unlike the majority of Atlas and while the architecture was distinctly foreign it reminded each of Team GORE of many of the Mistrali villages their people had either traded with or laid waste to; its' snowy picturesque setting marred somewhat by the defensive perimeter and weapon emplacements visible in the distance; the sight of a building far larger and more grandiose towering above homes and businesses piqued Onyx's interested, something which Iskald noticed and happily provided an explanation for

"That" he noted with some pride "Is Legacy Stadium, apparently some of the Vytal Tournament matches are gonna be held there….hope you do well, you're obviously here to compete. Honestly it's a shame it's built, I made so much money on security detail while it was being constructed I put a deposit down on a mortgage in the first six months; anyway we're here now" their talkative companion led them into a small cafe, the kind that specialised in all days breakfasts and catered to factory and freight workers. Iskald made his way over to a woman at a counter who greeted him by name while leaving the students to secure a table, Team GORE noticed that they received a handful of decidedly unfriendly looks from men in hi-visibility jackets and work-boots; those looks vanished under the combined menace of the wordless guttural growl Onyx issued as he unslung his axe and the unsettling silence from Carcharodon as his bottomless pitch black eyes roamed over them while he bared his rows of jagged fangs. The moment passed quickly and Team GORE sat, though Carcharodon noticed that Hellion kept a hand on one of her throwing knives a while longer

"You've been glaring at the Huntsman" Carcharodon hissed at Raffia, the demand for an explanation implied

"Not your usual type either" Onyx noted with a smirk, Raffia for once chose not to rise to the bait and answered his team leader

"As if I need a reason to hate a specific Hunter" he flashed a feral smile only to see that it failed to remove any of the Shark Faunus's suspicion from him, leaning forwards he continued in a conspiratorial whisper "I have suspicions the man Onyx spoke with wanted us to retrieve dog-tags from a Hunter operating out of this settlement….look at what he has around his neck" Onyx gave a quick glance over to where Iskald was making small talk with a waitress while waiting for their order

"We're looking for stolen dog-tags, he doesn't have the minerals" the Puma Faunus asserted bluntly

"Onyx makes a fair point" Hellion agreed with a smirk

"We make sure and then proceed carefully" Carcharodon rasped "Any leeway the General gives us will not extend to attacking her Hunters"

"Then we carve his body up until it looks like the work of Grimm" Raffia countered almost casually, the ease with which he gave the answer making Carcharodon pause and wonder just how long he could restrain the Axolotl Faunus's more violent urges

"I said nothing about killing" Carcharodon whispered, his tone making it clear that his word would be final in this matter

"He's coming" Hellion warned and true enough a moment later Iskald returned carrying trays full of steaming food which caused Marauder to remove his head from under his wing where it had been tucked

"They don't allow pets in here, my fiancée's sister is the shift manager so you should get away with it today" the older Hunter noted at the sight of bird of prey whom Hellion lovingly presented a small scrap of her meal "Also I'm not sure if a recon mission is the best place to be bringing your pets-" he was cut off by a derisive snort from the Dragonfly Faunus who quickly swallowed her current mouthful of food before engaging her Semblance; her jade green eyes fading into featureless milky white while Marauder leapt from her shoulder and walked over to Iskald in a manner that didn't quite seem to fit, giving him enough information to surmise what Hellion's Semblance was and how Marauder played into it; his guesses were proven correct when Hellion's eyes returned to their natural state

"A recon mission is exactly the kind of place to bring Marauder"

"What are we Hunting?" Carcharodon demanded, eager for the specifics of what his team were being sent to face "Or who?"

"It's definitely a what" Iskald assured him through a mouthful of his own meal "I'm just not sure exactly what we're looking at"

"A brilliant start" Onyx snorted with a rumbling chuckle

"A few trucks bringing goods in on night runs have been hit" Iskald explained with a sigh "And I mean physically hit and flipped over, nothing stolen and a few concussed drivers' think they saw red eyes-"

"So Grimm then" Carcharodon guessed

"It's a safe assumption" the older man nodded "And we don't have any tracks to work with but its' also a safe assumption that we're looking for a single Grimm….a single very large Grimm that can apparently throw trucks around"

"We've killed bigger" Onyx grunted, profoundly unimpressed with the threat a single Grimm could pose

"That's the spirit kid" Iskald laughed before glancing at Raffia whom despite his chatty somewhat bumbling persona he had been more than alert enough to notice staring at him "You okay there?"

"Just looking at those tags" the Axolotl Faunus answered quickly "Ex-Military?"

"Nah" he shook his head with a grin "Scraped my way through the academy and went freelance….these were my old mans' he fought in the battle of Menagerie; a tank driver. The Scavenger Guild actually expected me to pay for them as well" Team GORE collectively fought to contain the shock and glee, Raffia's suspicions had been proven correct and Onyx's forays into the seediest parts of Atlas's cities had paid off; they now had a clear path to the upper management of the Scavenger Guild and the retribution that they intended to inflict.

* * *

Team NEON had been taken to a military base where they had been given a briefing from a drill instructor regarding how to act aboard an Atlesian military vessel, followed by a frankly obscene amount of paperwork and non-disclosure agreements before they had finally boarded a transport, something clearly related to the Atlesian Bull-Head models but far bulkier and more heavily armed. The scent of cold metal and motor oil assaulted their nostrils as the students finally stepped into the primary hangar of the warship they would be calling home for the duration of their mission; the Gerechtigkeit. Their arrival had clearly been noticed and anticipated as many of the various engineers and crewmembers attending to other craft in the hangar ceased working and gave Team NEON a cursory once over before someone who spoke with an air of authority bellowed out

"Commander on deck!" his words were followed by the sound of approaching footsteps clanging on the metal of the walkway; Matte Skye stepped into view flanked by a pair of soldiers whose faces were masked by the visors of their helmets and a quartet of Atlesian Knights, a far newer model than those that Atlesian students routinely tore through by the score in training simulations. Matte and the students regarded each other for a few moments, the commander of the ship wore a uniform of primarily navy blue and black, with silver and gunmetal embellishments and colour provided in the form of several medals adorning their breast, over the uniform was a pristine white tailcoat which hid twin holsters holding exceptionally well crafted and personalised handguns; a gift from Winter Schnee. A customary red neckerchief adorned Matte's neck and their brown skin and whiskey coloured eyes were complemented by a crew cut that had been to grow a little longer and messier than regulation would strictly allow.

"Don't put on a show for the new people" Matte ordered, earning a few chuckles from crew mates who quickly resumed working while the commander sized up the students Winter had sent for the upcoming mission; silently promising that nothing would befall them while serving on their ship. Helios saw that he was under scrutiny and returned the favour, he did not bow or salute to anyone other than a head of a state or another Tribe as was his prerogative as first son of the Nikosi; instead he stood stiffly to attention and studied the Commander for any sign of weakness, he found none

"I take it I don't need to have any protocols aboard this ship explained to you?" Matte asked with a knowing smile

"Gunnery Sargent Harvest explained how things work in detail" Helios growled, if the veteran had referred to a member of Team NEON one more time during their briefing it would have cost him his tongue, something Helios had made sure the man understood. Matte's grin only widened

"Yeah that sounds like the Sarge….think yourself lucky, he was Combat Instructor at Atlas when I attended. Does he still use the word maggot like a comma?"

"Oh yeah" Ether drawled from beside Helios; Matte gave a sympathetic look before continuing

"In that case I can forgo that part of this briefing and get straight to explaining the mission you'll be assisting my crew with; as you may or may not know the Gerechtigkeit is the testing grounds for a lot of the Atlesian Military's latest equipment; for example I believe you're familiar with the 'Baba-Jaeger' fighters?" she allowed the Team, especially the short girl with the afro and the penchant for heavy weapons; Olivine if her files were accurate to take in the sight of the remote piloted, transforming fighters which had provided aid to the transport that carried them to Atlas from New Vale. Next she gestured to the collection of heavily armed and armoured drop-ships

"Those are the Sturm-Kralle, the Raubvogel Bull-Head variant we typically use is fast but this has the same speed with a little more muscle" Matte took a moment to thoroughly enjoy the impressed looks on the teens faces before returning to business and directing their attention towards a cylindrical container of a matte black material with several power supplies and control panels visible around its' exterior

"This is Project Snare, a Grimm containment unit. This is what you'll be helping field test"

"Grimm containment?" Helios raised an eyebrow

"So that they can be studied and then dealt with more efficiently; if this testing is successful then the results could save hundreds of soldiers lives every year" the armoured Hunter seemed to accept this explanation without issue, as did his team-mates if the way Olivine was visibly restraining herself from making her way over to the experimental device and examining were anything to go by. The Feline Faunus who had yet to speak was the one to raise an obvious question

"So where're we testing it?" he glanced at Project Snare again and added "Looks a bit small to dangle out the back of the ship and scoop up a Nevermore with?" Matte allowed their self a small chuckle at the mental image, this one had a way with words apparently

"Testing Project Snare coincides with our investigation of several Grimm attacks on shipping runs off the east coast" they answered "And some odd radar readings that suggest a small island appearing and disappearing sporadically"

"A disappearing island?" Helios seemed genuinely curious at this "Have you heard of something like this before?"

"Not precisely but I have records, suspicions and a gut instinct. The Gerechtigkeit is prepared as are its' crew" Matte assured him; that seemed to be good enough as he nodded before giving them a determined look

"When should Team NEON expect to be sent into combat?" Matte saw the hard expression on his scarred face and decided she would be reading the files she had received on Helios Nikos, they wanted to know exactly what kind of upbringing had produced such a hardened soldier so young.

"At ease" Matte replied soothingly "It could be days until we get a lead we can follow; until then I'll have you shown around the ship, our mess hall is better than the Academy and you can tell General Schnee I said that. You'll have individual quarters but you're more than welcome to share" the Captain cast a knowing glance at Olivine and Ether "Until your mission begins I expect you to take part in maintenance of the ship and I'll have a training regimen set for you, I'll also personally assess your capabilities before I allow you to be deployed"

"Training?" Nyanza sighed "So what you're saying is we're basically still as the academy, it's just a change of scenery" Matte had expect a complain of this nature and merely stepped a little closer

"The academy doesn't have a bar for students, my ship does….just drink responsibly; showing up to any mission, training or otherwise will lead to a court marshal" waiting for a moment "Also the Academy won't make you drop and give me a thousand for having an attitude, I most certainly will" upon hearing that Nyanza's mouth closed with an audible clack.

* * *

Felix had suspected that this mission was going to be unpleasant the moment he recognised Special Operative Kafsi Asteri as the same undercover agent investigating the kidnapping of Eagle's mother during Team FADE's first year; his suspicions had only been confirmed when Kafsi had told him in no uncertain terms that for their mission they would be using the transports provided and that he would be leaving the Killer Bee at Atlas Academy for the duration. They were still none the wiser about the nature of their mission as the specialist had remained tight lipped for the duration of their flight, saying only that would be given information on a need to no basis and choosing instead to fill the silence with harsh glares and the laboured and admittedly painful sound of her own breath as her respirator supplied oxygen to lungs that had never fully healed from the injuries dealt to her by Onyx Ursabane.

Following their flight from the Academy to a military that Arctus seemed to recognise guessing by the glances he cast around they had been met by a burly and taciturn driver in nondescript clothing who had gestured towards a seven seat SUV with tinted windows and a black paint job; the kind of vehicle that could easily have belonged to an upper middle class mother or an up and coming rapper. They had been driven into the Capital City, an industrial yet upper class area of Eisenstadt Dritte that Felix didn't recognise but Eagle and Arctus assured him they did as it was home to the head offices of both of their mothers' companies; they had gleaned little from Kafsi though Diamond had overheard something about them meeting 'others' at their destination.

"Wait, I know where we are!" Arctus gasped, a wide smile on his face as comprehension dawned on him "We're going to the SDC!"

"Your powers of observation are remarkable" Kafsi noted tonelessly from the passengers' side of the SUV, her words dripping with sarcasm though before either Felix or Diamond could react the Bear Faunus gestured for them not to do so. A moment later their transport came to a smooth stop and Kafsi disembarked, prompting Team FADE to do the same which gave Felix and Arctus their first looks at the Schnee Dust Companies official base of operations; a truly gargantuan building covered almost entirely in a pristine white, minimalist cladding with chrome lettering above the main entrance proudly proclaiming the name and founding year of the company. A fountain set in the small courtyard in front of the main premises featured a larger than life statue of Nicholas Schnee, Arctus's maternal Great-Grandfather

"I think the Poly-Tech head office might actually be a little bigger" Eagle noted, sticking her tongue out at Arctus teasingly

"Inside" Kafsi stated bluntly, cutting through the moment and leading the students through the main entrance and into a security checkpoint where a pair of guards carrying metal detecting wands and plastic trays approached, a pre-prepared speech about placing all valuables in the tray before being searched being brought to a premature close as Kafsi spoke, her muffled voice impatient

"I am Special Operative Asteri, you were informed of my arrival. Due to the nature of our business here neither myself or my associates will be searched today" she quickly produced some form of identification which evidently proved her claims as the security guards stepped back

"Conference room on the third floor, second door of the left" one of them offered, Kafsi set off without another word though Felix Arctus murmured his thanks as he passed them. Following the guards' directions brought them to a corridor with bright lights and a thick carpet while several group photos of smiling employees lined the walls, making it apparent that this was where guests who were only permitted to see the public face of the company and not its' inner workings were brought; entering the specified room Team FADE saw perhaps a dozen men and women in the highly personalised but still distinctly military uniforms of the Atlesian Specialists; while his team-mates silently gawked at the unique and experimental weaponry on display Arctus surreptitiously looked for anyone he might recognise from his fathers' crew, his hopes for the mission improving slightly at the sight of Donner and her distinctive electric blue Mohawk and hover-board formed from a pair of curved swords

"Playing in the big leagues again kid?" she noted with a wink

"You know it" Arctus puffed up his chest with pride, arm sliding around Diamond's waist "These are-"  
"Introductions aren't important right now" Kafsi interrupted as she activated an overhead projector and brought a map of the continent of Solitas into view "It's time for your mission briefing"

"Finally" Felix breathed out, taking a seat and slouching whilst paying no mind to the looks he was getting, ranging from annoyed at the uppity foreign Faunus to stifled laughter at someone finally calling Kafsi out on her legendary attitude problem. Kafsi herself continued without acknowledging the comment

"Our destination is the as yet uncompleted SDC facility in Gerat-Handlung; we will be accompanying the companies' delegation to talks regarding workers rights, conditions and so forth with the Coalition due to the increased activity of certain insurgent groups" she let the statement hang in the air for a moment and Team FADE studied the Specialists' reactions, searching for a sign that any of their number were harbouring bigoted opinions of Faunus "Six of you will be aboard the truck transporting a shipment of security robots supplied by Poly-Tech to the site, the remainder will be split between the transports carrying the delegation and several decoys-"

"Why not just take a Bull-Head?" one of the Hunters interrupted

"Too easy to shoot down….not hard to pick up a rocket launcher if you know who to ask" another answered calmly

"Fair point" the first nodded before returning their focus to Kafsi whilst gesturing at Team FADE "What about the kids, they got experience?" Team FADE collectively bristled, Arctus being the first to answer

"Served with ex-freelancers and completed every mission we've been given, fought in the breach of New Vale and qualified for the Vytal Tournament….I've also served aboard the Gespenst" the last detail was cause for several curious glances in the Bear Faunus's direction

"Oh so you're the Commanders' boy" someone called in understanding

"Wait you're the one who took a shot at…." another trailed off as they caught sight of Kafsi silently seething "Oh this is gonna be awkward as all hell" the comment somehow being exactly what was needed to dispel any tension in the room

"Team FADE will be assisting you with security patrols, also you will be training them to assess an existing security system and adequately report findings, including probable points of attack, strategic weak points and corrective measures to be taken"

"Sounds like it's gonna be fun" Donner snorted from the back of the room "We're basically a sub-contracted security firm with some apprentices for this job and on top of that we get to babysit a bunch of bigwigs" a murmur of agreement passed through the room, the idea of dealing with old money snobs distinctly unappealing to the veteran soldiers; before Kafsi could demand their silence and compliance the door to the conference room was flung open; revealing a tall man in his thirties with a full but immaculately styled beard and easily recognisable blue eyes, clad in an obviously tailored business suit and a needlessly flamboyant tie

"Afternoon ladies and gents, I heard my favourite nephew had landed a job on my security detail so I had to come and pay him a visit" the arrival of Whitley Schnee visibly changed the atmosphere in the room, one could not live in the Kingdom of Atlas and remain unaware of his antics; the idea of being part of the billionaire playboys' security detail promised to be equal parts entertaining and challenging

"Hey uncle Whit" with a weak grin was all Arctus could manage

"Okay troops, let's get this rolling party started shall we" Whitley beamed as he produced a ludicrously expensive bottle of liquor "Come on it's a long drive and I don't want to remember most of it"

"We might just survive a week with Kafsi after all" Diamond muttered as she nudged her partner

"No our chances were just halved" Arctus chuckled "But it's gonna be fun though"

 **Authors Notes:**

So, the build up to the finale of Vol.5 begins; expect antics of all varieties.  
I know quite a few of my readers are American but I'm not sure where exactly you're all from, that being said if you're anywhere near that Hurricane please stay safe.  
Also expect next weeks chapter to be a little delayed; I'm gonna be celebrating my friends' business lasting for a year straight after work.  
THIS STORY NOW HAS OVER 100K VIEWS ONN FF NET!

Anyway let's summarise:  
The Xiao Long sibling dynamic is great.  
I'm just imagining Team FADE having a bad-ass slow motion entrance walk down the corridor that always gets interrupted (If you read the IDW Transformers comics, think of the Wreckers entrances).  
Cyberpet and their respective Disney animal/robot sidekicks are adorable.  
I imagine that Team GORE hearing that somewhere is "Pretty rough" gets a laugh every time.  
Also I'm slowly seeing more and more appeal of my Corvid x Onyx crack-ship.  
Seriously there is no way Arctus isn't full of random titbits of useless military information.  
Have another adorable Battle-cat moment.  
Only mentioned Team SABL in passing to remind myself that they exist, Felix sparred with their team leader and they'll be turning up in the tournament.  
I think it makes sense that Eagle and Felix can pronounce words in old Atlesian/Mantle pretty well.  
I actually had to go back and change the name of the settlement the SDC place is being built last chapter; I said Freiheit but I can't have Team FADE and GORE's missions happening too close to each other….because reasons.  
Bet you weren't expecting to see this bitch again.  
You think darkness is your ally? Celeste was born in it, moulded by it…..  
Huh, it just occurred to me that in some ways Celeste could be seen as an Anti-Blake; born into the fang, idolised Adam Taurus, avid reader….she's what Blake could have ended up becoming if she'd stayed with Adam.  
Another IDW Transformers reference, Megatron's original manifesto/thesis (Ironically written when he was still a pacifist) was called "Towards Peace" while "Peace through Tyranny" was a slogan he adopted later….and to feed into the anti-Blake notion, I'm sure Blake has had some political writings published in this timeline; I'm also sure any fans of Transformers can make an educated guess what the title of her work will be.  
Also a little insight into how Celeste built up her power.  
"That is the exact opposite of a problem" admit it, as much as you hate her Celeste is bad-ass  
So we all knew that Team FADE and the New White Fang were going to face off in the finale.  
Surely you knew exactly how this was gonna play out when I mentioned the dog-tags.  
Vytal Tournament hype continues.  
Racism and the self imposed isolation of a lot of factory towns is alive and well in Atlas.  
Seriously Onyx is just massive and Carcharodon is genuinely unsettling to look at, even to other Faunus; staring them out won't work, you'll look away first.  
Yeah Raffia is Bi, I think I've mentioned it notes before; it hasn't become a plot point because he makes himself pretty unlikeable to the people around him.  
It's been too long since we saw Hellion's Semblance; it's called "Warg" if you've forgotten.  
Poor Iskald, he has no idea what he's gotten himself into.  
Matte Skye just looks like a bad-ass.  
I just imagined the Anima Tribes as the Wildlings from Game of Thrones, with Helios delivering Mance Rayder's "We do not bow" line.  
Gunnery Sargent Harvest….you know exactly what it's a reference to.  
The Baba-Jaegers are back.  
Sturm-Kralle, or Storm Talon; imagine something like the Warhammer 40k Space Marine Storm-Talon/Storm-Raven.  
A disappearing island….oh you're gonna love this one, trust me.  
No Killer-Bee means no trunk mounted laser battery….one heavy weapon against the New White Fang down already.  
Oh yeah Kafsi is gonna be a bitch the whole time, she hasn't forgotten being shot at.  
Kafsi doesn't actually have seniority or rank over the other Specialists; she's been given the role of commander for this mission and that's all; she also has an amazing record….but that doesn't mean that any of the other Specialists have to like her.  
Meeting the Atlas branch of the Coalition is going to involve bringing back some characters from The Downward Spiral.  
Seriously, the news about Commander Slate's kid shooting a plasma gun at Specialist Asteri must have done the rounds among the other Specialists.  
I'm imagining older Whitley as the unholy union of Tony Stark and Jeff Goldblum.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, iSassenach, Funlander, FleetOfWarships and ShadowAlex2000 for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Oh Whitley will definitely use the teasing ammunition ruthlessly.  
I have plans for Coral; you'll hate some of it and love some of it….I'll say no more than that.  
"Honestly given your descriptions of them I'd let any and every member of the Cult of Taurus raw me" - That is going to be your epitaph, I hope you're proud.  
We will see a Team CLIR mission, just not this one.  
If Merc didn't kill Cinnabar then Arctus is fine.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	65. Side-Quest

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 65: Side-Quest**

It had been days since Team NEON had boarded the military vessel captained by Matte Skye, the Gerechtigkeit had spent those days prowling the steely grey skies above the Atlesian coast and the seemingly endless ocean; thus far the only creatures of Grimm the ship had encountered had been small flocks of Nevermore in search of cargo ships and fishing trawlers to harass which had been dealt with by the ships' considerable firepower without the need for the student Hunters involvement. Team NEON had been kept occupied by a frankly brutal training regimen and various other tasks such as minor maintenance that had been delegated to them but had still found time to both explore the Gerechtigkeit and integrate themselves with its' crew; it turned out that if one knew where to look the ship afforded some truly spectacular views of the Atlesian night sky and eventual sunrises.  
Helios had seen none of own discomfort with heights making him uneasy and whispering doubts to his subconscious which kept him awake at night; as if one of the finest ships Atlas had every produced were somehow more likely to fall from the air than the anti-gravity platform which supported Halo Academy.

Currently Helios was laid in his bunk in the Spartan and cramped quarters that he had been assigned after a noise from the next room had awoken him, considering that the room in question was the quarters shared by Olivine and Ether it took little imagination to surmise what the noise had been and far too little imagine to conjure mental images that the redhead would rather not have entertained. Squinting as the almost blinding light from the screen of his Scroll pierced the darkness Helios saw that it was a little over three in the morning and decided that it wasn't worth the effort of trying to force himself back to sleep considering that he usually awoke at around five; when he had first arrived in New Vale he had struggled with certain aspects of the Kingdoms' technology, vehicles and industrial machines whose purpose was easy to grasp he could understand, weapons came naturally to him after being trained as a warrior since childhood but anything with a computerised or digital element to it had been an enigma to him for months and while he still argued that much of it was the needless product of a culture of laziness Helios was exceptionally grateful for the device keeping him in contact with the world beyond the ship, a wide smile forming on his tired and still bleary eyed face at the sight of a message notification from Felix. The two of them had stayed in contact as frequently as possible which was far less than either of them would have liked, little more then brief Scroll calls in whatever free time they could steal and sending messages for the other to wake up to. Opening the message Helios's smile widened as his expression softened, it contained a photograph of the Lion Faunus wrapped in several layers of clothing and clearly struggling to keep warm, which given the nature of his Semblance made the redhead feel a wave of sympathy and an urge to pull him close, the image was accompanied by the words _'It's freezing out here, I wish I could borrow some of your body heat….Can't wait to be back at the academy, I miss you'_ Helios stared at the message in peaceful silence for a few moments, his thumb idly brushing against the surface of the screen before he saved the photo and typed his own reply  
 _'I wish I was with you, I would love to be the one keeping you warm Fluffy'_ he trusted that the message alone would be enough to bring an adorable smile and flustered blush to the Faunus's face and that he wouldn't have to stoop to any of the insufferable emojis that Nyanza's messages were always littered with; after another moment of consideration Helios decided to return the favour and send a photo of his own, pushing the not quite thick enough sheets his bunk had been provided with lower to reveal his muscular chest and broad shoulders, their skin covered in black inked tattoos that Helios knew Felix constantly found himself mesmerised by, the markings in turn marked by several scars ranging from discoloured lines barely the length of a fingernail to looping slashes inflicted by the claws of particularly vicious Grimm, raiders that his people had expelled from their lands or honour duels against members of his own tribe and several others. He took the photo and decided that it was satisfactory, even if his vivid green eyes looked a little bloodshot from lack of sleep and his scarlet hair was currently a mess; making Felix one of very few people outside of his team-mates and immediate family with the privilege of seeing him in a such a state of disarray. He sent the message, knowing that Felix would most likely not see it for several hours and quietly wondered how to occupy his time until his schedule for the day officially began though before he could make a decision the sound of footsteps reached his ears, booted footsteps judging by the sound and whoever those boots belonged to was running along the corridor at speed; the footsteps stopped outside his door at the same moment a fist thundered against its' metallic surface. Helios frowned and slid out of the small bunk and crossed his quarters in a few steps to press the button which would open the electronic door, it slid open with a hiss of decompressing air revealing a crewman with their helmet removed and a rifle pressed against their chest, held in place by a shoulder strap; their face anxious

"Nikos, wake your team and suit up; Captain wants your team in Hangar one in ten minutes" silent confusion played on Helios's face before he resolved himself to follow orders without question or hesitation, though the soldier must have seen the brief flicker of concern and decided to enlighten him

"Just got a distress signal from a Mistrali cargo ship, they've been attacked by Grimm in the water with more inbound, hull's been breached; they said they were going to drop anchor at a nearby island" the soldier gave a bitter laugh and donned their helmet, hiding their eyes behind its' visor lest their panic show to clearly before adding "There's no fucking island there….we've found our target Nikos, let's go"

* * *

Carcharodon saw Onyx's breath form a cloud of mist in front of him as the Puma Faunus let out a sigh of irritated boredom, and rolled his pitch black eyes at what he considered a childish display of impatience. Team GORE's mission had gone on for days and thus far yielded little in the way of results, the only Grimm to make their presence known had been the occasional Boarbatusk or lone, undersized Beowolf; Iskald's idea of using his own admittedly heavily armoured jeep as bait to draw out whatever Grimm had set itself upon the trucks appeared to have been unsuccessful. Carcharodon pulled his hooded cloak a little tighter about himself and cleared his mind, focusing his senses; he was one of the Shadow Cadre and he walk stalk his target for as long as it took.

"You know you don't have to stand out in the cold all night right?" the hunters' cheery voice noted from behind him; turning Carcharodon saw that the jeep whose original paint had been hidden beneath extra layers of additional armour and which sported a high calibre machine gun on its' roof, indicating that at some point in the past Iskald had worked with a partner who manned the weapon; currently Iskald's face was illuminated only by the lights of the vehicles' dashboard which cast deep shadows though the image which may have been sinister in other circumstances was offset by the steaming flask of strong tea that he was drinking and the smell of the vaguely cinnamon scented air fresher wafting through the cold air. Carcharodon snorted

"I was born in the cold"

"Suit yourself" Carcharodon distinctly heard Iskald mutter further comments under his breath in the mistaken belief that he wouldn't be heard, something about _'edgy kids'_. The Shark Faunus paid him no mind and cast his eyes around the bleak and almost featureless landscape; Onyx had perched himself on a snow covered rock and slung Jotun Fang from his shoulder, the sound of stone scraping against metal carried hauntingly in the darkness as he sharpened the gargantuan battleaxe. Raffia was flanking Hellion while shooting frequent glances over to Carcharodon and Iskald, the silent question of how and when they would take what they needed from the Hunter remaining unanswered; something that the leader of Team GORE knew would have to change. Hellion stood stock still, eyes wide but unseeing; their irises and pupils hidden beneath a milky white glow as her _'Warg'_ Semblance allowed her to see through the eyes of Marauder, the bird of prey was currently stalking the skies with keen eyes searching for any sign of Grimm. Iskald had wisely taken advantage of the opportunity Hellion's abilities presented, using her to widen the area he was able to effectively search.

"SKREE!" the distinctive high pitched shriek alerted Carcharodon to Marauders' return a moment before he spotted a dark shape against the falling snow, the bird landed on Hellion's armoured left forearm and the Dragonfly Faunus shuddered as her senses returned to her own body, wings still buzzing behind her she turned to face her leader; Iskald saw the concern in her jade coloured eyes and asked the obvious question first

"You spotted something?" Hellion nodded silently "What was it?"

"Definitely Grimm, other than that I can't say" Hellion sighed "It was at the edge of my Semblances' range and heading away"

"Then we head after it" Carcharodon rasped out simply, the urge to unfurl the Red Waves and tear through Grimm flesh suddenly overwhelming

"Agreed" Iskald nodded before turning to Onyx "You're the big gun of your team I want you firing the- Oum damn it, who is it?" He grumbled for a moment longer before answering the two way radio, garbled voices and static filled the air; though the sound of gunfire on the other end of the transmission could be heard with unsettling clarity

"-able Hunters, I repeat this is an S.O.S for any-"

"This is Iskald Grey, certified Grimm Hunter. What is your location and emergency?" several more gunshots preceded an answer

"-Convoy about….Freiheit….Beowolves" Iskald paused for a moment, his own knowledge of the area filling in the gaps in the information he'd received

"Keep driving and keep shooting, help is inbound" with that he brought the jeeps' engine roaring into life "Same plan, Onyx you're gunning, Hellion use your bird and scout ahead when you can. There's only one road a convoy will be coming down; Beowolves might not be a problem for the defences but they can crash a truck if there's enough of them and-" he trailed off upon seeing that the Faunus were yet to move; Raffia, Onyx and Hellion staring expectantly at Carcharodon making it clear that they would follow the Hunters' orders on his command only

"Why are we helping them?" the Shark Faunus demanded in low rasp "We have a mission, this isn't it. Let them fend for themselves; they have weapons you heard them as well as I did"

"What the fuck kind of Hunter are you?" Iskald demanded, making no effort to hide the disgust in his voice

"I'm not a Hunter; you however are clearly the kind of Hunter who can't focus and lacks discipline"

"People could very well die if you don't move!"

"People die every day Huntsman, I've seen people like you kill plenty" Iskald took several deep breaths, clearly fighting the impulse to draw his weapon and demand Carcharodon's compliance at gunpoint

"Look, I don't know what you've had to deal with an I'm gonna be honest right now I don't care. There are trucks being chased by Grimm heading this way right now, the mission is a bust for tonight either way; now you can either meet the Grimm on our terms or wait until they come to us and have us pinned against a wall" Carcharodon took his words in and admitted they made sense, or they would to someone with a softer heart than Carcharodon allowed himself to have but the urge to argue further was robbed from him as he caught sight of the dog-tags around Iskald's neck glinting in the limited light. The Shark Faunus exhaled slowly and took a moment to centre himself, shaking away the nonsense that had started to take root in his mind after being around the Hunters for too long and reminding himself of exactly who he was and what he was here for.

"Get in the jeep" as his team-mates did as they were instructed Carcharodon glanced at the thin chain dangling from the humans' neck one more time.

He was one of the Shadow Cadre and he walk stalk his target for as long as it took.

* * *

The tension in the air was palpable as Team NEON assembled in the main hangar of the Gerechtigkeit, crew members flitted about frantically bellowing orders and information to each other while the four teens took their place alongside a small group of soldiers whose outward calmness as they went about their pre-battle rituals spoke of experience fighting horrors that the students' could only imagine; turning away from the men and women rechecking their weapons, applying greasepaint and affixing whatever items they considered to be lucky charms to their armour; Helios examined his own team, Olivine had lowered her goggles and deployed Buster Bravo, the almost comically oversized weapons system integrating itself to the cybernetic brace around her right arm which allowed her to wield it with a single hand. Ether was currently double checking the guitar picks fashioned from Dust crystals he had in his possession, making sure he had an acceptable number and variety while Nyanza simply fidgeted on the spot, trying to distract himself from the inevitable cold lump of fear in his stomach. Distraction came in the form of Captain Matte Skye marching towards them, causing those under their command to stand a little straighter and breathe a little easier; Matte's tailcoat had been discarded and they approached without their customary retinue of bodyguards and Atlesian Knights, instead a group of people who could easily be identified as scientists trailed after the Captain looking somewhat out of place.

"Engines are hot Cap'n, let's cook some Grimm!" a rough sounding voice called out, several cheers following as soldiers expecting to be deployed mentally prepared themselves. Matte surveyed their troops and gave a silent nod of approval before speaking with body language and mannerisms that if Arctus were present he would have noted were clearly borrowed from Winter Schnee

"You are some of the finest the Atlesian Military has to offer, this is nothing but another fact to demonstrate that fact. Team One?"  
"Aye Captain!" the soldiers chorused

"Your duty is to take Knight squad four aboard the ship and make your way into the lower decks; exterminate the Grimm and secure damaged areas so that the ships own engineers can make repairs. The Baba-Jaegers will be acting as air support against the Nevermore that have congregated; Team Two

"Aye Captain"

"Your job is to assist and protect the research team….this many Grimm that can't survive on land is too good of an opportunity to let pass, we're testing Project Snare" Helios paid attention to the tasks that had been distributed thus far and realised that there was one duty which had yet to be discussed, his suspicions were confirmed with Matte's next words

"The reported 'Vanishing Island' has decided to make an appearance this morning. Team NEON, you're with me….Silent approach, no engines; no signal flares we're going to be using landing strategies directly from the hangar"

"I see" Helios answered stiffly, his stomach plummeting at the thought though he tried to show as little outward discomfort as possible.

"Everyone understands their duties" Matte looked around and saw no objections before bellowing orders to the crew who ran the hangar and into a headset for the pilots of the remote drone fighters to hear

"Open hangar doors! I want Baba-Jaegers airborne in thirty seconds! Clear a path for Team One and engage Grimm at will!" the orders were followed and the groaning, clanking protest of metal drowned out all other sounds only to be replaced by the howling of the wind outside and the roar of engines flaring into life; the eerie green glow of Eco-Dust engined left sinister after images in the still dark sky as the Baba-Jaegers tore from the hangar, their weapons immediately being turned on the Nevermore that circled above the damaged cargo ship that had sought their aid. The soldiers had already clambered into the Sturm-Kralle drop-ships, one of which had modified landing gear to accommodate the bulk of the experimental Grimm Containment unit being stored beneath it, within moments the craft followed the fighters out of the hangar leaving Team NEON awaiting the Captain's go ahead to leap into the unknown.

"Understood" Matte said simply, obviously responding to a voice in their own headset before addressing the students "This is an investigation but combat is still a possibility, if anyone wishes to back out this is your last chance" Team NEON collectively squared their shoulders, faces determined.

"Good choice" Matte grinned before making a running leap out of the hangar, plucking the twin pistols at their hips as they went

"Fuck it, I didn't get woken up this early in a morning to stand around" Nyanza grumbled and followed suit, drawing the Pharaoh Mafdet in their tonfa form and shifting them into pistol mode in a display that was obviously intended to emulate or perhaps one up the captains' own exit. Refusing to show any sign of cowardice in front of his team Helios ran and leapt from the hangar, his dark Aura invisible in the pre-dawn gloom as it gathered about him; he waited until he felt his momentum reach a peak before triggering his Semblance and warping gravity around himself enough to slow his fall which in turn gave him time to get his first look at his destination. The island was an oval shape roughly ninety feet long and forty feet across at its' extremities with a large mound rising from one side, thick black smoke billowing from the mound suggesting some sort of volcanic activity while a large portion of the remaining chalky white surface was covered in what appeared to be dead trees of some sort. Helios landed in a crouch and swiftly drew Olympus enforcer, the sword and shield combining into their Tommy-gun form; out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of Nyanza making acrobatic leaps and flips through the trees to slow his own landing and coming to a halt beside Matte. A moment later Helios saw the mist that Ether's body dissipated into when he used his own Semblance gathering ahead of him; the guitarist reforming as Olivine landed and making adjustments to her weapon which also acted as her landing strategy.

"Everyone here?" Matte barked as they strode over, weapons sweeping the area

"We're here" Helios confirmed

"What in Oum's name is this island?" Ether whispered in stunned confusion as he took in the sight of the islands odd fauna; now that they had landed the students could see that the trees had trunks and branches of a chalky white colour identical to the ground, adorned with black and oddly jagged leaves

"Hey we're city kids" Olivine noted "Helios, have you ever seen trees like this before?"

"Never" the redhead answered without hesitation, Anima was home to some amazing geography but this was utterly alien to him.

"Captain Skye, any idea what this island is?" Matte turned to face the students, almost absently unloading the standard ammunition from their pistols and replacing it with high explosive rounds as comprehension dawned on them and a look of abject horror formed on their face

"It's not an island" rather than explain Matte turned and opened fire on the trees, Team NEON stared in collective shock as the trees exploded into black mist; exactly like Grimm at the moment of death

"Oh fuck-" Nyanza's crude epiphany was cut short as a deep rumbling cry of animalistic fury came from below and the entire island shook. If Team NEON had still been aboard the Gerechtigkeit and privy to a birds' eye view they would have seen six vast obsidian flippers coated with countless pebbles of bone white armour unfurling; the Grimm's turtle like head rose above the icy waves, its' many eyes protected by a crown like chitinous crest while fissures spread across the surface of the island whose true nature as a gargantuan shell had now been revealed. The smoking mound towards the rear angled forwards with a cacophony which sounded like the snapping of bones amplified to a terrifying degree and a gout of flames burst from the opening.

"Captain!" Helios roared as he clutched his weapon "What is this Grimm"

"This" Matte snarled as they readied their pistols "Is a Krakatoa, prepare yourselves to engage hostiles".

* * *

Whatever Iskald Grey may have thought of the Team of students entrusted to him as people, he could not fault their capabilities when it came to disposing of Grimm; the moment his armoured jeep came to a halt, spraying snow as its' wheels skidded' the four Faunus flew into action and launched themselves at the pack of snarling Beowolves who had turned away from the still moving trucks and began stalking towards the now stationary target. The sheer ferocity of Team GORE was astounding and Iskald felt that were their quarry anything other than Grimm he may have retched as he watched it unfold; Onyx had rained fire upon the Beowolves with a combination of the Jeeps' machine gun, his own artillery piece and his Semblance for long enough to Carcharodon to draw close with the use of his Semblance, the air being filled with howls of pain as the Shark Faunus burst from the snowy ground; his forearm mounted blades doing unspeakable damage to the spines of a pair of Grimm before he lunged at his next target. Using Onyx and Carcharodon's onslaught as cover Hellion and Raffia burst from the jeep and joined the fray, the overall approach of the team being to separate the pack into smaller groups and destroy it piecemeal. The Dragonfly Faunus's Dust infused throwing knives disposing of several of the monsters through freezing, electrocution, small explosions and incineration in addition to the inherent lethality of the weapons. Raffia showed no such finesse, simply drawing his swords and charging at the Grimm with a feral war cry; Onyx following close behind evidently having grown bored of killing the Beowolves at range. It was over in no more than a few minutes, an entire pack of Grim reduced to nothing but an obsidian mist which slowly dispersed

"Okay" Iskald admitted, hopping out of the drivers' seat and trudging through the ever present snow "You've definitely got skills, I'll give you that"

"Yet to see yours" Onyx noted with a gruff snort while hefting his axe over his shoulder

"Then leave something for me next time….all over in seconds, I feel sorry for whoever you're sleeping with" Onyx gave a hearty laugh at the quip and slapped a meaty paw on the Hunters' shoulder; Carcharodon however was in no mood for pleasantries

"Should we not be heading back to our previous location? Our actual mission is still-" he was cut off by a low and eerie sound; something between a roar and a slow exhale which echoes unnaturally; Carcharodon merely had to glance at Hellion before she turned her Semblance on Marauder and sent the bird soaring overhead, the sound of dull thumping steps could be heard faintly at first, but drawing closer at a disconcerting rate. It took only a few moments for Marauder to swoop back to Hellion and the raiders' eyes to return to normal

"It seems our target is coming to us….it kicks up too much snow when it moves for me to see clearly"

"There it is" Iskald noted, motioning to a rapidly approaching shape whilst reaching inside his coat with his free hand to unsheathe his weapon; a spear which could reform itself into an icepick or a rifle "Ready! Aim!….No, scatter!" Iskald's orders changed as he got a more accurate idea of the side and speed of the incoming Grimm, Team GORE followed his order and dove aside with the sound of screeching metal and an earth-shaking crash ringing in their ears; followed by the same haunting sound.

"Damn it, that was my jeep!" Iskald snarled. Team GORE hurriedly scurried back to their feet and took stock of the situation; standing before them on four muscular legs that ended in armour covered and wide-set hooves was a Grimm roughly three times the height of a human at the top of its' armoured skull from which malevolent blood red eyes peered; its' body was the typical black affair with chitinous white ribs visible on its' underside and armour protecting several areas of its' body, however its' most notable feature were the massive, broad and many pronged antlers sprouting from the top of its' ugly blunt-snouted skull; giving the Grimm the image of a monstrous and corrupted moose

"Shame these didn't stalk the banks of the Frost River" Raffia noted with a manic smile "They would have been fun to hunt" Iskald fixed him with a disbelieving stare while the Grimm sized them up, one of its' forelimbs pawing at the heavily damaged jeep which now rested on its' side several feet away from where it had been; the chassis clearly out of shape

"That's an Elkaiju….not much by the way of tricks, just a lot of muscle and stamina" Onyx appeared ready to make a glib comment but the Grimm, as if summoned by its' own name huffed once and then charged again

"Bring it down!" Carcharodon Rasped, diving to the side and slashing at the beasts' legs as it passed; the booming report of Jotun Fang answered him, Onyx opening fire as he rolled away with little discernable effect. The Grimm circled around and the five Hunters regrouped, Iskald limping in a way that suggested that the Elkaiju had clipped him as it charged.

"Any suggestions?" Carcharodon asked, eyes never leaving the Grimm

"Looking for a weak point" Iskald answered tersely, on his other side Raffia managed to get eye contact with Carcharodon and make a gesture that the Shark Faunus recognised easily, it was one he had made countless times himself which translated roughly as 'Follow my lead'

"The armour on its' neck only covers the front" the Axolotl observed while gesturing towards the icepick blades of Iskald's weapon "Iskald the two of us can get on its' back while Onyx distracts it….Hellion, put out its' eyes, Car can you hold it?"

"I could certainly try" Carcharodon rasped, noting that Raffia's plan was workable but there was certainly another angle to it

"Then let's move!" Iskald barked, charging forwards and converting his weapon into its' icepick mode. Raffia followed behind him while Onyx took aim and fired past them; Carcharodon engaged his Semblance and sink into the floor, his body taking on an oozing viscous consistency as he did so while Hellion drew knives with smoke bombs worked into their hilts and took aim. Raffia stayed behind Iskald solely to keep the gleeful smile on his face hidden from view as his impromptu plot took shape; the Elkaiju rushed at them again, howling in frustration as the first of Hellion's knives narrowly missed its' mark but still pierced bone and blew smoke into the Grimm's eyes. Carcharodon's shadowy form could be seen rising partially from the snow and grasping at one of the beasts' hind legs before sinking back below the ground, trapping the Elkaiju in place and causing it to thrash wildly, trying to tear the ground apart to free itself

"Now! Go, go-" Iskald's frantic order was cut short as Raffia rushed passed him, bringing the two swords of the recently named _'Infernal Avenger'_ around in wide arcs to combine them into their experimental laser lance form and in doing so sweep one of Iskald's legs from under him; while it could easily have been construed as an accident there was no masking the evil grin on his face when the Hunter staggered forwards and into the path of the Grimm's furious thrashing only to be sent hurtling through the air when the antlers collided with his chest and landed in a crumpled heap in the snow. Raffia delivered the coup d'etat by leaping onto the beasts' forelimb and aim the laser lance directly at its' eye and firing from near point blank range; the beam of destructive light bursting through the back of its' skull signifying the end of the brief battle.

"Not exactly the plan" Carcharodon noted as he resurfaced, a mildly accusatory tone in his rasping voice

"It was always the plan, just not the one I said out loud" Raffia almost giggled as he stalked over to where Iskald lay unmoving, Carcharodon followed

"He lives"

"That can change" Raffia cooed, holding the longer of his swords over the human as he crouched down to steal the dog-tags from around his neck; Carcharodon shook his head

"It serves no purpose, let him think that they were lost when the Grimm hit him….Well done Raffia, I'm proud of you"

"What now?" Hellion asked as she and Onyx approached, he thought for a moment

"We right the jeep and see if it can still be used; return to Freiheit with Iskald; we draw suspicion to ourselves if we leave him here" his team-mates nodded in agreement; Onyx and Hellion silently deciding that there was no sense in leaving the man to die in the cold if it could be helped; even as raiders they hadn't been needlessly cruel. Carcharodon then gave Onyx his undivided attention

"When we return I want you to get in touch with your contact….It's time that the Scavenger Guild faced the consequences of their actions"

* * *

The moment the Krakatoa had revealed its' true nature Creeps had began to worm their way out of the fissures in the monstrous turtle Grimm's shell; only to meet unceremonious ends at the hands of Team NEON and Matte Skye; this was not to say that it had been an easy thing, the fighting had been a crowded and frantic mess; the remaining false trees atop the shell of the Krakatoa had needed to be burned to cinders to prevent their attempt to join the fray.

"We could really do with some air support here!" Nyanza noted, eyes glowing with pale light as his Semblance of good luck allowed him to turn the snapping and clawing mass of Grimm bodies into countless opportunities, limbs and weapons lashing out at blinding speed

"Agreed" Helios grunted as he batted a Grimm aside with his shield and skewered the beast that leapt forward to replace it; Matte had obviously heard the comments as they chimed in, voice fighting to be heard over the discharging of their pistols

"I'm not ordering the Gerechtigkeit to fire on the Grimm with students still in the area" the captain stated bluntly "Any available fighter pilots, break off and perform a strafing run on my location" another Creep used their momentary distraction as a chance to attack only to be bisected by Ether while Olivine unleashed a steady stream of firepower into the tide. A dark shape against the slowly rising sun was the only indication Team NEON had that the Baba-Jaeger was approaching, its' flight silent and menacing; the Krakatoa had evidently seen it as well, as evidenced by the horrific sound of shattering bone as the naturally formed anti aircraft weapon growing from its' back took aim

"PULL UP! PULL UP!" Matte bellowed into her headset to no avail, a moment later the faux volcano fired with a sharp intake of air followed by a deafening boom as it launched something resembling a meteor at the angular craft; the Baba-Jaeger exploded on contact, its' smoking form spiralling down into the icy depths while debris was flung across the impromptu battlefield of the Grimm's back.

"Oum damn it!" Matte spat, venting their frustrations by ejecting what passed for the brains of the nearest Grimm out the back of its' skull with a well placed bullet; a victory that was short lived as the sound of the Krakatoa's weapon realigning itself grated against the ears of all who heard it once more, the skill of Atlesian pilots being put on display as the next car-sized fireball flung by the Grimm was narrowly avoided by the Sturm-Kralle drop-ship carrying Project Snare

"That was targeted" Matte spat "Team One, we need immediate evac ASAP, I want the Gerechtigkeit main batteries hot….Team NEON, our priority is to take down this Grimm by any means. Project Snare must be protected"

"Understood" Helios caught the last of the Creeps scrabbling from the shell of the Krakatoa by the neck and punctuated his stone faced reply by crushing its' spine through sheer force "Leave it to me"

"Heely don't be stupid man-" the redhead waved off Nyanza's concerns and merely stated his plan

"Captain, have your troops get everyone off of this Grimm but stay close enough for Olivine to shoot….Ollie, can you take a shot at this things' head from a moving craft?"

"Not a problem" she assured him, her usual cheeriness admittedly strained with tension and fatigue

"Ether prepare to pull me out, you'll know when yo act. Nyanza….as much luck as you can give it; if this goes wrong then tell-"

"I aint telling anyone shit 'cos you're coming home safe" the bushy tailed feline spat, tail standing straight in irritation while his eyes glowed a little brighter as he tried to push his Semblance a little further; whether it was luck, the skills of the pilot or both the next fireball flung by the Krakatoa went wide giving the craft originally charged with depositing soldiers onto the cargo ship, which had since been secured, chance to swoop low enough for Matte, Nyanza, Ether and Olivine to make Aura fuelled leaps into its' opened rear hatch; leaving Helios alone atop the shell of a gargantuan sea monster

"I've said this to many of your kind" Helios boomed, hoping that this Grimm was at least somewhat cogent, hopefully with similar intelligence to the Beowolf that scarred his face "BOW!" with the single roared word his body became almost entirely engulfed in darkness, his midnight coloured Aura becoming visible with strain as he pushed his Semblance to a degree that he would never had considered under normal, saner circumstances. The shell fractured and shattered, leaving Helios standing in a crater of broken carapace with viscous black Grimm matter seeping through the cracks; the Krakatoa let out an agonised sound, followed by one of something akin to confusion as Helios plan took shape. He had chosen his position carefully before using his Semblance and as gravity was warped and amplified the turtle Grimm began to sink; water beginning to splash over the sides of the shell that had hidden it, more importantly the Grimm sank at an angle that forced its' faux volcano towards the depths first and made it impossible to aim at the Atlesian fighters, while at the same time forcing its' head above the surface

"Take the shot, take the shot" Helios urged through clenched teeth, head pounding while blood flowed freely from his nose and waves of nausea washed over him; as his vision began to blur and his control over his Semblance began to falter with the last of his Aura he was almost sure he saw the telltale display of lights signifying Olivine opening fire with everything Buster Bravo had in a single volley. Moments later the ground began to vanish under him

"Good work" he managed to murmur before collapsing forwards onto the slowly fading body of the dying Krakatoa. There was an indeterminate amount of time where Helios had no understanding and would later have recollection of what happened; his mind unable to process the jumble of sensations beyond simply; cold, dark, wet, moving. He came to and promptly rolled over to dredge up the contents of his waterlogged lungs onto a cold steel floor

"Thank Oum he's okay" a voice he recognised as Olivine gasped

"Hey Heely, got your weapons right here" Nyanza added. Helios needed to blink several times and take a dozen deep slow breaths before his senses came to him enough to realise that he was aboard one of the Sturm-Kralle Matte had deployed for the mission, Matte themselves helping him to his feet and confirming the hopeful suspicions forming in his still hazy mind

"You did it, you crazy bastard you did it" there was a moment of silence while Matte received some news in their headset, a satisfied smirk crossing their face "That was Team Two….they managed to scoop up an aquatic Grimm. Team NEON, your mission was a complete success. You'll be debriefed after I inform Winter Schnee and Doctor Eldritch that Project Snare can contain Grimm"

 **Authors Notes:**

Back to the action I've missed writing it; the rest of Vol.5 is gonna make up for it and Vol.6 is a tournament arc so BOY  
I know I said I'd be posting this chapter a day late but here we are….things happened.  
Also we'll be back to Team FADE next chapter….Brace yourselves.  
That last scene was literally written in an hour _(I got stranded at work due to weather then came home and typed like a man on a mission)_

So anyway let's summarise:  
Not every mission involves being super heroic all the time and I always enjoy highlighting that.  
I also love bringing up Helios fear of heights, it humanises him a little more; also it's kinda reasonable. The Nikosi tribe roam forests and open countryside, being that high up is insane.  
Olivine and Ether's sex life must be infamous at both Atlas and Halo academies.  
Yes Helios wakes up at five and subjects himself to a fitness program that even Yang would be impressed with.  
Helios and Felix leaving each other messages to wake up to is the cutest thing (And yes me and my girlfriend do that).  
Nyanza types like a parody of a teenage girl from 2009. Canon.  
Let's just be clear, Helios did not send nudes. He was only shirtless and he trains shirtless so often that everyone on campus has probably seen his abs.  
Also yes, Helios looks like a bad-ass…..and is secretly just as bothered about his hair as Felix is.  
Considering the cult following that Pilot Boi amassed I'll come out and say right now that "Random Ensign" survived.  
Edgy Shark Faunus is edgy.  
Note that even Carcharodon is having doubts about how long he can keep Raffia contained for.  
We don't see enough of Hellion's Semblance.  
Team GORE take orders from Car and nobody else, if it looks like they're taking other peoples' orders it's because Car told them to.  
" _People die every day Huntsman, I've seen people like you kill plenty"_ is quite possible up there with _"We choose death"_ in terms of bad-ass lines delivered by Carcharodon.  
Car's having mixed feelings, all that worrying about his people losing their identity might not have been total paranoia.  
I feel like NEON and the soldiers checking their gear would be one of those shots with no dialogue and dramatic music with plenty of close ups of little details like the lucky charms on peoples' armour if this was an actual show.  
Matte was Winter's First Mate, they definitely learned everything they know about the job from _"Captain Bad-ass"_ herself.  
" _Fuck it, I didn't get woken up this early in a morning to stand around"_ Nyanza is growing from a lazy kitty to a total bad-ass.  
Surely people could guess where I was going with the whole _"Vanishing Island"_ thing?  
The Krakatoa is based on the (I think it's) Japanese myth about the turtle with an island on its' back with an appearance at least slightly inspired by the Deepkin Leviadon from Warhammer AoS.  
I feel like watching Team GORE go completely ham is probably something that's just a little unsettling.  
" _Then leave something for me next time….all over in seconds, I feel sorry for whoever you're sleeping with"_ …..Iskald casually channelled one of my co-workers there.  
I had to look up the noise Moose make…..what the actual fuck Canada?  
Elkaiju….Elk Kaiju…..I'm not sorry, not at all.  
Sinking things into the floor is one of Carcharodon's nastier tricks but I imagine it's really draining; especially for something that size.  
' _Infernal Avenger'_ Raffia finally named his new weapon.  
So Team GORE now have a means to meet a ranking member of the Scavenger Guild and the plan to bring them into contact with The Cult of Taurus will come to fruition next volume.  
The Baba-Jaegers are good but they're not indestructible, they don't have forcefields and since they're remotely piloted drones rather than an AI they're only as good as the pilot.  
Helios having another cinematic moment, just causally snatching a Grimm out of mid air and breaking its' neck.  
" _I aint telling anyone shit 'cos you're coming home safe"_ that's the spirit Nyanza.  
Helios doing the absolute most.  
So Project Snare works, the question is…..is that a good thing.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, iSassenach, Funlander, FleetOfWarships, ShadowAlex2000, PyroJr and FluffyFirefly for their reviews on the last chapter.  
They can make her stronger and faster, but can they make her more of a bitch.  
Nah, the I of Team FNKI will always be "Indigo Montoya" from my one-shot "Get FNKI"  
The Quacken…..you have no idea how tempted I was to swap the Krakatoa for a giant fire breathing duck Grimm.  
If the Cult of Taurus could be compared to any of the original Space Marine Legions it would be the Night Lords. They exist to make an example and just the rumour that they might be sent is enough to silence dissent.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	66. Envoy

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 66: Envoy**

Eagle arc weaved beneath a wild right handed slash, her opponents blade passing over her head with an audible woosh of air; instantly she turned and shifted her balance onto her back foot to avoid the follow up back-handed swipe at her gut, the blade and her pristine white armour screeched as they connected and left a plainly visible mark along the surface of her chest-plate. Eagle paid no mind to this, at the same moment her opponent had attacked she had used his closeness as a chance to stab at his unprotected shoulder; her opponent leapt back and managed to narrowly avoid the blow. The two fighters leapt at each other once again, the air filled with the sound of clanging blades as they both blocked and parried blows that were delivered enough force to make their swords spark on contact; after several exchanges of blows with neither combatant making any real headway towards victory Eagle's crimson eyes narrowed and a feral smile spread across her face, looking strangely out of place on her usually bright features; an idea had struck her, one inspired by a trick she had learned from Xiangya, one of her Uncles by marriage, a Hunter who wielded a pair of ornate knives. When her opponent made their next strike, another back-handed slash aimed at her chest, Eagle made to block but loosened her grip on her sword somewhat and flipped the blade into a reverse grip, allowing her opponents' blade to pass her with little resistance; she then grabbed their wrist as they made a hasty stabbing motion and drove her sword towards their chest, putting her entire bodyweight behind the motion

"Alright, alright you win that one" Felix exclaimed, a somewhat grumpy tone to his words as his golden and fiery Aura became visible around the tip of Eagle's sword, preventing her from running him through "That was just dirty, Hellion teach you that?"

"Nope, Uncle Xiangya" she corrected him as she sheathed her sword and made her way over to Sentinel who had been left on sidelines chirping animatedly while the two sparred, Felix in return had only used one of his swords and refrained from shifting it into its' machine pistol form.

"I haven't actually heard from Hellion today" Eagle noted conversationally, trying and utterly failing to hide her disappointment at that fact "Team GORE are working at night though so I guess she's just still asleep"

"I heard from Heely this morning" Felix shrugged "Honestly can't wait to get this job over with; I mean what're we actually learning besides just how much a bitch Kafsi is?"

"It's true but you shouldn't say it….she might hear you" Eagle replied with a gentle giggle as she sat on the floor and leaned against the wall of what would become a factory floor when the plant was completed, Felix followed suit with an annoyed sigh, the two of them still breathing heavily and coated in a sheen of sweat. Thus far their mission had been nothing but prolonged boredom as their assigned Hunter made sure that every task delegated to the students kept them almost perpetually busy but provided them with little educational value; something Eagle had decided she would be making a written complaint to General Schnee about. Team FADE had spent the last few days patrolling the exterior of the as yet incomplete SDC processing plant, suspiciously always at times when the weather was at its' worst, escorting the engineering firms responsible for installing the machinery to and from parts of the site that they needed to work in, something that Kafsi had stated was a potential security breach; and shadowing members of the Specialist team as they went through the painstaking process of assessing the existing and proposed security measures around the site and made recommended improvements; a mountain of paperwork Arctus noted would most likely find its' way into a shredder the moment whoever was in charge of managing the new plants' budget got a hold of it, the SDC had contracted Poly-Tech to provide a comprehensive security system as well as hiring several people native to Gerat-Handlung with suitable skills, anything else would simply be considered overkill.

"What's she gonna do if she does hear me" Felix growled "Punish us with the exact same shit she's had us doing anyway"

"Most likely yes" a new voice answered, making both blondes jump in surprise "And considering that the Coalition are actually arriving today it's the one time that it's actually a threat" Whitley Schnee added as he sidled into the empty machine room, his entire body language that of complete calm and relaxed control; understandable considering that he owned everything in sight.

"How come they've delayed the meeting so much?" Eagle asked

"A little bit of power play" the slender man replied, stroking his beard as he spoke "The head of the Atlesian branch of the Coalition has a habit of flexing his political muscles before a negotiation. This plant won't open until the SDC and the unions that the Coalition organise come to an agreement; making me wait is his way of reminding me that I don't have all the cards. This site will have a lot of automation when it opens but I still need good workers and he can make sure I don't get them if he's not satisfied with conditions"  
"Hey Uncle Whit" Felix spoke, a hint of anxiousness creeping into his voice as he addressed the man that while he may not have been related to by blood or marriage he still considered family in the same way he considered Arctus his cousin "I need to ask you something"

"Sure"

"Having the military show up, having all the Poly-Tech security robots delivered before the Coalition get here…." the Lion Faunus paused, internally struggling as his hesitance to make what could only be taken as an accusation battled with his need for a clear conscience "Is this you trying to shake down the Coalition and their workers union?….I mean if it is you need to come out and say it; one of my Mums is the head of the New Vale branch, I can't be involved in-"

"Felix" Whitley spoke gently, his voice nonetheless halting Felix whose words had begun to take on a slightly frantic edge; he strode closer to the Faunus and enunciated each word slowly and clearly "Please never mistake me for my Father again. You know me better than that" Felix looked up, his deep blue eyes meeting Whitley's pale sapphire and the Faunus realised that he had been worrying himself into a frenzy over a bad feeling and nothing more; indeed he knew that Whitley was on good terms with both of his mothers and had a lot of respect for Blake.

"Sorry Uncle Whit"

"It's fine" Whitley exhaled "The old days are over. Giving my Faunus employees equal pay and protections was literally the first thing I did when I took over this company….had to twist the arms of half the board of directors to do it as well" there was a silence in which any tension that may have been between them slowly faded away; eventually it was interrupted by the sound of footsteps echoing through the emptiness of the factory floor. Felix muttered a string of several expletives as the telltale sound of Kafsi Aster's respirator reached his ears.

"Xiao Long! Your team were expected for a briefing ten minutes ago; explain your absence" Felix had nothing to offer, his sparring session with Eagle had simply gone on longer than intended

"My fault" Whitley intervened "I kept 'em talking, was just looking for Arctus and ended up distracting them"

"Where are Slate and Sustrai?" Kafsi demanded

"Probably waiting back at the briefing wondering where you are" Felix noted, making his utter lack of respect for the Specialist as plain as he could without outright insulting her "If not then they're sleeping" at those words Whitley began coughing and Felix was certain that the words _'Sleeping, sure'_ were being masked, he privately resolved to never ask what that was about. The unfinished refinery did not contain ideal places to sleep, instead the Hunters had simply taken their sleeping bags and laid claim to whichever future office or conference room they wanted; Arctus and Diamond had taken a room notably further away from where the majority of their work was taking place then Felix or Eagle had and the Lion Faunus could make an educated guess as to why, judging by her blush and the fact she was hiding her mouth behind her hands so could Eagle.

"Find them and get to work" Kafsi ordered bluntly, her usual lack of regard for her students opinions of the mission or her readily apparent. Eagle made to rise to her feet until Felix placed a hand on her shoulder while glaring at Kafsi

"Yeah sure we'll get right on that, as soon as you apologise for the attitude and ask us properly"

"Felix" Eagle warned, Whitley merely watched with an interested expression

"Xiao Long I won't repeat myself. Either follow orders or take yourself back to Atlas Academy, I have no interest on dealing with a whining Faunus with a victim complex" Felix was suddenly on his feet, hand almost at the hilt of his weapon when Eagle's arms wrapped around his and pinned them to his sides, her grip impressively strong as she pulled him away

"Don't" Eagle warned "Don't give her what she wants" Felix let out a wordless snarl of fury before relenting and stalking out of the room with his partner, Sentinel trundling along behind them

"Arctus should have shot that bitch" the Lion Faunus spat as he set off in search of the Bear Faunus, enraged that he had no real option other than do as Kafsi Asteri instructed despite her obvious vendetta against his team.

* * *

Alpha watched, utterly enraptured as Celeste Lupus strode into view before the assembled White Fang fighters in full armour, her face hidden behind the mask which echoed the one worn by Adam Taurus himself. The Cult of Taurus stood in full uniform behind Celeste and to the side, at the High Commander's right hand where they belonged; their meeting place was a disused warehouse in a small settlement close to their target; owned by one of the White Fangs' older and more _'respectable'_ members who had been using the premises to launder money and hide illegal and stolen goods for close to a decade. The force gathered before the makeshift stage numbered roughly two hundred Faunus, each of the White Fangs' numerous cells scattered throughout the Hive Cities and settlements sending perhaps half a dozen members each; no one sub faction sending enough of their number to be noticeable or suspicious to their local community, the end result however was a sizeable force which due to their partnership with the human Ozymandias Eldritch would be exceptionally well armed and equipped. Alpha brushed thoughts of the human aside, the High Commander's word was absolute thus she would tolerate having to work alongside the natural enemy of her people.

"Watch this moment child" the Lionfish Faunus instructed the small child beside her in a hushed tone; the little girl named Coral Scylla she had been given and ordered to train into the fighter that the cause needed nodded silently with pale brown, almost amber eyes wide, clearly more intimidated by the crowd than the quartet of killers surrounding her; Alpha thought such innocence was precious, it was a shame it would have to be stripped away. Currently the girl looked far more well cared for than she had done, while her parents had doted on her they lacked the means to provide adequately for the six year old. Coral's shoulder length rose gold coloured hair and been combed and tied into pigtails, something that the Crab Faunus would never have been able to do on her own and had been given new clothes, she had marvelled over them upon learning that they had not been worn by anybody else first; a black pea-coat with polished silver buttons, a black and white striped dress with warm black leggings and fur lined boots intended for the snow, the ensemble was completed with a pair of mismatched earmuffs, one side black the other white, Coral while young had been astute enough to notice that her new clothes were the same colours as the uniforms the Cult of Taurus wore, as she had put it _'Cool, we match….like a team'_

"If the High Commander uses any words you don't understand Alpha or I will be happy to explain them to you" Beta promised, the Snow Leopard Faunus crouching down to her level to speak; while Alpha had been entrusted with Coral's care and training Beta would be overseeing her general education, after all she would need to be capable of more than simply massacring whoever was deemed a threat or a traitor

"Pretty easy to get the gist of anyway" Gamma rumbled, the cage like mask which covered the lower half of his mouth showing enough to see that he was grinning "Humans have done us wrong too many times and now we've stopped playing nice. High Commander is gonna make the world better for Faunus and beat the crap out of anyone who tries to stop us. Everyone here is gonna help her do it; 'specially us, 'cos I'm good at kicking the crap out of people"

"Crude, but not wrong" Alpha noted dryly; still perplexed at how the Pangolin Faunus who had subjected his own body to horrors only exceeded by those he inflicted on his enemies and whom Alpha had seen soaked from head to toe in the blood and viscera of someone he had torn in half on one memorable occasion, could be so endearing to children; Coral stifled a giggle and Delta silently gestured to Celeste and then to their own watch, reminded their comrades that while the High Commander's speech to the troops would be starting at any moment they still needed to leave in order to prepare for their part in the mission.

"Five minutes" Alpha stated bluntly, the mission was paramount but she relished watching Celeste speak to the White Fang at large; the air became electric when the Ram Faunus she had pledged herself to took command, this morning was no exception; among the cheers which continued to grow in enthusiasm a chant could be heard gaining traction

"Come little one" Alpha murmured to Coral as she turned away "It's time for us to go….You know what you have to do today"

"Uh huh" the Crab Faunus nodded earnestly, she had memorised exactly what the people the High Commander had told her to go with had asked her to do

"Good" Beta chimed in with his usual cultured tones as Gamma picked the girl up, resting her on his shoulders; finding a place where the edges of his sharpened keratin plates wouldn't cut her. The Snow Leopard Faunus peered up at her and asked "You remember what to tell people if they ask your name"

"Coral Scylla" she beamed; Alpha gazed at her from behind her visored mask

"And what's your real name?" the little girl paused for a moment before giving the answer; she didn't understand how exactly someone could _'give up'_ their name and get a new one, even if the new one was cool

"My name's Omega"

* * *

Team FADE stood among the majority of the Specialist strike team they had been assigned to in what would eventually be the main entrance of the new SDC refinery; as it was intended for visitors as well as staff it had been designed with aesthetic in mind as much as practicality, the majority of the wall containing the main doorway being made of glass which the Specialists had been relieved to learn was at least bulletproof. The pristine and almost futuristic minimalist finish was somewhat lessened by the fact that the floor was yet to be completed and several wall and ceiling panels had been removed by electricians, however what could be cleaned and made presentable had been, naturally by Team FADE as the veteran Hunters of the Specialists had unanimously delegated the task to them. Kafsi Asteri was mercifully absent, she was waiting at the main gates with Donner the Huntress that Arctus recognised from his fathers' ship and Whitley Schnee was waiting in the conference room frantically double checking his notes before the meeting alongside the rest of the SDC representatives. The Coalition were finally due to arrive at any moment

"I know what Uncle Whit said" Felix murmured, mainly to Arctus whom he had recently informed of the earlier conversation "But this really does feel like a show of force"

"I get what you mean" the Bear Faunus conceded with a shrug, while he didn't want to believe his Uncle were the sort of man who would use such tactics, the fact that he routinely got what he wanted in negotiations was hard to ignore

"It's the robots" Diamond grinned, clearly hoping to lighten the mood "The shoulder mounted gun is a bit much"

"It's not even a Poly-Tech design" Eagle pouted "The stuff my Mum designed herself looks way cooler; these are just something one of the companies Poly-Tech bought out had lying around with a new operating system" she gave the closest thing to a sneer she could manage to the dozen or so security robots with a vaguely humanoid design, too spindly in some places and too chunky in others featuring a small shoulder mounted weapon and a faceplate that was featureless save for its' cameras which were positioned where eyes would be.

"I can assure you we're here in connection to a suspected terrorist threat, nothing else" one of the Specialists assured them, a young woman whose age in comparison to the other members of the group indicated that she had only recently been recruited to the Specialist Branch; her tone became less formal and a little nervous as she turned to Felix and asked "Hey Xiao Long, this might be a weird question but is your Mum's name Blake?"

"One of 'em is yeah" Felix told her nonplussed

"Oh my Oum, the Blake Xiao Long? I read her book _'Til All Are One'_ during basic training….I came up through the army; honestly I used to believe a lot of stupid things before I signed up and I think that book helped" Felix suddenly felt a little awkward; the book on human and Faunus relations in a post White Fang political climate was something the blonde knew his mother was immensely proud of; however the unspoken truth was that the _'stupid things'_ this soldier used to believe were most likely racist. Felix was spared having to answer by Diamond chiming in

"Dude, your Mum who does union work wrote a book? Tell me you've got a copy I need to read this"

"I'm pretty sure I brought it over from New Vale" he assured her; the conversation died when a senior Specialist raised a hand and motioned towards the main entrance; beyond the glass door Kafsi could be seen leading a small troupe of a little more than half a dozen Faunus along a pathway that had been swept free of any snow and ice that had managed to accumulate

"Who's the blue guy?" Diamond asked with a slightly raised eyebrow "He looks a little out of place" it was easy to see what she meant; the _'blue guy'_ in question was a blue ringed Octopus Faunus with black eyes an an unreadable face whose Faunus attribute served in place of normal body language and expressions, his skin had a rubbery texture and was slightly translucent; luminescent blue pigment dancing across its' surface in an ever changing pattern reminiscent of an inkblot test. The man wore an obviously expensive suit and several items of ostentatious gold jewellery.

"That's Ringo Umi" Arctus answered "Supposedly ex-mob, he's the head of the Atlas branch of the Coalition"

"Mum really doesn't like him, but apparently he's good" Felix added with a toothy grin before becoming distracted by something else as Kafsi and Donner escorted the group inside

"No way" Arctus mouthed, obviously seeing the same thing which Eagle and Diamond were yet to see the significance of; Felix's reaction was more noticeable

"Holy Oum!" heads turned in his direction at the outburst, prompting a dark skinned man with a full and bushy grey beard and a few remaining tufts of hair upon his skull of the same colour who must have been eighty years old and supported his hunched frame with a cane to turn his acid green eyes toward them, a scale covered tail easily twice as long as he was tall unfurling partially as he gave them a broad smile, unnaturally broad as the boa constrictor Faunus's lower jaw separated a pair of long curved fangs could be seen

"Who's that?" Eagle whispered, a little ashamed of herself for not following politics as well as she perhaps should have

"The Founder of the Coalition, Aunt Blake's boss" Arctus explained

"Mister Eadala" Felix held out a hand as the older Faunus made his way over at a shuffling pace and shook it enthusiastically

"Felix my child, I've told you that you must call me Obsidian; my people are my family" he stopped, blinking several times before catching sight of Arctus "Young Arctus, forgive me I saw you among the Specialists and thought you were your father for a moment….and I presume these two ladies are your team-mates"

"Yeah, these are Eagle Arc and Diamond Sustrai-Black" Obsidian peered at them for a few moments before jovially noting

"My age must be catching up with me, the years all start to run together after a while but I'm sure your faces are familiar" Obsidian returned his focus to the pair of Faunus "I trust your families are well? Unfortunately I do not get to interact with them as much as I would-"

"Mister Eadala" Kafsi's tone, while firm, was far more polite than any she had used to address the students or even her fellow Specialists thus far; a clear sign of the importance that Obsidian had despite his affable, grandfatherly demeanour "The representatives of the SDC are waiting for you; I was tasked with escorting you to them personally….Team FADE, sentry duty at the front gate. You'll be relieved in eight hours"

"Not learning much doing that are they?" Ringo Umi noted, apparently able to read a great deal into Kafsi Asteri's character by watching the short exchange and deciding he liked none of it

"Indeed" Obsidian nodded sagely "Perhaps they would be better suited to acting as security inside the meeting….after all, young Mister Slate here has a stake in the future of the SDC does he not?" Kafsi's eye visibly twitched in frustration and her laboured breathing beneath her respirator mask became harsher; Team FADE collectively watched with shared glee as she weighed up the pros and cons of both relenting to the suggestion or refusing to do so. When she turned on her heel and gestured for the students to follow they were stunned, glad for both being spared eight hours in the freezing weather for no real purpose and that someone had finally put Kafsi in line, if only temporarily; that happiness was somewhat marred by the Specialist's snide comment as they made their way towards the conference room

"Bring refreshments. Since you need to be coddled and protected from the snow you're infinitely more suited to work as waiters than Hunters, consider this your training"

* * *

Ozymandias Eldritch took a certain amount of twisted pride in his ability to blend into the surroundings and conduct parts of his grand plan under the noses of those around him; even in the headquarters of Poly-Tech, a beacon which served to draw in undisputed geniuses from all of Remnant he was seemingly above suspicion, merely respected for the steps he had taken towards his goals that the uninformed considered to be achievements in their own right, or occasionally the subject of jealously from his younger colleagues owing to his relationship with Antonia Arc which while remaining something private had still been the topic of many hushed and muttered discussions among staff on their lunch breaks. Presently Ozymandias was nestled away in his office, a rarely used room located in the upper echelons of the building only a few floors below Antonia's penthouse; the wizard had delegated what tasks he could before retreating to the dimly lit and disorganised room, judging by the winks and knowing glances his underlings had made several vulgar and wildly inaccurate assumptions which he had no intention of disabusing them of, their ignorance was one of his greatest tools after all. Instead he produced the untraceable Scroll he kept on his person for dealings that he couldn't afford to be discovered and opened a program on the computer at his desk, a feeling of anxious helplessness that was distinctly alien to him setting in as his pervasive control of events around him was stolen and he was forced to wait, like a mere mortal. He watched the seconds tick by on the clock mounted on the opposite wall, the sound seeming to mock him the longer it went until finally the Scroll in his hand lit up with a silent notification; he quickly opened the device and saw that the text message he had received from Celeste Lupus was comprised of a single word; _'Proceed'_ and a small grin tugged at his lips as he glanced at the clock once more, it's mocking far less offensive now

"Right on schedule" he murmured with some satisfaction and swiftly turned his attention to the task at hand; maximising the state of chaos that the White Fang would bring about. His fingers danced across the keyboard as he implemented several subroutines and lines of code; his part of the plan was simple in essence but would require some finesse to achieve, he needed to tip the odds against the Specialist strike team that had been stationed at the Gerat-Handlung SDC plant which was still under construction. The obvious answer had been to simply turn the Poly-Tech robots inside upon the Hunters and the civilians they were protecting; combined with the White Fang's presence the result would be a bloodbath that the general public would be unable to avoid comparing to the events leading to the battle of Vale and the destruction of Beacon Academy over twenty years ago, this idea had been dismissed; while it had a certain undeniable appeal in its' ruthlessness Ozymandias had no desire to reveal himself or his plans for Remnant just yet. How he had decided to achieve his goal instead was in his mind beautiful in its' simplicity, he had simply made a few changes to scheduled updates that could easily be explained away as the result of a loss of focus caused by overwork and lack of sleep. It took no time at all for the date and time of a routine update to be changed, the order changed from a test batch to a general roll-out of the software which would be automatically downloaded to the machines and the data itself to be altered in such a way that would prevent it from functioning correctly, leaving the thousands of Poly-Tech security robots in service around Remnant immobile and the company itself flooded with calls from customers demanding an explanation; Atlas's Specialists may have been some of the finest that the icy Kingdom had ever produced, but now they were alone and most likely vastly outnumbered against a foe filled with righteous fury.

"Good afternoon" Antonia greeted him as she entered the office "Still working?"

"Just scheduling some updates" he informed her, discreetly hiding the evidence of his actions behind several other windows as he spoke, feigning surprise when he next looked at the clock and giving a soft sigh as he stroked his goatee "One day I'll actually eat lunch during lunch break and not work through it"

"One day you'll give up trying to convince yourself" Antonia replied glibly

"Did you need anything….or want something?" Ozymandias let the possible implications of that question hang in the air, bringing a seductive smile to Antonia's lip and a slight rosy tinge to her cheeks

"I'm sure I'll want something later" she assured him "But I actually came to inform you that we've had word from the Atlesian military's research and development division regarding Project Snare"

"Oh?" Ozymandias raised an eyebrow

"It succeeded in part" Antonia continued, giving him a moment to brace himself for the bad news before continuing "It managed to capture and disable a Grimm for a limited amount of time but the Grimm expired before it could be studied; causes are naturally unknown due to the lack of a body"

"I'll clear my schedule as soon as we receive the relevant data and begin working on improvements" Ozymandias assured her keeping his face as neutral as possible; internally he was as close to joy as he ever felt since he had taken on the power of the Wizard; he had no intention of using the containment unit for research purposes and the fact that it had worked so well marked a clear step forwards towards his end goal; meaning that it was time to begin laying the foundations for other plans that would not come to fruition for some time, his thoughts were intruded upon by Antonia making her way across the office and depositing herself in his lap

"I think we've both worked hard enough on Project Snare for the moment Oz….perhaps we should enjoy the rest of our working lunch" Ozymandias, still struggling with this base and far too human part of himself simply feigned a smile before nipping at her neck and silently giving thanks for the fact that his office had no windows.

* * *

The Atlesian climate was as harsh and inhospitable as ever, the premises of the Gerat-Handlung SDC plant being subjected to freezing winds and a light but consistent snowfall which left everything in sight dusted with the powdery substance. The main building of the plant itself was separated from the roads that led to it by a wall whose surface had been treated to make it more difficult to climb and had been topped with razor wire, the only way in or out of the site was through a single sliding gate made of heavy Atlesian steel and flanked by a gatehouse constructed of materials that could survive several minutes of sustained gunfire. Within the gatehouse a pair of guards sat comfortably, making the occasional disparaging comment about the visitors currently on site or the security robots flanking the driveway between the gates and the main entrance whilst watching sports on a television that had been smuggled into gatehouse and hidden from the Hunters when they inspected the security protocols. The guards' names were Spider and Dijon, Spider was a short but stocky human who was heavily tattooed beneath his uniform and was privately surprised and grateful that he'd managed to pass the requisite background checks for this job; Dijon or Jonny as he was more commonly called was a feline Faunus with a pair of ears protruding from messy crew-cut hair that had grown out a little, the Faunus had been working as security since failing to be accepted into Atlas Academy at seventeen and was glad to finally find a secure and well paying job where he wouldn't be dealing with drunks and criminals on a nightly basis.

"Oh come on that was a blatant foul!" Spider exclaimed, gesticulating furiously at the television

"You gonna be like this the whole way through the Vytal Tournament as well mate?" Dijon asked with a snort and shake of the head

"Whatever, I had money on that" the human sighed, muttering several curses about the referee and aspersions about his mother before pausing as he caught sight of something outside the gate

"Hey Jonny" he nudged the feline "There's a little girl at the main gate"

"What?" Dijon asked, deciding to move over to the window and see for himself rather than wait for an answer; sure enough just beyond the heavy steel gate was a small child with rose gold coloured hair who was dressed for the cold and clutching a brown paper bag in one of the pincers that she had in place of hands; while the feline didn't know of any crab Faunus locally and talk of a child born with such an unfortunate Faunus attribute would most likely travel fast the bag she held seemed to suggest an obvious answer

"Are those sparkies still working on site?"

"Yeah I let 'em in this morning" Spider confirmed

"That's probably one of their kids bringing their lunch….can't let her in though can we" he paused to consider, giving an annoyed huff at the confines of bureaucracy "Fuck it open the gate and ask her who that package is for"

"Why am I going out in the cold?" Spider demanded

"Just do it" the human grumbled at the reply as he threw his coat on over his uniform and left the warmth of the gatehouse, the light snow that had already accumulated on the ground since it had been swept clean crunching underfoot as he trudged over to the gate

"Hey kid" he greeted the Crab Faunus, trying his best not to look as intimidating as he'd been told he could be "What's your name?" he asked as he entered the security code that would open the gate, it could have been done from the gatehouse but it would be logged on a database, one of the many problems that the Specialists had identified with the current security systems.

"My name's Coral Scylla" the little girl answered

"Okay Coral" Spider crouched down to her level and speaking in the slow voice that all adults seemed to reserve for children "I can't let you inside 'cos I'll get in trouble but if you tell me who you need to give that package to I'll see that they get it straight away"

"Unnecessary" Spider made to rise to his feet but was halted by the barrel of a heavily modified sniper rifle held by an individual wearing a featureless white mask with far too many eyeholes. Rather than question how he had failed to spot them Spider made to call out to Dijon

"CLOSE-" Spider's panicked scream to his colleague was cut short as Delta fired and in a single instant Spider ceased to be, the snow and Coral Scylla's clothes and face been spattered with blood as the steel spike that _'Prae Dolore'_ used in place of regular ammunition sunk into the ground some distance away, the humans' limp body being flung backwards as the projectile exited the back of his skull.

"Wait" Delta said simply and stalked forwards, cleaning stray blood from themselves and their weapon as their Semblance made them melt into the background and become impossible to focus on, simply fading out of the perceptions of those around them. Coral was left staring in wide eyed shock, pincers clacking with fright while within the gatehouse Dijon stared in abject horror at the rapidly spreading crimson stain in the snow where is friend lay, his senses returning to him in a flurry of movement as he began activating every alarm he could think of and breaking the emergency glass that would alter the security robots' programming and parameters, making them much more lethal. As he pressed the button that caused the steel gate to begin sliding back into place with a screech of metal against metal he realised two things with a sinking sense of dread; firstly that the Poly-Tech robots were not responding, instead they merely stood slumped slightly forwards with their arms and heads hanging limp. The second and instinctively far more terrifying realisation was that three people, all masked and clearly Faunus were standing outside the gate as it closed. One a woman with a visored mask covering her face who patted the little girls' blood soaked hair, the second a tall and muscular man with a tail and hair with the colouration of a snow leopards' fur; currently unsheathing a pair of katana from his back. The third was a monster, a bare-chested man whose flesh was covered in burns, scars, tattoos and branding and whose back, shoulders and forearms sprouted keratin plates which had been sharpened and sheathed in steel, fashioning them into blades. Outside Alpha turned to Gamma and though her face remained hidden her voice made it clear that she wore a truly evil smile

"They think we're monsters. Show them how right they are….use your Semblance" Gamma's only response was demented laughter which devolved into inhuman snarls and hacking grunts, spittle and mucus escaping his cage like mask as Alpha and Beta moved back, pulling Coral whom they had renamed as Omega with them. Gamma grew, his already impressive physique and height of a little under six feet expanding outwards into an almost eight foot behemoth, his red raw skin darkening to a deep burgundy as his muscles visibly bulged, rippled and shifted beneath it. The plates adorning his body grew in length until the Atlesian steel encasing them only covered roughly half of their surface, the scales which had now become monstrous spines angling outwards to make him appear even larger, all the while the same ragged snarling escaped from him. This was Gamma's Semblance, known as _'The Monster Within'_ and as the transformation completed he stared through the bars of the gate with grey eyes that had lost none of their cruel intelligence, purposefully allowing the barrier to fully close before reaching out with hand now the size of a mans chest and wrapping fingers that ended in black, jagged and claw like nails around the bars and simply tearing the gate free of the wall entirely. Behind the bulletproof glass Gamma could see the feline Faunus pale and attempt to hide beneath a desk, the monstrous Faunus roared and hurled the gate at the window and while it may have been bulletproof it was no match for Gamma's Semblance fuelled might, the window gave way and part of the front wall collapsed inwards.

"Come" Alpha intoned as she stalked through the opening, stepping over the body of the human Delta had killed without a second thought, beside her Beta had combined his swords, collectively known as _'The Indominus'_ into their broadsword form and was currently shifting the weapon into its' rail-gun mode.

"Beta, Gamma; Hunters will begin attacking at any moment, hold them at bay until the High Commander arrives with the main force"

"Understood" Beta nodded while Gamma merely growled, breath misting as it billowed from his cage like mask. The Lionfish Faunus then steered Omega towards the ruined gatehouse, while her gauntlets, named _'Judgement'_ unfurled around her hands and forearms, their many torture implements whirring into life with mechanical sounds that promised agony.

"Come Omega" Alpha purred, subtly using her own Semblance to focus the child's attention onto her "It was a Faunus that closed the gate to us, I want you to see what has to happen to those who betray their people"

 **Authors Notes:**

And boom, the finale is now officially underway.  
Two, maybe three chapters left of Vol.5 depending on how big the battle gets.  
I've been planning this one for a while and I had fun writing it so I hope you all enjoy it.  
The chapter name was based on a line from Star Trek Discovery _"Prepare to receive my E_ _nvoy_ _"_

Anyway, let's summarise:  
I specifically didn't use Felix's name for the sparring match scene, I wanted to keep it vague who she was fighting.  
Seriously try and imagine Eagle with an evil grin, it doesn't work.  
Also I don't stress this enough but as well as being smart enough to make Sentinel, Hellion is amazing with a sword; between her Grandpa, Aunts and Uncles she probably has at least a passing knowledge of almost every style of sword-fighting on Remnant.  
Yeah Kafsi is basically acting like everyone's bitchy manager at this point.  
Eagle writing a written complaint would actually carry more weight than you'd think, considering that Team FADE are actually foreign exchange students and Kafsi's performance reflects on Winter as both the head of Atlas Academy but on the Atlesian military as a whole.  
I'm imagining Team FADE basically having to act like the wardens did when I was part of the engineering crew that fitted a new heating system into the local prison.  
I mean realistically, under normal circumstances following Kafsi's suggestions for new security probably would be overkill. Shame today isn't normal circumstances.  
As we saw with his outright refusal to turn The Shadow Cadre/Team GORE over to the Scavenger Guild in First Year, Felix has a firm moral compass and he won't budge on his principles; his conversation with Whitley was just another example of that.  
Seriously Whitley is a devious little shit sometimes but he's no Jacques Schnee….almost like comparing Tyrian and Tywin Lannister; different types of ass-hole completely.  
" _Sleeping, sure"_ enough said.  
" _I have no interest on dealing with a whining Faunus with a victim complex"_ Felix was ready to throw hands….he would have lost, just putting it out there; he's a kid who can kick-box against a navy seal. Different league.  
Two hundred people might not sound like much compared to a full army, but compared to the dozen or so people actually armed and trained to fight stationed at the SDC plant?  
I realised I hadn't actually given Coral a description so she's getting one now.  
Also I've made some changes to the plan for the story, nothing massive but Coral was originally literally only going to be in one scene, now she has a character arc.  
I feel like the fact that the Cult of Taurus are good with kids makes them scarier in a way, they're not just constant psychopaths. They can take their masks off and seem completely normal and you'd never know how much danger you were in until it was too late.  
Yes you read that right, Gamma has literally picked someone up and ripped them in half.  
" _My name's Omega"_ Did your heart just break a little bit? Good lol.  
If it's any use to anyone I used the main entrance of the Amazon warehouse I worked at a few years ago as a reference for the SDC plant main entrance; a lot of places have a designated staff entrance, this place didn't so they had to make the entrance we used look nice for guests.  
Even though they're not as close as they'd both like, Eagle is proud of her Mum and her work.  
Yes Blake has written a book, of course she has.  
Yes it's called _'Til All Are One'_ I said that Adam's unfinished book was called _'Towards Peace'_ and Celeste's is called _'Peace Through Tyranny'_ it's a transformers reference, specially the IDW comics. Blake is the Optimus to Adam's Megatron….and Celeste is most definitely Tarn _(Although it was the Cult of Taurus that I based on the DJD)_.  
Remember Emerald does a lot of charity work to make sure that nobody ever has to go hungry like she did. In first year Diamond and Arctus worked at a soup kitchen; Diamond would most definitely love to read Blake's book and talk politics with her sometime.  
Ringo Umi, if you didn't read The Downward Spiral he was a prominent figure in Atlas's criminal underworld; also _"Club Depth"_ that Corvid and Felix visited is his club, he's basically the Junior of Atlas and was the only Faunus criminal of any note to not either willingly join or be conscripted into Adam's White Fang army.  
Obsidian Eadala is another OC from the Downward Spiral, the original founder of the White Fang; based in equal parts on Kaa from the Lion King and a street preacher from my city, a complete pacifist who nonetheless stated on live TV that Adam Taurus's parents would _"Hate everything about the man the son has grown into".  
_ " _Young Arctus, forgive me I saw you among the Specialists and thought you were your father for a moment"_ Obsidian just did the grandparent thing….seriously I get confused with my Dad so often it's unreal. I honestly doubt Arctus minds it though.  
" _My age must be catching up with me, the years all start to run together after a while but I'm sure your faces are familiar"_ he met Jaune, Mercury and Emerald.  
" _Bring refreshments. Since you need to be coddled and protected from the snow you're infinitely more suited to work as waiters_ _than Hunters_ _, consider this your training"_ Kafsi has no manners at all.  
It's official, Antonia Arc is both a cougar and a MILF, do with this information what you will.  
' _L_ _ike a mere mortal'_ I'm dropping hints and you still won't believe it when it hits you.  
So, who else's master plan _(If you read Downward Spiral)_ involved maximising chaos prior to a decisive attack?….Get it yet.  
' _time to begin laying the foundations for other plans that would not come to fruition for some time'_ ….Like, third year perhaps?  
Y'all ever met guys who work security? I promise you that ninety percent of the time they have long since stopped giving a fuck about security protocol.  
Did anyone get a sinking sense of dread, knowing what was about to happen the second they realised that Coral/Omega was there?  
Sparkies = Electricians, not sure if American tradesmen have the same slang as Brits.  
Delta is a straight up savage….also Coral/Omega is definitely traumatised now.  
I've been waiting since Vol.4 to show off Gamma's Semblance….this is literally why he's called Gamma: 'Cos he can Hulk out.  
Oh yeah R.I.P Dijon, also it's probably safe to say that Alpha is going to start by ripping his cat ears off.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, iSassenach, Bankerrtx01, Funlander, FleetOfWarships and FluffyFirefly for their reviews on the last chapter _(And also to iSassenach for going back and reading Downward Spiral again and reviewing every chapter)  
_ I know I hear every reaction….doesn't meant I don't still want written evidence.  
Iskald is never gonna give the jeep up, never gonna let it down….  
I mean if you wanna get technical he held it in place while Olivine took it down.  
What is it with you wanting to fuck my characters? Get your dick out my psyche pal.  
I don't actually have a reference for Helios's tats; I imagine them as something between the stereotypical "Tribal" tats and a Greek key design. I actually do have a reference for Team GORE's tats though, Carcharodon's specifically; they're more Polynesian in origin because I wanted the different tribes to have a distinctly different appearance. The actual image I used was Warhammer 40k fan art of a Space Marine from the Carcharodon Chapter, which is where his name comes from….His weapons are also named after one of their characters.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	67. Under Siege

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 67: Under Siege**

The moment the alarms had begun to blare throughout the Schnee Dust Company plant situated just outside of the settlement of Gerat-Handlung the Specialists had sprung into action; Kafsi ordering the soldiers under her command, a dozen of the finest the icy Kingdom of Atlas had ever produced, to converge on the conference room that the meeting between representatives of the SDC and the Coalition had been taking place and ensure that the few security guards currently already working at the site as well as the engineering firm who had completing work on the facility had been safely and promptly brought along as well. Kafsi had then given one of the Specialists the dubious honour of being the one to perform reconnaissance and keep their comrades appraised of the situation as it unfolded.

"Oh my Oum" a disbelieving voice gasped over a crackling transmission, the atmosphere in the now crowded conference room darkened and became ominously urgent

"Focus soldier" Kafsi ordered, a rare note of empathy and concern creeping into her words "What do you see?"

"Three hostiles; two Faunus….I don't even know what to call the other one" the words seemed to hang in the air for a moment, the tone the hardened veteran had said them in conjuring all manner of horrific images in Team FADE's minds before she continued "Security robots are offline, the main gate has been breached….the gatehouse is destroyed, at least one confirmed casualty….Sweet merciful Oum they've got a kid with 'em"

"Say again" Kafsi instructed, even she with her ruthless dedication to any mission entrusted to her would never consider the use of children as a way to deter enemy gunfire; truly the Faunus extremists she had been briefed on were the worst kind of filth

"Hostiles have a child present" the scout confirmed; prompting a flurry of muttered curses and whispers of disbelief from those in the conference room "They're splitting up. Female target and child are entering what's left of the gatehouse. One hostile is moving to flank us, making their way around the perimeter of the building….The big one is coming right for us; the door isn't gonna hold him-"

"Understood" Kafsi interjected out "Reinforcements are inbound, Asteri out" with that she turned her attention to the people around her, amber eyes narrowing as she forced her laboured and mechanically assisted breath to a slow and even pace as her rational and calculating mind smothered her emotions and began taking stock, silently designating everyone present as either an _'asset'_ or _'payload'_

"We have a panic room, everyone here will fit inside; probably" one of the SDC representatives offered, face filled with naive hope. She saw what natural colour Whitley Schnee's complexion had slowly draining away and asked

"With the robots disabled can you guarantee the safety of the panic room Mister Schnee?"

"No" he croaked out, voice suddenly hoarse and Kafsi watched him clench his fists in an attempt to still his trembling hands.

"Understood" with that she quickly formulated a plan, decisive action dictated by an observant and analytical mind was what had propelled her to her current station and it was what would see them through this "I will lead the specialist strike team to converge with our scout and neutralise the threat-"

"Team FADE can take the one trying to sneak in" Felix Xiao Long assured her, stepping forward with an air of confidence and giving her a slow nod an a gesture that seemed to convey that whatever issues existed between herself and his team, they could be relied upon

"Negative" Kafsi answered firmly before turning to the hover-board using Specialist who was a member of Commander Gangrel Slate's own crew; while she thought the Bear Faunus suffered from questionable judgement and a lack of resolve in certain cases, his crew were without exception among the best

"Donner, take the security team and head off the one attempting to flank us"

"Got it" she gave a feral grin which in combination with her choice of weapons and electric blue Mohawk gave her an intimidating, almost savage appearance; though she faltered a little at the sight of the nervous expressions on the faces of the security guards

"Are you all armed and trained?" she demanded

"Standard issue rifles, older models….and we weren't trained to deal with this kind of intruder" Donner nodded in understanding, scanning their faces again it was apparent which of the guards had served in the military and she felt a stab of pity for those that hadn't; but she gestured for them to follow her nonetheless

"I'll take point, we have the numbers and the firepower….It's one guy for fuck sake" with that scathing comment she left, the security team spurred into action readied their weapons and set off after her

"Team FADE, guard the civilians" Kafsi ordered

"Bullshit" Felix snapped "You need all the help you can-" the Lion Faunus was silenced as the Specialist stepped closer and enunciated each word slowly

"Guard the civilians" she let out a slow sigh which her respirator transformed into a mechanical hiss "Something else is going on here. I need someone with combat experience to hold the line"

"You think we've been set up?" Arctus demanded from behind Felix, the pieces seeming to slide into place

"Captain we should move" one of the other Specialists noted, Kafsi gestured for them to set off. She waited until her fellow veterans were out of earshot to reply

"Slate you're a travesty of a soldier….but you'll make a good Hunter one day if you live long enough. Yes I think us being _'set up'_ is a distinct possibility. Keep the civilians safe; no one enters or leaves this room until I sound the all clear" she turned to leave, pausing for a moment as she did so "And as insufferable as the four of you are….try not to die; I have better things to do than file that much paperwork" a moment later she was gone, her footsteps echoing down the hallway as Team FADE stood in silence

"So" Diamond began as her eyes roved over the now emptier conference room and saw that Obsidian Eadala was talking soothingly to the bureaucrats, many of whom were openly panicking "If Kafsi's making jokes just how screwed are we?"

"On a scale of one to ten" Felix sighed unsheathing Hack and Slash from the harness on his back "Probably at least a twelve…..Eagle drop Sentinel near the door; Arctus get ready to throw a Glyph up" the blonde looked around the room himself and winced at the scared faces that greeted him; expensive suits weren't armour, these people weren't fighters and in Felix's humble opinion anyone who thought a pen was mightier than a sword was welcome to try fighting a Grimm with one. Upon seeing Whitley Schnee's desperate attempts to calm himself, his pale sapphire eyes wide and breathing ragged, the Lion Faunus let out a breath and repeated words that he remembered Aunt Ruby saying to him and Corvid not long after the two of them had been adopted and they had been inconsolable at the idea of her never coming back

"It's okay, we're Hunters there's nothing to worry about….they tell stories about the cool stuff we do and we're not out of stories yet" somehow it didn't feel as reassuring to Felix now as it had then.

* * *

The screams persisted though Alpha had long since stopped singing to her latest victim, clearly seeing no more need for her Semblance as whatever she had done to the unfortunate feline Faunus within the ruined gatehouse would be enough to assure that his attention remained firmly on the leader of the Cult of Taurus and her implements of torture. Gamma let out a low rumbling chuckle, thick strands of saliva escaping from the mouthpiece of his mask as he did so; he'd been keeping track of how long it took Alpha's playthings to utterly break, their minds no longer able to process the amount of agony she put them through in retribution for their crimes against the White Fang and by extension the Faunus people, by the sounds of it this one wouldn't take much longer

"A good effort; heard better though" Gamma noted idly to himself before trudging forwards, bulging and distending muscles visibly flexing beneath his discoloured flesh with every step. He could have been inside the building tearing the occupants limb from limb by now if he so desired but that simply wasn't how the Cult of Taurus operated, they were an implement of fear; the monstrous Pangolin Faunus had already caught sight of movement in the windows above and had purposefully delayed his onslaught in order to let the doubt and dread seep into the souls of all who stood against him; this wasn't about efficiency it was about utterly breaking the spirits of the defenders before the High Commander arrived with the main force to deliver the killing blow. As he made it halfway between the breached main gate and the glass entrance to the reception area, his pace slow and deliberate the sound of shattering glass reached his ears causing him to look up; whoever he had seen moving in the windows a moment ago had clearly brought friends; friends who still had some spirit left to break. Gamma wasted no words, simply letting out a feral roar as the first bullet ricocheted harmlessly against his Aura which rippled and became visible with the contact, a layer of light the colour of arterial spray. Then he charged forwards, the hastily barked orders and concentration of gunfire alerted Gamma to something that made the terrible rictus grin he wore widen, they thought he was going to charge the glass doors. He decided to correct them

"I'LL TEAR YOUR HEARTS OUT!" he bellowed as he leapt, a combination of Aura, momentum and pure muscle allowing him to reach a height of several stories and sail towards the windows that the Atlesian defenders had shattered; only for time to slow to a crawl as things suddenly ceased to go according to plan. A lone figure, a scarlet haired woman with a cybernetic limb, wearing the uniform of a specialist and some kind of mask over the lower half of her face leapt from the window and threw a left handed uppercut, Gamma felt the coppery taste of blood in his mouth has his own Aura and that of the challenger collided; the Specialist's momentum carried her into a spinning kick to his solar-plexus and the monstrous Faunus caught a glimpse of her using his body as a springboard to launch herself back through the window she had leapt from, then all he was aware of was falling.

Inside the corridor which had become an impromptu line of defence the Specialists collectively cheered and made their approval of Kafsi's daring attack known. Kafsi herself simply rose to her feet and returned to her position crouched in the space between two windows

"I say we go down their and clean 'em out" a Specialist positioned in the next available space growled as he forcefully slapped a fresh magazine into a machine gun which still bore pieces of the axe it could transform into

"Negative" Kafsi responded tonelessly "We don't know the full scale of their abilities and I see no ranged weapons….They want us to come to them, don't fight on their terms" the man, whom Kafsi would have guessed to be in his late twenties or early thirties nodded silently before firing out of the window with a war cry; several of the other Specialists followed suit and the courtyard was blasted with all manner of Dust infused bullets, shells, arrows and a rare beam of laser fire from one heavily armed fighter; for a fleeting moment the cold, detached rationality that Kafsi demanded of herself was almost pushed aside by the feeling of hope that welled up inside her, only to be crushed by the venomously spat words of Specialist with dreadlocks in the process of reloading their weapon

"Nothing that bulky should be that fucking fast….what the fuck is he doing with the ' bot?"

"TAKE COVER!" another Specialist, the young woman who had been enlisted through the army rather than the Hunter corps warned; the reason becoming clear as the inanimate form of one of security robots came hurtling through an already shattered window, time seemed to stand still for a moment as Kafsi caught sight of the ripped open chest panel and damaged generator that angrily spat sparks as a precursor; she quickly flung her arms in front of her face and felt heat and debris wash over her and her Aura buzzing in response as the automaton exploded

"You gonna start fighting properly or what boss?" the man beside her demanded before aiming a short, controlled burst of gunfire which had no discernable effect

"Excuse me?" Kafsi demanded with a raised eyebrow

"Come on, you're Kafsi Asteri….Winter Schnee without the charisma; the one who gets all the new toys….shoot the son of a bitch with _something_!" Kafsi quickly decided that now was no time to reprimand him for his tone or relish in the knowledge that she was something of a celebrity among Atlas's elite soldiers. Instead she simply reached into a holster mounted below her left arm and obscured by her uniform and drew her weapon; Kafsi did not consider herself sentimental in the slightest and while it was in her possession had only regarded the experimental _'Laser Lance'_ a tool, the weapon that her flesh and blood fingers were currently tightening around however she could freely admit she was going to get attached to.

"Existence of this weapon is currently classified, thank you for your silence" she beamed with confidence oozing from every syllable as she aimed a bulky handgun, its' body almost the length of her forearm and its' muzzle almost large enough to fit a fist inside

"What the hell…." the man beside her murmured, childlike eagerness spreading across his face despite the severity of their situation

"This" Kafsi smirked "Is the Aegis Thunder. A weaponised force field" with that she fired.

Gamma heard the booming report of the weapon and saw the wall of crackling turquoise energy rushing towards him at a speed that allowed him no time to react; a moment later he was hurtling backwards across the courtyard, his steel sheathed plates tearing gouges into the ground until he rolled to a stop with his bloody Aura rippling around him while electricity crackled over his body and the scent of ozone lingered in his nose. Rolling his neck and shoulders with a series of audible cracks he gave a guttural growl and made to charge into the fray once more; halting as he heard footsteps among the pattering of bullets and turned to see Alpha striding out of the ruined gate house holding a portion of the bullet proof glass in front of herself as a makeshift shield; the poisonous spines intertwined with her hair stood raised and angry behind her whilst her mask, clothes and gauntlets were simply dripping with the blood that had spattered and stained them.

"Omega?" Gamma demanded before spitting out a mouthful of his own blood

"Safe" Alpha gave a barely perceptible nod towards the gatehouse she had just exited "Shall we continue?" Gamma chuckled; taking a moment to note that whatever the weapon that had struck him was it hadn't been fired again

"Definitely; they have some heart" the Pangolin Faunus paused, making a final observation before charging into battle "I was getting bored of hearing all the begging and crying, this is at least interesting"

* * *

Donner strode a couple of paces ahead of the security team who were exactly as poorly equipped as they had warned her; privately she was making a silent vow that she would not die here if, for no other reason than refusing to let Commander Gangrel Slate's comments about her distinctive electric blue Mohawk _'Doing any snipers nearby a massive favour'_

"Okay team" her voice was commanding but not raised "We know the hostile is Faunus; I assume everyone is familiar with anti-Faunus tactics" the question hung in the air for a few moments and Donner quickly buried her concern at the lack of an affirmative answer

"They kinda glossed over it in the cadets, I'm from a Faunus part of town….it wouldn't have gone over well" one security guard finally admitted

"Lady we're security guards, we're getting paid to make sure the staff don't steal shit; not whatever this is" another added, their voice growing dangerously close to hysterical

"I know how to take 'em down, was a cadet when Eisenstadt Siebte fell" a man in his mid thirties answered, Donner noted that it was one of the guards she'd identified as being ex-military

"Won't help now though" he sighed "We don't have the tools for it" upon hearing that Donner needed every ounce of her self control not to let out a furious string of expletives and merely settled for agitatedly twirling her swords; Anti Faunus warfare relied heavily on underhanded tactics that turned the natural Faunus's advantages against them and Donner noted that while the Specialists were all extensively trained on how to combat any threat it was foolish to assume that since the threat of the White Fang had supposedly ended the technique would still be widely taught.

"Looks like it's gonna be a slog then" she grumbled to nobody in particular before reassuring herself "It's just one guy" she led the security team through the corridors of the facility towards the stairs that would take them down onto the factory floor, specifically the loading bay doors at the rear that they had deduced would be the most likely targets for the attacker; the tension growing more difficult to bear with each step closer until eventually they were forced to make their way across a steel gangway and down a flight of stairs which were completely exposed, their footfalls echoing around the empty factory until they reached the ground

"Oh fuck" a hoarse voice beside Donner noted, it took her no time at all to find the source of their fear; a fire escape had been opened, its lock blasted away with some kind of high calibre weapon whilst a cautious glance along the length of the loading bay revealed that every single shutter door had been raised. The specialist pursed her lips and steeled herself as she examined the evidence and came to a conclusion that sent shivers down her spine

"The doors are open, the guy we're stopping could come through any of 'em" the hysterical guard who had spoken earlier all but cried

"No lad" the former soldier corrected from Donner's right hand side, evidently having picked up on the same thing that she had "Look at the bottom of the shutters, there's no damage. He blew the door off and raised the shutters as a decoy….he's already inside" as if waiting for the perfect moment to strike, the moment the words left the mans' lips his body seemed to disappear before Donner's eyes; warm blood and viscera soaking her clothes and splashing across her face while the telltale sonic-boom and earth shattering metallic crack of a rail-gun discharging rang throughout the factory floor

"Indeed I am" Donner's eyes were wide as she struggled to fight the shock at what had happened; the wall had been damaged and a trail of blood led from it back towards remains that couldn't rightfully be called a body after the unspeakable damage that had been inflicted. She tuned out the disgusted retching and assorted sounds of fright from the guards under her command, instead focusing on their attacker as he strode forwards with a gait that could only be described as relaxed. The Snow Leopard Faunus was tall, muscular and dark skinned with curly hair and a bushy tail, both white a dirty white colour and adorned with black spots, a sizeable portion of his face was hidden behind a mask styled to resemble some long extinct sabre toothed cat. As she watched him shift the weapon that had just ended a mans' life into a broadsword, it's rail collapsing into a single double edged blade, Donner snapped out an order

"OPEN FIRE!" the guards did so and the Specialist gaped in stunned silence for a moment at the sheer level of skill on display as Beta made no attempt to dodge, simply blocking every single bullet with the flat of his blade, countering without giving a single inch of ground before finishing with a flourish as magazines ran empty

"Well that was simply insufficient" something in his manner and calm, cultured tone tipped Donner over the edge and with a feral war cry shy charged forwards and lunged at the Faunus, both of her broad scimitars hitting nothing but air as Beta somersaulted over her, by the time she'd turned to face him again he had separated Indominus into it's twin katana mode and was making a _'come'_ motion with one of the blades. Donner was almost invisibly fast and delivered strikes with devastating force, yet none found their mark as Beta blocked, parried or simply sidestepped each attack in turn.

"Do control yourself" Beta admonished her the way a particular strict teacher would have "The time for fear will come" Donner broke away from him, their blades clashing against each other one final time before she issued a command that she had privately wanted to since she had first heard an older girl at Atlas do so during her own time as a student

"Fix bayonets and prepare to defend yourselves!" hearing this Beta cocked his head for a moment, disbelief etched on every inch of his mocking expression until the sound of several security guards charging forwards with whatever blades they possessed or simply swinging the butts of their rifles as crude clubs filled the factory floor. Donner rushed into the fray once more and allowed herself a brief moment of relief as the Faunus was finally pushed onto the defensive; what she failed to realise however was that far all her insistence that ' _It's just one guy'_ she had failed to make sure that she was correct and as she and the security team fought Beta none of them noticed another individual slip through one of the opened shutter doors; even if they had noticed the realisation would have quickly faded from their consciousness. As it was the fact that Delta was now scurrying along the walls and ceiling, Prae Dolore slung across their back, in search of victims to inflict the wrath of the High Commander upon went unseen and unchallenged.

* * *

The longer the gunfire outside continued the harder it became for Felix to justify the notion of following orders and staying put; each time the urge to make his way out into the thick of the fighting became almost unbearable he would cast his eyes around the conference room which now doubled as a woefully inadequate bunker, the frightened faces that greeted him providing ample reason to stay and guard the door. Arctus stood a few paces away from the door, giving himself enough room to throw a protective Glyph in the way of any attacker that made it this far into the building; Diamond was positioned at a window that the representatives of the SDC and the Coalition had been moved away from, clutching Lex Talionis in its' sniper rifle form; Eagle had deployed Sentinel near Arctus and was currently holding her Scroll close to her ear, only to collapse the device with an aggravated huff and a shake of the head

"No luck?" Felix surmised

"Calling her Scroll is a long shot at the best of times anyway trust me" Eagle tried to make the bad news sound like a joke, the atmosphere in the room grew more tense regardless. She had been attempting to contact her mother after finding that Poly-Tech customer service lines were completely swamped with calls, the hope had been that Antonia Arc would know how to reactivate the security robots. Felix himself had spent the first few minutes after Team FADE had been left to ask as a last line of defence recording a message explaining the situation and sending it to everyone he could think of, the gnawing feeling that something was drastically wrong only worsening as the minutes passed by and he received no response.

"That's it! We're going, we need to get out of here!" One of the SDC representatives, a spindly man with a reedy voice snapped "We're sitting in an office with glass windows when there's a panic room in the basement! This is suicide!"

"Going out there is suicide" Arctus answered bluntly before Felix could intervene

"YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!"  
"I know that anyone who can get through an entire Specialist strike team can probably take the door off of a panic room if they really want to"

"We stick to the plan" Diamond agreed "Asteri might be a lot of things including a total bitch, but she knows what she's doing"

"Excuse me if I've got no faith in the Atlesian military" Ringo drawled from the corner of the room, the sarcasm dripping from his voice making up for the stoicism of his oddly expressionless face "It's just that the last I checked they'd still killed more Faunus than anyone else I can think of-"

"And you're so innocent are you?" another member of the SDC demanded "You're as dirty as they come Umi, those are probably friends of yours out there!"

"EVERYONE CALM DOWN AND SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Felix barked as the blue ringed octopus Faunus took a step towards his accuser, the luminescent pigment in his skin glowing and shifting angrily

"I agree" Obsidian Eadala stated, tone still friendly despite the situation "Though I would perhaps not have put it in those words"

"Boss" Ringo growled while lowering his voice "As much as I hate these suits they're right about one thing, we need to go….these kids mean well but let's be realistic" Obsidian slowly stroked his bushy beard for a moment before turning to Whitley Schnee who had been oddly silent and unable to meet anyone's eye

"Mister Schnee, do I have your assurances that your panic room is safe?" Whitley let out a bitter angry laugh that threatened to crack and become a sob

"Safe? Yeah sure it's as safe as Schnee Manor was when it was stormed, this can't happen again, this can't happen again" Felix saw the colour drain from Arctus's face at the mention of the attack on his home that had taken place before either of them were born, the same attack in which the Spring Maiden Jade Rangifer after whom Athena-Jade Slate had been named was killed with a fourteen year old Whitley Schnee as witness. The statement hung in the air until the oppressive tension was broken by an unlikely candidate

"We've got vans outside if you haven't got keys to the cars you came in. Where they're parked isn't near the gate" everyone present turned to face the man in charge of the engineers who had been working in the facility, a slightly rotund man in his forties with a receding hairline and work clothes that bore countless stains "I'm not trying to be a hero but we can get everyone out of here if we squeeze in"

"And if we were to be attacked on the way?" Obsidian asked, another of the tradesmen gave a blunt answer, the bravado failing to hide their fear

"Well we're not hunters but we've got hammers, wrenches and plenty of things with sharp edges handy"

"Whoa, whoa whoa" Felix objected quickly "I didn't say anything about us leaving"

"Young man" Obsidian sighed as he placed a hand on his shoulder "I have no doubt you mean well and that you truly want to protect everyone here, but you are not our jailer and it seems that we are all in agreement" Felix looked around the room, a feeling of hopelessness worsening with each face he saw

"Oum damn it" he sighed before opening the door "I'm taking point, Arctus watch our backs, Eagle can you help Mister Eadala?"

"Got it" his partner nodded, collapsing Sentinel into his shield form and affixing him to her left arm while offering her right to the elderly Faunus

"Diamond I need an honest answer….do you think you could shoot to kill if I ask you?"

"I….I don't know" she admitted

"Load some Dust specials and try to incapacitate" the Lion Faunus instructed offering her a solution whilst silently hoping he didn't have to find the answer answer to that particular question himself. With their course of action decided they made their way through the corridors at a tortuously slow pace, several of the civilians clearly looking as though they would prefer to simply bolt towards the nearest exit. Minutes went by without incident until Felix felt a presence beside him

"I wanna make an offer" Ringo Umi murmured as he fell into step beside him "Give me one of your guns and you can name your price; you know I'm connected kid I'll let you live like a king the whole time you're in Atlas"

"What?" Felix asked nonplussed, Ringo's pigments flared irritably beside him at the response

"Come on kid, don't be dumb you're Blake Belladonna's boy. Look there's rumours about a group calling themselves a New White Fang; I think we both know who's outside fighting the toy soldiers….The guards took my gun when they searched me at the gate, I will buy one of yours and make you a very rich man" Felix looked at the twin machine pistols in his hands, the chainsaw blades of their sword forms mounted beneath the barrels like bayonets glinting as they caught the light

"Sorry, I cant-" he was cut off by the telltale crack of weapon discharging and instinctively made to leap aside; when he turned and caught sight of Ringo Umi his heart seemed to stop and ice flowed through his veins. Ringo had collapsed and slumped against the wall, blood burbling from his lips, staining his clothes and flowing between his fingers as he made a futile attempt to apply pressure to the horrific wound in his neck; the shaft of a steel spike steel clearly visible. His dying words went unheard as he coughed and struggled to form them before the wildly flickering luminous pigments adorning his skin faded until they were as dull and lifeless as his face.

"Felix on the ceiling!" Diamond called out before an Ice Dust round whizzed past and froze a portion of its' surface in ice; a figure leaped down from the roof and the Lion Faunus took his first look at their attacker, whatever means had been keeping them from detection having evidently been compromised by such a violent display. The individual was barely five feet tall and clad in all black with exceptions of white Vambraces and gauntlets upon which a tally, presumably of kills, had been etched and a white featureless mask with eight eyeholes. The newcomer took a moment to survey the terrified group before them before pointing past Felix at Obsidian Eadala

"You will come with me. Everyone else….collateral" with that Delta raised Prae Dolore to one of their many eyes and snapped off a shot faster than Felix could react; the steel spike halted a hairs breadth from his chest as a flickering black Glyph sprung into life and hurtled the projectile back towards Delta who nimbly leapt onto the nearest wall, only to be batted away by another Glyph. Felix was about to thank Arctus and begin formulating a more cohesive counter attack when a voice bellowed out

"DID YOU REALLY THINK THAT I WOULD LET YOU PEOPLE HURT MY FAMILY AGAIN! AFTER YOU PUBLICALLY EXECUTED MY FATHER! DID YOU REALLY THINK I'D STAY WEAK AND HELPLESS?" Whitley Schnee brought a dozen more Gravity Dust fuelled Glyphs into existence; launching Delta away from every surface they tried to find purchase on and sending them crashing back down the length of the corridor

"Uncle Whit!" Felix shouted "Get everyone out! Go, we'll hold 'em off!"

"Go, everyone follow him!" Arctus added, frantically kicking a nearby side door off of its' hinges as he rushed to the fore, Diamond and Eagle close behind and Sentinel being deployed with a series of mechanical clanks.

"We'll wait for you" Whitley assured the teens

"Don't" Felix argued "Get out of here, call help. We'll regroup with the Specialists" Delta could be seen rising to their feet as the civilians were quickly ushered out of the line of fire and the moment it was safe to do so Eagle ordered Sentinel to attack whilst Arctus used his Glyphs to shield them from the Spider Faunus's return fire; Delta's reflexes, athleticism and ability to contort their body into simply unnerving positions reducing the situation to a stalemate, though Delta began to gain ground inch by hard fought inch. Inevitably the sound of gunfire came to a halt as Sentinel ran out of ammunition, seeing their adversary begin to charge Diamond rushed past her team-mates and shifted her weapon into its' glaive form

"I've got this!" she assured them, leaping into the air and using her Semblance to run along the same wall the Spider Faunus was scuttling across; Delta leapt and the two of them met in a flurry of blows traded at a speed that made the exchange all but invisible. Delta transformed Prae Dolore into its' spear mode and lunged, Diamond's response was to move to the ceiling and slash at their masked face, Delta flipped down onto the floor and stabbed upwards which gave Diamond time to return to the floor and launch a spinning heel kick at their chest followed by another slash with her weapon, Delta's counter was to weave beneath the attack and sweep at her legs. This continued for perhaps a minute, though it felt far longer to Felix, Eagle and Arctus who were forced to watch as none of them could get a clear shot or truly hope to match either combatant in this kind of fight. The display of superhuman agility was brought to a terrifying close when Diamond's Aura rippled as it deflected an attempt to skewer her midsection; Delta whom Diamond had almost managed to pin against a wall capitalised by swinging the shaft of their weapon weapon at her face, a feint which allowed them to sidestep around her whilst simultaneously driving her face into the wall with a dull crack and swinging the blade of his spear in a graceful, pirouetting arc that slashed across Diamond's back and tore a scream of pain from her lips

"NO!" Felix expected Arctus to surge forwards, what he did instead defied all expectations. The Bear Faunus had palmed every ounce of Fire Dust he was currently carrying and crushed them in their entirety; the Glyph he created was a deep angry scarlet and spanned the entirety of the corridor and from it stalked a construct which glowed like molten iron, a Grimm which Felix had never seen personally but Arctus had recounted his fight against. The Valknjoggr let loose a piercing shriek as it surged forwards directed by Arctus's urgency and rage, simply snapping Delta up in its' jaws and carrying them along the corridor until it reached the edge of Arctus's ability to control it; at which point it promptly exploded, tearing walls and floor asunder in a blossom of flames which were quickly absorbed by Felix's Semblance, the Lion Faunus's golden Aura shimmering as it acted. Delta was nowhere to be seen amidst the devastation but Arctus sprinted forwards regardless, trusting in his team-mates to cover him while he rushed to Diamond's side

"Dee, talk to me" he all but begged as he examined the slash which had mercifully done its' worst to her shoulder blade rather than spine "Can you stand?"

"Yeah I think so, I need you to use some Ice Dust and numb that for me though" Arctus promptly removed his own jacket and pressed it against the wound with one hand whilst digging through his pockets for Ice Dust with the other, secretly wishing he had a third so that he could hold Diamond's while assuring her that she would be find

"Hey Big Guy" the silver haired sniper added through clenched teeth as blood from a split eyebrow trickled down her face "Next time can we just lead with that?"

* * *

The Specialists were being worn down, their enemies evidently taking perverse pleasure in waging a war of attrition against them and making them suffer greatly for every lapse in focus or judgement. So far three such lapses had been made, each paid for with a life. The first had been a Specialist whose name Kafsi didn't know, they had assumed that neither of their attackers carried a ranged weapon; that assumption was proven to be incorrect when a drill-bit fired from one Alpha's gauntleted fingertips entered the veterans eye socket and exited the back of their skull. The other two deaths had been far worse; Alpha had used her Semblance to direct all attention onto herself and as the Specialists concentrated their fire on the dirge singing Lionfish Faunus Gamma had made a running leap and snatched someone from the window they were firing out of; both people captured in this way met grisly ends as Gamma and Alpha set about tearing down the last of their Aura reserves before ripping, tearing and breaking every part of the defenders' they could reach. Two bodies barely recognisable lay in snow that was stained red for several feet in every direction.

"We need air support!" one of the surviving Specialists called out to Kafsi "Contact Commander Slate and have the whole place carpet bombed"

"Negative" Kafsi answered simply before leaning out of the window she was firing from and snapping off another shot with Aegis Thunder, the weaponised forcefield did nothing but vaporise snow and scorch the ground beneath as Alpha and Gamma proved their prowess once again, expertly avoiding salvo after salvo

"Captain" another Specialist called, a man whose face was hidden behind a mask featuring many rotating lenses "We have incoming….looks like a convoy of trucks"

"Reinforcements?" someone else offered hopefully before opening fire again, their voice still audible over the gunfire "Maybe the Coalition guys had a contact? SDC private security we weren't told about?….Fuck I'd even take the Freelancers right now" if the joking statement weren't enough indication at the grim reality of the Specialists situation, each of them realising that their superior numbers and equipment were counting for little; the next words from the man with the mask, delivered with an ashen face and a trembling voice certainly were

"Oh they're reinforcements….just not ours" Kafsi crouched low and moved closer to the mans position, peering out of a shattered window and biting back a curse at the sight that greeted her; as the trucks drew close it became easier to see the masks worn by the drivers. Letting out a slow breath which here respirator transformed into a haunting sound she rose to her full height and gave her next orders in a commanding voice

"Concentrate fire on those trucks, prepare to use anti-Faunus warfare against any attackers that make it into the courtyard. I'll take point and engage the two on the ground" to punctuate the statement she flicked the wrist of her cybernetic left arm, causing a blade that been polished to a mirror finish to extend past her fist and begin to vibrate at an ultrasonic frequency with a slight whining sound. There was a single moment were time seemed to halt, the trucks filled with people who meant to kill them were drawing close and her allies seemed fatigued, rattled by the rare experience of a foe that could fight them as equals yet Kafsi felt above it and almost serene; then she leapt from the window and landed in a crouch just as a truck exploded in a fireball that sent wreckage flying in every direction. From that moment onwards it was pandemonium, Faunus wearing the masks of the White Fang poured into the courtyard carrying weapons of a quality that gave the Specialist pause; the defenders opened fire from the windows and implemented anti-Faunus warfare in all its' brutality; smoke bombs which issued thick clouds of cloying and pungent gas to limit superhuman senses of sight and smell were hurtled into the mass of bodies, sonic charges followed, small spherical devices which emitted a pulsing shriek at a frequency undetectable to humans but which left Faunus disoriented. The White Fang opened fire and Kafsi was sure that another Specialist met their end as a laser weapon being fired from a Gorilla Faunus's shoulder tore through their position. Kafsi cut that Faunus's throat in a single slash, White Fang attackers were cut down all around her by rerun fire; their numbers taking away most of the room to manoeuvrer until the snow ran red, Aegis Thunder was put to horrific use as the forcefields it fired tore through flesh and bone without resistance; but still Kafsi couldn't find her quarry as the smoke blinded her as much as it did the Faunus. Through sheer luck she saw the dark silhouette of someone striding towards her and the blade they carried, giving her enough time to raise arm and deflect with her own blade before firing at their midsection; the figure simply leaped over the attack and as the smoke was cleared from around them Kafsi took her first look at her adversary; a white haired woman carrying a crimson bladed Katana and clad in a suit of black power armour

"Call off your people and some of them might escape the death penalty" Kafsi offered, instantly recognising that this was the leader of the group; Celeste Lupus merely sneered while twirling Wilt in her hand

"To die for ones' cause is an honour; one that you will get to experience today" with no more to be said Kafsi rushed at Celeste only for her first three slashes to be parried expertly and Aegis Thunder to be knocked from grip. Kafsi fought methodically, systematically analysing her opponents' technique for openings and weaknesses. She had deduced that despite the power armour increasing its' wearers speed as much as it did their strength the Faunus was oddly static, having barely moved since their duel had started; just as she decided that her next flurry of attacks would be aiming low to target Celeste's legs Kafsi felt an indescribable burning sensation in her left arm, far beyond anything phantom pains could produce. It was clear that the Faunus leader was just as astute and just as ruthless as Kafsi, the fact that Wilt had been wedged firmly in place where metal and flesh met; damaging several vital components of the prosthetic and triggering severe neural feedback. Kafsi struggled to remain upright as waves of pain and dizziness washed over her, a struggle that was ended when Celeste leaned in and simply plucked the respirator mask from her face before backhanding her to the ground and tearing Wilt free of the cybernetic limb. It was at this exact moment that the two Faunus who had initiated the attack stalked through now thinning fog of war and Kafsi glared at them, refusing to look away and instead meet death on her own terms. A brief stay of execution was granted in the form of a booming explosion which Kafsi instantly knew came from the building she had been defending. Had she been able to do so she would have seized the opportunity to throw herself back into the battle, as it was her faltering, lurching attempt to stand was met by the blood soaked Lionfish Faunus flanking the leader of the group flexing her fingers, the blades drills and saws surrounding them whirring sinisterly

"Gamma, restrain her. Hold her so that she can see" Celeste crowed "Alpha, issue a cease fire and get their attention" the Cult of Taurus moved to follow their orders, the Pangolin Faunus still transformed by his terrible Semblance gripping Kafsi by the forearms and hoisting her into the air while Alpha called out, her Semblance making her voice resonate unnaturally

"CEASE FIRE, CEASE FIRE! THE HIGH COMMANDER WISHES TO SPEAK!" within moments the gunfire died down and the trio of Faunus marched forwards through the clearing smoke; allowing Kafsi to see the destruction unleashed upon the building. It appeared as though part of it had been torn apart from the inside and for a moment she caught a glimpse of another figure clad in the uniform of the White Fang scurrying along the exterior wall but her attention seemed to naturally direct itself elsewhere, namely at the familiar mane of dirty blonde curls visible in the hole that had been created and the equally familiar shapes of the rest of Team FADE surrounding their leader. Celeste had evidently seen them as well as she spoke with the clarity of voice of a practised orator, words carrying across the blasted courtyard with ease

"To the Atlesian Specialists guarding this facility; I will offer you one chance to stand down and leave….our reckoning will come another time!" a brief pause for effect before she continued "To Felix Xiao Long, son of the traitor Blake Belladonna and Arctus Slate, son of the traitor Gangrel Slate I will offer you one chance to atone for the sin of your existence! The arch traitor Obsidian Eadala, blasphemer against Adam Taurus is inside! deliver him to us to face punishment and swear fealty to the White Fang and I will allow the humans you consort with to leave unharmed and pardon the crimes of your families against the Faunus people!" for several seconds the only sounds that could be heard were the wind and the groaning of the wounded until Celeste offered some final words, making sure that there could be no room for misunderstanding

"If my terms are not met within ten minutes the bloodshed will continue"

 **Authors Notes:**

Oh fuck this was so much fun to write….and it only gets more crazy.  
I think two more chapters left of Vol.5, the tournament arc and big finale of the year time.  
I kinda feel like Team FADE while they did have the biggest single scene of the chapter weren't as central….that's gonna change.

So, let's summarise:  
Okay I know the Specialists reaction time was probably a little too fast but whatever, we're using rule of cool and movie logic here….also, that's why they're special.  
Even Kafsi has a line….hell in The Downward Spiral even Adam had a line; no kids.  
I was originally going to have Gangrel's First Mate Chiffon be present for this battle but after writing Donner I felt like she worked better.  
" _It's one guy for fuck sake"_ well, consider that jinxed lol.  
" _Slate you're a travesty of a soldier….but you'll make a good Hunter one day if you live long enough"_ that may just be the nicest thing Kafsi ever says.  
' _In Felix's humble opinion anyone who thought a pen was mightier than a sword was welcome to try fighting a Grimm with one'_ I mean he's got a point.  
I imagine that when Corvid and Felix were adopted together they had some serious abandonment issues and panicked every time one of the adults in their new family left for a couple days.  
Yeah Alpha is a sadist, she tortured someone to death in front of Omega….because if you're going to train a kid to be a killing machine they need to be desensitised early.  
" _T_ _his wasn't about efficiency it was about utterly breaking the spirits of the defenders"_ The Cult of Taurus in a nutshell everyone.  
Kafsi 1 – Gamma 0.  
" _Come on, you're Kafsi Asteri….Winter Schnee without the charisma; the one who gets all the new toys….shoot the son of a bitch with something!"_ possibly the most heartfelt line ever written.  
Okay so I imagine Aegis Thunder as looking like the caster gun from Outlaw Star, it was developed to basically end any fight in an enclosed area by shooting a forcefield generator that projects a forcefield the size of the average corridor and travels like that one scene from those terrible Resident Evil films.  
Gamma is a sick fuck on many levels.  
To be fair Gangrel has a point, it's hard to miss someone with an electric blue Mohawk.  
I refuse to believe that Atlas doesn't have specific tactics that it teaches to its' soldiers and maybe Hunters regarding how to combat Faunus insurgents; but it's also equally as likely that with the change in the political climate in the twenty years since the end of Downward Spiral that they've fallen out of practice a little.  
Yes Beta waited for the perfect opportunity to make an entrance, just like Delta….after all _"Theatricality and deception, powerful agents to the uninitiated"_.  
Yes Beta is extra as fuck.  
Getting back into 40k made a _"Fix Bayonets"_ reference a matter of when rather than if.  
And they all got played; Beta was the distraction.  
Felix sent out an S.O.S, I didn't add that little detail for no reason; their was another little detail I added a few chapters back that wasn't for no reason either.  
" _I know that anyone who can get through an entire Specialist strike team can probably take the door off of a panic room if they really want to"_ Look sometimes you've just gotta be blunt as fuck with people….and we saw in first year that panic rooms can be broken into; Carcharodon did it.  
Whitley was basically having a breakdown there, between the White Fang attacking Schnee Manor and The Absolution attacking Schnee Manor he's got some issues.  
" _Well we're not hunters but we've got hammers, wrenches and plenty of things with sharp edges handy"_ and sometimes all you need is a few workmen and some tools.  
Team FADE's combat experience is still pretty much exclusively against Grimm; they still haven't had to make the decision to kill someone yet.  
Ringo is a gangster at heart, he might be into politics now but when he was introduced in The Downward Spiral he was basically Atlas's answer to Junior.  
Was the imagery of Ringo's lights literally going out a bit too much?  
Yeah Delta's Semblance has limits, once they've done something impossible to ignore then they're visible and can be focused on normally.  
I don't know where Delta's stilted way of speaking came from but I like it so I'm sticking with it.  
There is literally nothing in canon that suggests Whitley can't use the Schnee Semblance, he just doesn't want to. After the aforementioned attacks on his home this Whitley definitely wanted to.  
Diamond and Delta fighting felt like it needed to happen, it's like a Daredevil hallway fight on drugs.  
Also it occurred to me that Diamond hasn't taken as much of a beating as the rest of Team FADE, so now she's gonna have a scar on her back.  
So Arctus went the fuck off on Delta and Felix is now primed to go full Balrog State if he needs to.  
" _Next time can we just lead with that?"_ You were all thinking it.  
Alpha and Gamma combo kills were always going to be horrific; I didn't say exactly what happened to those two that were dragged down so whatever the worst you can think up is….yeah that plus a little extra.  
Desperate as things were, come on do you really wanna call in air support for two people….especially when you know that they have a kid with them.  
" _Oh they're reinforcements….just not ours"_ could have been a cliffhanger.  
The White Fang have military hardware courtesy of Oz remember.  
I'm honestly imagining Kafsi making her way through the White Fang as something of a cross between the Battle of the Bastards from Game of Thrones and the start of Saving Private Ryan.  
" _To die for ones' cause is an honour; one that you will get to experience today"_ admit it, that's a bad-ass line.  
Celeste is static when she fights because she still isn't used to being able to walk; she plants herself in one place and just holds that ground.  
So the two fights were happening at roughly the same time.  
Delta survived.  
Let's be honest, we all know that Team FADE aren't gonna accept those terms….besides, they don't have Obsidian with them anyway.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Bankerrtx01, iSassenach, FleetOfWarships, ShadowAlex2000, Funlander and FluffyFirefly for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Definitely not empty checks.  
Robots might not be an adequate replacement for actual staff….but they don't unionise.  
It's not overboard at all, I would love a review every chapter if you feel like writing one.  
I know Kaa is from the Jungle Book lol, I was tired when I wrote the authors' notes last chapter and I was also in a rush.  
Omega committing atrocities….Interesting but what if I told you I had even more interesting plans.  
Well Kafsi's not dead yet, not doing great either but still.  
Holy Shit indeed.  
Well I killed a side character, just not the one you were expecting….and a few red-shirts now have even redder shirts.  
But y'know what trauma means….Character development.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	68. Warzone

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 68: Warzone**

In a remote and mountainous region of the continent of Mantle; from the Kingdom of Atlas or any of the outlying settlements that had thus far managed to establish themselves a pair of Beowolves snapped and growled at each other; breath misting in the cold and blood red eyes glowing enough to pierce the snowfall that left their surroundings indistinct. The Grimm were young, their still forming minds as yet unconnected with the splintered remains of the shared Hive Mind that their kind had once shared; the absence of its' influence left the Beowolves utterly controlled by the most base of their instincts, the need to consume and destroy everything in sight even if that happened to another Grimm. The pair of monsters, distracted as they were failed to notice the sound of something approaching them from above and failed to react in time when a lone figure clad in a winged suit of advanced battle armour, the figure shot between the Grimm a trio of blades mounted along each forearm lashing out at blinding speed as they landed in a spray of displaces snow before turning slowly and watching the Grimm fade into mist. Corvid Xiao Long gave a cocky smile that had been described as 'mean' on several occasions beneath the visored helmet of the Omega Wing; her wings and propulsion system realigning themselves for take-off

"You're a darn show off" Rusty's drawling voice sounded in her earpiece; his amusement audible even beneath his sigh

"I'm just bored" she countered "I'll be back in a sec" with that she kicked off, her weapon sending her soaring into the steely grey sky once more; flying almost silently as she rendezvoused with a Bull-Head of Atlesian origin and a slightly older model, the Omega Wing peeling away from her body and condensing itself into its' aerial drone form as landed inside the transport, the rear hatch closing behind her with a sight hiss. Corvid stowed the Omega Wing securely before tightening the scarf that had once belonged to Yang Xiao Long around her neck and brushing away a few flakes of snow that had managed to linger on her hair and clothing before making her way into the cockpit of the Bull-Head belonging to Atlas Academy. Iris sat at the pilots' seat, her attention utterly devoted to the task at hand the dark skinned and white haired woman failed to acknowledge her team leaders' return; Corvid was unconcerned by this as she knew how much attention was required for the job which she herself had failed to qualify for. Beside Iris Rusty was operating the limited weaponry of the Bull-Head while Lux stood behind him; hands resting on his shoulders.

"Anything come up while I was out?" Corvid asked while finding somewhere to make herself comfortable; her usual seat having been forfeited to Rusty when she exited the craft

"In the last forty five seconds?" Lux snorted "No"

"Oum damn it" Corvid muttered. Team CLIR had been offered a selection of missions and had agreed as a team to take the one which offered Iris the most opportunity to test her skills as a pilot, an assignment that had seen them prowling the overcast skies in search of a Grimm spawning pit that was suspected but not confirmed to exist in the area. The mission had met one complication and delay after another, in the form of weather grounding them, airborne Grimm damaging their craft and more than one instance of the small settlement they had landed at to spend the night simply having nowhere for them to stay and now the four third year students were each giving serious consideration to calling the mission off and simply informing their professors that the information they had received was false. Corvid knew deep down that she would never take that course of action of course; she now viewed it as a war of attrition where either the Grimm's resolve to stay hidden would break or Atlas Academy would recall her team.

"Wanna find somewhere to land?" Rusty suggested

"Do we need to refuel?" Corvid asked with clear surprise

"This crate doesn't but I do….let's take a lunch break, we can come back here and not make a lick of progress whenever you want" Corvid on the one hand wanted to stay airborne, adjourning early smacked of conceding the day to the Grimm to her and she would have none of that, on the other hand she had skipped breakfast and could only ignore the growling of her stomach up to a point. The matter was rendered moot when Corvid heard all four of their Scrolls sound off in tandem as they received a message

"Well that was weird" she noted, digging the device out of her pocket with fingers still somewhat numb from the cold

"Reckon it's from the Academy, they might want us to call it quits?" Rusty was unable to keep the hopeful note out of his voice, the cold disagreed with him vehemently

"It's from Felix" Corvid answered with some mild confusion as she played the voice message on loudspeaker; her face becoming ashen with each frightened word that her brother had uttered

"Anyone hearing this, this Felix Xiao Long, Trainee Hunter stationed at the Gerat-Handlung SDC facility; co-ordinates attached to this message. We've been attacked, we have casualties. There are civilians here and we need help; evac or reinforcements I really don't care which….the Specialist strike team engaged the enemy over twenty minutes ago and haven't come back; we can still hear the fighting outside" the message ended and Corvid stared at her Scroll in stunned silence for a few seconds before turning to Iris, her expression hardening

"Do we have enough fuel to make it there?" she demanded as she held the message containing the co-ordinates in front of her face. Iris considered for a moment before nodding

"Might have to refuel there but we'll make it"

"Get us there. Full speed" she then turned to Rusty and Lux, both of whom were already making to check their weapons

"You don't even need to tell us" Lux assured her "We're going in"

"Well then" Corvid smirked as she masked her sudden tension and the feeling of dread in her stomach with a joke "I guess my baby brother's luck he's got friends in….high places. Let's go CLIR 'em out!"

* * *

Felix was acutely aware of Arctus, Diamond and Eagle turning to him in unison; Celeste's terms still ringing in his ears

"What do we do now?" Eagle asked, being the first to vocalise the question on each of Team FADE's minds

"Not what she wants, that's for damn sure" Felix breathed out, any confidence or bravado he had been hoping to convey fizzling out while his heart hammered in his chest at the sight of the force amassed against them.

"Yeah I didn't think the whole genocide thing appealed to you for some reason" Diamond snorted, the sarcasm an obvious effort to cope with the tension and pure unfettered fear that each of them were feeling at that moment; it was enough for Felix to have a moment of clarity in which the barest essentials of a plan presented themselves to him. Taking a breath to steady himself and speaking slowly while painfully aware of the passage of time working against them he addressed his cousin

"Arctus you've been to SDC plants before right….roughly how much Dust do you think there is on site right now"

"Not up and running but there's still the amount needed for general day to day, plus whatever they stocked up on with us being in the middle of nowhere" the Bear Faunus muttered to himself as he tried to make a reasonable estimate before finally giving a cautious but hopeful answer "Probably enough for whatever you're planning"

"Good, the big stuff you can summon….think you've got another one in ya" Felix glanced at the waiting ranks of the New White Fang below, adding "They're armed but there's only really a handful of fighters down there. The rest are just some guys, they can be scared off"

"Got it" Arctus nodded, turning and looking for the quickest route through the now heavily damaged corridor towards where the Dust would most likely be stored.

"Diamond go with him" Felix ordered calmly "You're injured….besides, we haven't heard back from the security team. No more surprises"

"There's no point in saying I think this is risky is there" Diamond sighed "There's no other way out of this….you two stay safe"

"Felix" Arctus's voice came out in a hoarse whisper, as if the words were unwilling to leave him "I've seen what they do to people they capture….if it looks like we're gonna lose then I'm detonating every piece of Dust I can" Felix stared at him in horrified silence for several seconds that felt far longer before finally nodding his head while his voice cracked

"I get it" he answered simply. A moment later she and Arctus had left, their footsteps fading away as Felix and Eagle were left to face down the attackers

"So….you take the hundred on the right I'll take the hundred on the left?" Eagle offered, voice trembling somewhat

"Not exactly" Felix answered, desperately hoping he sounded as though he at least believed in his own plan "I'm gonna go straight down the middle. You'll know when to step in"

"Felix-"

"Don't worry, I trust you….you've got this" with those parting words Felix launched himself from the building out of the hole caused by the explosion of Arctus's summoned construct; powder white snow being flung into the air as he landed in a crouch before promptly rising to his feet and striding towards the White Fang forces slowly and with an air of purpose and determination about him

"You made the right choice" the High Commander intoned solemnly as the Lion Faunus who had kept his eyes locked on hers despite her mask as he neared, sheathing his weapons in the harness on his back while he did so "Your mother was once favoured by Adam Taurus himself, welcome home….truly this is the only way forward" Felix remained silent for a fraction of a second, deep blue eyes darting to a wounded but still conscious Kafsi Asteri being held in the gargantuan hands of the monstrous Pangolin Faunus

"Yeah, truly it is" Felix answered while making the faintest possible nod to the captured Specialist who seemed to understand his intentions. Celeste Lupus was not a trusting woman, the mere existence of the Cult of Taurus serving as proof and she recognised the barely perceptible gesture for what it was, though the recognition came a moment to late.

"Alpha!" the moment the barked order left her lips Kafsi sprung into action; her damaged cybernetic arm detaching itself at the elbow causing her to slip free of Gamma's grasp. The fraction of a second it took him to comprehend what had happened was a moment of hesitation he paid dearly for; Kafsi caught the falling prosthetic in her right arm and buried the wrist mounted blade it sported in his chest, his deep red Aura flickering and failing around him; not satisfied that the behemoth was dealt with she rolled to where Aegis Thunder had fallen, reattaching her respirator as she aimed and fired. The hot coppery scent of blood was mixed with the smell of ozone as the attack landed, Gamma collapsing to the ground clutching the smoking stump of his right forearm; the steel plates he had grafted over his own body glowing at the severed edges while his body shrunk and reverted to its' natural state, blood pouring freely from the wound in his chest. Felix paid no mind to this, his sole focus being the snowy haired Ram Faunus in black armour before him; he sprinted toward her with a feral war cry and waited for the exact moment to unleash his Semblance and land a devastating blow that would end this battle entirely. The Lionfish Faunus who stood at her right hand made to apprehend him, surging forth to meet him. Felix remained undeterred and allowed a feral smile, more a baring of fangs to cross his face as a sound he recognised pierced the air and time seemed to move in slow motion

' _CAW!'_

A large bird of prey swooped low, its' feathers white with a smattering of golden brown and eyes of a deep crimson that seemed to shine. Eagle's Semblance allowed her to take the form of her namesake and as she flew towards Alpha she tucked her wings flat against her body before transforming back; simply barrelling into the Faunus with incredible force before lashing out with arms that had been crossed across her chest. Her shield struck Alpha across the side of the face with a resounding impact though she managed to roll with the blow, carrying the momentum into a low spinning leg sweep; Eagle however was equal to this and planted her sword, allowing Alpha's leg to collide with it before launching her own offensive, steel scraping against steel as the blondes' first strike was aimed at her enemies' face and as the two of them circled each other Alpha's mask bore a shallow but plainly visible slash.

Felix saw none of this, his faith in Eagle's abilities so absolute that he simply barrelled forwards. With the only obstacles between himself and the High Commander of the White Fang removed he unleashed his Semblance; wanting her followers to see the source of their defeat. Snow was reduced to mist as Felix's hair, furred tail and eyes blazed with golden fiery light while his body darkened until it resembled burned rock, glowing veins the colour of burning magma coursing all over him as he entered his Balrog State. The roar that escaped Felix as he prepared to deliver a crushing blow was a primal thing, sending ripples through the air and chills through the White Fang. Then Celeste lunged forwards; the over-handed right that the Lion Faunus had intended for her face expertly countered as her left hand found his wrist and her right applied pressure to his elbow all while redistributing her own weight, the end result being that Felix was sent hurtling past her and crashing to the ground; rage battling with disbelief as his he rose to his feet and saw Celeste reclaim the crimson bladed Katana she had sunk into the ground and twirling it almost disinterestedly

"You wouldn't have made that attack if you thought I could stop you" the High Commander stated matter of factly as she planted herself firmly, the joints of her power armour giving a low whine, Felix's attack having evidently strained them "But I don't have to stop you" Felix's only response was a low guttural snarl as he braced himself, preparing for another attack. Before he could lunge forwards Celeste and Kafsi both bellowed out an identical order; sending the White Fang into a bout of panicked and frenzied shooting whilst the Specialists leapt from the building and charged towards them

"ATTACK!"

* * *

The security team were either dead or dying, the lone exception being a woman in her twenties who had survived so long through a combination of speed, unpredictable leaps and sheer dumb luck. She and Donner were all that remained against Beta's assault; the Snow Leopard having put on a masterful display in swordsmanship that was equal parts grisly and elegantly artistic.

"We can't take him" the last remaining guard all but cried, voice trembling.

"Not with that attitude we can't" Donner growled through gritted teeth, twirling her swords before composing herself and making a tactical choice "Fall back, try and get the wounded to safety" the guard did so and Donner returned her focus to Beta who had been waiting aloof and almost patiently for them to attack again; blood pooling on the ground around him and splashed across the nearest walls in wide arcs marking where members of the security team had fallen to his blades.

"Shall we continue?" he asked calmly before lashing out so fast that Donner never saw the katana leave his hand, merely felt it displace the air around her as it sailed past and found its' mark in the back of the guard whose name the Specialist had never learned; the woman fell to the ground while silently convulsing and grasping at the blade which now protruded from her chest, having neatly pierced her heart.

"Leaving so soon?" the sadistic Faunus almost purred "No no no, that won't do at all" enraged far beyond her ability to calm herself or form a plan Donner rushed forwards with a murderous scream, twin scimitars at the ready. Beta leapt aside only for a booming thunderclap to reverberate across the bloodstained factory floor and the Faunus to be launched backwards, clothes and fur smoking. As he rose to his feet Beta saw that Donner's skin seemed have become translucent while lightening or pure Aura manifesting as such crackled beneath her skin; her eyes and hair shone with light that was almost blinding as the Specialist activated her Semblance.

"Y'know I never really use this. Lightning Dust is more efficient" Donner noted, voice distorted by the raw power she was channelling "But this isn't about efficiency" Beta cocked his head at that

"We're in agreement in that regard….it's about setting an example" with no more to be said the two combatants rushed forwards and locked blades once again; Beta thankful for his mask preventing the human from seeing his winces of pain each time their weapons clashed and her Semblance sent arcs of electricity down the length of his katana and made his Aura ripple even as he parried and blocked.

"An admirable attempt, I must thank you for finally throwing caution and restraint to the wind" the Faunus sounded genuinely impressed as he weaved between a pair of slashes intended to tear him apart; a predatory smile formed on his face with his next words "It makes it far easier play the long game against you….you've already been defeated by the way, this is mere formality" Donner gave no verbal response, instead charging again and making to impale him. Beta blocked from the side, despite being stood directly in front of her

"What?" Donner's momentary confusion was replaced with horror as the answer became apparent. Beta was using his own Semblance, which evidently gave him the ability to clone himself to a limited degree. Donner was soon brought to her knees by a storm of blades swiping at her, the clones carrying them fading away a moment later. The Specialist peered up at Beta who had used his Semblance to retrieve his second sword, her Aura visibly breaking prompting him to kick her across the bloody floor with an audible crunch of breaking ribs

"Thank you" the killer noted in a dry tone "For making this more entertaining than I had feared it would be" Beta stalked towards her, the Indominus combining and shifting into their broadsword form and Donner struggled in vain to rise to her feet, desperate to not spend her final moment on the ground soaked in the blood of people she failed to protect. Respite came in the sound of engines followed by a roar from beta

"NO!" for a moment the cultured tone and mannerisms were dropped and replaced with raw fury, he shifted his weapon into its' rail-gun mode and began aiming; Donner took what little strength she could muster and used it to grab at Beta's leg, pulling him just off balance enough for his shot to miss its' target. Another fierce kick forced her to release her grasp on the Faunus and she turned to see him aim another shot at one of two vans speeding towards the perimeter wall on what seemed to be a collision course. Donner spat out a mouthful of blood and gave a tired but victorious chuckle as she watched the distinctive form of a Schnee Glyph deflect the shot, another Glyph smashing a makeshift exit into the wall and allowing the vans to escape

"We win" she half laughed, half coughed before spitting blood at the Snow Leopard Faunus's masked face in defiance "It's just a matter of cleaning you fuckers up now….someone'll be along to finish what I started in a min-" she was brought to an excruciating halt, her world being reduced to nothing but blinding pain and suffocation as Beta's booted foot crashed down onto her throat

"No human" he snarled, evidently trying desperately and failing to regain his customary detached persona "We win. We win because you're broken and scared and those who just escaped will spread the message that judgement and death are coming for you all. I want you to remember what you witnessed today….let it be the last thing you ever see" Donner's eyes were watery and her vision blurry and swimming with the immense pain yet she could make out that her adversary had split his weapon into its' twin katana form once again, she waited for the seemingly inevitable deathblow only to be rewarded with a fresh wave of agony in its' place; a scream that echoed around the room escaped her as Beta's blade flashed across her left eye

"I'm not going to kill you" he sneered "You don't get the honour of martyrdom, I'm going to leave you blind and crippled; nothing but a tongue to deliver a message" Donner felt Beta's weight shift above her as he prepared for the next cut; it never came. The low muffled crack of a sniper rifle sounded and she heard the Faunus collapse to ground near her, evidently wounded but still alive.

"Oh you will die horrifically for that" Beta snarled as he rose to his feet, left arm hanging limp while a crimson stain expanded out from the fresh wound in his shoulder. On the metal gangway above Diamond Sustrai-Black kept Lex Talionis at the ready

"ARCTUS NOW!" Beta had no more warning, just a blur of white as a tall, muscular and pale Faunus collided with him swinging a dark bladed sword with lethal intent

"This won't do at all" he murmured while deftly avoiding a few strikes whilst noting that the traitors son had talent even if it hadn't been fully refined yet. It took Beta almost no time to reconfigure the Indominus into its' ranged mode and fire almost blindly at the railings the sniper was still perched on. The effect was instant and exactly as predicted; Arctus broke off his attack and rushed towards the collapsing structure casting multiple Glyphs at once to halt any steel that may have landed on Diamond before catching his partner himself. When the two of them turned back towards where Beta had been the Snow Leopard Faunus was nowhere to be found.

"Oh my Oum, DONNER!" Arctus sprinted over to the Specialists' side; she was alive and fighting tooth and nail to cling to consciousness, ragged and shallow but furiously determined breaths escaping her as she clutched at her ruined eye.

"Help the others" she managed to hiss through the pain; Arctus looked around at what he had assumed had been corpses and allowed himself a fleeting moment of hope upon seeing that some of them still held a grip on life, tenuous as it was.

"Arctus you need to go" Diamond stated bluntly as she made her way over as fast as her own injuries would allow "Donner can you stand? I know some basic first aid but I need help….Arctus go; Felix and Eagle need you"

"Right" he breathed out, pulling his partner in for a slow kiss which he dearly hoped would not be their last despite the odds against them. Then he sprinted across the factory floor in search of the secure containers he knew would be nearby; it took him perhaps a minute or two to find them and tear their locks away with the blade of Gefroren-Erbe; halting as the distinctive eerie green glow of Eco-Dust washed over him; a frantic inspection of the despatch orders on the unopened containers bringing a gleeful smile to the Bear Faunus's face. There was enough of the highly reactive substance here to fuel a capital ship, more Eco-Dust than he had ever even considered using at once before

"Looks like things just got interesting"

* * *

Eagle and Kafsi had held their own against Alpha and Gamma respectively since the battle outside had begun anew, at some point during which they had switched opponents; the Specialist and the Lionfish Faunus could be seen trading blows at a dizzying pace some distance away through the chaos of the conflict around them. Eagle herself was doing everything in her power to subdue the Pangolin Faunus who defied all logic by the simple fact that they still stood and fought. The true focus of the battle however came in the form of the living mass of flames and magma that unleashed an endless onslaught against the figure in obsidian coloured armour, each blow landed or blocked accompanied with an earth shattering boom while the ground beneath them cracked and burned under their power.

"You have skill, I'll grant you that much race traitor" Celeste snarled through clenched teeth as she managed to redirect several punches to her face and torso that came in quick succession "But skill cannot match destiny" to punctuate the statement she stepped back and waited for Felix to launch an airborne spinning heel kick, catching his leg and hurling him away once more. She had sheathed Wilt upon seeing that the relic that had once belonged to Adam Taurus himself could not pierce the Lion Faunus's skin in this state; seeing Felix rise to his feet yet again she braced herself even as her armour whined and hissed in protest, its' surface smoking in several places. Felix seemed to sag and sway for a moment before letting out a berserk roar and charging, Celeste gave a victorious smile as she saw the desperate final gambit for what it was. The Ram Faunus saw her opponents' right arm move and turned to the side to parry the telegraphed attack, a moment later her world was reduced to blinding pain as a superheated left fist crashed into her back, landing between her shoulder blades and connecting with the spinal column of the armour which connected to Celeste's own cybernetically augmented spine. She fell to her knees, every nerve ending in her body seemingly on fire as she was momentarily paralysed

"It is destiny" she gasped out, sucking in an agonizing lungful of air "We will not be denied" seemingly in direct answer to and confirmation of her beliefs Celeste heard the sound of Felix Xiao Long collapsing to his own knees panting with exhaustion beside her; steam rushing from his own body and the ground around him as his Semblance failed him despite his anger and willpower remaining unbroken. Forcing her still shuddering limbs to obey her she sent leapt to her feet, Felix followed suit and the two were instantly locked in combat again though this time the fight favoured the High Commander; Felix's drained body and Aura were unable to withstand the maelstrom of blows she unleashed which culminated in a flying kick to the chest, sending him sailing through the air to land in a crumpled and limp heap several feet away.

"Get up and die on your feet traitor" Celeste spat venomously and despite the punishment he'd weathered thus far the Lion Faunus made to do just that; slowly pulling himself into a crouch and wiping trickling streams of blood away from his mouth and eyebrow before reaching over his back for his weapons. Celeste grabbed the hilt of her sword; without his Semblance to grant him invulnerability he would be cut down like any other enemy. Celeste braced herself and waited to deliver the blow that would snuff out the Lion Faunus's life in an instant; a moment later she was sent crashing to the floor as the ground exploded around her in a storm of dust and fragments. The sound of Alpha's Semblance powered voice bellowing out a command almost drowned out by the ringing in her ears

"BRING THAT CRAFT DOWN!" Celeste managed to reorient herself and gaze upwards at the source of the attack; a lone Bull-Head of Atlesian origin with smoke already billowing from its' wing mounted Dust engines, though its' flight seemed unhindered and an unnatural blue glow surrounded its' hull. The transport swooped low, weapons raking through the ranks of the White Fang and reducing those without unlocked Auras to little more than pinkish red mist and bloody heaps of unidentifiable meat and as it did so its' rear hatch opened, a pair of figures leaping out to join the fray. The first was an individual whose age or gender Celeste couldn't discern due to the suit of advanced and winged power armour encasing a sizeable portion of her body and the flickering forcefield, like that of a capital ship rippling around them like a second Aura whilst the shoulder mounted rail-guns of the exoskeleton ripped through Celeste's steadily depleting forces. The second figure was a young man clad in a black tuxedo with hair of a pale lilac colour. The High Commander followed his descent, watching the light slowly building up around his body with an accompanying high pitched whine; her magenta eyes widened in realisation a moment before she shielded them

"TAKE COVER!" it was too late, Lux Lumière of Team CLIR unleashed his Flash-Bang Semblance at the remaining White Fang forces were left howling in pain as they were left deafened and blinded, providing all the opening the remaining Specialists needed. Celeste opened her eyes a crack just in time to see Felix Xiao Long rushing towards her, his weapons in their machine pistol form and promptly twirled and slashed with Wilt at a truly inhuman speed; her armour and blade sparking as countless rounds clattered against their surface to little effect, Felix however had merely being trying to close the distance and shifted Hack and Slash back into their sword forms as he drew close. Celeste leaned back and allowed a wide arcing attack to pass over her only to be slammed into the floor as the Lion Faunus simply leapt up and stomped down on her chest with both feet. Celeste returned to her feet in a spinning motion that incorporated a low sweep at Felix's legs, he agilely cartwheeled over the attack and expertly weaved around the follow swipe at his chest, the tip of Wilt rustling his shirt as it passed. The next few exchanges of blows happened so fast no onlooker could accurately describe them; coming to an end when Felix blocked Celeste's attack with the blade in his right hand while driving his left into the armour of her right shoulder, sparks flying and metal screaming in protest as the chainsaw blade ripped into the suit, a viscous blueish black liquid spraying from the power armour which while clearly not blood equally clearly served some vital purpose as Celeste's right arm dangled limp and Wilt fell from her grasp. Incensed by the sight of the crimson blade falling to the ground she stepped inside Felix's guard and drove her left fist into his right bicep, leaving the arm unresponsive before following up with an elbow to the ribs that resulted in an audible crack and forced the Lion Faunus to release his grasp while letting out several sputtering choking noises. Celeste's left hand closed around his neck and she hoisted him into the air while forcing her right arm to move despite the now lifeless armour weighing it down through sheer Aura and willpower alone, she ripped Felix's sword free of the damaged shoulder panel and throwing it aside before she spat furiously

"You will die here Felix Xiao Long. Your broken body will serve as warning to any who stand against us-" the enraged monologue was cut shut by an earth shattering explosion, a noise that sounded as though Remnant itself had joined the battle. Squeezing a little harder on Felix's throat to ensure he didn't make another desperate gambit Celeste turned to face the front wall of the SDC plant, or more accurately where it had once been. In its' place was a gaping hole which left much of the buildings interior on display and stood in the centre of that hole, his entire Aura tinged from pure glowing white to a pale jade while his eyes glowed unnaturally with the sheer volume of Eco-Dust he was currently harnessing, was Arctus Slate. The Bear Faunus stood between two constructs which glowed with the same sinister light and were each easily thirty feet tall; one the Valknjoggr Grimm he had slain whilst serving aboard the Gespenst, the other being the Minotaur Grimm Team FADE had faced in second year; the bipedal construct reaching out and grabbing the now heavily damaged Bull-Head, setting it down as whatever force had been keeping it aloft began to fail. Celeste had seen enough, her ends had been met and this display of power only ensured that there could be no possible denial or cover up, with that in mind she threw Felix to the ground and quickly recovered Wilt while issuing an order

"FALL BACK! FULL RETREAT!"

* * *

The White Fang were scattering, each member of the attack already having a designated rallying point and several routes their given to them before the operation began as well as several contingency plans. Gamma however found himself in the rare and frankly infuriating position of being unable to follow his High Commanders' directive, owing to the fact that the blonde Huntress he was currently locked in combat with was simply not dying despite his best efforts.

"JUST DIE!" He roared while slashing at her face with the steel coated plates adorning his unharmed left forearm, she blocked with her shield and stabbed at his thigh which forced him to lurch away almost drunkenly; his vision swam with each sudden movement, pain surged through his chest and the burning stump of his right arm in ceaseless waves while a trail of blood stained the snow as it flowed freely from the wound Kafsi had inflicted on him; yet still he persisted. With a scream that would haunt the nightmares of those that heard it he rushed forwards and wrapped his arms around Eagle Arcs' upper arms and pinned them to her chest; his own wounded arm in agony all the while as he squeezed until he heard the steel of her armour creak and delivered headbutt after headbutt, blood spurting from her nose as her Aura finally flickered and failed, with that he hoisted her overhead and slammed her back first into the ground with enough force to send a spiderweb of cracks out from the point of impact. On any other day Gamma would have relished tearing the human limb from limb, especially after they put up such a good fight but today was exceptional. The Pangolin Faunus half ran and half staggered towards the gatehouse he had destroyed earlier; it was a sin to leave ones' allies behind when the order to leave was given, the ultimate sign of cowardice declared so by Adam Taurus, Delta and had already left and Beta had his own means of escape, Alpha would follow Celeste to the end of Remnant but that still left one member of the Cult of Taurus unaccounted for.

"OMEGA!" he barked as he tore his way into the building with reckless abandon; the room was utterly ruined and the mangled remains of the security guard Alpha had tortured to their breaking point before killing them lay in a pool of their own gore and filth, blood having spattered over every conceivable surface; yet there was no sign of the Crab Faunus

"OMEGA!" Gamma called out again, waiting for an answer but receiving none until he felt a stray shot of one of the Specialists' weapons rock the remains of the gatehouse; with a feral snarl of anger he picked up the body and rent it in half in a shower of viscera before bursting out of the gatehouse and bolting away from the scene of the atrocity; desperately hoping to find Omega on the way to his destination.

* * *

Donner clutched at her face, covering the remains of her left eye while blood trickled from between her fingers. Behind her Diamond and those guards whom had managed to regain consciousness and were able to do so were tending to those with more grievous injuries; the second category outweighing the first and the number of dead greater still. Donner however was currently focused on the device in her hand, a military grade Scroll with a secure line to the Gespenst; capable of bypassing the jamming signal that the heavily cloaked and shielded vessel produced. After over a minute of static the image of Gangrel Slate in full uniform came into view, First Mate Chiffon beside him confirming that he was indeed aboard the ship

"Report-Fucking hell, what happened?" the Bear Faunus demanded bluntly

"White Fang; full frontal assault while assassins breached the rear of the facility; robotic security went dark the moment it started" Donner took a moment to steady herself, several hisses of pain escaping her "Several wounded, several casualties" She watched her captains' face darken and heard the clawed digits of his mechanical left arm drumming rhythmically against his seat whilst Chiffon visibly winced as he caught sight of the carnage around them, a rare display of emotion from the grizzled Specialist

"This was timed" Gangrel growled, voice barely above a whisper "There's an insider somewhere at Poly-Tech"

"Sir?" Donner's confusion became more prominent than her pain for a brief moment; the Bear Faunus let out a long sigh, realising that one of his most trusted operatives had been out of the loop for days

"Poly-Tech robots have been going dark all over Remnant; including the ones we subcontracted….I told Winter we should have had them made in house….They're calling it a technical problem and we're stretched thin filling in the gaps in our fleet"

"Understood captain, the strike team can hold our own but we have injured here who need urgent medical evac"

"And the representatives?"

"Escaped Sir….I believe with your brother in laws' help"

"Mister Slate….Ringo Umi is dead" Diamond stepped into view of the camera for the first time, while her own blood stained her back it was that of other people spattered over her hands, face and clothes from where she had attempted to apply pressure to their wounds and bandage them with anything suitable "He was taken out by someone in a White Fang mask" Gangrel's jaw worked silently as he needed several attempts to choose his words to prevent them from simply being an exclamation of rage and fear

"Diamond, where's Arctus?" the silver haired sniper met Gangrel's eyes, her expression as plainly scared as his

"Felix and Eagle were out there. Arctus loaded up on Eco-Dust and went to help"

"Understood" Gangrel answered tonelessly, clearly taking immense effort to remain composed and rational though his voice still wavered a little as he turned to his First Mate "Chiffon, send the order to all Specialist Branch ships, I want an evac there with five minutes and search teams assembled within the hour"

"Aye sir"

"Orders captain?" Donner requested calmly despite her injuries, Gangrel needed only a moment to consider before giving his answer.

"Contact Kafsi or whoever has acting command and tell them to pull back and consolidate your position; protect the injured and have any prisoners you captured ready to be brought aboard a ship and processed"

"Aye sir" Donner answered, removing her hand from her ruined eye to give a salute. Gangrel turned his attention to Diamond, professionalism finally giving way to paternal instinct

"Contact your team; you've all done more than we could have asked for….tell your team that help is coming. Just hang in there a little longer" Diamond gave a weak and exhausted but relieved smile

"Aye sir"

 **Authors Notes:**

So, that's the attack over; just one more chapter left of Vol.5 where we'll be wrapping things up and setting the stage for Vol.6  
I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.  
I'm considering taking a break after I post the next chapter; only like a week or so while I plan out the next volume and recuperate a little.

So let's summarise shall we:  
Haven't really discussed the Grimm Hive mind since Phobos; it's still a thing and it's still fractured; it will become a plot point later on the story.  
So here's what Team CLIR have been up to for the last few chapters.  
Corvid has Yang's old scarf from her Vol.1 outfit.  
Corvid can fly with the Omega Wing but can't fly a Bull-Head; honestly it felt like there needed to be something she can't do. As it is, her and Rusty can both act as gunner/co-pilot.  
" _S_ _he now viewed it as a war of attrition where either the Grimm's resolve to stay hidden would break or Atlas Academy would recall her team"_ Corvid in a nutshell. Felix is an unstoppable force, she's an immovable object.  
Rusty is from Vaccuo, he does not do cold.  
Ah the puns.  
And that's why Felix is the leader.  
Arctus is the only one who's really seen the Cult of Taurus's handiwork up close before this point; he knows it's better to be killed than captured.  
And that Celeste is why you don't grandstand.  
Gamma got fucked up.  
I don't know exactly what kind of Eagle she turns into, I googled White Eagle and went with the first picture I got as a reference.  
Felix hasn't used his Balrog State for a while; I'm pretty sure I gave the in universe reason a few chapters ago that he doesn't want the competition at Atlas to see exactly what he's capable of.  
Celeste vs Felix kinda reminded me of World-Breaker Hulk vs The Juggernaut for a moment there _"No-one stops the Juggernaut!" "Then keep going"  
_ Okay a note on Beta and Gamma's voices; I was watching some old clips of Beast Wars earlier this week _(Because I'm a 90s kid like that)_ and I think Infernos' mannerisms are kinda like Beta but that early characterisation of him, just a complete monster that could run through entire forces is pretty accurate for Gamma and that screaming nightmare fuel screaming noise he made when he first appeared is spot on for Gamma when he uses his Semblance. Search for it on Youtube.  
" _Not with that attitude we can't"_ Donner and Corvid would get on great.  
I'm enjoying writing Beta more and more….just remember that he's the one who killed Carcharodon's sister.  
Donner is an anti-Nora, Nora absorbs electricity while Donner generates and discharges it; it's inefficient compared to using Lightning Dust because Semblances are a drain on Aura.  
Yeah, I've never actually written an OC who can clone themselves like Blake/Sun/Flynt; I thought it was time to change that and I wanted an OP Semblance for Beta; I call his Semblance _"Pack Hunter"  
_ Damn he's a sadistic bastard.  
Team Diamond Dust to the rescue.  
Seriously I feel like Celeste and Felix has the potential to be some landscape changing anime bullshit of a fight.  
The armour she stole from Neon makes her a lot stronger but it has its' limits and the joints are eventually gonna give under that kind of pressure.  
There's also a weak point on the spine due to the modifications.  
Cheer up love the cavalry's CLIR.  
Yes Iris was keeping them in the air with her Semblance alone….like a boss.  
Okay the plan was always for Felix to damage her armour somehow but the damaged shoulder spurting hydraulic fluid or something similar was actually somewhat inspired by what happened at work the day I wrote that scene.  
Hey look, Felix got something other than his nose broken.  
Arctus just levelled up and Celeste took one look at it and though _"Nope"  
_ Do you know how much ass you have to kick to break Eagle's Aura; she's an Arc after all.  
In the Downward Spiral Adam was actually a little more committed to the cause and had a strict policy of not leaving people behind.  
So Omega bolted, probably the only reaction a traumatised child could have in that situation.  
Papa Bear to the rescue….Also he's not stupid and has the experience of the last war; he knows there's an insider he just has no reason to suspect Oz. Nobody does, if anything they'll probably start looking for any antisocial Faunus in the company.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Bankerrtx01, iSassenach, Funlander, ShadowAlex2000, CTFenix, FluffyFirefly and FleetOfWarships for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Well an Air Strike was delivered whether it was called for or not.  
Hey I work in engineering/manufacturing, don't send the robots our way we don't want 'em either.  
Oz specifically decided turning the robots against the Specialists; he shut them down with a defective _"Update"_ to cover his tracks.  
Depends; Felix and Arctus would be useful to Celeste dead but imagine if she could turn one. It's why I'm surprised Sienna Khan (As far as we know) never used Blake for propaganda purposes against Ghira or to draw in new recruits.  
Yeah I feel like Whitley needed to be something more than playboy billionaire.  
All the cliffhangers.  
The Branwen Defence? Did you perchance follow this story after finding me on Tumblr? If so feel free to message at any time.  
Looks like I surprised a few people with how many people I didn't kill.  
I feel like an explosives expert would fit in if the Cult of Taurus had always been intended to be a combat unit; remember that they originally basically the Gestapo….besides would MORE explosions really have added that much?

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	69. Turning Point

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 69: Turning Point**

Felix was unsure of what time it was exactly, the hours had seemed to run together into a blurry and indistinct haze ever since the battle on the outskirts of Gerat-Handlung had ended in the White Fang's retreat. The first Atlesian ship affiliated with the Specialist Branch to arrive on the scene had been a light cruiser named the Silberfutter; the surviving Specialists had carried the dead and wounded aboard the ship, followed by the captured insurgents whilst those who had fought in the battle began the lengthy process of debriefing. Kafsi Asteri showing a rare moment of kindness and empathy when she chose to answer many questions on Team FADE's behalf and insist that the ships' captain make a diversion to Atlas Academy so that the students' could receive medical treatment in a more timely manner; casually noting that the fact that among the team were the head of the Specialist Branches' son and nephew, whilst his niece led the team of older students who had responded to the call for assistance no doubt influencing the decision somewhat. Upon returning to the Academy the students had been promptly escorted to the medical wing where their injuries had been treated, fortunately the majority of which could be done by simply stimulating their own recovering Auras; this had been followed by a second and notably more demanding debriefing courtesy of Winter Schnee, whom after what felt like an eternity of questioning had been unable to uphold the illusion of detached professionalism any longer and had pulled Arctus into a hug and almost broke down in tears of relief that the students had returned safely. They had been dismissed with assurances that they would not need to attend classes for several days and that Team CLIR's rapid intervention and heroism had been noted and would earn them a commendation from the Specialist Branch, something which would be almost invaluable on a students' record.

Currently the majority of Team FADE were returning to the dormitory they were still yet to truly think of as theirs, Team CLIR had gone their separate ways whilst Eagle had stated that Sentinel needed to be repaired and made her way to the campus workshop, countering her friends' concerns with several assurances that she was fine and that the deep purple bruising around her eyes caused by a broken nose looked much worse than it felt. Felix lumbered down the hallways with one of Arctus's arms slung around his shoulders whilst Diamond held the other, despite the bandages wrapped around Felix's broken ribs and the stitches in Diamond's back and shoulder blade. The Bear Faunus's excessive use of Eco-Dust to power his Semblance had resulted in some non-lethal but unforeseen circumstances and he was currently struggling to support his own weight or see clearly enough to be able to walk anywhere safely. Eventually after what seemed like far too long they rounded the corner that brought them to the correct hallway where upon seeing a familiar pair of faces clearly waiting for them to return Felix came to an abrupt halt.

"Hey" Felix gave a tired smile to Helios and Nyanza, both of whom had glanced in Felix's direction at the sound of footsteps.

"Go on" Diamond prompted "I can get big guy to the dorm from here"

"You sure?" the Lion Faunus asked, the door was mere feet away but he didn't want to put an injured team mate under any unnecessary strain, however seeing her nod and tighten her hold on Arctus Felix made his way over to Helios and Nyanza

"What happened?" Helios demanded urgently, cupping Felix's cheeks and seemingly studying his face for any sign of injuries, vibrant green eyes clearly worried

"We got your message" Nyanza murmured "We were already on the way back from our own job and we couldn't get the Bull-Head pilot to change course"

"It was…." Felix trailed off, seemingly staring passed them as he forced painfully fresh memories to the back of his mind "It was rough and I really need to lie down"

"Come, Ether and Olivine are elsewhere" Helios took his hand and lead him towards Team NEON's dormitory; no sooner had Felix made his way over to Helios's bed than the redhead had pulled him close their foreheads resting against each for a moment before they kissed, slowly and tenderly at first but becoming steadily more intense until a decidedly irritable Nyanza spoke out

"Seriously? Fucking seriously?"

"Die mad about it" Felix retorted, the effect somewhat lessened by the fact he was still panting for breath

"Yeah yeah, glad you're still alive too Fluffy" the bushy tailed feline chuckled "So what did happen out there?" Felix didn't reply immediately, first taking several moment to make himself comfortable by nuzzling into Helios's chest and pulling the taller mans' arm around him as tightly as he could without agitating his injured ribs

"The White Fang are back" he said simply, giving the gravity of the statement chance to sink in before continuing "An army of nut-jobs showed up and some bitch calling herself the High Commander told me and Arctus to hand over Obsidian Eadala and call our parents traitors or they were gonna kill everyone"

"Holy fucking Oum" Nyanza breathed out slowly, Helios may not have fully understood the gravity of the situation as well as Felix and Nyanza, in part due to his people living outside of the politics which governed much of Remnant and in part due to the fact that matters regarding the White Fang would always affect Faunus differently; nonetheless he kissed the top of Felix's forehead and gently stroked his messy dirty blonde curls in an effort to make him feel at ease whilst handling him as if he were made of glass that could shatter at any moment

"I assume you declined those terms?" Helios murmured softly into Felix's hair with a smile "You don't have to explain any more if you don't want to"

"I can add _'fought a terrorist'_ to my resume" the blonde grinned tiredly before deciding that simply not speaking about what had transpired at the SDC refinery for the moment appealed to him. Nyanza seemed to realise that his long time friend wanted to change the subject and causally noted

"So pulling insane stunts on a mission is your _'thing'_ as a couple then" he grinned wickedly "'cos Heely pulled some shit out there" Felix repositioned himself to gaze at his boyfriend so fast he winced as his ribs protested against the movement

"What did you do?" the concern in his voice was overwhelming and if Corvid had been present to hear it she would have joked that he had sounded like Yang for a moment

"He one-shotted a beast of a Grimm, an absolute unit if you will" Nyanza added, Felix peered intently at the red head who was still gently stroking his hair. Helios gave the proud smile of a Nikosi warrior who had conquered a truly monumental foe

"For honesty's sake it was Olivine that delivered the killing blow" he admitted "But it was a moment of glory for Team NEON….one that deserves a better telling than I can give right now" Felix made a noise somewhere between an irritable huff and a soft chuckle before resting his head on Helios's chest

"Fine but you can tell me about it when I wake up" he let out a long yawn before closing his eyes and quietly mumbling words that caused Helios to hold him a little closer "I think I love you"

* * *

Corvid made her way back to Team CLIR's dormitory alone, her steely grey eyes physically burning with tiredness. Iris was already in the dormitory and most likely asleep after being excused from the debriefings, the overuse of her Semblance that had kept their damaged Bull-Head in the air long after the destruction of its' engines had left her barely able to stay conscious. Lux had sustained several minor injuries including cuts, burns and bruises in the battle as well as a few hairline fractures which while far from serious to someone with an unlocked Aura cumulatively caused considerable discomfort, Rusty had taken him back to the campus's medical facilities in search of suitable medication. As she approached her dormitory she became aware of a hulking figure lurking in the shadows of the hallway

"Well this is Onyx-pected" she beamed, a low rumbling chuckle escaping the form in the shadows a moment before Onyx Ursabane stepped out into the light, greenish yellow eyes twinkling as he came close

"I heard there was a battle, I wanted to see if you had any tales of conquest to tell" the Puma Faunus explained

"Uh huh I'm sure you did" Corvid snorted with a roll of her eyes "That and you wanted to see if I was in the mood to work some stress out" she let the implication hand in the air for a moment and Onyx merely shrugged in response, utterly unashamed

"I wouldn't say no if you were, you're one hell of a woman" he answered simply before his face betrayed his concerns "There are rumours about the attack being the work of the White Fang, apparently your brother contacted everyone he could think of and word spread quickly….I just wanted to make sure you were okay, I've seen how they fight" Corvid let out a slow breath a sauntered over to Onyx and as she closed the distance between them she traced a single finger along his chest, drawing out a low rumbling purr of contentment from him

"Well I was pretty stressed out" Corvid gave a sly smile and waited for comprehension to dawn on Onyx's face before promptly flicking the end of his nose "But no thanks….You're cool but I'm not really interested right now; what happened after the dance was a one off" Onyx nodded in understanding and stepped back

"That's fine with me" he assured her, seemingly honestly despite a slightly crestfallen expression "Raffia and I have to be elsewhere tonight anyway….but if you ever do need to talk I'll be around"

"This time last year you were sailing around New Vale stealing whatever wasn't bolted down" Corvid noted "I'm gonna pass on advice from the um….cat burglar"

"How about from someone who's more used to coping with violence than you?" the hulking Faunus retorted before merely shrugging and walking away. Corvid frowned and glared after his retreating back, thoroughly displeased that he'd managed to see through the calm and in control mask she had kept in place; pushing her competing emotions down she stormed over to the dormitory, managing to calm herself enough to not tear the door open furiously and wake Iris, whom Corvid saw upon stepping inside was curled up on top of the sheets of her bunk, her breathing slow and even. Keeping the lights off Corvid kicked her boots off and shed her jacket before almost silently hoisting herself onto her own bunk and withdrawing her Scroll and wincing at the sight of over a dozen missed calls, all from her mothers.

"Fuck" she breathed out before dialling Yang and selecting a video call option, certain that her mothers' would want to see that she was okay. Within seconds the faces of both of her mothers' flickered into view

"Oh thank Oum, what happened?" Yang demanded frantically, Corvid making a shushing gesture in response

"First off, I'm not wearing headphones and I've got a sleeping team-mate" she fixed a bright smile onto her face "Secondly, it's okay. I don't know what you've heard but it's probably exaggerated" Blake stepped into view, yellow eyes worried and at the edge of the screen Corvid could see her squeezing Yang's hand for support

"We heard" she started, voice wavering with uncharacteristic nerves "That the head of the Atlesian branch of the Coalition was murdered by the White Fang and both you and Felix were there when a small army arrived" Corvid closed her eyes for a moment, unable to stomach being the object of Blake's concern right now

"We're fine….I promise we're fine" her voice came out as a hoarse, choked whisper.

"Corey?" Yang prodded, Corvid shook her head in resolute silence

"We're Hunters. Some stuff happened and we did our jobs….look Mum I really don't wanna talk about it right now okay" Yang looked as though she might press the issue but Blake interjected

"That's okay, I promise we'll be here if and when you need to talk about it" Corvid once again found herself looking anywhere but at Blake, taking several long slow breaths to steady herself

"Yeah….thanks Mum….I love you" she croaked out, suddenly blinking away tears that stung her eyes

"We love you too" Yang assured her "Do you know where your brother is? I know you said you're both okay but he isn't answering his Scroll?"

"The medical wing checked him out so he's probably either asleep or with his boyfriend-" Corvid's jaw snapped shut, Felix's relationship was by no means secret but Corvid was sure that if he hadn't told their parents yet it was because he wanted to do it on his own terms

"His what now?" Yang's tone was immediately much lighter and Corvid bit back a curse and decided that honesty would have to be the best policy in this situation

"Yeah him and that redhead he's had a crush on since first year finally hooked up at the dance, it's cute" Yang made a noise of pure happiness that made Blake smile and caused the corners of Corvid's mouth to twitch despite herself

"I can't wait to talk to him, I want to know everything-"  
"Mum" Corvid sighed irritably "Don't….come on it's first time really dating anyone" Blake was once again the one to sense that something was a little off

"Corey do you want us to let you get some sleep? I know you were already on a mission when you went to help your brother, you must be exhausted"

"Yeah….thanks" she nodded slowly "I was just checking in to late you know everything's okay….well, we're coping. I love you Mum, both of you" with that Corvid ended the call and took several deep shuddering breaths, no longer able to stop the tears from streaming down her cheeks she buried her face in her pillow and wept until she blacked out from fatigue.

* * *

On the other end of the call Yang and Blake sat beside each other in the living room of their home on the island of Patch, the line went dead and the Scrolls' screen faded to black before returning to the display image one of the Xiao Long family perhaps five years ago, there were a few moments of silence before Yang turned to her wife and spoke quietly, every syllable laced with concern

"There's something wrong with Corey….tell me I'm not the only one of us that can see that? Something happened out there-"

"I know" Blake answered simply before squeezing Yang's left hand a little tighter in reassurance "But it's Corey, she'll tell us on her own terms or not at all….If we try and pressure her into telling us she'll just clam up"

"I know" Yang sighed resting her head on Blake's shoulder "But it doesn't mean I'm not going to be worried the whole time until she does" Blake nodded in understanding and planted a kiss on the blondes' forehead. The Xiao Long children had not been part of their mothers' lives for very long before both Blake and Yang had come to the understanding of how best to deal with them; Felix was strong willed but not secretive, he would find a way to do something regardless of discouragement which had caused no end of problems for him at school but he was reliably honest about his actions. Corvid had a secretive streak and an undeniable propensity for finding for trouble that reminded Blake of herself when she was much younger. The feline Faunus saw that Yang still looked unsettled at the thought of their daughter keeping something important from them

"I'll talk with her when I'm in Atlas" Blake assured her gently, causing Yang to lean up and plant a gentle kiss on her cheek before asking

"So you've made your mind up then, you're definitely going?"

"I have to" Blake answered with a sigh. She and Yang had heard the news of what had transpired in Atlas first from Obsidian Eadala himself, the snake Faunus stating that he would understand if Blake wished to decline the offer but he needed an interim leader of the Atlesian Branch of the Coalition and she was a prominent and well respected figure across Remnant as a whole, as well as being someone more than capable of defending themselves should this New White Fang choose to strike again. Seeing Yang's expression Blake explained

"There's something that isn't being made public, Obsidian has been informed of this but told not to leak it to the press. This White Fang's leader, she calls herself the High Commander and she has….Yang she Wilt, not a replica, she has Adam's sword" Yang looked at Blake dumbstruck for a moment before asking

"How, you said you got rid of it"

"I did" Blake nodded in agreement, the sword that had belonged to the demented Bull Faunus had found its' way into her ownership following his death at Eisenstadt Siebte and Blake had disposed of the blade following the end of the war "When I first took a job with the Coalition I took a business trip to Atlas….I went to where Adam died, where he blew himself up. I threw Wilt into the hole down into Eisenstadt Siebte. I wanted to be symbolic, a final severing of ties….and besides, as much of a monster as he became I felt like she should have had some kind of memorial"

"This isn't your fault" Yang assured her, knowing how Blake's mind worked and what message she was most likely to take from this turn of events "That sword showing up again in the hands of another maniac does not make this your fault"  
"I still feel like this is something I have to make right" Blake whispered

"Okay" Yang nodded as she rose to her feet "Then there's something I want you to have before you go" Blake's feline ears twitched with curiosity as Yang quickly bounded into a cupboard filled with cleaning supplies and retrieved a package whose wrapping alone seemed needlessly expensive, seeing Blake looking at her quizzically Yang explained

"It took some convincing to get Edna Mauve to make this without having you come in for measurements but I wanted it to be a surprise for when you next went to a conference in Atlas….I saw you were looking at the old pictures of your dad" Blake took the package and slowly removed the wrapping before a gasp escaped her as she opened it

"Yang this must have cost a fortune" she breathed out as she examined the deep violet tailcoat lined with thick white and fur and sporting a matching collar which would cover the entire back of Blakes' neck and was fastened with highly polished silver buttons while sporting what Blake realised was the blazing heart that Yang had taken as an emblem in the same material upon the left breast pocket

"You like it?"

"I love it" Blake answered without hesitation, Yang wrapped her arms around her wife's waist and held her close

"I wish I could come with you….I don't like us splitting up" the blonde admitted

"I've always got you with me" Blake answered, flexing her left wrist and causing the golden bracelet that adorned it to unfurl into the original left half of Ember Celica which she had worn since the Battle of Vale and the fall of Beacon Academy. Yang gave a soft smile before asking

"When do you leave?"

"Tonight. Last ferry to the mainland then an early morning flight to Atlas….security is gonna be a nightmare after this"

"Promise me you'll give the kids my love?"

"Of course" Blake promised before pulling Yang closer and burying her face in her neck, Yang grinned as a thought occurred to her

"And go say hi to Weiss, it feels like forever since we spoke in person"

"I'm sure I can find an excuse" Blake smiled as she realised that it had indeed been far too long since she had spent any time with her former team-mate, anticipating Yang's next questions she added "I'll talk to Corey….and yes I'll ask Fluffy to introduce me to his boyfriend; I assume by the fact Corvid hasn't chased him off with a pitchfork that she approves" Yang gave a hearty laugh at the thought before pulling Blake in for what promised to be one of their last kisses for some time

"Oum I love you so much"

* * *

"Rise" the word sounded harsh as it left Celeste's lips and when Alpha complied her entire body language seemed to scream _'defeat'_ and _'dejection'_ an oddly pitiable air surrounding the masked sadist. The two of them were amongst a group of White Fang fighters present at the attack on the SDC plant to have rallied at a small bolthole in the city of Eisenstadt Vierte, one of many such locations around the Kingdom of Atlas and the settlements scattered across Mantle, this particular hiding place a nightclub which had sported signs that stated the business was closed for renovations for several years. The Ram Faunus sunk into a mercifully comfortable chair and adjusted clothes that were noticeably too large for her somewhat frail frame; Celeste had had to remove her armour due to both its' damaged state and the fact she had reached the limits of her endurance and wearing it had begun to cause immense pain, as had the act of merely remaining standing for so long. She took a moment to adjust herself whilst taking care to still appear commanding even when sat and having to peer up at her most loyal follower, a skill she had perfected over the years.

"Report" Celeste instructed simply, making a concerted attempt to appear in total control of her surroundings despite her exhaustion; Alpha's head turned ever so slightly and Celeste Faunus knew that the Lionfish Faunus had spotted the sickly yellow bruises marking her pale flesh and was currently deciding exactly how to make Felix Xiao Long suffer for his crimes against the High Commander, it took Alpha no more than a moment to focus and respond

"Many of our people were killed or captured; we already have a list of who was taken and are contacting their cells to alert them of the potential risk"

"Prudent" Celeste noted "We should also mobilise as soon as possible. Bring the Cult of Taurus to Tartarus, you have injured do you not?"

"I do" Alpha admitted, bitterness and fury seeping into her tone "Delta and Beta suffered minor injuries….Gamma-"

"I saw" Celeste cooed in a soothing tone "I will have Kuro, the one responsible for my armour, attend to his arm"

"Thank you High Commander….I should warn this Kuro before he operates, he is not to touch our masks"

"Oh?" Celeste raised an eyebrow, she knew that her most devout followers had their own particular proclivities but had never truly sat down with the Lionfish Faunus and discussed the reasoning behind each of them

"You gave us a purpose when you found us High Commander" Alpha explained almost reverently "We gave up our names to reflect that, our purpose is our identity and the White Fang's cause is our purpose….nobody may remove our masks until the last of the human threat has been removed and you reign supreme" Celeste took a moment to revel in feeling of pure, unadulterated power having such influence ever individuals like Alpha gave her, magenta eyes glistening for a moment before she spoke again

"Anything else to report?"  
"Yes High Commander, I've selected a dozen individuals present at the attack to form a search party….Omega is unaccounted for, with a suitable vehicle-"

"Call off the search" Celeste ordered, keeping her tone as even as possible whilst giving an order that seemingly contradicted the word of Adam Taurus himself

"High Commander?" Alpha's confusion was apparent for the briefest moment before it was firmly forced down "It will be done"

"Our enemies will be searching the same places you would look, searching for the child would only put more of our people at risk. No one Faunus is greater than the cause but those we lose to the humans will be avenged when the time comes" Celeste explained "Our mission was successful Alpha and our plans will go on"

"But the blasphemer lives, as does the Schnee" Alpha replied, toxic spines interwoven with her hair twitching at the thought. The Ram Faunus slowly rose to her feet and made her way across to her follower, the pained expression on her face growing in intensity with each step yet she forced her back to remain straight

"And for now they can live in fear" Celeste answered with a menacing smile, gently she reached up and cupped the cheek of her followers' mask and brushed her thumb against its' surface "The aim was to deliver a blow to the enemy that they cannot ignore, one that would serve as a rallying cry to our people. Atlas will answer with a heavy hand and when the Faunus see that the traitors like Obsidian Eadala are nothing but puppets the revolution will begin and the Fang shall truly draw blood….And your place at my right hand is promised Alpha"

"Thank you High Commander"

"Our time is soon Alpha, I promise you" Celeste murmured, eyes shining with the unwavering certainty of a fanatic.

* * *

Antonia Arc sat rigid behind her desk in her office at the Poly-Tech headquarters, the office was a large, open space whose many features and comforts could be easily concealed from view; it was seemingly designed to intimidate anyone who found themselves stepping through the offices' door and coming under the scientists' scrutiny, a design choice which Antonia would vehemently deny had been conscious as she did not consider herself to be that kind of employer. Nonetheless when an intercom beside her personal computer buzzed Antonia answered with a voice that could at best be described as frosty.

"Send him in" she instructed without preamble or hesitation, she knew who it was that would be entering her office. She was proven correct when the large sliding doors, whose size served no purpose other than to make those entering feel small, opened with a hiss of decompressing air; a program running on Antonia's computer informing her that the offices' self contained security system, a design partially inspired by the defences in Penny and Ruby Rose's home, had locked onto the visitor.

"This seems a little much" Ozymandias Eldritch noted with a questioning tone

"In light of recent events security measures are being reviewed and expanded" Antonia answered tonelessly, before almost snarling out "What happened?"

"Firstly I must stress that the issue has been resolved, our security robots are functioning within normal parameters and though our market value has….fluctuated somewhat, people more versed in that field than myself assure me that things will return to normal as our products and services continue to perform as expected" Ozymandias saw the fury slowly creeping across Antonia's expression and hastily continued "The root cause of the malfunction seems to have been a few lines of code within a software update, the products were unable to process the update or cancel it without a manual override, effectively rendering them useless….I understand that it could not have come at a more unfortunate time-"  
"Or a more fortunate time, depending on whose side you're on" Antonia noted coldly "If that software update was so defective it should never have been allowed to be rolled out like that. I need answers Oz….The military wants answers that we don't currently have"

"Surely they don't suspect any-"

"It's not the first time a mass failure of security robots has preceded a terrorist attack….I heard from Eagle, she tells me it was the White Fang….I lost my brother in the battle of Eisenstadt Siebte and now they're back and my daughter had to fight them, while Winter Schnee all but accuses me of being complicit!" Antonia hadn't realised she was raising her voice until she bellowed the last few words with enough force to leave Ozymandias visibly shocked.

"I see" he answered after a few moments pause "I can have a shortlist of everyone who had the necessary clearance to alter the update ready within a few hours, I presume that the military will be holding their own inquest? I'll see to it that they're kept informed of any developments"

"Get the list" Antonia nodded "Beyond that I'll handle this personally, Project Snare is your priority"

"I understand….Toni, was Eagle harmed?"

"No" Antonia sighed, relief permeating every fibre of her being for a brief moment "But I wasn't there for her Oz….as always I wasn't there for her. We can't do this any more"

"By this you mean-" Antonia cut across him her voice fragile sounding, as though it could crack at any moment

"My daughter called me for help, she called me half a dozen times while those monsters were attacking and I didn't answer her because we were too busy having sex in your office….I'm sorry Oz, but we're over, I….I just can't"

"I understand" the silvery grey haired scientist breathed out "And I hope we can maintain a professional relationship"

"We can" Antonia answered tonelessly "Now if you would go compile that list for me. I have other matters to attend to"

"Naturally" Ozymandias answered before turning and striding purposefully out of the office without glancing back once. As the doors of the office hissed closed Antonia allowed herself to slump in her seat and run her hands through her lightly greying blonde hair. She had already compiled the shortlist of Poly-Tech employees who could have altered the software update herself, upon seeing Ozymandias's name near the top of said list she had been unable to shake a cold and creeping feeling of dread and several doubts that nagged at the back of her mind. Antonia didn't want to believe that she'd been played for a fool but she was a scientist first and the cold hard facts of the evidence were undeniable; her companies security robots had been compromised, the attack had come at a time when Antonia had been indisposed, Ozymandias himself had been in the unusual position of his own office when she had come to him and most concerning of all, in her earlier discussion with Winter Schnee the general had told her that the White Fang had been armed with weapons that seemed to have been manufactured by one of the subsidiary companies Poly-Tech owned; one that of all the people on the shortlist Ozymandias alone had access to the production facilities of, the only question was the obvious one of what could a human scientist possibly gain from aiding a militant Faunus group. With that in mind Antonia entered several commands into her computer which caused a section of wall to slide away and reveal a large screen which in turn began to flicker into life as a video call was made. Antonia was objective to know that while she had always done what she thought best for her daughter she had fallen short as a parent on several occasions, this would not be another such instance, whoever was responsible for the terrorist attack which put Eagle in danger would answer for their crimed regardless of the cost. Such was Antonia's thought process as the call was answered and General Winter Schnee came into view wearing a stern expression

"General" Antonia said simply "I have a list of suspects for you to inspect….I also have suspicions of my own"

* * *

Hellion had found Eagle Arc in Atlas's Academies' workshop, lovingly and painstakingly buffing out every dent and scratch that had been left in Sentinels' chassis during the battle that had left the golden haired Huntress with deep purple bruises around her eyes and wincing with pain anytime she moved too suddenly due to the soreness of her back. Hellion had slung her arms around Eagle's waist and turned her to face the Dragonfly Faunus whose wingers fluttered with concern and agitation. After ensuring that Eagle had indeed eaten something since returning and had messaged her family to let them know that she had returned from battle safely Hellion had all but marched her back to Team GORE's dorm where she was currently giving the exhausted blonde a massage to ease the soreness and tension in her back on the pushed together beds the all Faunus team shared. Sentinel was currently recharging in a corner of the room near Marauder's currently empty perch, the scent of still drying paint wafting over from the automatons' general direction; beside him was Eagle's discarded armour which still bore countless scratches, dents and scuffs. Hellion worked Eagle's sore muscles and listened to her soft mewls of tired pleasure before leaning down and kissing her neck, teeth gently grazing skin as her hands trailed down to the bottom of the hoodie the blonde wore

"May I?" she breathed out huskily

"What about your team?" Eagle whispered, the heat from her suddenly reddening cheeks only prompting Hellion to nuzzle into her a little closer and whisper reassurance in her ear

"Onyx and Raffia had business to attend to in the capital. Carcharodon is meditating outside….the cold and snow remind him of our home and he wanted to focus himself after our mission" Eagle paused and considered for a moment before pulling both her hoodie and the t-shirt beneath it over her head and allowing Hellion to return to her ministrations, the Dragonfly Faunus unclasped the blondes' bra to allow herself better access.

"You are a work of art" she breathed out softy as she watched the sculpted muscles of Eagle's back and shoulders stretch taut beneath her freckled flesh, currently marred and discoloured by a mass of bruises

"I feel like I got vandalised" Eagle muttered, from her current position she was unable to see the way that the woman currently straddling her bit her lip as she stretched out

"I'll take the hands of whoever did this to you" Hellion hissed before calming herself and returning to massaging Eagle's back

"I'm pretty sure he already lost one" the freckled blonde noted, crimson eyes closing as a sigh of contentment escaped her

"He still has two lungs, I'll carve those out instead" Jade eyes narrowed narrowed in anger at the mere thought of one of the monsters who had slaughtered the Shadow Cadre laying a finger on Eagle. While planting another lingering and possessive kiss on the blonde's neck that sent shivers down Eagle's spine and caused a whimper to slip from her lips, Hellion's hands became more bold and trailed along the blondes' side and cupping her small breasts

"Hellion!" Eagle gasped out as a thumb brushed against her nipple "Can….can we just cuddle a little"

"Of course little canary" Hellion assured her, pulling back to admire at the physique of her girlfriend, a word that still sounded foreign to her

"In my peoples' culture" she noted while lazily tracing abstract patterns against Eagle's bruised skin "You would have certainly earned the right to wear war tattoos….I could do it if you wanted me to?" Eagle's brow furrowed as she considered the idea

"Your tattoos are really, really cool" she began earnestly "But I'm not sure….I know my Granddad really doesn't like tattoos-" she found herself cut off by a soft chuckle of amusement

"Of all the reasons your family could dislike the thought of us being together I think me suggesting that you get tattoos is a small concern" she paused and ceased running her fingertips against Eagle's skin for a moment as she privately considered several ways to apply a design she had in mind "Our markings are not for no reason, wear your victories with pride"

"I'll think about it" Eagle promised before letting out a sigh "And yeah….I haven't told my family about us yet, I'm honestly kinda worried about how they're gonna react"

"I'm sorry for making things difficult" Hellion murmured quietly as she laid beside Eagle and gently wrapped an arm around her waist; the Shadows Cadres' kidnapping of Antonia Arc was a lapse in their code of honour that it seemed that she would have to continue to atone for.

"It's fine, we'll deal with it when we have to" Eagle promised as she turned to face her, Hellion drank in the sight of the blondes' partially uncovered body, her wings falling still against her back before she leaned in for a slow, passionate kiss

"In the meantime get some rest" the Dragonfly Faunus said, Eagle fixed her with a nervous expression, cheeks darkening before her hand found its' way to Hellion's waist and travelled upwards in a rare display of boldness

"Okay but….can I take your shirt off as well?" Hellion gave wide smile of satisfaction before moving to oblige.

* * *

Diamond studied Arctus's dozing form with concern evident on her features, according to the resident doctor the Bear Faunus's over use of Eco-Dust had, due in large part to the unique way the Schnee Semblance interacted with the substance, caused unexpected side effects; the effects were not expected to be long lasting or especially harmful, rather he seemed to suffering from what could best be described as accelerated withdrawal symptoms. Diamond had seen what the Dust infused narcotic known as Booster did to people and the idea of her partner suffering though that was almost physically painful to her

"Hey big guy, you still there?" she whispered as she readjusted herself, trying in vain to get comfortable despite the stitches in her back which tugged at her rapidly healing skin regardless of how many soft pillows she propped herself with; Arctus's head was on her lap, his brow soaked in cold sweat which only made the vaguely greenish and sickly tinge to his pale skin seem more unpleasant, his breathing came out in wheezing gasps while slight tremors shook his entire body; his eyes were glassy with several ruptured blood vessels around his pale blue irises giving them a truly unpleasant appearance, however upon hearing Diamond's voice they focused on her and he managed to answer

"Yeah….yeah I'm still here" he managed to croak out before pulling himself upright "Can I get you anything?"

"Dork I got a scratch, you nearly poisoned yourself" Diamond paused as she caught sight of Arctus's face, his lip trembling even beyond the shakes caused by the Eco-Dust "What's wrong"

"I almost lost you today" the words left Arctus's lips and the first tears fell from his eyes

"Hey, come on we're okay….we made it home okay" Diamond assured him whilst at the same time pulling him close and burying her head in his chest as though she couldn't fully believe her own words until she'd held him and felt that he was real

"But we almost didn't" with that the Bear Faunus gave a shuddering sob, wrapping his arms around her as tightly as he dared; the shock and adrenaline had long since worn off and now the severity of the situation they had escaped was unavoidable and it left Arctus terrified beyond his ability to process in his fatigued state

"Fuck….the one who killed Umi could have stabbed you instead of slashing, their High Commander would have killed Felix if Team CLIR hadn't shown up, Eagle could-"

"I know, I know" Diamond kissed his forehead gently, tears falling from her own cherry red eyes as the events took their toll on her "But all we can do is try and be better"

"I know but….Dee I'm so scared, I don't what I'll do if anything happens to you" Diamond cupped his cheeks and kissed him before resting her forehead against his, ignoring the feverish clamminess of his skin

"Then it's a good thing I've got the best partner I could ever ask for watching my back"

"I love you so much"

"I love you too" the pair held onto each other until their tears subsided and they lost track of time, neither wishing to give up the comfort that they found in the other until Arctus's Scroll began to vibrate audibly

"It's your Mum" Diamond stated as she handed Arctus his Scroll; she had assured her own parents of her safety during a call earlier but Arctus had been too unwell to do the same

"Video call as well….damn it" he muttered as he sighed and wiped his eyes with his forearm before answering the call

"Hey Mum" he greeted with as much enthusiasm as he could as Weiss's worried face flickered into view

"Arctus I'm so glad to see you….Oh my Oum what happened to your eyes?" she gasped covering her mouth with the hand not holding her Scroll

"Lemme see, lemme see!" Athena-Jade's urgent voice insisted before he could reply and a moment later the screen was being reoriented as Arctus's younger sister stood on her tiptoes and jumped to try and catch a glimpse of her brother.

"I'd rather you didn't see me like this" Arctus murmured

"Nonsense" Weiss huffed "I heard what happened from Whitley and Winter and I needed to see that you were okay myself"

"Did you get hurt?" Athena interrupted, honing on in what was truly important

"Just tired and a bit sick….I overdid it and used a bit more Dust than I should have" Arctus assured her, forcing his voice into the most cheery his tone he could manage before turning his attention back to his mother "The new plant is pretty much gone….sorry but I had to do some damage to the place as well"

"Arctus there is nothing more important to me than my children's safety, rebuilding what was damaged is just a matter of time and resources"

"What about Diamond is she okay?" Athena-Jade demanded, seemingly refusing to let the conversation progress until she was certain that her brother and his exceedingly cool girlfriend were indeed okay

"I'm okay AJ" Diamond assured her "Just a cut on my back that stings but I'll be fine, pinky promise"

"'Kay" the younger Faunus nodded

"Is Uncle Whit okay?" Arctus asked "I saw him getting everyone out"

"He's a little rattled" Weiss admitted "But Winter said she's going to come and visit, she's seen a lot of soldiers shaken up after their first mission….he'll be okay I promise" both teens nodded, glad to hear that the man had indeed managed to get himself and others to safety, a thought occurred to Arctus and he immediately felt a need to voice it

"Where's Dad?"

"Winter needs him working on this" Weiss explained and Arctus's stomach seemed to sink though the sensation was overwhelmed by his own annoyance at himself, he should have expected that answer. Weiss evidently realised something was wrong "He knows you're okay and he wants you to know how proud of you he is" Arctus digested that information, understanding the urgency of the situation as the High Commander of the New White Fangs' terms echoed in his mind and his stomach lurched as a horrible thought presented itself

"Hey pest can you give me and Mum a minute please?"

"Ugh, fine" Athena-Jade grumbled, a moment later he caught a glimpse of her leaving the room from a door behind Weiss, both she and Diamond giving Arctus curious looks

"Mum how secure is the Manor? I mean really secure….the White Fangs' leader, she offered me and Felix amnesty if we handed over Mister Eadala and said we renounced our families" Arctus paused, letting out a slow sigh "I'm scared of a retaliation"

"Trust me when I say that what happened to Schnee Manor during the war will never happen again" Weiss answered him, her tone icy "Winter had her best work on fortifying our home and I let Ruby and Penny add to it. We're safe"

"What about Athena's school?"

"All of the teachers' are vetted and most are retired Hunters" Weiss assured him "Arctus I hate having to say this but I've known that there was a very real chance of my children being used against me since before either of you were born….we're prepared for this"

"And if they ever find out my name….well, my parents know how to get out of trouble" Diamond added with a playful nudge to Arctus's shoulder, the Bear Faunus gave a sigh of relief before Weiss spoke again

"They know how to get into trouble as well if I recall….But these terrorists, they will learn your name Diamond. You've already been spotted with Arctus by the media and the Vytal Tournament is in a few weeks" that statement hung in the air for a moment before Weiss's tone lightened "Which reminds me, I did manage to speak to Winter briefly while you were away; the fixtures for the first round of the tournament should be available for students by now"

"Awesome" Diamond grinned, Arctus merely gave a tired nod which prompted Weiss to decide that the two could do with some rest

"I'll let you get some sleep son. I love you"

"I love you too Mum….tell everyone I love 'em please?"

"Will do" a moment later the call ended and Diamond and Arctus took a moment to reposition themselves, her head ending up on his chest while his arms encircled her waist

"So, wanna see who we're up against?" Diamond suggested, suddenly eager despite her tiredness; the friendly competition so far removed from what they had been a part of that it seemed effortless in comparison

"Sure" Arctus replied before accessing the network of shared documents that Atlas students and those who had transferred had access to; the fixtures were not hard to find and it took only a moment to find Team FADE listing

"Holy Oum dude, look at when we're on" Diamond gasped pointing at the schedule, Arctus however shook his head and pointed instead at the Team listed beside them, the identity of their opponents for the match eliciting an exasperated response from the Faunus  
"You've gotta be fucking kidding me"

* * *

Onyx's heart hammered in his chest and his hands shook with a mixture of nerves and excitement as he and Raffia made their way towards a nondescript office in an equally nondescript part of the capital city. Brick Mulligan had honoured their deal and given the Puma Faunus the name and location of a purchaser for the Scavenger Guild who could in turn get them to someone higher up the chain of command in return for the dog-tags they had stolen from Iskald Grey.

"We should kill them" Raffia snapped suddenly, caudal fins laying flat along his skull in a sign of agitation "Kill them and make an example"

"Car wants us to do this quietly" Onyx countered "We don't harm people who didn't give the order….no collective punishment, we're not like them"

"I worry Carcharodon is losing his way" Raffia whispered, the anger that seemed to cling to him at all times being broken for a moment by the fearful admission "I worry that all of you are. _'Dating'_ Huntresses, moral conundrums….helping _'train'_ Hunters in New Vale. Are we the Shadow Cadre of the Frost River Tribe or are we lost little orphans desperate to be accepted by people who hate us"

"You worry about nothing" Onyx assured him "We know who we are….there's no shame in taking time to recover and recuperate"

"If we forget everything that makes us who we are in the process then there's plenty of shame in it" the Axolotl hissed irritably. Onyx said no more, privately evaluating the small grain of truth in Raffia's words; the Puma Faunus was frankly tired of living on rations and the constant tension that came with being both a fighter and one of the few mechanically inclined members of his people. While he still wanted vengeance against all those who had killed his people the question of what to do afterwards was much less certain as the appeal of simply staying within the Kingdoms continued to grow.

"No more talk about killing" he eventually stated bluntly, Raffia made to argue prompting the larger man to simply point at a building ahead of them "We're here and I'd rather they didn't get suspicious before we get inside" their destination was a small office located above a shoe store in an area of Atlas that leaned towards the upper middle class while still being clearly a commercial area, they were still within close reach of the Prime Promenade and by extension several ways out of the city in the event that the meeting failed to proceed as planned. The pair neared a small side door which evidently led to the rented office space and Onyx pressed the buzzer of an intercom, the ground around which was littered with cigarette buts.

"Can I help you?" a somewhat nasal and decidedly snooty voice enquired

"I have a meeting here" Onyx grunted

"Name?"

"Ursabane" with no further reply the line went dead and the door audibly unlocked allowing the two Faunus entry to a narrow passageway which led to several flights of stairs which they began to climb, the entrance to the office having the air of being much more well kept before its' current use as a meeting place for the Scavenger Guild. At the top of the stairs was another door, this one wooden

"Come in" another voice, equally snooty answered as soon as Onyx's gargantuan paw had connected with its' surface. Stepping inside revealed a comfortable office much more in line with the legitimate air that the Scavenger Guild portrayed than the grime of the stairwell, deep scarlet sofas of a plush material and small tables with drinks waiting ready greeted them with a row of desks and computers towards the rear of the office, sat in the nearest sofa were a man and a woman of indeterminate age clad in business attire; Onyx sized the pair up and saw no visible weapons

"Mister Ursabane, we didn't realise you were bringing an associate" the woman, owner of the more nasal of the snooty voices noted

"I'm here about the _'Grey'_ dog-tags that were stolen from you. We recovered them" he punctuated his statement by removing the items in question from his pocket, their chain rattling quietly

"Well" the man spoke up "These have been unaccounted for quite some time and I do believe that we owe you quite a bit of Lien-"

"Send payment to Brick Mulligan" Onyx interrupted hastily, the instruction bringing looks of utter confusion to the faces of the Scavenger Guild purchasers as if the idea of simply giving away ones payment were ludicrous

"Well I can certainly do that" the man purred "Though I'd be curious to know what he promised you for that" Raffia visibly tensed up beside Onyx, coiled and ready to strike which prompted the Puma Faunus to answer

"Well Mister…." he trailed off, clearly expecting an answer

"Mister and Missus Snow….Not our real names, but they'll do for now" Onyx nodded in understanding before continuing, choosing his words carefully

"We represent a group that would like a meeting with your employers; the upper management, specifically those who have the authority to make large scale decisions affecting….shipping matters" Mister and Missus Snow took several moments to peer first at Onyx, then at Raffia before sharing a look a seemingly conducting a silent conversation before the man answered

"Unfortunately I cannot do that"

"You can and you will" Raffia spat, striding forwards until Onyx's hand clamped down on his shoulder; though the Puma Faunus's blood pounded in his ears and his free hand shook with rage at the thought of being denied so close to his goal

"Despite your….associates' outburst" Mister Snow cast a snide glance at Raffia "Mister Ursabane I can offer you more regular contact with members of our organisation and have a branch manager rely any concerns you and what I assume to be your fellow students looking for work may have-"

"That's not good enough" Onyx snarled, the fact that despite the stubble on his chin and the tattoos they wore had not been enough to disguise their age going unnoticed "Deals were made and you ' _Kyrie'_ will honour them" the obviously foreign insult may not have been understood but the tone it was delivered in required no translation

"Now listen here-"

"No more listening" Raffia all but roared, crossing the room in a single bound and pinning Mister Snow against the wall and dragging him down to the Faunus's eye level, hands squeezing his skull in a vice like grip

"No more deals, no more terms, no more compromise" Raffia's words came out in a frantic almost crazed snarl before he cast his wild gaze over to Missus Snow "You're going to deliver a message. You're going to go the heads of the Scavenger Guild and tell them that the Frost River Tribe live. We demand retribution through blood and we are coming to collect….do you understand" the woman who had pressed herself as far back against the wall gave a frightened nod while a noise that could generously be described as a squeak escaped her. Onyx saw the glint in his friends' eyes and realised that something terrible was about to happen before it did

"Good….it only takes one person to deliver a message" the Axolotl Faunus twisted and a moment later the sickening crack of Mister Snow's neck breaking filled the room, followed by terrified shrieking and the dull thud of the mans' body hitting the ground, his head twisted almost one hundred and eighty degrees. Onyx Ursabane had seen death before, he'd been surrounded by violence for as long as he could remember but something about what had just transpired sent chills down his spine and struck him as against the natural order of things; he was in no mental state to articulate these thoughts and simply mouthed

"What have you done?" Raffia glared at him before answering

"What was needed. I've shown you the way"

* * *

Gangrel Slate marched through the corridors of the Gespenst, the ship hanging cloaked and ominous above the tundra which encompassed much of the Kingdom of Atlas and the continent of Mantle as a whole. His footsteps echoed through the empty corridors while the majority of the ships crew were at their stations and helping co-ordinate the effort to locate the White Fang insurgents; Gangrel himself was returning from the medical bay of the ship where several of the Specialist strike team led by Kafsi Asteri had congregated, though three were still in intensive care aboard the ship that relieved them and Kafsi herself had already returned to the field the moment her cybernetic limb had received a slapdash repair; and that was to say nothing of the four members of Gangrel's crew who had laid down their lives in the battle; the Bear Faunus felt bile rising in his throat at the thought of having to be the one to inform their families, however the idea of delegating the task to someone else was unthinkable.  
There was also the matter of Donner, Gangrel let out a sigh at the thought of the conversation the two of them had shared only moments ago; the blue haired Huntress had responded to his concerns by simply quoting one of the chief medical officers' maxims _'You die in the field or you live forever'_ with a smile that did nothing to distract from her missing eye or trembling hands; the Bear Faunus knew within a minute of speaking with her that he would need to speak to the doctor and have her medical leave extended to deal with the trauma and have her subjected to a psychological evaluation, both things that Donner would resent. He was in a way thankful for the jamming signal that his vessel gave off, he had managed to contact Weiss on a secure line and enquire after Arctus; his wife had informed him that Rover and Artemis Tan had been in touch and were offering their services to their old team-mate. Gangrel's response had been a firm refusal, he would not be putting their safety at risk when he knew they had a small child at home, which was not to say he wouldn't have appreciated the assistance they could provide. His musings were interrupted by his comm beeping insistently until he answered

"Slate here" he answered

"It's me Sir" the tired voice of Specialist Commander Chiffon answered, the first mate had been leading the search on the ground "I'm on the way to your office. I have something that I think you need to see"

"Understood. I'll be there in a few minutes, Slate out" he ended the call and allowed an irritable growl to escape him as the admittedly dim hope of being able to speak to his children before the days' end faded away. His pace increased and his destination changed, Gangrel proving to be true to his word as a brisk walk brought him to his office within minutes; entering he found that Chiffon had already entered and working at the computer upon the main desk, his breach of privacy an indication of both their close working relationship and the urgency of whatever it was that the grizzled Hunter had found.

"What have you got?" Gangrel asked without preamble whilst making his way around the desk and seeing that Chiffon was in the process of de-encrypting a file from a flash drive.

"Video footage" came the reply, followed by hasty assurances "Originals are being seized and records altered, Kafsi is in the process of having everyone who knows about this sworn to silence"

"What in Oum's name did you find out in the snow that's classified?" Gangrel wondered aloud, the answer coming in the form of the decryption process finally ending and the video opening in a separate window but not playing, it's thumbnail alone enough to give the hulking Faunus pause, a fact which Chiffon noticed

"Highway patrol spotted her wandering down the road on her own a few miles outside of Gerat-Handlung, opposite side of the settlement to the SDC….Apparently she was covered in blood when they found her and they spotted a Beowolf pack stalking her nearby; they assumed that she'd been in a car accident"

"Fuck" Gangrel breathed out as a notion of where things were going formed in his mind "Have we run forensics on the blood?"

"Waiting for results" Chiffon answered before pausing and giving his commander, with whom he had been friends since they had been put through the enhanced training of the Specialist Branch together, a knowing look "About the same age as your youngest right?"

"Younger than AJ by the looks of her" Gangrel noted in a detached tone, too distracted to notice how easily his first read him. The Bear Faunus had a deeply ingrained need to protect those around him, a trait most likely developed in Sienna Khan's orphanage, a need which was only amplified where children were concerned and as he took in the sight of the small, scared looking girl with hair the colour of rose gold and oversized chitinous crablike pincers instead of hands he seethed in barely contained anger.

"Even Adam Taurus didn't do this" he snarled

"Sir?"

"Adam fucking Taurus didn't bring kids into battles….I want these fuckers found and dealt with" Chiffon made to comment, only pausing as he remembered the extent of the personal experience Gangrel Slate had in the subject of just where Adam Taurus drew the line.

"Play the video" he ordered simply, Chiffon did so and almost instantly the soothing tones of a police officer who, as far as Gangrel could tell, was only trying to help could be heard

"I understand that you're scared and your parents have probably told you not to talk to strangers, but I'm a police officer and I need you to talk to me so I can help you find your family, is that okay"

"Okay human" if the wording seemed unusual to the officer she didn't show it, the child delivered the answer with such naive innocence that Gangrel found it telling, though what it indicated he couldn't be sure

"Can you tell me your name?"

"I um….I was told to say my name is Coral Scylla"

"Fake names?" Gangrel mouthed in disbelief "For a kid?" the officer interviewing the little girl obviously shared the sentiment and pressed on

"You were told, so it's not your real name?"

"It was" the little girl answered and the officer seemed to relax, perhaps thinking that the uncertainty regarding her name may be the result of something as simple as a divorce between her parents

"Okay, can you tell me what your name is now?" the Crab Faunus gave a wide smile and answered, just as she'd been instructed

"My name's Omega, my family are the Cult of Taurus"

 **Authors Notes:**

So that's volume five over and done with, next we'll be moving into one of my favourite tropes in anime: The Tournament Arc.  
I want you to know that it took me serious willpower not to title this chapter "Nice"  
I seem to have picked quite a few new readers lately so I want to a moment to say hello and thank you.  
I think this chapter makes FADE Legacy longer than Downward Spiral  
Also I'm debating taking a week off of writing, my desire to plan a few chapters ahead is grappling with the desire to have my Vol.6 and actual Vol.6 start at the same time….Although that decision may be taken out of my hands if I get handed some overtime at work.  
The trailer had me vibrating with excitement, the hype train is now leaving the station.

Anyway let's summarise:  
Yes the ship that picked up Team FADE was called the Silver Lining because I am about as subtle as blunt force trauma.  
Even Kafsi has some redeeming qualities.  
I image having a commendation from an Atlesian General before you've even left the Academy is basically having the ability to write your own cheques when you graduate.  
In a subversion of all expectations, it's the other blonde that came home with two black eyes and a flattened nose.  
You know damn well that Helios and Nyanza didn't stop worrying from the moment they got the S.O.S to the moment they same Felix and they definitely tried to get there and help.  
We've all been Nyanza at some point haven't we.  
No but seriously I don't think Helios would be able to appreciate the threat of the White Fang the way Nyanza does, he hasn't really grown up hearing the stories the way the Faunus kids in the Kingdoms have.  
Felix is definitely Yang's kid.  
Yes Nyanza referred to the Krakatoa as an _"Absolute Unit"_.  
Helios seriously sees fighting a Grimm that size as totally worth it if it means he has a story to tell, it's a moment of Nikosi culture shining through.  
FELIX SAID IT! I can hear my Battle-Cat shippers losing their minds.  
The Frost River Tribe and the Nikosi share their love of tales of conquest if nothing else.  
Look at Onyx being all concerned.  
The mental image of Corvid just flicking his nose made me giggle when I thought of it.  
Also, Cinnabar….this is how you handle rejection without making yourself look a twat.  
Onyx is good at reading people.  
That moment when you see a dozen missed calls from Mum and your life flashes before your eyes.  
There will be a Corvid and Blake scene where why Corey doesn't want to even look at Blake is explained, early Vol.6  
Also, parents will be met in Vol.6….I have plans.  
Someone give Corey a hug please, she's an older sibling and us older siblings get way too used to putting a brave face on.  
Of course Blake and Yang knew straight away.  
I can imagine raising Felix and Corvid to be a lot of hard work; as much as we love them as characters they were both in trouble on a pretty regular basis.  
Corvid kinda comes off as _"Blake without a cause"_ in some ways.  
Blake is heading to Atlas.  
Interim leader, I already know who the next leader of the Atlas Branch of the Coalition is gonna be….readers of The Downward Spiral can probably guess.  
And that's how Celeste has Wilt, it was thrown into the ruined city that Adam died to defend; the same city where the Atlesian military left a nine year old Celeste paralysed from the waist down in their failed attempt to take back control….To Blake it's almost like seeing Adam rise from the dead.  
Imagine a cross between the coat Ghira wears and Blake's time-skip outfit….I just wanted her to show up in Vol.6 looking bad ass.  
Domestic Bumblebee is fun to write, it lightens the mood and those two deserve the happy marriage and two great kids they've got.  
The White Fang have places and people pretty much everywhere in the poorer parts of the Kingdom.  
Alpha is somewhere between Emerald and Tyrian in terms of dangerously devoted…..closer to Tyrian on that scale.  
Yes Gamma is getting a robot arm….but it's not just an arm. Stay tuned.  
A little insight into the Cults' thought process.  
Celeste is a fanatic but she isn't stupid, she wouldn't still be alive if she was.  
Celeste knows exactly what the consequence of her actions will be for the average Faunus living in Atlas and she's counting on it; more attacks means more hate crime against Faunus, which means more Faunus become radicalised and join the cause.  
Oz you slick talking bastard.  
Antonia is smart….and oh boy is she pissed off, that Jaune shaped wound is never really gonna heal.  
Antonia is making Oz compile the list that she already had a copy of to see if he leaves anyone off of it, a way of spotting potential accomplices. Obviously she doesn't know that he's a time bending Wizard.  
So, Oz is under suspicion….let's see how that goes.  
I think Eagle, who never really had many friends would definitely use maintaining Sentinel as a distraction and a coping mechanism.  
Yes Carcharodon will happily sit outside in the snow, just because.  
Protective Hellion is the best Hellion.  
Eagle with tats anyone?  
I will freely admit that this scene was nothing but self indulgence because y'know what Eagle has earned some free time to just have topless cuddles with her girl and be cute okay.  
The Eco-Dust sickness thing is partly to keep consistent and have the drug 'Booster' remain relevant for third year when we're back in New Vale and partly to stop Arctus from becoming OP.  
Arctus was ready to blow the Dust and die rather than be captured, I think having a little breakdown afterwards is a completely understandable reaction.  
" _Oh my Oum what happened?"_ is pretty much the theme of this Chapter.  
Do you really think Weiss would leave her children's safety to chance?  
I'm sure I don't need to say who Team FADE are up against in the first round.  
Raffia is pretty much constantly angry, he can't heal and progress as a person in large part because he doesn't really want to.  
Onyx on the other hand and I think Hellion too are open to the idea of a new way of life.  
The "Snows" and their office was inspired by recruitment agencies I've had to deal with….never met snottier little scumbags in my life.  
Look at Onyx trying to sound professional.  
He called them a pair of whores.  
Somewhere along the line Raffia became more bitter and hard-line than Carcharodon and everyone he cared about was too busy and distracted to notice.  
Yes the _"It only takes one person to deliver a message"_ line was based on Mulan.  
Oh that's gonna have consequences.  
Gang is a man with a lot of worries.  
If Missy and Rover came over they could find the White Fang in a week at most, but Gangrel won't risk it.  
The blood obviously won't have any useful results, it's all from the guard that Delta brained.  
Seriously when I wrote Downward Spiral even Adam had a clear moral stance against the harming of kids; I suppose we could use this as a chance to highlight how often religious extremists have no real interest in the tenets of their faith and are really just power hungry….but anyway.  
And now Gangrel knows about Omega.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Bankerrtx01, iSassenach, Funlander, FleetOfWarships, CTFenix, FluffyFirefly and Ferrous for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Appropriate bird noises will be made.  
…..I mean if Eco-Dust is green then Pooh Bear actually went Legendary Super Saiyan Broly.  
Of course, not to make people sympathise with the Cult of Taurus but because I find villains that can act like everyday people and have human emotions more interesting and scarier than a one dimensional monster.  
Yeah the Academies are teaching them mainly how to fight Grimm, killing literal monsters made from literal darkness is different to killing people.  
I'm glad people loved the violence.  
Yeah I feel like I managed to pull a fake out here….remember, this was the end of Vol.5, but Vol.6 is the end of the whole second year arc.  
Oh yeah if they were left to fight uninterrupted Felix and Celeste would probably level everything around them.  
Of course we all know who the insider is.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	70. Round One! Fight! (Vol6)

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 70: Round One! Fight!**

On the island of Patch, in a quiet part of what toed the line between large town and small city, situated closer to the more affluent residential areas and older homes that had been built before the war than the more bustling and crowded areas close to the docks and warehouses that provided much of the islands' employment, was a tavern named the Bear. The Bear was known to almost all who lived on the island due to the identity of its' owners, the landlord being one Miltia Wukong, formerly Malachite and her husband being Sun Wukong; one of the most recognisable faces within the community. Currently the Bear was filled almost to capacity as a sizeable portion of the islands' close knit community had gathered in bars, youth groups and anywhere else that could enough people to watch several of their own take part in the greatest sporting event on Remnant.

"Here's your order….hey, um Missus Xiao Long can I sit here for a while I don't want Mum to see me slacking off while I'm supposed to be working?" Amethyst Malachite asked as she delivered a tray of food and drinks to a corner table with a great view of the widescreen TV mounted on the opposite wall, said table being occupied by the most famous Huntress to ever hail from the humble fishing village the Patch had once been, Ruby Rose, her wife and twin children and Amethyst's own teacher Yang Xiao Long as well as her soon to be retired headmaster Taiyang. Yang glanced up from her Scroll as she sent a text message asking if Blake had arrived at the stadium yet and studied her students' face, noting as she had several times that she very much resembled her father while having her mothers' jade green eyes, ebony hair and pale complexion

"Sure you can" she patted an empty seat and gestured for Amethyst to sit. The Monkey Faunus did so, tail reflexively curling and uncurling as she silently realised the calibre of Hunters she was now surrounded by; the brief moment of silent contemplation was broken by a small hand tugging at her sleeve

"Hey" one of Ruby and Penny Rose's twins' the little girl asked with a bright smile that seemed to stretch to the corners of her freckled cheeks and make her silver eyes shine "You think our cousins are gonna win?" Amethyst gave a wide smile of her own while giving her honest answer, which also happened to be the only one she dared give while sat at this particular table

"I think they're definitely gonna win"

* * *

The staff room of Halo Academy was surprisingly quiet, even though lessons had ended for the day one could usually find the room filled with the brand of frenetic energy unique to teachers who had papers to grade, lessons to plan and far too little time. Currently however its' only occupants were Lie and Nora Ren, who were making no attempt at maintaining professionalism whilst her head lay in his lap and Neptune and Scarlet David-Vasilias; the private detective technically violating some obscure rule with his presence considering he was only married to a member of staff, though his was a technicality nobody present was interested in as the sound of roaring crowds emanated from the television the quartet were watching demanded their attention

"Where is everyone?" Scarlet asked from his place at the small stove in the staff room kitchen, where he was using his cybernetic left hand to flip the burgers he was cooking, a habit that irked his husband to no end. Ren took a moment to think before answering

"Some of the students have gathered into the atrium to watch the first round together, completely of their own accord. Glynda and a few of the others decided to join them and oversee things" a proud smile at the thought the school spirit among his students crossed his face before he continued "Peach is in her lab, she has a project she's working on-"  
"As always" Nora noted with a roll of her eyes before adding "And Dove went home to watch the first round with his kids….I think he said his son starts here next year" whatever distaste she had for Professor Bronzewing she would not begrudge the man leaving the campus to spend time with his family; both she and her husband had learned the value of family the hard way, both orphans who had only truly felt at home after being all but adopted by the Arcs.

"I get that Peach loves her subject but how on Remnant is she missing this?" Neptune sighed with clear annoyance at his colleagues seeming lack of interest in the fate of the students she taught. Any further discussion was halted by a gentle rapping at the door

"Come in" Ren called out and the door swung opened revealing first year student Shine Jua, leader of Team SNST clad in a pair of grey sweatpants and a black t-shirt

"Professor Nora I wanted to ask if you had a few minutes, I wanted to ask some questions about the assignment you gave us" Nora rose from her position on Ren's lap and gave the student a bright smile. Shine had progressed incredibly from his admittedly lack luster beginnings as a student; whatever training Team SNST had been subjected to by Team GORE prior to their departure had obviously left a remarkable impression on them.

"I can schedule an hour or two tomorrow morning for some more in depth tutoring for you and your team if that'd help?"

"It really would" the dark skinned teen smiled gratefully before catching sight of the television "Ah crap I'm gonna miss the start" he made to turn and sprint to the atrium

"Wait!" Nora called out before he could do so and motioned to an empty seat "You can watch in here….we won't tell Professor Goodwitch if you don't"

"Thank you" he beamed, Neptune turned to his husband

"Hey Scar, can you throw another burger on….and for Oum sake will you stop using your hand!"

* * *

Below Halo Academy in the lowest reaches of the Hive City which formed New Vale's capital was a bookkeepers whose clientele seemed to consist of criminals of almost every kind imaginable who had money to spare with the occasional hard working individual whose honest living failed to pay enough to allow them to live to a less downtrodden part of the city. The business had recently come under new management and ownership, the individual who had bought it being none other than Rhodium Torchwick; the gangster adding it to an ever expanding portfolio of legal businesses he had begun acquiring after the private security firm he had founded following his escape from prison had begun turning a legitimate profit. This establishment much like the others he had taken over was useful more as an avenue for money laundering as no matter how well the various takeaways, barbershops and second hand car dealerships he had taken over did financially they would never manage to make as much money as the drug trade which Rhodium had taken steps to secure the lions' share of, his seemingly inexorable takeover of organised crime within the city having come to the attention of Melanie Malachite if rumours heard from addicts were to believed. There was another reason Rhodium refused to leave the criminal lifestyle and simply become a legitimate businessman; the life he had chosen excited him and felt like a connection to the father he had never known, being forced to comply with rules beyond those he set for himself left him more bored than he currently was.

"Is the match gonna start are they gonna fucking talk about it all day?" the redhead spat, gesturing at the largest television which showed a stadium somewhere in Atlas whose name Rhodium didn't know, he'd never left his home Kingdom and frankly had no real desire to.

"Not scheduled to start for another ten minutes boss" one of his cohorts answered from nearby where they were placing a small bet on a Mistrali hover-boarding competition taking place later that evening. Rhodium made a noise of pure annoyance before turning to one of the bookkeepers', whom the mobster realised was now one of his employees

"Do you know who the first match is gonna be?"

"I do Mister Torchwick" the old man, whose face Rhodium found oddly familiar answered as he produced the fixtures which handily provided some stats and photographs of each competing student, provided by Atlas Academy "The first match is actually a local team, Team FADE and they're up against-"

"Lemme see" Rhodium snatched the papers from the old mans' hand, eyes widening in shock at the sight of familiar faces before he gave a wide smile that showed off the white gold false teeth filling his mouth and let out a hysterical laugh at the absurdity of it all

"Boss?" one of his drug runners asked with a raised eyebrow; Rhodium paid them no mind and simply withdrew a bundle of Lien wrapped in a rubber band, the size of which rendered the bookkeeper speechless. Rhodium, still giggling, placed his bet

"Ten grand on the local team to win the whole fucking thing. That Lion Faunus packs a punch"

* * *

The first round of the Vytal Tournament was being held in a truly massive stadium situated within the upper reaches of the Atlesian capital of Eisenstadt Prime, it was designed to hold tens of thousands of guests and if the deafening cacophony that greeted Team FADE as they exited their changing room and strode purposefully towards the arena itself were any indication each and everyone of those seats had been filled with a cheering fan.

"This" Eagle beamed nervously as she quoted her honorary Aunt Nora "Is happening"

"Hell yeah it is" Felix breathed out as the four teens drew close to the edge of the arena before finally stepping onto a small outcropping which seemed somehow separate from the gigantic circular structure which would soon become their testing ground. Felix noted, with a slight double take that each of Team FADE seemed to be wearing what could be considered their 'original' Hunter uniforms; he had foregone the baggy hoodie he had been wearing whilst in Atlas, reasoning that it provided an opponent with something to grab onto; Diamond's coat had been ruined during their last mission, Arctus had spilled oil on his winter jacket while maintaining his weapon and Eagle claimed that her thicker hoodie had simply been misplaced, though Felix was certain that he had seen Hellion wearing it to breakfast only a few days ago. The oddly random observation was pushed from his mind as the crowds' cheering reached new intensity, their opponents had arrived.

"Ladies and gentleman, children of all ages!" a voice that both Eagle and Felix would know anywhere boomed out over the stadiums' speakers "Welcome to the Vytal Tournament!"

"Uncle Qrow?" Felix mouthed in silent disbelief; though he was unsure exactly why as he knew that his great uncle had performed this exact job in the past

"Indeed" a far more subdued but equally enthusiastic voice chimed in, words falling from them at a somewhat unnerving pace "We are broadcasting live from the Prime Stadium in Atlas and I am your host Bartholomew Oobleck, with me is our special guest presenter Qrow Branwen. Qrow any thoughts on the upcoming match?"

"Oh I have plenty of thoughts, but apparently for the sake of fair an unbiased coverage I'm not allowed to talk about 'em on air-" the stadium was filled with raucous laughter and cheers "But I'm just saying I know who my Lien is on"

"Cute" a bitter voice spat from across the arena and Team FADE turned their attention their adversaries; each of them in unspoken agreement that no matter how well they had trained, victory against Team CNBR would not come easily.

"Opening our first match of the day and of the tournament we have, all the way from New Vale representing Halo Academy in only its' second time as a competitor; Eagle Arc, Diamond Sustrai-Black, Arctus Slate and their leader Felix Xiao Long! Make some noise for Team FADE!" the entire stadium went wild and each of the team being cheered reacted differently, Felix unable to help himself flexed and played up to the attention for the cameras, Diamond rolled her eyes at her team-mates display and smiled, Eagle fidgeted and shifted her weight nervously while Arctus merely glared across the arena in stoic silence, pale sapphire eyes never leaving the angry amber of Cinnabar Blaine

"And their opponents" Oobleck continued "Will be Rainy Zise, Bracken Thorn, Nitro Smoke and their Leader Cinnabar Blaine. Make some noise for Team CNBR!" the crowd obliged and the entire stadium itself seemed to shake with the fervour of the crowd as Rainy waved to the fans and smiled sweetly, Nitro seemed to shrink in on himself despite his size, Bracken began stretching whilst giving Diamond an expression that seemed to say _'Nothing personal'_ while Cinnabar maintained eye contact with Arctus, a stark contrast to the show-boating his considerable fan base had come to expect.

"Mister Blaine seems to have quite a few fans in attendance today, no doubt many more are watching in Mistral" Oobleck noted

"I hope that he isn't expecting an easy match today though" Qrow noted gruffly "This could be an early upset"

"Indeed, Qrow how about you explain to any first time viewers in our audience how this match will proceed?"

"As you can see we have two teams of four, any minute now our stadium will be selected. Once that happens and Barty here gives the signal the rules are simple; the teams fight until one has lost all of its' members due to Aura depletion, ring out or submission….although I don't think I've ever seen someone actually submit"  
"Nor have I come to think of it" Oobleck pondered before quickly collecting himself "Now, to select our stadium!"

"This part is always cool" Eagle breathed out, Felix nodded in silent agreement as the floor of the stadium seemed to split into a pair of semicircular components which in turn lowered out of view with a clanging sound which echoed throughout the stadium and overpowered the sound of the crowd for a moment. Thousands of people waited with baited breath until the arena that the two teams would do battle in rose into view

"Some of the old classics" Qrow noted with obvious approval

"On Team CNBR's side of the field we have the ruined cityscape and on Team FADE's we have the glacial terrain!" Oobleck announced

"Okay this is cool" Diamond grinned as she took in the sight of glaciers created with the use of ice Dust that rose into the distance, each frigid structure several times the height and width of a person, the ground being covered with ankle deep artificial snow. On the opposing side of the field several grey buildings each several stories in height had been seemingly constructed and then partially destroyed for the purpose of creating a more interesting battleground. Arctus gave the arena a cursory glance and noted that if anything the terrain would give the advantage to a native of Atlas like himself before returning his focus to the leader of Team CNBR. Cinnabar Blaine was no longer clad in the school uniform or simple sweatpants Arctus usually saw him in; his attire consisted of black pants with several pockets tucked into a pair of obviously armour plated boots of the same colour, the pants were held up by several belts which were partially covered by a vivid orange sash hanging from his waist while his knees were protected with pads of a dull bronze colour, he wore a tactical armoured vest with a glossy black finished that Arctus recognised as a military model similar to the armour plating integrated into his own shirt. Cinnabar had covered the distinctive tattoos on his hands with a layer of white tape which spanned from the knuckles of each hand almost to the elbow, his weapon was slung over his back attached to a harness which also seemed to connected to a small bronze armour plate connected to his left shoulder, the older students' customary man bun with shaved sides was in place and his acne scarred cheeks were hidden by the black dust mask covering the lower half of his face.

"Dee you know these guys" Felix stated "Any idea how to handle 'em, who do we need to watch out for the most?"

"All of 'em" Diamond answered simply, shaking her head at the notion that would be such a simple solution to the problem "I'll cover Bracken I've seen her spar with Sin before. Don't let Rainy fool you, she's more capable that she lets on. Don't underestimate Nitro-"

"THREE, TWO-" Oobleck's voice cut through the muttered conversation, Arctus reached over his Shoulder to grab Gefroren-Erbe and hold his left hand out behind him

"What about Cinnabar?" he asked

"Be careful"

"ONE-"  
"He's good big guy, just don't-"

"BEGIN!" Arctus cast a Glyph behind him, its' surface shifting into black as it was infused with Gravity Dust; using the glyph as a spring board Arctus hurtled forwards on a collision course with Cinnabar who had charged toward him the moment the signal had been given. Arctus's first warning that something was wrong was a panicked yell for him to look out from Diamond; the second was a brief glimpse of his targets' Aura becoming visible as Cinnabar engaged his own Semblance. Before Arctus could react he felt himself be grabbed by unseen hands and thrown aside, dust and rubble coating his clothes as he smashed through a section of partially collapsed wall on Team CNBR's side of the field.

"Y'know rich kid, I wasn't gonna single you out….I really wasn't" Cinnabar sneered, contempt dripping from every syllable. Arctus rose to his feet, vaguely aware of the crowd roaring and the commentary about his failed attack however his attention was primarily focused on Cinnabar, his Aura was a fiery colour, not the blazing gold of Felix's but more closely resembling the burning orange colour of the magma that criss-crossed the Lion Faunus when he entered his Balrog state; more worryingly there were what could only be described as four limbs made of pure Aura sprouting seemingly from a point between the older students' shoulder blades, each sporting many joints and ending in claw like fingers

"But" Cinnabar sighed "Since you insist" two things happened at once, firstly Cinnabar drew the broad bladed sword from his back and secondly two of the aura-limbs shot forth and buried themselves in the ground at Arctus's sides. The Bear Faunus instinctively threw a Glyph in front of him, a decision that was proved correct as the phantom limbs contracted pulling Cinnabar forwards, the Glyph shattering as his knee connected with it; Arctus barely managing to parry the follow up over-handed slash with his own sword. His eyes widened in realisation as he saw one of the limbs conjured by Cinnabar's Semblance move, he quickly moved to parry the incorporeal fist flying at his gut with his sword, only for another collide with his back and another to drive into his kidneys bringing him to his knees before Cinnabar launched a spinning heel kick which caught the Bear Faunus in the cheek and sent he skidding across the floor

"Yeah you're not the only one with a showy Semblance kid….This is probably the closest thing to a fair fight you've ever actually had y'know that right?" Arctus didn't respond to the taunts, simply forcing himself back to his feet and readying himself for a fight that he instinctively knew would be one of the most difficult he had ever faced.

* * *

Eagle had found herself paired off against Rainy Zise, a small young woman with pale brown skin, dyed blonde hair and whiskey coloured eyes clad in an outfit that was by no means suitable for the cold; she was clad in comfortable footwear and thigh high socks both pristine white, a pale blue skirt and crop top with a sleeveless black jacket thrown over it which remained unfastened as was adorned with many patches displaying smiling cartoonish faces and characters, her hands were covered by black fingerless gloves. Eagle gave a noise of frustration, Rainy's outfit combined with her highly athletic and acrobatic fighting style was frankly distracting and the blonde was more than a little embarrassed at how well it was working.

"Get her" she instructed Sentinel as the older student leapt away from Eagle's latest attempt to engage her in combat, landing on one of the small glaciers littering Team FADE's half of the arena.

"Doot da doot!" the droid chirped happily before training its' compact Gatling-gun and opening fire, the glacier being reduced to countless miniscule fragments as bullets ripped though it; though Rainy had already moved

"And it seems Miss Arc just cannot get to grips with Miss Zise, remarkable as her choice in weapons is" Oobleck observed, voice carrying over the sound of the audience

"Don't count her out just yet Barty, she's got plenty of tricks left up her sleeve" Qrow's amused voice countered and Eagle felt a swell of pride; which promptly ended as her legs were pulled from under her and she was treated to a face full of snow while the sound of the audience cheering and Sentinel opening fire rang in her ears. Rolling into a crouch and readying her sword she caught sight of Rainy, sitting on a glacier just out of Sentinel's range and waving down at her while playing with what Eagle realised with a start was a Yo-Yo

"So um hi, we haven't really been introduced….mainly 'cos Sin's a jerk sometimes" Rainy called down to her with a melodic voice "Just wanted to say I like the armour and your weapon in super cool, did you make that?"

"Uh yeah I did" Eagle gave a bashful smile "It took me a long time but-What the!" the blonde was cut out as Rainy fired her Yo-Yo forward, the toy extending much further and rotating much faster than one would expect; she had a brief glimpse of several chambers containing Dust crystals before it struck her right wrist, knocking her sword from her hand as it collided with the surface of the nearest glacier where it was quickly encased in ice

"Sorry about that" Rainy sounded genuinely uncomfortable at her own underhanded tactics before promptly putting her qualms aside and somersaulting from the glacier she was perched on; Eagle saw the Yo-Yo flying towards her at a velocity which indicated that it was being accelerated by Gravity Dust, the Yo-Yo struck Eagle in the face and sent her crashing backwards through the glacier which shattered and fell with a deafening crash.

"A TRULY IMPRESSIVE DISPLAY FROM RAINY ZISE!" Oobleck announced

"But Eagle's Aura reserves are big enough to withstand it" Qrow countered. Eagle rose to her feet and cast her eyes around, a slow sigh of relief escaping her as she saw that Sentinel was undamaged and trundling back over to her

"Seriously it's nothing personal and you're robot is really cool" was the warning Eagle received before the Yo-Yo whizzed passed the side of her face, narrowly missing her cheek.

"Cool Yo-Yo" Eagle replied as she span and slashed at the cord as it was retracted with her hastily recovered sword; Rainy pulled her weapon out of reach in a wide overhead arc and performed several tricks while winking and at the blonde

"Thanks, I call it _'The Trickster Goddess'_ " with that she clutched the weapon and twisted some unseen mechanism before launching forwards again, this time fuelled by Fire Dust and glowing with heat as it grazed Eagle's freckled cheek

"SENTINEL FIRE!" the blonde bellowed as she charged forwards brandishing her sword, Rainy leapt over the first stab and landed a kick to Eagle's shoulder, weaved under a follow up slash and delivered a punch to the inside of her knee that buckled her leg and sent the blonde crashing to the ground. Sentinel was yet to comply with Eagle's command and the blonde realised it was due to her own close proximity, a small smirk of satisfaction crossed her face before she gave new orders

"Sentinel! Lightning claws!"

"Doot doot!"

"That's cute-AGHHH!" Rainy let out a howl of pain as the automaton launched its' pincer like armatures forth on retractable cables, latching onto the older students' jacket and promptly unleashing enough voltage to power the average suburban street. Eagle saw her opponents' Aura flicker and ripple, a deep blue light engulfing her, and seized the opportunity to rush forwards and launch an offensive

"THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!" Qrow called out, any pretence of impartiality being forgotten as Eagle sent Rainy tumbling to the ground with a downward strike

"It seems Miss Zise is on the ropes" Oobleck added with clear excitement as the Haven student failed to avoid another bone rattling blow from Eagle.

"Now open fire!" Eagle called out to Sentinel, satisfied that enough distance had been created; the droid chirped happily and took aim but before the salvo could begin Rainy sent Trickster Goddess hurtling forwards in a last ditch effort to regain control of this battle. Time seemed to stand still for Eagle as she watched the Yo-Yo shoot passed her and collide with Sentinel's cranium; the single blinking and oddly expressive optic flickered and shattered in slow motion as simple metals and polymers were subjected to the force of an Aura fuelled attack. The crowd exploded into an earth shattering cacophony at this latest development though Eagle didn't hear them, her entire world being narrowed down to the damaged droid who gave a series of pitiable bleeps and chirps before slumping forwards, offline.

"I am so sorry" Rainy gasped, her voice snapping Eagle from her daze. She didn't turn to face the opponent immediately. Instead her fists shook and her crimson eyes narrowed in unchecked fury. Eagle was suddenly compelled to act and without thinking thrust her sword into the ground before turning and charging at Rainy with a scream which changed tone and pith, becoming an avian shriek midway through. Rainy had been prepared for a head on attack from the admittedly stronger second year, she had not expected Eagle to suddenly vanish and be replaced by a bird of prey which had then veered off through the various glaciers littering the arena. A moment later she heard the sound wings and something drawing close at speed coming from behind her and to the left, she turned and her perceptions slowed to a crawl giving her an opportunity to glimpse the anger on Eagle's face as she returned to her natural state behind her, promptly gripping Rainy by the back of the head and driving her face first through the nearest glacier. Rainy Zise failed to hear what came next as her senses had been consumed by silent darkness, however the entirety of the stadium erupted in a frenzy only equalled by the Arc family in their home in the small farming village of New Hope as Bartholomew Oobleck quickly switched off Qrow's microphone to prevent his outburst from being heard by impressionable young minds, whilst at the same time calling out

"IN A SHOCKING TURN OF EVENTS TEAM FADE TAKE AN EARLY LEAD! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN RAINY ZISE'S AURA IS DEPLETED!"

* * *

Bracken Thorn in full combat attire presented a fearsome sight, her pale skin accentuated by make up even darker and more drastic than was the norm for her; while dating Cinnabar Diamond had jokingly called it Bracken's 'war paint' now seeing her with jet black lips from which her bat-like fangs protruded slightly and what appeared to a lightning bolt under each eye highlighting the emerald green orbs, the description seemed strikingly accurate. Her attire was a mix of vaguely Gothic fashion and practical armour which combined with her height gave her an overall appearance that was frankly intimidating; black sleeveless tailcoat hanging open to reveal ripped pants and spiked boots which made appear even taller, what appeared to be an armoured corset and jagged pieces of stylised armour with engraved thorns adorning her shoulders and forearms, her spiked short hair and studded choker completing the look

"So random question, where did you get that jacket?" Diamond asked, unnervingly casual as she leapt over a low sweep from Bracken and promptly used her Semblance to run vertically along the wall of a ruined building before leaping and landing behind the older student "I'm guessing that place on Altan street, next to-" she was cut off by Bracken thrusting at her chest, Diamond leaned back and allowed the attack to pass over her and followed it up by gracefully flipping out of range while still holding Lex Talionis at the ready in its' glaive form.

"Trying to distract me won't work, but nice try though" Bracken grinned as she twirled her weapon effortlessly; she wielded a double barrelled shotgun which extended out into a Bo-staff, each end of which featured Dust chambers with which to increase its' destructive potential, the weapon was named _'Wrathful Slattern'_ and Diamond would freely admit that parts of its' design had been loose inspiration for her own weapon.

"But since you asked" Bracken chuckled "It's a new place, you won't have seen it" the two of them circled each other for a moment

"Cool where?" Diamond asked with genuine curiosity until she saw the bat ears protruding from her opponents' ears twitch, an unmistakable tell

"It's behind you!" without thinking the silver haired sniper turned and swung her glaive in a wide arc behind her, only to hit nothing but air

"Looks like Thorn is getting in her opponents' head there" Qrow's voice confirmed Diamond's realisation almost as soon as it hit her. Bracken took advantage of the momentary distraction to slam one end of her staff into the ground, its' Dust chamber filled with glossy black Gravity Dust which hurled her forward much the same way she'd seen Arctus use his Glyphs; the other end of Wrathful Slattern was filled with Lightning Dust and as Diamond turned to block with the flat edge of her own weapon arcs of electricity danced across its' surface, travelling along her arms and flinging her backwards through a street that had been constructed and then shelled specifically for this event until she activated her Semblance once again and landed crouched on the vertical surface of a wall, the concrete cracking with the force of her impact

"I must say Miss Sustrai-Black is holding her own quite well against the older student" Oobleck noted with clear interest in the result of this bout. Diamond tuned the commentary out and kept her focus firmly on Bracken who had shifted her weapon into its' ranged form, hurriedly setting its' Dust chambers to fire incendiary rounds; the heat and flames from each blast that Diamond knocked aside obscuring her vision for a moment, preventing her from returning fire. Diamond merely waited, listening to the sound of booted feet drawing close until she leapt into the air and somersaulted over her opponent, landing a trio of successfully hits before Bracken could turn and ready her staff, the ends of which appeared as blazing torches as the Fire Dust the weapon was still loaded with fuelled them; however once Bracken had managed to begin fighting back it became clear that she was easily a match for Diamond in single combat, their weapons clashed at blinding speed and each fighter made truly incredible displays of athleticism and skill, the crowd becoming particularly vocal when Diamond evaded an attack by flipping over it and countering with a slash at her opponents' midsection while inverted in a one handed handstand. Unimpressed Bracken simply kicked her away. Diamond used the distance as an opportunity to take stock and upon realising that her current strategy was effectively fighting on Bracken's terms she decided to change her approach. As a portion of wall, roughly level with her face was frozen solid by an Ice Dust round Diamond moved away from the corner of a building she had ducked behind and used her Semblance to run along the wall before clambering through a window several stories above ground whilst silently thanking the announcers for not giving away her position. Moving silently and swiftly through rooms that had been reconstructed with haunting accuracy Diamond positioned herself in a window facing the direction Bracken was approaching from and took careful aim knowing that she would only get one shot. Exhaling slowly she pulled the trigger and fired a round she'd bought specifically for the competition; the price of the Poly-Tech engineered nano-bot ammunition limiting her purchase to the single shot. Bracken was hurled into the air as the first miniscule robot detonated its' payload of unstable Dust fragments a moment after the round collided with her shoulder, followed by several small explosions as countless nano-bots that had worked their way across her torso exploded in tandem

"A MASSIVE HIT FROM DIAMOND SUSTRAI-BLACK!" Oobleck called out

"Now that's more like it!" Qrow almost purred "There' more to this line of work than punching people in the face….not that it doesn't have its' uses"

"Indeed Qrow indeed" Oobleck chuckled "But it seems Miss Thorn isn't finished yet, a marked improvement from performance in her previous entry to the Vytal Tournament" Diamond saw an expression of pure rage pass across her face, as if the memory of her previous losses were more than she were willing to tolerate. Twirling her staff the Bat Faunus scanned the ruined building Diamond was still hiding in, large and sensitive ears straining to pick up any sound that would give the sniper away. Diamond cursed herself in her head for her lack of foresight as she realised she was now effectively pinned. Slowly and making as little noise as possible, barely daring to breathe she slunk across the room in search of a quick escape; noting that there were cameras inside the buildings, presumably to record any combat that took place inside them

"Surprise" Diamond had no time to react before a booted foot crashed into her face, Diamond staggered backwards only for Bracken's staff to smash into the small of her back, as she dropped to her hands and knees she saw the faint outline of the older student form in a darkened corner of the room and realised with a jolt of fear that her Semblance allowed the Faunus some degree of teleportation.

"Been holding out on the fans?" Diamond quipped as she rolled under a strike aimed at her head and managed to block another attack from a different direction on pure instinct alone

"Can't put a show on if you play all you cards at once" Bracken replied, each word coming from a different patch of shadows, leaving Diamond completely lost as to her whereabouts; a situation that was quickly remedied as Bracken swept her legs out from under her and promptly teleported above her still falling body, striking downwards with her staff; the Gravity Dust it was currently armed with propelling Diamond downwards with enough force to shatter through several floors and ceilings, landing partially buried in a heap of rubble and plaster, battered and bruised but still unbeaten despite the cacophony outside from a crowd who thought otherwise.

"Nothing personal" Bracken's voice whispered out to her as she rose to her feet, once again emanating from each unlit corner in turn as she announced her presence.

"Nothing personal" Diamond agreed, twirling Lex Talionis and preparing for a fight that was despite her best efforts, still on her opponents' terms.

* * *

"Fuck" Felix spat viciously as he hit the floor, pain exploding in his left shoulder where he'd been hit. He'd found himself facing Nitro Smoke of Team CNBR and despite Diamond's warnings had been utterly unprepared for the third years' capabilities. The young man stood at a little over six feet tall and possessed clearly muscular arms and shoulders, offset somewhat by a torso that toed the line between wide-set and what could politely be described as chunky. He wore what could best be described as a tracksuit with light armour plating attached to it protecting his vital areas, his face was partially obscured by a heavy pair of goggles whose purpose Felix was unsure of and atop his head was a bucket hat, were the fight progressing more in Felix's favour he would have made many scathing comments about his opponents choice in attire.

"Struggling there?" Nitro laughed from somewhere behind him and the Lion Faunus turned, Hack and Slash shifting into their machine pistol forms as he moved and opened fire; the glaciers on Team FADE's side of the field fractured under the assault and the forcefield surrounding the arena rippled with dozens of impacts but Nitro remained unharmed and unseen. This was how the battle between the pair had progressed thus far, Felix had realised early on upon seeing track in the snow that the older student was gifted with superhuman speed, not quite on the level as Ruby Rose but still faster than he had any real countermeasures to deal with. Upon realising that Felix's Faunus reflexes and rapid firing weapons weren't enough to catch him Nitro had launched a campaign of hit and run attacks which turned what could have been a brawl between two highly capable fighters into a series of brief skirmishes

"FOR OUM'S SAKE FLUFFY STOP FIRING BLIND AND THINK!" Qrow's irate voice barked over the speakers

"For the sake of transparency, our audience should be aware that Mister Xiao Long is in fact Qrow's nephew" Oobleck could be heard explaining, a hint of amusement to his voice. In a move so predictable Felix was annoyed at himself that he didn't dodge it reflexively Nitro rushed passed and swept his legs out from beneath him, a moment later he felt the dull ache of several gunshots colliding with his Aura. Rolling into a crouch he opened fire again, this time aiming his weapons at a slight angle to each other in attempt to box his target in; it worked until his weapons clicked empty leaving he and Nitro facing each other in the midst of the bullet-scarred battlefield

"See now you're getting it kid" Nitro chuckled with genuine amusement as he readied his weapon; he wielded a shield which was streamlined yet angular with a pair of small machine-guns slung beneath it, the shield could shift into an axe like weapon extending from its' users' forearm; Felix had learned over the course of the match that the weapon was named _'Geryon'_

"Yeah so that smile is about to come off your face" Felix growled, unable to keep his temper from rising just a little; Nitro was a willing accomplice to Cinnabar's harassment of Arctus and Diamond and the Lion Faunus felt some of the same aggression that had stained his time as a student of Signal Academy at home on Patch seeping into him.

"You say that but…." Nitro trailed off and Felix saw a slight movement of his feet, a redistribution of weight before a charge. Without thinking he shifted Hack and Slash back into their sword modes and held them in a reverse grip while dropping into a crouch; pain surged through his arms with the force of Nitro colliding into him, the older student had intended to strike at Felix's legs again but instead his back-handed slash had been blocked and his arm used as the fulcrum for his entire bodyweight, sending him flailing over Felix's head to crash face down in the snow several dozen feet away. Felix rose to the sound of thunderous applause and converted one of his swords to its' ranged mode, quickly reloading while Nitro rose to his feet and clutched at his shoulder; the Lion Faunus gave a feral smile as he waited to put an idea to the test. Nitro wasted no more words, simply vanishing in a blur of speed and spurring Felix into action; he leapt aside and fired at the ground emptying the magazine of Ice Dust he'd just loaded into the space he'd just been stood, Nitro predictably attacked from behind and found himself unable to stop in time, slipping on the ice and being sent crashing to the ground once more.

"So, fun games are over let's see if you can actually fight!" Felix challenged as he rushed over to the still rising third year, his knee connecting with the larger mans' mouth with a satisfying crunch. Nitro recovered quickly however and despite his reputation amongst his fellow students as being nothing but his partners' toady it seemed he could indeed fight, his Semblance giving him the requisite speed to counter the endless storm of blades Felix unleashed upon him before bringing Geryon, in its' shield form down on the Faunus's collarbone and forcing Felix down to his knees

"Can't rely on that Semblance forever" Felix snarled before lunging in an attempt to tackle the older student to the ground and seize control of the fight, Nitro caught his arms

"As if you don't depend on yours" Nitro countered, the statement catching Felix off guard long enough for him to break free of the grapple and land a series of punches on the Faunus's face "You must have the worst luck ever though" with that he employed another burst of his Semblance and managed to get behind Felix, grabbing him by the tail and hurling him across the arena, his flight coming to abrupt halt as he smashed through a glacier several meters thick and rolled to a stop. Nitro, sensing that victory was close decided that he had earned the right to brag a little

"Seriously, kudos to you for trying to keep that Semblance of yours quiet. I would've done the same kid...Did a little asking around, sounds like you're just draining thermal energy out of the air and using it as an extra power source….on any other terrain that might have helped" Nitro felt the sense of superiority that had fuelled his gloating leave him as Felix brushed snow from his dirty blonde mane and let out a mocking laugh

"Seriously, kudos to you for trying to do your research" he turned his opponents' words back on him as he rolled his shoulders back and braced himself "Couple of details you missed though, firstly I can hold a charge….so that sauna next to the campus gym that I was in all day really helped. Secondly….this" Nitro stood in slack jawed silence as Felix unleashed his Semblance in all its' glory, skin blackening and glowing with countless veins of magma while his eyes hair and tail blazed with golden fire. The third year had only a brief glance of Felix's Balrog State before the snow and ice around him was reduced to a mist which obscured the Faunus from view

"Oh shi-" Nitro never finished the sentence, cut off as a chunk of glacier roughly the size of a station wagon hurtled through the mist faster than even he could avoid.

* * *

In the stands, inside a V.I.P booth separating them from the vast majority of the audience Gangrel slate watched the match unfolding, giving sympathetic winces each time his son received an especially painful looking hit. Beside him Weiss sat, concern etched into every line of her face and wringing her hands while Athena-Jade Slate sat on her fathers' lap; no longer watching the fight and merely hiding her face in the fabric of his jacket, noticing this Gangrel gently patted her head and spoke in a soothing voice

"You okay there AJ?"

"I don't wanna watch, he's getting hurt"

"Okay" Gangrel nodded in understanding, Cinnabar Blaine was a talented and ruthless fighter with a Semblance that made countering him difficult; the fight was getting hard for even the veteran to watch "I'm not gonna force you, but have a little faith in your brother. He'll be okay"

"He will" Weiss added though her eyes never left the arena, nor did they lose their fearful expression "Don't worry he'll be fine" as if in direct contradiction of her words Qrow's voice boomed throughout the stadium

"That Blaine kid fights dirty as hell but no denying it works, Arctus Slate needs to get it together if he wants to stay in this match!"

"Oum damn it Qrow" Gangrel growled before leaning forward, simultaneously hugging his daughter while watching his son at the expense of the other members of Teams FADE and CNBR. Arctus had indeed managed to take back a measure of control over the fight, his Glyphs were countering Cinnabar's own Semblance fuelled phantom limbs as often as not and the Mistralis' attempts to replicate his early trick of using them as an anchoring point were halted by the Bear Faunus using his summoned constructs to halt Cinnabar's momentum; when it came to swordplay Arctus was clearly superior having been trained from a young age by both of his parents in their respective styles. The problem came whenever Cinnabar managed to get in close and dictate the terms of the battle, his fists, feet, knees and elbows catching Arctus's face, joins and chest with frightening speed, force and regularity. Gangrel allowed a wide smile to play across his face as he watched the young man who resembled him so much suddenly go on the attack and force his opponent onto the proverbial ropes, whatever was being announced about the other fighters went unheard as Cinnabar's attempt to stomp on the chest on a downed Arctus was met with an obsidian coloured Glyph which sent the older student flying backwards to land on their leg at angle that was clearly painful. Arctus wasted no time and sent a summoned Nevermore flying overhead, firing its' feathers like bladed projectiles which tore through the steel and concrete and forced Cinnabar to use his Semblance to block while the Bear Faunus used another Gravity Dust infused Glyph to hurl himself forwards

"Come on, come on" Gangrel found himself muttering as the iridescent nevermore quills Cinnabar through back at Arctus simply vanished in mid air and the Bear Faunus collided with him, a vicious right hook sending the crowd into a frenzy as the acclaimed tournament fighter was suddenly pushed back.

"He fights like you" a familiar voice murmured in his ear and Gangrel turned to see Blake Xiao Long, formerly Belladonna and his sister in all but blood through their shared time in Sienna Khan's children's home returning to her seat, one hand clutching an oversized bucket of popcorn for them to share whilst the other held a flag with the word "FADE" emblazoned on it, the feline had argued that whether or not it could be seen by anyone outside of the V.I.P box was unimportant, it was team spirit that counted. Gangrel noted that Blake looked well, her hair tied back to display her Faunus attributes with pride and clad in a coat that most certainly bought with money Yang had made from some endorsement or other gave her an air of authority; any comment he wished to make was cut short by Athena-Jade who had spied the popcorn

"Can I have some?"

"Don't overdo it, you'll rot your teeth" Weiss cautioned

"But I can grow more" the child answered with an innocent smile, Blake had every intention of siding with her former team-mate but found her attention consumed by an uproar from the crowd, quickly glancing down at the arena she saw the unmistakable form of Felix in his Balrog State running towards a somewhat portly young man who was currently sprawled face down in the snow and rather than engage in a protracted brawl simply grab him roughly by the scruff of the neck and throw him out of the arena

"A REMARKABLE COMEBACK!" Oobleck's voice announced

"That gives Team FADE a clear lead, we might just get that early upset after all" Qrow all but cooed

"Nitro Smoke has been removed from the arena by Felix Xiao Long!" Blake watched her son release his Semblance, staggering forwards in clear exhaustion before running in search of his team-mates and before she knew what she was doing she was on her feet cheering as loud as she physically could

"THAT'S MY SON! THAT'S MY SON! GO GET 'EM FLUFFY!"

* * *

Diamond had managed to find something of a rhythm to Bracken's attacks, though this helped her far less than she would have liked; the Bat Faunus's ability to teleport meaning that even if Diamond countered the first attack from behind her foe would soon be behind her again, faster than she herself could turn to face her. It had become a war of attrition, Bracken hanging just on the periphery of her vision at all times in a clear attempt to unnerve her and force her to make rash judgements, a ploy that the older student was both annoyed and begrudgingly impressed to see had thus far failed. Diamond heard the telltale displacement of air behind her and simply crouched low rather than turning to counter, a slight variation in her tactics that paid off as she felt the kick intended for her ribs pass over her and immediately rushed forwards, exploding upwards with her weapon at the ready. As predicted Bracken materialised directly in front of her, acting on her own raw instinct and swinging her staff; the two weapons collided and rather than simply vanish once more the Faunus grinned

"Shame you didn't come to Haven to be honest, you would have been to spar against regularly"

"Thanks" Diamond ground out, accepting the complement at face value while also staying on the lookout for any attempts to distract her. The Stalemate came to an unexpected conclusion after a few moments; halted by the sound of the wall behind Bracken simply being ripped away. Taking the initiative Diamond lowered her head and simply tackled her through the opening and into the harsh light of the floodlit arena where the source of the destruction soon became apparent. Standing ready were Felix who was once more in his Balrog State and Eagle, whom Diamond noticed was missing Sentinel and positively incandescent with rage judging by her expression.

"Go help Arctus, we've got this" she barked with uncharacteristic force, Felix nodded in agreement and the silver haired sniper silently turned and bolted towards where her partner was holding his own. Bracken rose to her feet and the moment Eagle made to slash teleported behind Felix, swinging her weapon at the back of his head like a crude club, emerald eyes widening in shock as her staff bent on contact. The Lion Faunus turned to face her with blinding speed and in one powerful punch to the gut it was over; Bracken lay on the floor several feet away gasping for breath listening to the announcers declare her Aura depleted. Felix however was faring little better, his body reverting to its' natural state as he collapsed to his hands and knees

"Are you okay?" Eagle asked frantically, her previous anger all but forgotten

"Yeah, overdid it though" Felix forced out through clenched teeth as he clutched at his side

"Are we gonna go help Arctus and Diamond?" the Lion Faunus paused to consider, looking at the scoreboard to see that his own Aura hung barely above the point of disqualification while Eagle had also taken heavy damage

"Nah, go get Sentinel and see how bad it is" a grin spread across his face "Let those two deal with Cinnabar, it's their fight"

* * *

Cinnabar flipped his blade in his hand countless times as he slashed at Arctus's face and chest, each blow being parried with expert precision. The Bear Faunus realised his opponent was toying with him, merely putting on a show for the crows. Deciding that this was an insult he simply would not tolerate Arctus summoned some of his rapidly draining Aura reserves and clutched a Gravity Dust crystal in his left hand whilst keeping his right firmly around his own sword. Cinnabar's next attack came and Arctus took decisive action, first countering and locking their blades together and then creating two Glyphs in rapid succession; the first being a Gravity Dust infused acceleration Glyph and the second being a glowing pearly and rapidly rotating Glyph whose edge acted as a saw blade, the second Glyph was launched upwards by the first and the sound of tearing metal could be heard over the roaring crowd as _'Chernobog-Ultra'_ Cinnabar's sword was sheared neatly in half.

"A DECISIVE HIT FROM MISTER SLATE! THIS COULD BE THE END FOLKS" Cinnabar, enraged by both the loss of his weapon and the realisation that his career as a tournament fighter was being snatched from his grasp let out a low rasp, every syllable dripping with uncontainable fury

"I'm gonna kill you, when they say this is over I'm just gonna keep pounding your fucking skull til it breaks" faster than Arctus could react the older student had lashed out with his Semblance, four phantom limbs reaching out and dragging him forwards violently enough for Gefroren-Erbe to fall from his grasp; as they reached each other Cinnabar surged forwards and delivered a headbutt that left Arctus seeing stars and painfully aware of the blood now flowing freely from his nose. Cinnabar showed no signs of stopping, nor any mercy in his relentless attack as he followed with punches to the throat and stomach that left Arctus doubled over and gasping desperately for breath, the Bear Faunus felt hands clamp around the back of his head and saw only a brief flash of movement before a knee collided with is face, from then he was too dazed to fully register each blow that landed on him in the onslaught that left him curled on the ground, blood dripping from his nose, mouth, eyebrow and a gash in his forehead while red blotches littered his vision

"Get up rich boy!" Cinnabar demanded furiously as he kicked the Faunus full in the face, jerking his neck backwards "What are you just gonna lay there and look pathetic until Diamond saves your ass? GET THE FUCK UP!" forcing his aching muscles to obey his wishes Arctus looked up and grasped at a booted foot poised to stamp on his cheek, his grip was weaker than he would've liked but from the corner of his eye he saw movement atop one of the buildings littering Team CNBR's half of the arena and a bloodstained smile played on his lips

"Yeah, pretty much" taking advantage of the momentary confusion on Cinnabar's face Arctus lashed out with his free hand, punching his opponent in the knee with enough force to send him tumbling to the ground, as he made to scrabble to his feet he found himself held in place with Ice forming around his legs from just below the knees freezing him to the ground, courtesy of a Dust infused Glyph from Arctus

"Think this is gonna hold-" Cinnabar was silenced by the muffled crack of a sniper rifle and the immense pain of a round connecting between his shoulder blades and causing his vibrant orange Aura to flicker. With sheer force of will he broke free of the ice and in a single movement turned and kicked out, only to hit air as Diamond flipped over the attack and onto a waiting Glyph; engaging her Semblance up and down were inverted around her and as she crouched she reached out and grabbed Cinnabar's leg, the open air above him suddenly becoming a bottomless pit in which to fall until Diamond released him again and he came crashing to the ground.

"NICE TEAM ATTACK THERE KIDS!" Qrow's distinctive drawl boomed out through the stadium "NOW FINISH THIS OFF"

"This how we're doing it then?" Cinnabar spat as he moved back and braced himself, battered as he was Arctus had risen to his feet and stood beside Diamond who had converted her weapon to its' glaive form

"Wanna finish him off on your own babe?" Diamond offered

"Nah" the Bear Faunus grinned, managing to look smug despite the blood dripping from his face and without either of them needing a signal they rushed forwards in tandem, Cinnabar charged out to meet them head on but found his Semblance fuelled attack predicted and countered as he hurtled towards them, pulled forwards by his phantom limbs Arctus delivered a right handed jab to his gut and as he doubled over Diamond's spinning kick caught him square in the face with enough force to flip him over backwards. Cinnabar Blaine hit the ground with is Aura visibly failing in what fans would declare was the only satisfying end to such a match.

"Come on we're getting you to a doctor dude" Diamond insisted as she cupped his cheeks, reaching up to plant a gentle kiss on a part of his face that had somehow avoided being bloodied; Cinnabar's prone form promptly forgotten.

"Where're-"  
"We're right here man" Felix's voice announced from behind him, Arctus turned to face them and was thankful for Diamond helping him remain standing as a wave of dizziness hit him.

"What happened?" were the first words to leave his lips at the sight of the heavily damaged form of Sentinel Eagle carried in her arms

"I can fix him" she answered, her face a mask of grim determination

"They're calling it" Felix noted, his friends fell silent as the voice of Bartholomew Oobleck rang out

"-AND IN A SHOCKER OF AN OPENING MATCH, TEAM FADE LED BY FELIX XIAO LONG WILL PROGRESS TO THE DOUBLES ROUND AFTER A FOUR NIL WIN AGAINST TEAM CNBR!" anything the former teacher and avid historian may have said after that was drowned out by cheers that seemed to shake the air and ground with their intensity, as Diamond ushered Arctus toward medical attention and Eagle made her way towards the changing rooms the Lion Faunus took a moment to bask in what had been a hard fought victory, his smile widening to an absurd degree as he caught sight of his mother in the V.I.P box waving a flag adorned with his teams' name.

 **Authors' Notes:**

Boom, welcome to my Vol.6 and if you have a first account then canon Vol.6 starts tomorrow, it's a good week for the fandom.  
I decided against that break…..as I usually do.  
This was a lot of fun to write although I'm wary of letting this new chapter length of roughly 10k become the norm….I do need some time off to recharge and plan.

Anyway let's summarise:  
Patch is a pretty insular community and it has its' problems, but they turn out to support their own without question.  
Amethyst Wukong is one of Yang's star pupils and she will be coming to Halo Academy of New Vale in FADE's third year.  
Had to have a little but of Summer-Pyrrha and Tai-Jaune in there.  
If there is a vine equivalent in Remnant that I refuse to believe that Yang, Scarlet and Gangrel don't all have accounts where they try and out do each others' insanity regarding their prosthetic hand/arm.  
Dove's son; Redshank Bronzewing will also be a character in Third Year.  
I had to give Shine a Cameo.  
My readers were crying out for a return of Rhodium Torchwick and I obliged them, the cameo was too fun to pass up but he'll be back in third year when the story returns to New Vale.  
Eagle quoting Nora makes me grin.  
Team FADE are back in their classic outfits for this volume.  
A callback from The Downward Spiral and the official reason that Qrow came to Atlas in the first place, he's a guest presenter of the tournament.  
I literally only made Cinnabar Blaine a character with any story behind him at all for this match to happen.  
Remember Cinnabar is a pro tournament fighter, not quite on Pyrrha's level but somewhere in that league.  
Okay so I think to account for the amount of space and buildings you'll have to imagine the stadiums as being a little bigger than the ones in canon.  
Yeah Cinnabar _(In fact Team CNBR as a whole have a dress sense that oscillates between edgy, Cyber-Goth try hard and douche)_.  
Was there any chance of Arctus not going straight for him.  
Okay if you've seen the anime Elfen Lied then that's kinda how I imagine Cinnabar's Semblance looking and working.  
" _This is probably the closest thing to a fair fight you've ever actually had y'know that right?"_ now that's how you trash talk, because that is the kind of shit that will stick in someone's head and make them doubt.  
Eagle still has occasional useless lesbian moments.  
I love the idea that at least one person on Team CNBR is actually really nice and just got stuck with Cinnabar.  
Yes, a weaponised Yo-Yo….because fuck you that's why.  
Bet y'all forget Sentinel could do that.  
Sentinel will be fine.  
We don't see Eagle get pissed off like that often….but when she does it's something special.  
Diamond and Bracken know each other, I like the idea of them having a little catch up mid-fight.  
Also "Altan" street, yes Arslan Altan got a street named after her in Mistral's capital.  
I imagined Diamond somersaulting over Bracken as looking like the Dojo fight in the Matrix.  
Poly-Tech Nano-bot rounds, Felix had a few magazines of them in first year.  
I imagine pretty much any fight that happens indoors as having choreography like The Raid….especially if it involves Diamond.  
Nitro is wearing a bucket hat….Nitro is a fucking tool.  
Just imagine the look on Oobleck's face as he realised he was going to have to deal with Qrow's antics when his family were in the ring. Also worth noting that it isn't public knowledge that Eagle is his daughter.  
Felix definitely watched Tom and Jerry as a kid.  
Nitro had the right idea, research the competition and work on countermeasures….however grabbing Felix by the tail was pretty much a death sentence.  
Felix had been keeping his Balrog State a secret remember.  
Gangrel was there to see Arctus….but also there as part of his job. Remember that Team GORE's whole reason for being in Atlas is to be used as bait at the Tournament.  
Seriously though it must have been hard for the Slate/Schnee family to watch Arctus just get pasted in front of an audience.  
Blake having a "FADE" flag is a reference to her "RWBY" flag in Vol.1 when Weiss fights the Boarbatusk.  
Felix doing Balrog State twice in quick succession fucks him up.  
Glyph combos, Arctus is getting craftier and craftier with his Semblance.  
" _Yeah, pretty much"_ God damn it Arctus.  
You know that kiss made the front page of every paper in Atlas.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Bankerrtx01, iSassenach, Ferrous, FleetOfWarships and FluffyFirefly for their reviews on the last chapter.  
I would love fan art of Donner, or any character from FADE to be honest.  
I'm leaning towards Eagle getting some tats.  
I mean Omega is six years old so in theory there's a limit to how dangerous she can be.  
The new arm is something I'll give you that much.  
I love how much people love Corvid, Team CLIR really are the CFVY of the new generation.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	71. GRAY Matter

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 71: GRAY Matter**

The first round of the Vytal Tournament had continued on through the evening with many matches having taken place thus far; Team SABL of Shade Academy had defeated Halo Academy second years Team AQUA, Atlas natives team SNOW had defeated Team SAND of Haven, Teams TREE and ACRN had both proven to be a credit to their respective academies and Team RNBW had proven themselves something of a crowd favourite when their leader Ranger Altan had fought Team DAWN to a standstill on her own; though the only match that had truly excited the crowd as much as Team FADE and CNBR's opening bout had been between Team CLIR who had been pitted against Atlas first years Team FRST. In a display of sportsmanship that had seen her roundly cheered and applauded by the Atlesian crowd Corvid had elected to enter the arena without the Omega Wing and simply rely on her own prowess in order to make the fight more fair and entertaining; It had also been the only match Felix Xiao Long had managed to pay real attention to, forgone as its' conclusion was.

"Wake up, wake up" the insistent voice of a child was accompanied by gentle prodding

"AJ don't poke him" a deep grumbling voice chuckled and Felix shook his head as he sat up straighter in his seat. Following Team FADE's victory Felix had managed to talk his way into the V.I.P box where his mother and Arctus's patents were situated alongside several other notable figures; as much as he had wanted to catch up with his family and watch the tournament with them he had been unable to stop himself from slowly drifting off due to exhaustion, head lolling onto Blake's shoulder much to his mothers' amusement.

"I'm fine" he mumbled as he worked out a crick in his neck

"You're sure you're okay?" Blake gave him a concerned glance

"Yeah just tired….and ashy" he assured her while giving an annoyed glance at the skin of his forearms which appeared dry and flaky, one of the side effects of using his Semblance to its' full capacity.

"First tournament takes it out of ya, and you put a show on" Gangrel noted with an approving grin

"Thanks uncle Gang"

"It was so cool!" Athena-Jade beamed "Your partner has a shield that's a robot and a tank and she can turn into a bird! And Arctus and Diamond were awesome at the end-"

"Hey come on I threw a Glacier at that guy" Felix interjected, feigning offence at his younger cousins' lack of suitable amazement

"You all did really well and I'm proud of all you" Weiss added, Felix grinning at his aunts' praise "I'd like to see Arctus myself though"

"He'll be fine Weiss" Blake soothed her former team-mate

"That boy beat him senseless" Weiss countered

"He's fine Aunt Weiss" Felix interrupted "Diamond took him to the medics they have on stand by to get some painkillers. Either they're still there, in the stands with Eagle….or they went to find somewhere quiet to make out-"

"EWWW!" Athena stuck her tongue out and covered here ears at the notion, earning a laugh from all present. Gangrel caught his wife's eye and surmised her intentions

"You wanna go see him?"

"We're gonna see Arctus and Diamond? COOL!" Athena leapt from her spot on her fathers' lap, instantly eager to go.

"I'll just message him and make sure that they weren't planning on having some time alone" Weiss was unable to prevent her blush at the implications of that, but was forced to confront the reality of her son being an adult now.

"Okay" Gangrel nodded "I've got some of my people on the security detail tonight, I'll check in with them on the way….Hey AJ, wanna meet some your old mans' work buddies?" the wide eyed excitement on her face at the prospect of meeting real Hunters and Specialists were all the answer Gangrel needed and the Slate family said their goodbyes, promising to catch up with Blake and Felix later if they could before leaving the V.I.P box. After a few moments of what couldn't really be called silence, considering that live bands of all genres and from all corners of Remnant played between tournament matches as a reminder that the event was part of a larger Festival, Felix turned to Blake

"You wanna go see Corey? She'll probably be out of the changing rooms by now" Blake shook her head

"I messaged her before you got here, I'm going to catch up with her at the Festival and get something to eat" Blake paused, the smile on her face faltering for a brief moment before she leaned closer and asked quietly "Is she okay Fluffy? Yang and I are worried about her" Felix ran a hand through his mane of dirty blonde curls, knowing the root of his parents' concern

"Since the mission" he breathed out, nodding in understanding "She's been a little quiet….hasn't spoken to me about anything bothering her but I don't know, she seems okay" he would openly admit that his words sounded like desperate grasping at straws, even to himself. Blake patted his shoulder gently

"Thanks for telling me-" the conversation was cut short by the sound of Qrow Branwen's familiar voice booming throughout the arena once more

"AND NOW!" Blake watched Felix lean forward, suddenly much more alert and invested, with some curiosity "FOR OUR NEXT MATCH, ALL THE WAY FROM NEW VALE AND REPRESENTING THE HALO ACADEMY, SECOND YEARS NYANZA ANGORA-"

"Oh your friend from school is on" Blake sighed in understanding

"OLIVINE DEGRASSE, ETHER ARASHI AND THEIR LEADER HELIOS NIKOS, MAKE SOME NOISE FOR TEAM NEON!" upon hearing the name Nikos Blake did a double take and peered down at the students' assembled around the edge of the arena, catching sight of a young man with deep scarlet coloured hair and many tattoos, clad in armour that bore some stylistic similarities to that worn by the late Pyrrha Nikos. Something seemed to click in the older Faunus's mind and upon glancing between the teams and her own son a sly grin crossed her face at the sight of the soft smile Felix wore

"Oh so this is the redhead that your sister was telling us about?"

"Oum damn it Corey" the Lion Faunus muttered, effectively confirming Blake's suspicions.

"AND THEIR OPPONENTS, REPRESENTING THE SHADE ACADEMY OF VACCUO!" Oobleck announced eagerly "Yuki Shimo, Azure Oxford, Razzmatazz Phosphor and their leader Grease Thunderbird! WE HAVE TEAM GRAY!"

"Oh" Blake gasped, comprehension dawning on her

"Yep" Felix noted

"The leader of the other team….Grease, he's from Patch as well isn't her"

"Mmm" Felix nodded, helping himself to a mouthful of the popcorn Athena-Jade had left behind "Me, Grease and Nyanza were in the same class at Signal….this is gonna get awkward"

* * *

"So we're all sure this isn't gonna get awkward right?" Nyanza heard the voice, broad Patch accent unmistakable anyway and grinned

"Course not" he grinned, bushy tail swishing behind him as he took several slow breaths and tried to mask the cold tension building in his stomach. At his sides Olivine was having a hushed conversation with Ether about the mechanics involved in creating the battlefields that the matches took place in while Helios looked unnervingly calm, rolling his neck and shoulders whilst his vivid green eyes sized up his opponents, students whom he had come to know and consider friends over the course of the semester. Yuki Shimo was a slender young man of an unimpressive height with snowy white hair reaching below his shoulders and a high cheek-boned face; his outfit was an interesting blend of cutting edge futurism and ancient Mistrali warrior aesthetic, stylized armour constructed from much more modern materials, his weapon which hung from his left hip in a partially collapsed state appeared to be some form of Halberd. Helios was actually unsure of the correct pronouns to use in regards to Azure Oxford, they wore their deep blue hair in a long ponytail and the highly embellished pea-coat they wore hid much of their physique. Razzmatazz he knew through both her friendship with Diamond and the fact that she almost habitually drew attention to herself in the classes they shared, her vibrant pink hair in its' usual gravity defying mass of spikes whilst her outfit consisted of a figure hugging tank-top and loose pants both of which were overlaid with light armour clearly intending to sacrifice protection in the name of mobility, she was also decked out in a plethora of beads, necklaces and bangles that seemed to have been scavenged from anywhere she could find them; Helios did a slight double take at the sight of her footwear, unless he was very much mistaken Razzmatazz had come to a battle wearing light up sneakers. Shaking his head and resigning himself to never fully understanding those who hailed from the Kingdoms Helios returned his focus to the leader of Team GRAY, Grease Thunderbird was reasonably tall rivalling the redheads' own height and boasted a muscular physique and immaculately styled hair; he wore a spiked and studded leather jacket and similarly adorned fingerless gloves, a pair of ripped jeans tucked into armoured boots and held up by a highly decorated belt buckle while several chains hung from his waist.

"No awkwardness, no hard feelings" he assured Grease the man calmly, his soon to be adversary nodded

"Mind if we pair up then?" he let out a chuckle "I don't really feel like beating on Nyanza in front of everyone so I'll make do with you….ah hell I'll probably have the Xiao Longs coming after me then" Helios's face formed a stern frown at the gentle mocking of his partner, banter and trash talk of a much harsher nature between friends was apparently acceptable in the Kingdoms but to do so here and now was simply petty.

"You will certainly try" if Grease was concerned by the change in demeanour he didn't show it, simply flashing Nyanza a grin and noting

"Scary fucker aint he?" whatever retorts either Helios or Nyanza intended to make went unheard as the stadium began to form itself, each half lowering and making way for the terrain on which the battle would be fought while Helios silently berated himself to not paying more attention to the announcers. A few moments later Team NEON's half of the massive circular pitch was filled with islands of rock floating amidst what appeared to be genuine magma, Team GRAY had the far more tame option of moderately dense woodland which had obscured the four Hunters from view.

"Feel like we got cheated a little here" Nyanza quipped.

"THREE!" Oobleck's voice thundered throughout the arena, buzzing with excitement "TWO! ONE! BEGIN!"

"Olivine hang back and fire on them if you get a clear shot, Ether stay close to her but be ready to assist"

"You got it" Ether slung Ghost Reverie from his shoulder and transformed the guitar into its' blade form

"Guessing we're going in first?" Nyanza observed

"Of course….I grew up Hunting and fighting in deeper forests than those" without waiting for a response he readied Olympus Enforcer in sword and shield form and rushed forwards, scanning the treeline carefully whilst remaining aware of Nyanza's position. A blur of motion ahead of him prompted Helios to come skidding to a halt in a crouch, reaching the grassy surface of Team GRAY's side of the arena with his shield covering him as gunfire pattered against its' surface; hearing booted feet rushing towards him he sprung into action, the darkness of his Aura enveloping his as Helios inverted his Semblance and sprung forwards; Grease's attempt to kick the shield away was halted as he was flipped backwards and fell in slow motion due to the reduced gravity around Helios. The redhead himself followed the move through with an acrobatic kick which landed between his opponents' shoulder at the same moment gravity was returned to normal; Grease however proved himself to be at least somewhat capable as he landed in a crouch and shifted the oversized and oddly streamlined looking hand-cannon he wielded into its' alternate form with a flourish

"A scythe?" Helios questioned as he took in the sight of the weapon whose curved and serrated blade seemed to have been fitted with some kind of rockets which he assumed were intended to improve its' lethality

"Yeah man….come I'm from the same place as Ruby Rose I can't not have a scythe" Grease shrugged "Besides, Outlaw Reaper is cool and you know it" Helios wasted no words simply readying his sword and shield and rushing into combat once more, his guesses being proven correct as the rocket boosters fitted to either side of the scythes' blade came roaring into life. The golden armoured fighter dropped to his knees and slid passed Grease, slashing at his legs with his sword held in a reverse grip. Grease staggered for a moment but used the motion to whirl around and face Helios again, bringing the blade of his weapon down over his head only to realise something was amiss when the blow began to amass too much momentum whilst his opponent rolled aside

"What the-" the blade of Outlaw Reaper crashed downwards with enough force to sink it into the soft ground and send tremors down the shaft of the weapon which forced Grease to release it from his grasp, yet his arms remained heavy and the realisation hit him

"HELIOS NIKOS MAKING EXCELLENT USE OF HIS SEMBLANCE WITH THAT COUNTER!" Oobleck called out to the crowd who may not have realised what had just happened; Grease however had much more immediate concerns; namely Helios Nikos rushing towards him. Seeing the sword aimed directly at his chest the native of Patch tried a desperate gambit and made to catch the blade with his hands only to discover the attack was a feint when Helios leapt over his arms and delivered a punishing kick to the face and following up by launching his shield with his gravity warping Semblance in full effect, the result being that Grease Thunderbird tore a shallow gouge in the ground before coming to a halt as he collided with a tree whose trunk groaned and audibly cracked under the punishment. The crowd went wild and Qrow Branwen's voice rang in Helios's ears

"As someone who saw Pyrrha Nikos fight a few times I'll say this, Helios here is definitely keeping the legacy alive" the redhead allowed himself a moment to bask in personal glory for a moment before seeking out his team-mates, he caught sight of Nyanza currently locked in combat but before he could move to intervene he heard the sound of something rushing towards him and flung his arms in front of his face; the force of his own shield colliding with the bracers on his forearms sent him skidding back several paces and when he had returned the weapon to its' proper place on his arm he saw that Grease had taken the opportunity to ready his scythe. The two of them circled each other for a moment before Grease spoke

"So, you and Felix?"

"Yes" Helios growled out, his opponents' expression softened into a cocky smile and a wink

"All I'm gonna say is that us Patch kids look out for each other, break his heart and I break your legs"

"I believe his sister has already claimed that right" Helios chuckled, a moment later as if they had received some unseen signal the two fighters rushed forwards for the next exchange of blows.

* * *

Olivine and Ether had found themselves fighting side by side exactly as Helios had predicted; their opponents being Yuki Shimo and Azure Oxford whom it transpired were also dating, the fact having given each of the fighters a moment of amusement amidst the thrill of combat.

"Ether!" Olivine called out, her partner needing no instruction to perform his part of the combo attack. The diminutive Huntress crouched, aimed and fired with speed and efficiency honed with practice that bordered on obsessive; from her position on one of the floating rocky islands amidst the magma she unleashed Buster Bravo at Azure who made to leap aside, only to be halted by Ether who had traversed the arena in the mist like state his Semblance allowed him to throw his arms around his opponents' pinning them to their chest. The high powered laser still failed to land as Yuki Shimo landed in the beams' path and seemingly used the blade of his halberd to knock it aside with flagrant disregard for the laws of physics; the halberd which Olivine and Ether had learned was named _'Argent Ronin'_ was quickly collapsed into its' machine-gun form and Ether was forced to fall back as he found himself outnumbered; upon seeing her partner reform safely nearby Olivine turned to Yuki with an eyebrow raised beneath the bulky goggles which contained a targeting system

"Okay, you just bent light….that's not how any of that works"

"Semblance" he said simply "There's nothing I can't block"

"We'll see" she grinned; Yuki gave no verbal response and instead merely nodded to his partner while shifting Argent Ronin back into its' Halberd form, Oxford drew their oversized and ornate pistols as they leapt onto the blade of their partners' weapon at the same time Yuki activated his Semblance, the ability to block any and all attacks also allowing him to act as a springboard in certain situations. Azure sailed overhead both pistols, collectively known as _'The Storm-Bringers'_ firing explosive Dust rounds which forced Olivine to take evasive action; clutching her weapon tightly she aimed downwards and fired hurling herself backwards towards another of the floating islands where she was caught by Ether who had moved to intercept her.

"How much do you have left in the tank?" Ether questioned in a low murmur, his concern evident

"Enough for one big hit" Olivine assured him, he brushed stands of glossy black hair that had fallen in front of his eyes aside and shifted his weapon back into its guitar form, speaking slowly as an idea struck him

"I won't be able to cover you, but I need you to fire at Yuki"

"He'll just block it" Olivine noted with clear frustration at her opponents ability to simply ignore science at his convenience

"Trust me Ollie?" and though Ether couldn't see behind her goggles he knew that she had rolled her eyes at him

"Okay let's do this" with that she returned her focus to the half of Team GRAY they had found themselves facing, who had seemingly been using the brief pause as an opportunity to reload. She felt Ether's body dissipate into mist beside her as she braced herself and set Buster Bravo to deliver the most amount of damage in the shortest possible amount of time. The brittle rocky ground cracked beneath her feet as the world before was transformed to a display of heat, light and noise which even the filters in her goggles couldn't fully mask; exactly as anticipated Yuki Shimo made no effort to move aside and parried an oncoming wave of bullets, Dust and laser-fire aside in a single broad swing of his weapon. At that moment Ether revealed himself, reforming in the air directly in front of Azure as he brought a pick made of solid Ice Dust down onto the stings of Ghost Reverie, the screeching discordant note coinciding with a two footed kick to the stomach which sent Azure skidding back across freshly formed ice that had already began to melt under the heat of the magma, directly into the path of Olivine's parried attack.

"AZURE!" Yuki called out frantically but the damage had already been done and the crowd exploded into cheers as they collided with the domed forcefield around the battlefield, several feet above the ground before dropping to the hard ground beyond the arenas' edge

"AND AZURE OXFORD IS REMOVED FROM THE ARENA AFTER A COMBINED EFFORT FROM OLIVINE DEGRASSE AND ETHER ARASHI!" Oobleck announced; Olivine herself soon found her attention forced back onto Yuki Shimo who had let out a howl of pure anger and charged towards her, leaping from island to island across the magma with Argent Ronin at the ready. She watched Ether rush to her defence only to find his blow redirected with the same ease as every other attack levelled against the Mistrali thus far and was forced to make several acrobatic leaps to avoid falling into magma. Olivine had used the brief time to prepare by collapsing the now all but spent Buster Bravo and fastening it across her back, the metallic exoskeleton that allowed her to wield the weapon remained around her arm and more importantly her fist. Yuki's eyes visibly widened as his first strike was simply caught in an armoured hand, Olivine slid backwards with the force of the blow but was otherwise unharmed. A moment later Ether was present, a blow intended for the back of Yuki's skull already being thrown as his body reformed though Yuki had clearly anticipated it; faster than either member of Team NEON could react he had weaved beneath the shaft of his own weapon and kicked Olivine's legs out from under her, he then rushed forwards and smashed the blunt end of the shaft into Ether's face and following up with a broad slash that sent the disoriented teen stumbling over the edge of the floating mass of rock at which point there was a collective intake of breath both within the stadium and around Remnant as a whole which was only released when Ether Arashi reformed some distance away, Aura visibly flickering around him as he hurriedly fished Ice Dust from his many pockets and used it to cool the magma dripping from his body

"ETHER ARASHI'S AURA HAS DROPPED INTO THE RED, TAKEN OUT BY YUKI SHIMO!" Oobleck bellowed, the veteran Huntsman just as shocked as the rest of the crowd

"THAT WAS RISKY" Qrow's amplified voice chided "THIS IS A FRIENDLY TOURNAMENT SHIMO"

"AINT FRIENDLY ANYMORE!" was the only warning Yuki received and while he were capable of blocking any weapon or attack he still needed the opportunity to do so, Olivine's exoskeleton coated fist collided with his fist with force that would have most likely shattered his skull were it not for the protection of his now flickering Aura, the last thing he was aware of was the continued cacophony of the audience before everything went black.

* * *

Nyanza had found himself locked in combat with Razzmatazz Phosphor, a bout that had proven to be something of a spectacle from the offset; taking place along the dividing line between the forested and volcanic halves of the arena and showcasing the absurd levels of speed, strength, agility and skill that Hunters were capable of to their fullest extent.

"Oh come on!" Razzmatazz snapped as her attempt at a spinning backhand was met by Nyanza using one of his tonfa to redirect her attack and send her staggering forwards, she hastily avoided the gunfire she knew would be coming the moment the Faunus could convert the Pharaoh Mafdet to their pistol forms but was still left wincing regardless as a shot clipped her shoulder, more the result of chance than careful aiming.

"Unlucky" Nyanza grinned, the body language of the bushy tail and feline ears that were his Faunus attributes making it clear that the smugness in his voice was nothing but a cover for his tension; Razzmatazz took a moment to focus herself and aim her weapons at him once again, she wielded a pair of wrist mounted weapons which had been collapsed and hidden before the beginning of the battle, each weapon consisting of a small firearm and a pair of curved and swept forward blades which extended over a foot beyond her closed fist; the pair were finished with a jarring mismatch of clashing colours and were known as _'The Showstoppers'_ a name which Razzmatazz noted they were failing to live up to

"Yeah yeah, you're Semblance makes you lucky. You've been showing it off since you got to Atlas" she snorted

"And there's still nothing you can do about it" Nyanza countered, Razzmatazz felt her teeth clench out of sheer irritation and charged forwards determined to see how long it would take him to run out of luck. She watched as Nyanza leapt over her wide slashing attack which sent her barrelling towards the magma covered half of the battlefield faster than she could slow down, Razzmatazz simply sped up and launched herself forwards whilst loading Gravity Dust into her weapons; she hit the surface of the floating rock she'd hurled herself towards and immediately fired, propelling herself back through the air towards the forested half of the battlefield where she used her Dust infused blades to neatly sever the trunk of the first tree she reached, hurling the top third of it at Nyanza whilst still airborne

"Good thinking from Razz-"

"WHAT A COMEBACK!" Oobleck, in an odd turn of events, was the one to cut across Qrow. Razzmatazz barely had time to let out an exasperated sigh as Nyanza in a single fluid motion caught the trunk that had been hurled at him, dipped into the lava on Team NEON's side of the field and sent the now burning projectile flying back towards her. She quickly switched to Ice Dust, a few well placed shots freezing the tree trunk solid before it was shattered with a forceful kick; she had little respite as Nyanza was on her in an instant, weapons firing as he closed the distance and aiming an acrobatic kick clearly inspired by watching Helios train at her face, Razzmatazz leaned back and allowed the blow to pass over her before back-flipping over a hasty back-handed follow up and slashing at the Faunus's thighs. The moment Razzmatazz felt her feet hit the floor the two were engaged in combat once more

"Cool trick with the tree" Nyanza beamed as he avoided first a kick to the face and then a low sweep to his legs "The Ice Dust counter was a nice touch"

"Yeah well y'know me" she chuckled as she deflected his tonfa and delivered an elbow to the ribs, finally landing a satisfyingly solid hit "Can't let you have all the crowds' attention" Nyanza let out as much of a laugh as his now pained ribs would allow

"Well they're gonna love this" he flashed her a wink and she saw him shift one of his weapons back to its' pistol form and use his own Gravity Dust round to launch his shoulder into her chest and send her crashing to the ground several feet away

"Oh come on that's just a weaker version of one of my moves!" the pink haired Huntress accused as she returned to her feet; seeing the sheepish expression on her opponents' face she decided to tease him in a way she was something of an expert in "But you do look cute when you're flustered though so I'll let it slide" Nyanza was still sputtering out a half formed comeback when she reached him, blades of the Showstoppers wreathed in crackling arcs of electricity as she stabbed at his chest; his two handed block left his face unguarded, a mistake that was quickly capitalised on as the feline was sent back clutching at his eyes, unable to see after having the live Lightning Dust so close to them

"Oh shit, you okay there dude?" Razzmatazz asked with genuine concern, Teams NEON and GRAY were on relatively good terms and while she wanted to win she did not want to do so at the cost of injuring someone she genuinely liked.

"Yeah, yeah just gimme a sec" Nyanza ground out, blinking until his vision returned to something approaching normal

"WHAT IS SHE WAITING FOR!" Qrow demanded incredulously "YOU'VE GOT THIS IN THE BAG!"  
"Time's up" she called out, returning Nyanza's own cheeky wink before charging and delivering a punishing knee strike to the jaw followed by locking her knees around his chest and raining punches down on Nyanza's face and chest until he shook her free

"That was oddly hot" he snorted, an obvious attempt to throw her off her game as he twirled his weapons and searched for an opening

"Maybe we'll go another few rounds later" she shot back suggestively, no stranger to trash talk. She took a moment to risk a glance at the scoreboard mounted below the commentators box which displayed the Aura levels of remaining competitors, Team GRAY were losing but not by too wide of a margin; she and Nyanza had both expended vast amounts of Aura and while Olivine DeGrasse was still on the field her own levels were barely above the threshold of elimination. Razzmatazz decided it was time for a decisive blow to even things out; ejecting the spent Dust cartridges currently powering the Showstoppers she rushed forwards and Nyanza caught the briefest glimpse of an eerie green glow, the signature of Schnee patented Eco-Dust. There was very little that luck could do against the blow that connected with his chest and caused his Aura to visibly ripple as he sailed through the air and fortunately came rolling to a stop on one of the rocks on Team NEON's side of the arena; he was about to be removed from this bout and he knew that there was very little he could do to stop it, whilst he had improved astronomically as a fighter Razzmatazz outclassed him and he could freely admit it. He watched his opponent leap into the air, falling towards him in what was clearly a collision course that would see him defeated and time seemed to slow to a crawl, a smile crossing his face as a last desperate idea occurred to him; as the blades of Razzmatazz's weapons drew dangerously close to his face the feline reached up and grabbed her wrists, redirecting the blow enough to send the tips of the blades into the magma, with the notoriously volatile Eco-Dust still powering them there could only be one outcome and Nyanza used what little Aura reserves he had left to fuel his Semblance and ensure that neither of them were harmed in the resulting explosion

"A DOUBLE KNOCKOUT!" Oobleck fervour was such that his voice carried over the noise of the explosion, the dust yet to clear

"Haven't seen one of those since Weiss took herself out along with Flynt Coal; very rare that it's the right play but hats off to anyone who can swallow their pride and do it" Qrow observed. In the arena below Razzmatazz coughed from the dust and tried to reposition herself into a less painful position, at which point she became aware of the weight on her chest

"Comfy there?" she teased, Nyanza had landed sprawled almost directly on top of her and upon being made aware of the fact quickly rolled away; the two of them having been blasted onto the grassy half of the arena

"Sorry about that, you're weapons okay?….Are you?" Razzmatazz checked the Showstoppers for damage and upon finding realising that the Faunus had most likely used his own Semblance to affect the outcome of events, seeing the blush still dusting his somewhat chubby cheeks she decided he really was cute when he was flustered

"Yeah I'm good thanks, you?" she asked as she rose to her feet and held out a hand to help him up. He took it and nodded silently at which point Razzmatazz asked, her voice betraying a hint of nerves "So….are you doing anything after this?" Nyanza for once, despite his Semblance, could not believe his luck.

* * *

As artistic and fast paced as the battle between Razzmatazz and Nyanza had been the crowd had remained focused on the duel between Grease Thunderbird and Helios Nikos, those old enough to have watched Mistrali Tournament matches before the war finding themselves unable to prevent comparisons between Helios and Pyrrha; that many of those comparisons were favourable spoke volumes. Olivine watched the battle from the sidelines, having slunk around the perimeter of the arena and moving between the trees littering Team GRAY's side in order to stay hidden as she searched for an opening. A few dozen feet away Helios had just narrowly avoided another rocket powered scythe attack from Grease Thunderbird who wielded Outlaw Reaper as if it weighed nothing at all, pivoting and catching Helios in the gut with the shaft of the weapon and kicking him aside with force that sent the redhead crashing into a nearby tree hard enough to send visible tremors through its' trunk.

"Mister Thunderbird seems to be holding his own remarkably well" Oobleck noted, sounding on the edge of his seat in comparison to the lazy drawl of Qrow Branwen

"Those Patch kids have good teachers" rather than press the advantage Grease merely twirled his weapon, putting on a show for the crowd while Helios rose to his feet; evidently having no interest in kicking an opponent while they were down in front of an international audience. Olivine rushed out of the cover provided by the trees, shooting her team leader a brief thumbs up as she passed

"Two on one we've got this in the bag!" Grease gave her an annoyed glare and charged forwards to meet her, showing off the way his weapon could use Dust as he swung his Scythe; the flames trailing from the rocket boosters being replaced by streams of crackling lighting which left the smell of ozone and burning in Olivine's nose as she hastily flipped over the attack. As she landed she heard the clanging of steel against steel behind her and quickly turned to find Helios ad Grease with their blades locked together; readying the exoskeleton around her right arm she made to land a crushing blow that would end the battle, no sooner had she taken a single step than Helios called out to her

"STAND DOWN!" the redhead barked through clenched teeth as he forced the blade of the scythe aside with obvious effort "This is single combat Ollie, no interferences"

"Are you kidding me right-" she never finished the sentence, she never saw Grease move either but a moment later she found herself several feet back, Aura flickering around her visibly and frost covering her garments as a result of the Ice Dust powered attack she'd been subjected to.

"OLIVINE DEGRASSE'S AURA HAS BEEN KNOCKED INTO THE RED BY GREASE THUNDERBIRD, LEAVING ONE FIGHTER LEFT ON EACH TEAM!" Olivine rose to feet shakily, hands trembling with sudden coldness and she backed away from the arena slowly. Helios saw nothing other than the opponent before him, his shield cleaving through the air and brushing against Grease's hair as it narrowly missed his skull; the follow up stab was blocked though Helios narrowly avoided the return attack. The two traded blows at lightning speed for a few more moments before breaking apart, both clearly panting for breath and close to their limit

"It's been fun" Grease gasped out "We've definitely given the crowds what they paid for"

"You're stalling" Helios noted gruffly as he readied his weapons, an idea coming to him. Grease rolled his neck and shoulders and shifted his grip on his own weapon, giving no verbal cue before simply shooting forwards at impossible speed. Helios had anticipated the attack and hurled his shield directly upwards, using his sword to block his opponents' strike and lock him in place. Glancing upwards the redhead focused his Semblance, not on his adversary but on the shield component of Olympus Enforcer which began to fall from the air like a golden meteor as gravity was increased. Grease had only a moment to look up in open mouthed shock before the impromptu projectile struck him with a booming impact that resonated throughout the arena

"AND THAT'S THE MATCH!" Oobleck called out "GREASE THUNDERBIRD'S AURA IS IN THE RED! TEAM NEON TAKE THE WIN AND PROGRESS TO THE DOUBLES ROUND!"

"Well shit" Grease laughed as he dragged himself out of the small crater the deciding blow of the match had left "That was a good one, I'll definitely have to find a way to pull something like that. Good game man"

"Indeed it was" Helios nodded his head slightly with respect before making his way out of the arena, the forcefield around which had now dissipated. Upon reaching his team he saw Nyanza was currently talking to one of Team NEON and unless he was mistaking they were exchanging numbers, Olivine took one look at Helios and stalked off with an uncharacteristic huff while Ether merely shook his head

"You've really pissed her off, kinda feels like you put the idea of you getting the win above the team as a whole" the guitarist sighed, Helios was incensed at the suggestion

"I would never-"  
"I know, I know" Ether raised his hands "Come on I'll talk to her, it'll be fine" with that the four of them made their way to the locker rooms where they had each stored a spare change of clothes, intending to partake in the rest of the festival after the tournament concluded for the evening. Though none of them said so they were all considering giving the festivities a miss, their bodies ached following the battering they had taken. Helios's exhausted expression brightened as he entered the locker room and caught sight of a distinctive mane of dirty blonde curls.

"Hey Heely" Felix gave him a bright smile "You were great out there man" the Lion Faunus rose to his feet and Helios wearily made his way over to him, wrapping his arms around the shorter teens shoulders

"Will you two stop being cute while I'm getting changed" Nyanza called out to them "It's awkward watching this shit when my dick is practically out" there were laughs all round and Helios noted that he become somewhat desensitised to his partners' peculiarities, when they had first met he would most likely have punched Nyanza in the mouth for such a comment.

"Come on man" Felix murmured, leading the redhead who was still clad in his armour out in to the corridor which led between the changing rooms and the rear entrance of the stadium, not accessible to the public. The moment they had some privacy Helios felt Felix's lips crashing against his and returned the kiss eagerly, they broke apart and the Lion Faunus was at his neck a moment later his breath hot against Helios's skin as he whispered

"You know you're sexy as hell when you go all out like that?" the redhead stifled a growl of pleasure as the Faunus's teeth grazed against his flesh; the moment evaporated into nothingness a moment later, replaced by awkwardness as the sound of a throat clearing caused them to break apart with a sudden jolt. They both turned to the source of the noise and Helios's face paled at the sight of the two newcomers, one a teenaged girl already with tattoos who sported a pair of ornate axes; the other a middle aged woman whose crimson hair was partially obscured by a cloak which appeared to be the pelt of a truly monstrous bear native to the forests of Anima, dyed black with stylised golden armour added to give the appearance evocative of the creatures of Grimm but even beneath the hood of the cloak there was no mistaking the familiar face and the three pronged golden crown of the Nikosi

"Are we interrupting?" Kataigida Nikos asked with a raised eyebrow, Syneffo Nikos barely restraining a cackle at her side

"Oh-" Felix trailed off as he recognised the familial resemblance for what it was

"Felix" Helios spoke hesitantly "Meet my mother, Kataigida Nikos; ruler of the Nikos Tribe"

 **Authors Notes:**

Boom another chapter down, the first round will take up one more chapter….I think Vol.6 is gonna be longer than average just because I have so much fun with these tournament fights.  
Nothing much to add but I feel like the premiere of Vol.6 reinvigorated the FNDM as a whole, myself included _(I've actually got a few chapters ahead with my planning)_

Anyway let's summarise:  
Team SABL have been mentioned before, their leader sparred against Felix in Vol.5; Team AQUA is the Halo team whose leader is basically Froppy.  
Teams TREE and ACRN are actually references to a RWBY Dungeons and Dragons game a friend is running.  
Ranger Altan…..because of course I have a next gen Team ABRN member.  
I know a few people wanted to see Team CLIR's match but look at this way, the demolished their opponents so easily it wasn't even worth writing.  
We've seen Arctus interacted with the Xiao Long family but we haven't really seen Felix interact with Schnee/Slate family before.  
I know a few people said awww at Felix falling asleep on Blake's shoulder.  
Kids love Sentinel.  
Writing the younger cousins/siblings is always fun.  
Seriously, Gang's there the whole point of Team GORE entering was to attract the White Fang; the security are definitely specialists.  
Blake and Corvid conversation pending.  
" _Oh so this is the redhead that your sister was telling us about?"_ how many people giggled reading that?  
" _So we're all sure this isn't gonna get awkward right?"_ I love those kind of transitions lol.  
Yuki Shimo is basically a cyberpunk ninja.  
Grease is kind of a dick, he does consider Nyanza a friend but Nyanza was always the whipping boy of Patch so he can't really take him seriously.  
Yes Grease is a Ruby Rose fanboy…..Everyone who grew up on Patch after the war probably is to some extent.  
The Pyrrha comparisons were bound to happen.  
A real two on two battle needed to happen.  
I love the idea of Hunters who have an understanding of science being infuriated by Semblances.  
Tag-team attack for days.  
It was actually originally gonna be Ether that stayed on the field but the way the scene played out worked better for Ollie…..besides the idea of her just decking someone is great and you know it.  
Razzmatazz's weapons are basically the energy swords from halo but wrist mounted and with a gun attached.  
Nyanza hasn't been keeping his Semblance secret like Felix; because he's kinda right it's not something that an opponent can really plan around.  
She threw a tree at him, he dipped it in lava and threw it back.  
The banter between these two was fun to write.  
A stalemate that could only happen because of Nyanza's Semblance.  
Corvid and now Razzmatazz, Nyanza has a type and that type is "Bad-ass"  
Qrow making no attempt to be impartial at all is fun to write.  
I can't imagine Helios taking an unfair advantage in a tournament setting, it's his pride on the line.  
Helios is good but it's nice to writing him winning by something other than just raw power.  
Olivine will get over it.  
Of course Fluffy decided to sneak in.  
God I love writing Nyanza.  
Battle-Cat shippers, you're welcome.  
Equal opportunity cock-blocking for everyone….and now Heely and Fluffy can both meet the parents lol.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Bankerrtx01, iSassenach, FleetOfWarships and FluffyFirefly for their reviews on the last chapter.  
The best part is that it isn't even out of character for Blake.  
Yeah the chances of the Vytal Tournament going off without a hitch are precisely none.  
I mean in Vol.1 I mentioned that Diamond didn't actually see too much of Cinnabar while he was at Haven, so she may have known his team but not known exactly what they could do but honestly it is just a matter of making the chapter flow better because I wanted that conversation to happen 'on screen' but didn't want to write another scene that wouldn't have added much else.  
I promise we will at least see a Corvid tournament fight.  
Also, nobody has guessed the pair that will be representing Team FADE in the doubles.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	72. Agendas

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 72: Agendas**

The Cult of Taurus had no fixed abode, rather they simply travelled to whichever enemy of the cause the High Commander unleashed them against and if they would be stationary for any amount of time a member of the local White Fang cell in the area would find itself contacted and tasked with providing accommodations for the _'High ranking operatives'_ and given strict instructions not to interact with them unless told otherwise. Such an arrangement was part of how the Cult had maintained its' mystique and status within the organisation as a whole, coupled with the tremendous violence that had become their signature the fact that they could be seemingly anywhere at any time and existed outside of the normal structure of the White Fang, answering only to the High Commander herself had given countless rank and file grunts reason to stay committed to the cause despite their own doubts; they were _'Peace through tyranny'_ exactly as Celeste Lupus intended.

Alpha stalked through the current hideout that she and her followers had been granted use of, a dingy collection of units located on an industrial estate in a poor district of Lower Eisenstadt Zweite which had been knocked through and combined into a single workshop which made and repaired engines with its' attendant fabrication machines and offices. The workshop had been closed for business since the White Fang's attack on Poly-Tech in Gerat-Handlung with the official cause being listed as a fire which had in fact never happened. The High Commander of the White Fang had seen to it that the owner of the business and those staff who were part of the organisation had been well compensated for their lost earnings and while Alpha firmly believed that they should all be willing to make sacrifices for the cause the Lionfish Faunus also accepted that people who couldn't afford to eat would make for poor soldiers when the time came. She found herself humming a tune to a song she couldn't quite remember, an action which seemed at odds with the entirety of the rest of her being; her footsteps echoed through the empty workshop as she made her way passed benches, tools still messily scattered across them whilst the sound of some power tool or another intruded harshly on Alpha's thoughts; the sound of Delta maintaining their weapon with the same unsettling diligence and thoroughness that the Spider Faunus always had. Gamma had been recalled to Tartarus by the High Commander, her most capable doctors and engineers being tasked with replacing his lost right arm with something suitable; the Pangolin Faunus had wished to make the journey by foot and use it as an opportunity to search for Omega until Alpha had reprimanded him and reminded him that the will of the High Commander was supreme. The sound of metal screeching against metal as something was sawed away was dulled the moment Alpha crossed the threshold that separated the workshop itself from a series of offices occupying a narrow corridor lined with notices and production targets leading to the staff canteen, a somewhat cramped but well supplied area of the site where she knew she would find the final member of the Cult of Taurus. Injecting a little of her Semblance into her humming caused Beta to turn and face Alpha the moment she stepped into the canteen, even without Gamma they had work to do quieting a member of the White Fang who was beginning to ask questions in a particularly loud and unseemly tone of voice after the news had detailed their exploits and Alpha wanted her second in command paying full attention; the tables were turned however as she found herself staring passed the Snow Leopard Faunus and instead glaring at the television screen which had held his attention

"What is this?" she demanded, an unspoken accusation in her tone

"The Vytal Tournament"

"Does watching Hunters entertain you Beta?" Alpha's tone grew menacing, words reverberating unnaturally; Beta merely smiled

"It's informative, and the presumptuous overconfidence of our enemies certainly amuses me" the smile turned predatory "These are their best and brightest prospects and the academies have shown them to us; tactics, weapons, Semblances and all and given us years to prepare for their graduation. It would be remiss of us not to study them" Alpha nodded, satisfied with the answer though the poisonous spines intertwined with her hair remained raised a little as she spoke, her voice returning to normal

"Have there been any concern you?"

"The Xiao Long bastards and their teams won their respective bouts, though I expected nothing less and there was nothing new to be learned….I would suggest that a few of the Atlesian teams should be monitored and their Faunus members be approached-"

"Understood" Alpha hissed, irritable at the mere mention of both the traitors to the Faunus race that had openly defied the will of the High Commander and their human cohorts "I will make the High Commander aware of this, in the meantime we have duties to attend to this evening. Delta is preparing their weapon as we-" her words came to a premature halt, distracted once again by the television. Beta turned his attention to the screen for a moment and felt a wave of icy cold dread wash over him; it was not the overly boisterous commentators or the roaring of the crowds that had caught his leaders' eye but instead the sight of of the teams competing in one of the final matches of the night, one of which consisted of four Faunus who were instantly and horrifyingly familiar to both Alpha and Beta; they had presumed that the small Axolotl Faunus, the towering Puma Faunus, the slender Dragonfly Faunus whose wings buzzed at her back and the dark eyes Shark Faunus with grey tinged skin whose face was partially obscured by a dark cloak had perished along with the rest of their group who dared claim to be the true descendants of the White Fang.

"Impossible" Beta whispered, voice wavering somewhat

"We complete our task here by morning" Alpha spoke firmly and decisively as if there were no possible course of action other than what she dictated "And then we travel to Tartarus to present ourselves to the High Commander and receive our punishment for this failure-"

"We killed them" Beta spat "I carved their leaders' skull from their neck in single stroke-"

"And now they have a new leader" Alpha whispered dangerously "And the High Commander must know that the Shadow Cadre of the Frost River tribe have returned to Atlas and allied themselves with the Hunters"

* * *

"If only they knew who they were really cheering for" Carcharodon mused as the frenzy of the crowd reached new intensities, he lowered his hood before removing his cloak all together and casting it aside to display The Red Waves in their collapsed sate and his frankly intimidating physique whilst he took the measure of the students who would stand against Team GORE; he found them to be unimpressive.

"They're right to cheer" Hellion mused "We're going to solve their White Fang problem for them"

"You sound like one of them" Raffia snarled "Is your blonde such a good f-"

"Finish that sentence at your own risk" the Dragonfly Faunus cut him off

"All of you be silent and focus….Choose your targets" Carcharodon rasped, taking a moment to survey his team, crew-mates and the only surviving family he had before following his own advice. Onyx looked imposing as ever, tall and muscular with his hair and admittedly patchy beard freshly cut, tamed and styled into something presentable by another student whom he had traded a favour with, the Puma Faunus rolled his wide shoulders back and made a show of working out a crick in his neck as he chose his opponent from the team opposing them. Raffia shifted his weight so rapidly as to be almost bouncing as his fingers curled around his swords and his caudal fins lay flat against his skull, his wide mouth set in a fierce snarl; the Axolotl Faunus had been more volatile in lessons than usual of late though Carcharodon supposed it was simply all the bottled up rage and grief that he had clutched onto and used to push himself forwards coming to the surface as their plan to draw out their enemies came closer to fruition. Hellion would have looked calm and collected were it not for the perpetual buzzing of her wings behind her; she had been forced to leave Marauder behind as it was obvious that the bird of prey would be at too much risk trapped within the protective shields of the arena, Carcharodon watched her exhale slowly and ready herself, hands dipping into the folds of her sleeveless jacket and grasping several throwing knives with smoke bombs and Dust crystals worked into their handles; exactly as she and Carcharodon had planned. The Shark Faunus turned back to their opponents, Team TEAL of Haven; his lips peeled back displaying rows and sharp fangs and his bottomless black eyes narrowed while his whole body seemed to coil and tense in anticipation to unleash his fury on a Mistrali Huntsmen; taking in the sight of his opposite number his temper flared without warning at the sight of what he supposed was their weapon

"You mean to mock us?"

"What? No!" the leader of Team TEAL exclaimed in obvious confusion, before it could continue the exchange was interrupted by the drawling voice of Qrow Branwen being magnified to deafening levels

"Ladies, gents and others it's been a long night full of great matches and I want you all on the edge of your seats because we've got a few more left and one of 'em is coming up right now!"

"Indeed" Oobleck chimed in, similarly magnified "Making their way from Mistral and representing Haven Academy, we have second years Scarlet La-Bamba, Echo Star, Amarillo Espada and their leader Kori Teal, make some noise for Team TEAL!" the crowd did as they were bid with gusto only to quieten down the moment the announcers continued

"Facing off against them we have second years representing the Halo Academy of New Vale-"

"Not sure how these match ups were picked but it feels like someone's trying to start a little rivalry between Vale and Mistral" Qrow quipped, Oobleck continued regardless

"Show you appreciation for Hellion Eudialyte, Raffia Dirge, Onyx Ursabane and their leader Carcharodon Gore of Team GORE!" the crowd gave the all Faunus team an equally monumental round of applause as a welcome while in the arena below Scarlet La-Bamba of Team TEAL called out across the arena

"Hey um, I don't suppose you guys have met a Hunter called Scarlet David? I heard he works at the Academy is all…..I'm actually named after him-" they were waved off by Kori Teal with a gesture clearly intended to convey that now was not the time. As featureless arena began to lower from view in preparation for the battlefield that would soon replace it Team GORE shared brief glances, each coming to the conclusion that this match would be a victory that bordered on a massacre if their enemies' lack of cohesion were anything to judge by.

"What did you mean about me mocking you?" Kori called over to Carcharodon "I've never even spoken to you in class man"

"Your weapon is a toy" Onyx growled, voice low and rumbling enough to be felt as well as heard "You brought a toy to a tournament, the arrogance will get you hurt"

"They face me Onyx" Carcharodon reminded his partner, raiders and pillagers they may have been but the Shadow Cadre and the Frost River tribe as a whole still respected the tradition of honourable single combat and the Shark Faunus had already stated that he would engage the leader of any who opposed them himself. Onyx merely grunted before Kori answered, clutching the Dust powered hover scooter that allegedly served as a weapon a little tighter

"It's a family heirloom" Carcharodon suddenly found his anger momentarily pushed aside by the frankness of the admission and the small brittle voice it was delivered in "The _Sky-Strike_ , it was my Dads'…..He didn't come home from a mission when I was eight, they managed to find his weapon at the edge of Haipa-An Forest" the implication that no body had ever been found alongside the weapon hung in the air and Carcharodon nodded in solemn silence, the leader of Team TEAL understood loss in a visceral way that the Faunus could appreciate; his own weapons had been gifted to him by the elders of the Frost River Tribe after all. He took a moment and made sure that his people had never ventured into that area of the continent and that the Hunters' death was not their doing before he spoke

"Then I give you my word Kori Teal" he rasped out slowly "That whatever happens to you and your team I will do no harm to the Sky-Strike" his words were punctuated by the arena forming, both sides of the battlefield featured water though with starkly different qualities; closest to Team GORE was a bank of course rough sand leading out to shallow and clear blue water, Team TEAL had been given dead trees scattered amidst what could only be described as a marsh whose discoloured water seemed almost certain to be poisonous. Carcharodon braced himself and the moment the command to begin was given he surged forwards, unfurling his weapons and preparing to fall upon his enemies as he had countless times before; in his mind everything depended on it.

* * *

General and Headmistress Winter Schnee gave an annoyed huff as she reclined in the admittedly very comfortable chair in her office at Halo Academy; her left leg, cybernetic below the knee making several muffled sounds as internal components adjusted and recalibrated themselves. The vast amount of work whose importance to the Kingdom couldn't be overstated had kept Winter from attending the opening ceremony and first matches of the Vytal Tournament in person though she did hope to be able to make an appearance at the stadium the following evening when the first round continued. Currently she was reading reports from the heads of each of the branches of the armed forces under her control and prioritising the suggestions each had given in order to increase the overall efficiency of the Atlesian Military; at the same time a Scroll whose security was simply a matter of course was kept close at hand in case she received any word from Gangrel Slate, her brother in law being visibly present for the first round of the Vytal Tournament with a large number of Specialists having interspersed themselves amongst the crowd, security, maintenance crews and vendors whilst a heavy contingent of warships circled the mountain which contained the city hosting the bouts courtesy of Winter's own former First Mate, Commander Matte Skye. A soft buzzing emanated from the Scroll at her desk and Winter gave it a brief glance knowing that it would be nothing major, any emergency would warrant more than a text message and even then Gangrel would already be taking countermeasures before contacting her; the Bear Faunus had already sent her an earlier message informing her that Team FADE had won the opening match of the tournament, though Arctus had been as he put it _'A bit mashed up'_ ; taking the device and opening it she saw that the message brief and read simply _'They're on'_ there was no need to specify who was meant and Winter allowed herself a brief pause from her work and opened a livestream of the ongoing tournament match, allowing herself to believe that it was strictly professionalism and that she wasn't fondly recalling her own exploits as a student. After watching for a few moments however she pursed her lips and frowned, Team GORE were evidently every bit as vicious as they had been when Gangrel had recruited them and were conducting their battle against Team TEAL with unseemly levels of ferocity that left as many fans hiding their mouths behind their hands as there were cheering and was sure to give any children still watching nightmares. Only a few moments passed before a Scroll rang, this one a more accessible line that Winter allowed people to contact her own

"Damn it" she breathed out as she saw the identity of the caller and made the instant connection between the match taking place and the subject of the upcoming conversation; pressing a button that would project the video call from the wall mounted screen in her office Winter answered

"What the hell are they doing in Atlas? What the hell are they doing at a school, with my daughter?" the barely restrained scream filled the room before the image had fully flickered into life and revealed the furious form of Antonia Arc

"I need you to calm down-"

"CALM!" Antonia spat "MY KIDNAPPERS ARE ON TELEVISION PRETENDING TO BE HUNTERS AND YOU CLEARLY KNEW ABOUT IT!" Winter bristled at the implication, a trait she was sure she had picked up from spending too much time with her brother in law

"I will remind you who you're speaking to" she stated bluntly "Now did you call for answers or to scream at me, if it's the latter I can simply end this call right now-"

"And I can just as easily go the press and tell them everything" Winter raised an eyebrow at that, she hadn't expected Antonia to have threats and leverage premeditated though considering her famed intelligence and results driven way of thinking she probably should have.

"You will tell the press nothing or I will have you declared an enemy of the state" the General asserted before allowing her expression to soften "What do you know of Team GORE's life before they turned their attention to New Vale" she watched as Antonia struggled to push her own anger aside and recall what she had gleaned from the Faunus who had kidnapped her during their time together

"They were part of a tribe of pirates….some of them came to Atlas after they were attacked by Hunters" the blonde woman's eyes widened in sudden comprehension as she remembered what had befell the Shadow Cadre in the icy Kingdom "You sick bitch, you're using them as bait to draw out the White Fang"

"Precisely" Winter nodded making no effort to dispute the insult "And as such they needed to be integrated into one of the foreign academies, having them in Atlas from the start of the semester presented too many variables"

"There are children in that stadium-"

"I have taken every possible precaution and will continue to do so. Your daughter is safe while her team are in my care." Winter said in a way that while meant as an assurance also made it perfectly clear that the matter was finished in her mind; taking the initiative she changed the direction of the conversation "Now regarding underhanded approaches, are there any developments you wish to inform me of?" Antonia was evidently unhappy with the situation but answered nonetheless

"I'm almost certain Doctor Eldritch was involved in the disabling of our security robots….I've limited the scope of his work to Project Snare alone whilst back tracking through his records"

"Any results?"

"Nothing conclusive, but I have a suspicion that he's searching for something….Winter perhaps it would be better to find some pretence to fire him-"

"No" the General answered simply, taking a moment to puzzle the situation out in her head before continuing "If he is indeed an ally of the White Fang then perhaps a similar strategy will suffice….I want to see what exactly is going on here. I'll be in contact when I have more concrete plans, keep me informed" the request was phrased as an order and Antonia despite answering to nobody but herself for years found herself nodding and ending the call, sensing that she had been dismissed. Winter gave a frustrated sigh, she was taking on too many of the qualities she had disliked in James Ironwood; before she could give the subject any further thought her Scroll began to vibrate once more, prompting her to bite back an irritated curse; giving into temptation as she saw the identity of the caller

"Good evening" she put on the faux politeness draped over dripping contempt, an art she'd mastered as a child in Atlesian high society "And how may I help the chairperson of the Scavenger Guild?" though the Scavenger Guild had sold many of its' find in Atlas back to the military or public museums, occasionally handing over titbits of information in exchange for leniency in other matters the fact remained that Winter, like almost all soldiers held the organisation of thieves and grave robbers passing themselves off as art dealers in the lowest possible esteem. the voice that replied was as distorted as it always was though Winter knew the speakers' identity and they knew that she knew, the refusal to drop the pretence a barely veiled insult and was understood as such

"Watching the Vytal Tournament has alerted me to that fact that I have business to conduct with Team GORE and I would greatly appreciate your presence"

* * *

Since exiting the locker room following Team FADE's victory Eagle Arc had been having what she supposed would be one of the most memorably pleasant nights of her life. With Diamond and Arctus seeking medical attention and Felix heading off to speak with his mother she had originally intended to watch the remainder of the first round in the stands and catch up with whatever fellow students she could before hopefully getting chance to speak with Qrow. The naturally shy blonde however had been subjected to an utterly unexpected turn of events; namely that the crowds had utterly adored her, her first inkling that her teams' performance had captured the imagination of the fans had come when a group of teens only a few years younger than herself had nervously but excitedly asked if they could take their picture with her, this group had been the first of many and Eagle began to realise that she would be leaving the stadium with something of a fan base after a little boy no older than four had asked for her autograph and given her shield concerned glances before asking if her _'pet robot'_ was going to be okay. It had gone on like this for the duration of several tournament matches, Eagle utterly distracted from events in the stadium below and her attempts to get something to eat halted by a steady stream of supporters asking her to pose for pictures or sign various items, some of which made her freckled cheeks darken; a few bold individuals had either brazenly asked for her number or attempted to slip her theirs, and while their were some admittedly very pretty girls counted among them Eagle had politely declined them all, stating that she was dating someone and waiting to see their fight; the news that their new idol was dating another Hunter apparently more than enough to dissuade any further flirting.

Currently Eagle was in the stands, having managed to position herself near the front row and mercifully shake her newfound followers, as grateful as she was for their support it was frankly overwhelming for her and she simply wanted to watch Team GORE, or more precisely Hellion perform. Their bout against Team TEAL of Haven had been one sided to say the least though Eagle found herself in the clear minority by supporting the Halo Academy students, a diplomatic way of describing the situation would be that Team GORE had approached the tournament with a mentality carried over from the previous life as raiders and focused on dominance over showmanship; a more blunt way of saying things was that they had fought so needlessly brutally that the crowd had been compelled to cheer for the obvious underdogs.

Carcharodon had opened the match with a horrifying display of ruthlessness by using his Semblance to move across the arena and appear behind Kori Teal before dragging them beneath the surface of the water covering much of the battlefield; while the Shark Faunus was not truly aquatic despite what some less informed people thought, he had been part of a seafaring tribe his entirely life and had developed enough lung capacity to simply hold his opponent underwater and wait until they forfeited.

Onyx had been a rampaging juggernaut, his Semblance, weapon and sheer brute strength tearing the arena apart around him as he fought; his opponents' best efforts proving fruitless as they found themselves smashed into the ground with their Aura flickering and the blade of Jotun Fang pressed between their shoulders, before either Qrow or Oobleck could announce the victory Onyx had simply kicked his downed opponent in the face and left them unconscious just to be sure.

Raffia had fought like a madman, the demented cackling of the berserk Axolotl Faunus clearly audible from where Eagle stood; his opponent was currently still struggling to mount some sort of a defence against him but it was clear this fight would be over in moments and would most likely end in an incredibly painful manner.

Hellion was similarly dominating her own fight, Echo Star of Team TEAL had fought well but the Dragonfly Faunus simply outclassed him in terms of skill and experience and while Hellion's display of acrobatic kicks and artful dodging of blows were certainly closer to the tactics expecting in a setting such as the Vytal Tournament the throat punches, moves intended to cripple an opponent and the fact that many of her throwing knives had been clearly aimed at her adversaries' eyes, neck and crotch had turned the crowd against her somewhat. Eagle however remained steadfast in her support, her cheers only stopping when she found herself biting her lower lip almost subconsciously and blushing in flustered embarrassment as she realised just how attracted to Hellion she was at that moment.

"-AND TEAM GORE TAKE THE MATCH!" Oobleck announced, a hint of distaste in voice preceding a notably less enthusiastic round of applause; not that it seemed to matter much to Team GORE as Onyx paraded to the jeers almost out spite whilst Carcharodon and Raffia had begun exiting the arena the moment Oobleck had began speaking, evidently uninterested in the opinion of the crowd

"Excuse me, excuse me" Eagle murmured as she made her way to the front row of the crowd while bumping into as few people as possible before making her way around to the space nearest to the locker rooms Team GORE would be using; silently hoping that Qrow wouldn't draw attention to her she slipped through the railings, her armour inhibiting her more than she would like and slunk into the doorway of the locker room, Carcharodon and Raffia passed her without comment and Onyx gave her a broad smile, equal parts jovial and bloodthirsty which was a concept Eagle struggled to comprehend until a pair of jade coloured eyes pushed all other thoughts from her mind

"Well hello there little canary"

"You were….wow, I mean you just….that upside down heel kick was-" Eagle stammered, words falling over themselves as she struggled to form a coherent sentence. Hellion merely sauntered over to her, wings fluttering lazily as she gently pushed the blonde back against the wall where they were thankfully hidden from the view of the crowds

"Did you come to congratulate me?" Hellion almost purred, prompting Eagle to nod; in response she simply wrapped her arms around the blonde's shoulders and pulled her down into a fierce and possessive kiss, Eagle whimpering in pleasure when Hellion's tongue slipped into her mouth only encouraging her to continue. Eagle melted into Hellion as much as her armour would allow and in return Hellion turned her attentions' to her neck and collarbones while her hands trailed across the scuffed and chipped white armour of her thighs until the reached her hips where she grabbed roughly and relished the moan Eagle tried to muffle and the look in her half lidded crimson eyes

"Miss Eudialyte-"

"I will carve out your tongue!" Hellion snapped, hand flying to her knives at the intrusion only to stopped by Eagle's hands clamping down on her shoulder and forearm and to a lesser extent the realisation that the person who had interrupted them was an Atlesian Soldier

"What do you want?" she demanded, clearly angry though the soldier seemed to take the menace she exuded in their stride

"Team GORE are to report to Atlas Academy immediately. Orders are directly from General Schnee; a transport is waiting"

"Hey….I'll see you later" Eagle promised, voice permeated by the sheer mortification of being caught in such a compromising position whilst her cheeks flushed scarlet; Hellion simply reached up and kissed those blushing cheeks before turning on her heel

"I hope so" she shot over her shoulder before glaring at the soldier as she passed them. A moment later Eagle Arc was alone, still breathing heavily in a heady mixture of excitement and embarrassment as she tried to figure out how Hellion managed to make her throw her inhibitions and doubts aside without a second thought, eventually Eagle decided she didn't care; she simply liked it.

* * *

Following the indescribable awkwardness of their initial meeting Felix had been introduced the members of the Nikosi tribe who had joined their leader across the icy waters which had previously been considered the domain of the Frost River tribe; Kataigida Nikos had brought a small contingent of no more than a dozen of her most trusted and capable with her and Helios's happiness had only been briefly marred by the fact that his hounds had been left behind; Felix had found himself smiling as Helios's contagious enthusiasm spread to him while at the same time gently squeezing the redheads' hand as he realised just how homesick Helios must have been.

"Wait" Felix murmured to his boyfriend as an idea occurred to him "How is your Mum gonna find the rest of the Nikosi tribe when she goes back to Anima, I thought you guys were always on the move?" the Lion Faunus was suddenly aware of the eyes of every Nikosi present turning on him while the tall and imposing form of Helios's mother loomed over him from behind and despite her polite and genuinely welcoming mannerisms Felix couldn't help but feel a little nervous in presence

"We have a settlement we call home, I wouldn't expect the elderly, sick, pregnant or injured to march with our fighters and merchants"

"Okay, that makes sense" Felix nodded "So who's holding the fort now if you brought your best with you?"

"You ask the sort of questions I'd expect from a spy Felix" Kataigida stated, Felix paled for a moment and only realised that the woman was joking when he caught sight of some of the other Nikosi; Helios's sister Syneffo amongst them snickering. Kataigida continued with a genuine answer "Currently our homestead is being watched over by my advisors, the Nikosi council of elders with Syneffo's father acting in my stead" Felix nodded in understanding before noticing a detail in the answer that stood out

"I didn't realise you two had different dads" the offhand comment was directed at Helios; he and his sister had remarkably similar features in the Faunus's mind, with the most notable difference being that Syneffo Nikos had eyes of a startling shade of silver that reminded him oddly of his Aunt Ruby

"You never told him?" one of the older Nikosi warriors growled out, the accusation being met with a silent glare of a challenge from Helios.

"Enough Sidero" Kataigida admonished sternly "Helios will tell his boyfriend what he chooses to" Felix gave Helios an expectant glance while at the same time making no effort to pressure the redhead who waited for a moment, not speaking until the older members of the tribe stepped aside and gave them a little privacy

"My father died in battle against another tribe a few weeks after I was born….I never knew him"

"Oh my Oum" Felix mouthed out before pulling Helios into a tight hug "I'm so sorry man"

"I'm not"

"What?" Felix sputtered out, almost certain he had misheard. Helios pulled back a moment and gently wrapped his arms around Felix's shoulders

"You still don't fully understand fluffy. Life is hard beyond the Kingdoms' walls, people die but _'Aimatrios the red spear'_ of the Nikosi died in battle like a hero. Had things happened any other way I wouldn't have Syneffo for a sister….her father raised me as his own son; even if I was an ungrateful whelp"

"I get that" Felix murmured resting his head of Helios's shoulders "It's like when people ask if I ever think about my birth parents; why would I when I've got the best family I could ever ask for" they stayed like that for a moment, gently holding each other until they were interrupted in a way that could only truly be accomplished by ones' siblings

"Well this is adorable"

"What do you want Syneffo?" Helios made no effort to move, his sister rolled her bright silver eyes

"Well mother wants to speak to you in private" her attention turned to Felix "And I want to get to know the boy putting that smile on my brothers' face a little better and maybe actually see some of this festival. I see Helios wasn't exaggerating how claustrophobic your cities can be" she gestured around them to the endless sea of bodies, stages and stalls that formed the Vytal Festival which would continue on until the early hours of the morning

"Yeah this is the capital….a lot bigger than where I'm from, and it's probably the busiest it'll ever be" Felix noted

"Shall we?" Syneffo smiled sweetly while she spoke in a tone that made it clear she would hear no argument; Felix gently kissed Helios's scarred cheek before allowing the younger Nikosi sibling to take the lead. Helios merely waited and was rewarded a moment later when he felt his mother return to his side

"Our fighters are getting ale, we have privacy" her vibrant green eyes studied her sons' face before she added "So….the Xiao Long boy?" Helios let out a slow breath before answering, his voice as firm as he dare with the woman who was both his mother and leader

"The honour debt the Xiao Long family owed us was settled"

"Indeed it was….though tell me, is Yang Xiao Long here to support her son, I would still like to face the woman who bested the Warlord Tyrian in single combat; if only for my own vanity" Helios shook his head

"I don't believe so. He has two mothers but from what I understand only one is present in Atlas" he waited for her to process the information

"No matter, perhaps another time" Kataigida shrugged before her tone turned serious "Does he understand your position among our people Helios. Not just that you are my son, does he understand what that entails?"

"That one day I will be called back to lead our people and there is nothing that can prevent that. He is aware, he understands" Helios nodded and gave a proud smile "I think he would do well amongst our people"

"I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself Helios" his mother reprimanded gently

"You don't approve?" Kataigida Nikos lowered the hood of her bearskin cloak and fixed her son with a genuine smile

"I approve greatly I can see that he makes you happy" she gave a brief pause for adding in a teasing tone "And he is a very handsome boy Helios, it must be said" Helios's only response was a wordless groan.

 **Authors Notes:**

Okay so I know I said that the Blake and Corvid scene would be this chapter, that was a genuine mistake on my part. Next chapter it is definitely happening.  
It almost feels like Team FADE are losing the spotlight with how the volume has played out thus far, I assure that is not the plan and they are still very much the main characters.  
The actual tournament matches of the first round are finished, so next chapter will be some fallout and then we move forwards with the tournament and the plot as a whole.  
Also I've just signed up to the "Prompt Mayhem Challenge" and been giving the pairing of Sun and Neptune, so expect to see a little something including those two next month.

Anyway let's summarise:  
A little in to how the Cult of Taurus function within the Fang itself, effectively they're their own separate group that answers only to Celeste and only interacts with the White Fang on her orders.  
The idea of them being the end result of Celeste's philosophy occurred to me as I wrote the scene but honestly it's obvious considering who they're based on.  
The workshop was based on my place of work.  
Alpha would make a terrible leader, she can only lead the Cult because they're as nuts as she is; she doesn't have the practicality or understanding of people that Celeste does.  
Yes we're gonna see Gamma with a robot arm soon.  
Beta has a point, anyone wanting to kill Hunters could learn a lot from the Tournament _(And Atlas routinely does keep files on students detailing countermeasures for dealing with them)_.  
And now the plan is in motion, The Cult of Taurus and by extension the New White Fang know that Team GORE are still alive and in Atlas.  
Like with the other teams, Team GORE preparing for the match reflects the character of each of the members.  
In the Downward Spiral Scarlet David led a charge in the final battle, so now there's at least one soldier whose life he saved with a kid named after him; there are probably a lot of Ruby's in Remnant after the war as well lol.  
Kori Teal is the child of a character who was mentioned in the Downward Spiral but never actually seen, Raiser Teal of Team MURK; team-mate to Malkavia Pitch _(Whose weapons were actually referenced back in Vol.1)_ that's how in depth my lore is at this point.  
Carcharodon has a moral compass, it's a different set of standards to most other Hunters but it's undeniably there.  
Gang's people are everywhere in that stadium.  
Wonder if we'll ever meet Winter's team-mates, probably not. Headcanon that they were called Team WNTR though.  
Team GORE didn't come to pander to crowds they came to fuck people up.  
There's the thing, broadcasting that Team GORE are still alive means everybody can see it.  
So Ozymandias is partially blown; nobody else knows that he's the wizard yet and Winter is going to use something as bait to draw him out so she can try and see what his goals are.  
Oh dear, this type of shit is exactly why Carcharodon told Raffia that they couldn't kill any of the Scavenger Guild.  
Eagle became a crowd favourite and I grinned like an idiot as soon as the idea hit me.  
I'm sure you can imagine some of the things she was asked to sign.  
Car literally just grabbed the other team leader and drowned them into submission.  
Yes you read that right, Hellion tried to stab a guy in the dick on international TV.  
Flustered Eagle is best Eagle.  
And thus the cock-blocking continued and tradition was upheld.  
Felix is right to be scared, he's meeting the mother of his first boyfriend and she's basically royalty and also could probably kill him one handed.  
I've actually been looking for a place to drop the little backstory about Helios and why he doesn't actually have a Dad; it was originally gonna be at the dance but it didn't flow right.  
" _Well this is adorable"_ …..In the highly unlikely chance that my younger brother ever reads this; fuck you, you know what you did.  
So Syneffo has silver eyes, Qrow has taken up Ozpin's mantle….they're both in the same place.  
Kataigida Nikos is 100% ready to throw down with Yang for shits and giggles.  
Even mama Nikos teasing Heely, because it had to be done.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, iSassenach, Funlander, FleetOfWarships and CanadianCavalier for their reviews on the last chapter…..In the politest way possible where the hell did the rest of my regular reviewers go?  
I hear you on the feeling old thing, my little brother is a legal adult and my little sister has a kid on the way; I feel like a relic.  
Cats always land on their feet unless they're lucky and there's something warmer and softer to land on.  
I mean Felix and Arctus call each other cousins _(Blake and Gangrel growing up in care together and Weiss Blake and Yang all being on Team RWBY)_ and Eagle is Qrow's daughter so….there's a convoluted chain there.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	73. Rebel And Outcast

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 73: Rebel and Outcast**

Something was wrong, the unshakable, undeniable feeling had haunted Onyx and silently mocked the Puma Faunus the entirety of the journey back to Atlas Academy. The soldiers that had escorted them onto the craft and the crew of said craft had refused to engage them in conversation something Hellion had attributed to the typical Atlesian attitude to Faunus while Carcharodon had simply stated that these people didn't know the reasoning behind their orders and remained silent to hide their ignorance; Onyx and Raffia had shared glances, the Axolotl Faunus clearly experiencing the same inexplicable dread. There was nothing that could be done however, they had arrived at Atlas and were currently making their way through the darkened corridors towards the office of General and Headmistress Winter Schnee where whatever revelation, if any would become clear. The quartet, still tracking mud and filthy water from their tournament bout behind them reached the door and Carcharodon rapped firmly against its' surface

"Enter" Onyx tried to search for any clues in the tone of the singular word before Carcharodon complied and stepped into the generals' office, Team GORE followed him without hesitation and upon doing so Onyx came to a halt, greenish yellow eyes widening as his heart seemed to cease all activity and his blood felt as though it had frozen. Standing beside General Schnee, who glared at the Faunus with unmitigated fury and disgust was a familiar face; though the only name Onyx could attribute to the woman was the obviously fake moniker of _'Missus Snow'_ that she had used. The Scavenger Guild had made their play and Onyx was certain that the last remaining members of the Frost River Tribe would die here, snuffed out when their retribution was almost complete. His horrified daze felt as though it stretched out for an indeterminate amount of time but it was truthfully only a matter of seconds before the Puma Faunus was brought back into reality by the sound of a demented scream of rage from Raffia  
"YOU!" in a blur of motion he lunged forwards, unsheathing his swords as he charged towards the now cowering Missus Snow. Team GORE didn't see Winter move, they simply saw the results of her actions; one moment Raffia was in motion and the next his weapons had clattered to the ground and blood had spattered across the wall of the office, Winter now stood between an utterly crumpled Raffia whose Aura was stitching the flesh of his opened belly back together as blood leaked through his fingers and onto the floor and his intended victim; the saw bladed Glyph she had attacked him him fading away while she drew her sword and pointed it at the Axolotl Faunus's throat

"Do. Not. Move. Any of you" the order came as Carcharodon, Onyx and Hellion reached for their weapons; the air in the office seemed electrified with the tension and for a few moments the only sounds were the pained and snarling breaths of a recovering Raffia and the whimpering of the woman he had attempted to murder; then Carcharodon rasped out

"What is going on?" Winter made no move to take her blade away from Raffia's neck but spoke to the woman behind her

"Missus Snow, while it may seem a moot point now I still need you to positively identify them"

"It was him. He did it….He was there too" she pointed first to Raffia and then to Onyx, who felt the demanding glare of his team leader upon him. Missus Snow continued, still indicating towards Onyx "He wanted to do business but only with the higher ups, we told him no and….and he killed my husband!" she pointed at Raffia as she sobbed. Onyx felt Carcharodon's gaze on him and felt more unrelenting fear than he could remember experiencing in his life; he had betrayed his Captain, he had hidden Raffia's actions. Either by Winter's hand or Carcharodon's the towering Puma Faunus knew that he would most likely be dead be sunrise.

"That will be all; my soldiers will escort you home. Thank you for your co-operation" as Winter spoke she created a plethora of Glyphs around Team GORE, forming a barrier around them as Missus Snow all but fled the office, tears still streaming down her face.

"What have you done?" Carcharodon demanded, anger battling the sheer disbelief in his voice. Winter cleared her throat when it became clear that an answer would not be forthcoming

"During your match I was contacted by the head of an organisation known as the Scavenger Guild. At this point I don't need to ask if you're familiar with them-"

"They paid the Hunters to massacre our people….We only ever came to Atlas and contacted the Cult of Taurus to avenge ourselves upon them" Carcharodon rasped out, voice trembling with rage

"Their chairman sent Missus Snow to identify you and deliver a message" without waiting for a response Winter turned to the Screen mounted on the wall and began playback, the message was in the form of a video; the subject being a figure whose identity was hidden by darkness and the modulation and distortion of their voice

"Greetings to the surviving members of the Frost River Tribe. I am the chair of the organisation known as the Scavenger Guild and I understand that you mean to kill me-"

"Oh we will" Raffia hissed out, the fact that the message was merely a recording irrelevant to him

"For obvious reasons I will not be allowing you to succeed in this venture and for equally obvious reasons I and the rest of the board of directors cannot allow you to continue to harass my organisations' shipments and employees-"

"If you mean to kill us then do so" Carcharodon demanded, voice icy "I will not listen to this man waffling before I die" Winter remained silent

"So it has been decided, in the spirit of co-operation with your handlers within the Atlesian military that we will agree to a truce"

"WHAT?" Hellion demanded

"We will do no such thing!" Raffia snapped, the all but disembodied voice continued

"I trust you understand that you have no say in this matter; you are murderers and thieves and can be proven to be such. Failure to comply will result in us pressing charges which will result in either a trial in Atlas where you will be found guilty and executed or extradition to Mistral where you will die in prison. One way or another hostilities between us are concluded"

"No" Onyx mouthed as the hope of justice was snatched from before him

"In return for your compliance and ceasing of all attacks against the Scavenger Guild we will in return have our subcontractors cease their scouring of Anima for any surviving members of your people. As a show of good faith an employee of the Guild was instructed to deliver an item I believe to be of some cultural significance to you that we appropriated from your sunken ships…..It has been informative, if not a pleasure, doing business" the call ended, the screen only becoming marginally darker. Carcharodon turned to Raffia; dark eyes showing as little emotion as always though the anger and betrayal the Shark Faunus was feeling was still conveyed

"You cost us everything" the words were whispered with crushing finality and there was a moments' silence before Winter spoke

"You've gotten away with murder" her voice shook "I am forced, by the importance of your mission to let you escape justice for murdering an Atlesian citizen….There will be consequences for this"

"And what of our justice?" Carcharodon demanded furiously though Winter seemed not to hear him, her own barely restrained fury overriding all else

"I have clearly given you too much free reign, from now on you will not leave this academy except to continue your mission. You will be monitored at all times outside of the academy and any deviations will be met with lethal force" Winter took a slow shuddering breath, trying to reign in her temper "At the conclusion of your mission you will leave Atlas and never return. If you are ever seen within this Kingdom, it's waters or it's airspace again I will have you killed without hesitation"

"Hellion….escort the traitors to our dorm. I need a moment to contemplate" the Shark Faunus's voice made it painfully clear that he had gone beyond anger and was not fuelled by a cold, ruthless fury

"Car-" Hellion's voice was a clear plea for him not to act rashly

"Get them out of my sight or I will behead them where they stand" Hellion's jade eyes widened but she clamped her hands down on Onyx and Raffia's shoulders, escorting them out of the office and left Carcharodon and Winter alone.

"I want to make it clear that I had every intention of waging war against the Scavenger Guild but not in Atlas. Raffia was specifically told that there would be no bloodshed here" Winter nodded in understanding

"I honestly suspected as much. If I had thought this was done on your orders I would have deemed the mission too much of a risk and your flight would have taken you out into the tundra where nobody would ever find your bodies" it was Carcharodon's turn to nod in understanding, the ruthlessness and refusal to fight with honour was something he had come to expect of Atlesians. Winter produced a small crate, roughly the size of a head from behind her desk and presented it to the Shark Faunus

"The item that the Scavenger Guild are returning to you" she said simply, Carcharodon carefully removed the lid of the crate and felt his breath catch in his throat at what he saw. Inside, carefully packaged was a helmet of tarnished silver, a faceplate reaching down to the cheeks but leaving the mouth exposed was covered in still discernable tribal marking which reflected the tattoos Team GORE carried; the helmet was decorated with a crown from which five swept back shark like fins protruded.

"A piece of armour?" Winter enquired, curious as to how something so trivial had caused such a reaction in the stoic raider

"The _'Stemma-Apo'Kymatista'_ " Carcharodon rasped out; tears falling from black eyes as he took the item in trembling hands and realised just how alone in the world he truly was "The crown of the Frost River Tribe"

* * *

The Vytal Festival sprawled out in every direction; now that the tournament had concluded for the evening the main focus of the festivities was the music festival taking place across several stages which Blake could scarcely believe had been allowed to take place in Atlas's capital of all places; similar parties were taking place all across the continent and as the Tournament moved between the hive cities and larger settlements each festival would grow more frenetic in turn. Blake however was taking a much needed break from celebrating in order for a much needed talk; nearby she could see Felix and his team-mates enjoying themselves among their friends, her son was talking animatedly to a younger girl who bore a striking resemblance to the young man he was dating; Arctus was holding Diamond's hand while Athena-Jade rode her brothers shoulders, getting ever sleepier if the way she drooped forwards onto the top of his head were any indication; Eagle was pointing to several points on her shield whilst in conversation with a small Huntress with an afro, Felix's old friends Nyanza and Grease were with them, the bushy haired feline and the pink haired member of Grease's team casting furtive looks at each other and blushing; their mutual interest in each other painfully clear. Adorable as Blake found the scene she returned her attention to the other occupant of the wooden bench situated near several food stalls she was sat at; finally free of the loyal and vocal fans that remembered her from Team CLIR's previous foray in the Vytal Tournament

"Sure you don't want me to go back and get you something?" Corvid asked before she bit into an absurdly oversized hot-dog slathered in, from what Blake could see, chilli, mustard and bacon bits

"I'll pass thanks" she grinned, considering the old Xiao Long family question of _'Where does Corvid put it all?'_ for a moment before her expression became a little more serious "How've you been Corey?" the way she looked away and refused to meet Blake's spoke volumes

"I'm fine Mum" Blake frowned a little

"Corey you know you can tell me anything don't you?" Blake reached across the table and squeezed her hand, Corvid screwed her eyes shut and when they opened again Blake was shocked to see the tears in them

"What's wrong?" concern laced Blake's words "Talk to me Corey"

"Mum" she sniffled "Please just-"

"Talk to me Corey" Blake repeated with urgency "If you've gotten yourself into some kind of trouble we can-"

"You should hate me" Corvid's words and the way her lips trembled as her composure failed her brought Blake to a stunned halt

"What?"

"You should hate me Mum….You're Blake Belladonna; saviour of the Faunus" Corvid buried her face in her hands "And I'm a fucking murderer!" understanding dawned on Blake and she hurriedly made her way around the table pulling a sobbing Corvid into a hug

"Gerat-Handlung" she sighed "The White Fang"

"It wouldn't have made a difference who they were" Corvid choked out "I couldn't see their masks through the Omega Wings' targeting system. I just showed up and started shooting, I killed a dozen Faunus at least because they were in the way and all I saw was a heat signature….I am so sorry Mum"

"Shh, it's okay" Blake soothed as best she could, stroking Corvid's hair like she had when she was a child

"No it's not" Corvid sniffled "How can you even stand to look at me?"

"Because you're my daughter and there is nothing you could do to make me stop loving you" the answer came easily although Corvid's response was to pull away and stare at Blake with equal parts hope and disbelief

"You remind me so much of Yang sometimes" Blake murmured gently "Being a Hunter is a dangerous, violent job and sometimes you have to make a decision of whether it's going to be an enemies' life or yours, or the lives of the people around you if you try to keep negotiating with people who aren't interested in a peaceful solution-"

"I didn't try to negotiate" Corvid whimpered

"And if you had they would have killed you" Blake answered firmly "Those….People. They used a child as a distraction and killed everyone in their way. I know how you feel right now because I've been there, I've been a Huntress and so has Yang; you think you're a monster but you're not. I've met monsters and they don't beat themselves up and suffer in silence when they kill, they justify it and carry on"

"You're talking about the White Fang….during the war?" Corvid asked as she wiped her eyes

"I am" Blake nodded "Adam Taurus became a monster, whoever is organising this new White Fang is a monster that would make even Adam sick. You made the choice you had to because your brother called you for help, you are nothing like them and I want to make sure you know that" Corvid gave a slow nod, still not quite convinced and Blake noted that the uncertainty seemed unsettlingly out of place on the face of the normally decisive and strong willed young woman

"Just promise me you don't hate me" she whispered "Because I feel like I betrayed everything you stand for"

"I don't" Blake assured her as she pulled her into another hug "Is that why you didn't bring the Omega Wing tonight? You were scared of hurting your opponents?"

"I mean kinda" Corvid sniffled before a smirk crossed her tear stained face and a flicker of the Corvid Blake recognised emerged "That and I wanted it to at least be entertaining to watch; we had those kids outclassed from the start….wouldn't have been fair"

"That's my girl" Blake chuckled, letting out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding when Corvid gave a watery chuckle of her own, signalling to her mother that she would be okay in time and maybe with some counselling

"So….wanna go join the party?" Corvid asked before taking a bite of the now cold but still delicious hot-dog "I think we've earned it"

"Yeah we have" Blake agreed, catching sight of Felix with his friends she decided to lighten the mood "And since you told on Felix I can ask your friends if you're dating anyone"

"Who on Remnant could handle me" Corvid snorted in response.

* * *

Whatever conversations had been taking place in Team GORE's dormitory ended the moment Carcharodon returned, entering by using his Semblance to leak through the gaps in the door frame rather than open the door, as his body reformed from its' liquid state he glared at Onyx who sat on the pushed together beds and mass of blankets that the team slept on, utter dejection written being broadcast by the entirety of his body language; then to Raffia whose closeness to Hellion implied that they had been having a whispered argument wherein he attempted to defend his actions. Upon catching sight of Carcharodon Raffia's eyes widened first in fear then in genuine surprise and something approaching awe as he saw the battered helm that his leader carried

"Is that-"

"Silence traitor" Raffia recoiled as if slapped at the accusation, Carcharodon cast his eyes over his team before gesturing to the helmet he carried "Raffia's opinion is null and void in this matter. It becomes more apparent to me that we are the last of our people, there is nobody left to find….that being said, as acting Captain of our ship and in my sisters' absence I have the right to nominate myself to the council of elders. Hellion, Onyx you represent the entirety of our people now. What is done here cannot be undone, what say you?"

"I vote in favour" Hellion answered without hesitation, Onyx paused for a moment before nodding and chiming in

"I vote in favour"

"Then it's done" Carcharodon spoke softly as he took the helmet and lowered it slowly over his skull; while outwardly the change was a simple one to those born and raised within the culture of the tribes of Anima it's significance could not be overstated. Carcharodon had been declared the rightful ruler of whatever remained of the Frost River Tribe and ascended beyond merely acting in the place of the late Mizu Gore to an authority amongst all of the tribes until his dying breath

"The first order of business is punishment" Carcharodon rasped out, Onyx's response was one that startled all present; the Puma Faunus took a knee before the man that was now his crew-mate and was now his rightful ruler and unslung his axe before presenting it to the Shark Faunus

"Do it" Onyx's voice wavered but he continued "I know it's coming, it's the only way….Just do it Car"

"Stand up" Carcharodon ordered, his own voice trembling "I have no intention of killing my oldest friend" Onyx rose on shaky legs and fought the urge to pull Carcharodon into a loose hug or playfully punch him the way he might have once done

"So where do we go from here?" Hellion asked as she stroked Marauder who perched on her arm, her wings betraying her trepidation as they fluttered behind her. Carcharodon paused for a moment, steeling himself for what he had to do before speaking slowly

"The Cult of Taurus will still face justice, they will die on the field of battle by our hands as honour demands….the same cannot be said of the leaders of the Scavenger Guild; they have escaped us and will never face our justice" he took a moment to steady himself "And I place the blame at the feet of Raffia Dirge; a traitor to our people"

"Car I-"

"Silence" Carcharodon cut him off with a hiss "There is nothing to be said. You knowingly defied my orders and while I can forgive Onyx for protecting you as much as it angers me, I cannot forgive you for what we've lost today. Every one of our people who goes unavenged does so because of you"

"You're right" Raffia answered simply, dropping to one knee much the way Onyx had before meeting Carcharodon's eyes as best as he could "Sentence me"

"Car" Hellion breathed out, hands trembling as she covered her mouth in terror at the thought of having to watch another of her people die

"I will not sentence you to death" Carcharodon rasped out before delivering his punishment "For your crimes you will walk Remnant alone save for the ghosts of those you failed haunting you"

"Car please" Raffia begged as he understood what would come next "Not this"

"Raffia Dirge-"

"Car just kill me and get it over with, don't-" the Axolotl Faunus was silenced by a backhanded slap, the only sound in the room being Hellion's muted sobs and the floor creaking as Onyx turned away, unable to look Raffia in the eye when the sentence was delivered

"Raffia Dirge I sentence you to exile. You will never walk amongst us again and the seas are no longer yours to roam, should we see you again it will be your death. Now leave here and never return" there was a moment where time seemed to stand still and a dozen possibilities presented themselves in Carcharodon's mind, one of the most prominent being that Raffia would attack him or simply refuse to leave until the Shark Faunus's hand was forced; instead Raffia nodded once with tears streaming down his face before sheathing his swords and silently following the last order he expected to hear from his Captain.

* * *

Team FADE were still amongst friends in Eisenstadt Prime several hours after the tournament had concluded; Weiss and Gangrel had departed taking Athena-Jade with them, Arctus's younger sister remaining staunchly defiant towards her own tiredness the entire time. Syneffo had rejoined the Nikosi contingent from which Helios was yet to return, the younger redhead having deemed her brothers' boyfriend _'Far too pretty, but acceptable'_ to laughter and a chorus of friendly jibes from the members of Teams FADE, NEON and GRAY who were present. Diamond had been gently nudging Arctus and directing his attention towards Nyanza and Razzmatazz who had at some point in the evening begun holding hands; much to the silver haired snipers' happiness, seeing her friend happy meant a lot to her. Obviously sensing that disturbing Nyanza would be somewhat unkind Olivine gently nudged Felix to get his attention

"Hey there's a band on one of the other stages me and Ether wanna go watch; Creatures of Grin supported them a while ago. If Helios comes back can you let him know where we are….and that I'm sorry for having an attitude earlier"

"Will do Ollie" Felix nodded "He'll get it, your teams' match came down to the wire I'd be snappy after that as well"

"Any of you guys coming with?" Ether offered "I can probably get us backstage"

"Any other day I would dude" Diamond lamented "But honestly everything aches right now, I'm not going anywhere near a moshpit"

"Won't help my headache" Eagle noted with a bright smile that the spectacular black eye she'd earned in Team FADE's battle with Team CNBR did nothing to distract from. Arctus merely gestured to his own thoroughly brutalised face to indicate that he shared her sentiments

"Wanna go?" Nyanza offered

"Backstage pass? Hell yeah dude" Razzmatazz grinned, as the four left Team FADE with Grease, Azure and Yuki of Team GRAY behind Grease shot Felix a sly grin

"So that's totally not Nyanza going for a double date"

"Let him have this man" the Lion Faunus chuckled; he knew that Grease meant well and that the jibes he gave Nyanza were something almost akin to sibling rivalry but it didn't change the fact that sometimes Grease had tended to push a little too far and Nyanza had always allowed it to happen.

"So" Yuki noted "Now there's only one team that's going forward here we can talk about the interesting stuff-"

"Who're you sending into the doubles round?" Azure finished, leaning on Yuki's shoulder as they spoke

"We uh….haven't actually decided" Felix admitted, realising now that his team had focused so much on training and preparing themselves individually that they'd left little room to plan ahead and work out the most effective ways to synergise their skills

"You're fucking slacking" Grease told him succinctly "We had different plans for who went forward based on which team we got in the next round-"

"And then you lost in round one" Felix pointed out bluntly, annoyed at the tone. Grease' mouth closed though several annoyed mutterings still escaped him

"Let's put it to a vote then" Diamond offered before adding to the surprise of no-one "I vote me and Arctus"

"Fair" Felix shrugged "I'm gonna say me and Eagle and honestly I'm glad you voted for yourself first, makes me feel less of a dick about it"

"Um Felix" Eagle shuffled awkwardly, not wanting to meet his eyes as she delivered the bad news "Sentinel's pretty busted up….I don't think I'm gonna be able to get him fixed before the next round starts"

"Oum Damn it" the Lion Faunus breathed out softly as he searched for a solution "Would a few more pairs of hands help? I can get Corey involved and-"

"I'm sorry but I don't think so, I need parts that have to be custom made"

"What about you big guy?" Diamond turned to Arctus who let out a slow sigh

"Babe don't take this the wrong way-"

"You wanna go in with Felix, nah it's fine I get it" she shrugged, the Bear Faunus's next words shocked her however

"No I want _you_ to go into the next round with Fluffy. I'm gonna bow out" seeing the confusion on both of their faces Arctus explained his reasoning "I got my ass handed to me today; my weapon's built for fighting Grimm, I can't even use a plasma gun in this tournament….besides, partners are the first thing everybody is gonna expect; better to go with a different match up and throw 'em off"

"That's actually some pretty solid thinking" Felix admitted, annoyed that he hadn't had the idea as team leader

"You sure about this Arctus?" Diamond asked, wrapping her arms around her partners' shoulders

"Yeah" he nodded "I wanna see Team FADE do well, I don't mind watching from the sidelines"

"Okay then Dee-Dee, it's me and you….we need to work on some strategies, combo attacks all kinds of stuff"

"She's gonna throw you at people like a big angry furball" Grease snickered

"Are you still here?" Felix shot back with a roll of the eyes

"Apparently so….which begs the question of why" Grease answered in a stage whisper before snorting and adding "But seriously though what the fuck are we standing around for, let's go explore the place"

"Smartest thing you've said all night" Felix grinned, falling into the easy routine of good natured bickering with his fellow Patch native "I'll see if I can find where Corey's hiding"

"She's talking with your Mum, no telling how long she's actually in Atlas for" a voice now familiar to all who had competed in or watched the Vytal Tournament drawled

"One day I'll find out how you do that" Felix laughed as he turned to face the speaker "Hey Uncle Qrow" Felix's own greeting paled in comparison to Eagle who pulled the old man into a hug which he eagerly returned

"Hey kid, you did well out there. Proud of you, all of you" he added in a low murmur to Eagle "I didn't say anything about us being related because well….I wasn't sure if you want the whole world knowing I'm your old man?" Eagle, in a move that her shy former self would never even have considered turned to face the members of Team GRAY who were present while gesturing to Qrow

"Meet my dad" surprised sputtering from all angles ensued, not least from Qrow himself who eventually managed to choke out

"Oh you definitely get that from the Branwen side of the family" Eagle beamed with pride at his words

"So are you hanging out with us now?" Felix noted with a smirk, Qrow matched the expression and replied

"Nah kid, Vytal Festivals have been my stomping ground for decades. You're hanging out with me" the group of teens Felix considered his friends burst out laughing and the Lion Faunus soon gave up any pretence of having an answer to that. With the decision made they began exploring the Festival at large, rejoining with Helios along the way and thoroughly enjoying their evening which only came to a close when Eagle was contacted by a tearful Hellion whom it was obvious was in need of some kind of moral support.

* * *

Gangrel Slate had kissed his wife and daughter goodnight and promised to read Athena-Jade a bedtime story the following evening, he had also let Arctus know that he was proud beyond his ability to put into words, though due to his own schedule and the painkillers the younger Faunus had taken Gangrel had been unable to share a drink with the young man his son had grown into before departing. Currently he was attending to a matter that he had insisted on dealing with personally but had thus far had no opportunity to do so, as he strode through the corridors of a ship that was not his own listening to the captain of the vessel attempt to make small talk

"So that Slate kid in the opening match? That your boy?"

"Nah he must be one of those other Slate kids who're Bear Faunus's with Schnee features" Gangrel growled, sarcasm dripping from his words and the captain fell silent unsure of how to respond. The Flustern was a newer model of airship than Gangrel's own home away from home and it's captain was a member of the Specialist Branch with undeniable skill who had worked hard to obtain his station so young; none of that detracted from the fact Gangrel also thought the man was an insufferable social climber who would have crossed the street to avoid him based solely on his race and economic class before the war. They continued through corridors whose bright lighting combined with pristine white and chrome décor made for a harsh and glaring combination for a little while longer before Gangrel's snout like nose wrinkled in irritation, lips peeling away from his sharp teeth in a growl and the fingers of his cybernetic left arm flexing to extend the bladed claws hidden within as something occurred to him; he had instructed the Flustern to set course for Eisenstadt Prime so that he could speak with someone who was currently aboard the ship as per his instructions, he was more than familiar with the layout of Atlesian ships and knew that he was not being taken towards the living quarters

"You put her in the brig?" the snarl may have been phrased as a question but it was painfully clear to the ships' captain that it was really an accusation which demanded an accusation

"Sir I thought it was for the best, your orders were to keep her presence on a need to know basis and I-"

"And apparently you don't have even one person on your ship that you trust enough to stand outside of an officially empty room?" Gangrel spat as the blast door separating the brig from the vessel at large came into view, behind it would be a forcefield and behind that several cells; Gangrel noted that whomever was nominally on watch duty tonight had been dismissed for the evening.

"Sir" the Captain of the Flustern desperately attempted to explain while Gangrel equally desperately clung onto the last shreds of his professionalism and self control "I was under the impression that she was involved in the attack on the Poly-Tech facility? She could be a danger to-" his voice was reduced to a strangled gasp, lost beneath the sound of flesh thudding against metal as Gangrel grabbed the man by the scruff of the neck and slammed him against the wall, feet kicking futilely several feet away from the ground

"SHE'S A LITTLE GIRL YOU FUCKING COWARD!" he roared into the mans' panicked face "YOU PUT A LITTLE GIRL IN THE BRIG BECAUSE SHE'S FAUNUS AND WAS USED AS BAIT BY THE WHITE FANG! PEOPLE LIKE YOU HELPED MAKE ADAM TAURUS WHAT HE WAS!" unable to look at the man any longer Gangrel hurled him aside, forcing himself to control his breathing and in turn his temper

"Sir-"

"Get out of my sight; I'll have your First Mate promoted within forty-eight hours. You're done with the Specialist Branch" without waiting for a reply Gangrel entered his own personal clearance code into the terminal next to the blast door, a code that would grant him access to almost any electronic system within the Kingdom. The door slid open with less noise than one would expect considering its' size and thickness; Gangrel stepped into the brig and made his way passed rows of crewmen who had been segregated from the rest of the vessel for some failure or another, each of them rose and saluted the Faunus as he passed without hesitation.

"At least he didn't have the cells locked down" he grunted under his breath as he noted that the cells were only sealed by Atlesian steel bars, impassable but far less intimidating than the secondary blast door with only a thin slit to pass a food tray through allowing light in and only the buzzing of a small forcefield generator for company. His destination was the rear of the brig, a cell more dimly lit than the others whose sole occupant was a small child with hair the colour of rose gold whose arms ended in heavy chitinous and crablike pincers instead of human hand

"Hello Miss Scylla, or can I call you Coral?" Gangrel asked as he reached the cell, sitting on well polished metal floor in order to bring himself down to her level. He remained outside the cell despite being able to enter without an issue for the same reason he asked if he could use her first name; the child was never going to talk to him if he was just another grown up who didn't listen unless it suited them. The Crab Faunus slid off the bed she had been sat on, clad in pyjamas that seemed to be new and were most likely bought specifically for her by someone aboard the ship

"My name's Omega" she corrected, carefully rubbing her sleepy eyes with the point of her forearm where flesh met chitin "Can I go home yet?"

"Do you know who I am?" Gangrel asked, seeing her shake her head he continued "The man whose ship you're on, I'm his boss….the thing is I told him to give you somewhere nice to stay and now I'm annoyed because he didn't. Now I can't send you home just yet but I am going to have you moved to another ship, probably mine, where you'll have your own room with a TV and people will actually be nice to you. That sound okay?"

"It does….But Mum and Dad said I'm not supposed to go with strangers unless the High Commander says so" Gangrel forced himself not to glower at the thought of parents willingly indoctrinating their children into this iteration of the White Fang

"Well my name's Gangrel Slate, you can call me Gang" he held a hand through the bars for her to shake, instead she recoiled

"The High Commander talks about you!" she gasped in a small frightened voice "She says you're a traitor to the cause and Adam Taurus" this was something Gangrel had been oddly well prepared for

"I've honestly never met the new High Commander so I don't know why she doesn't like me" he shrugged "But I did know Adam Taurus and I don't think she did, because she's misunderstood a lot of the stuff he said and he didn't even say it first….I'd love to talk to her sometime but I don't know where to find her, do you?"

"Not allowed to tell, Gamma said Alpha would be very, very mad" she answered earnestly

"Did he now"

"Well he actually said she'd be um….P, I double S'ed" Gangrel couldn't help laughing at that despite himself

"Okay well here's the thing Omega" he averted his eyes for a moment, hating to use the moniker that these monsters had given her but it seemed important to the girl "Now you can tell if I'm wrong but I think that the High Commander moves around a bit, but the one place she always comes back to and calls home is where you're from; I really want to help you go home to your mum and dad but I don't know where to look. I won't tell anyone if you tell me"

"I can't" a note of real fear made her voice tremble "When Alpha gets angry she hurts people….a lot, with sharp things" Gangrel thought back to Kafsi's debriefing and remembered that Alpha was the Lionfish Faunus with the hypnotic voice and torture devices mounted on her gauntlets, a sadist of the highest order whom this child had been forced to watch work. Gangrel would be having her sent to the ships' counsellor as soon as she was aboard the Gespenst

"That's okay, I'll keep looking and I'll make sure that Alpha doesn't get angry at you" pausing for a moment Gangrel decided he was unlikely to gain anything useful from Coral tonight, he had anticipating this taking more than one session however and simply said "Well I'm gonna have to go and get some sleep, I've got a lot to do in the morning…..And I know that you shouldn't be up this late, but I'm not telling" the Crab Faunus giggled at this, reaching though the bars of the cell to tug at Gangrel's sleeve when he rose to his feet

"The High Commander said Hunters are bad people that hurt Faunus….but, you're a Hunter aren't you; you've got a cool weapon and everything" Gangrel became suddenly aware of the familiar weight of his sword across his back and the collapsed hand-cannon that had once belonged to his partner Perdu 'Squish' Callow hanging from his waist, he had honestly given them no thought when he entered the brig

"Yeah I'm a Hunter, I try not to be a bad person too much….I think that's another thing the High Commander got wrong" another casual shrug, another casual undermining of the leader that, if she were anything like Adam in his latter days would never stand for such a blatant challenge to her authority; each time Gangrel told the little girl before him that this woman who had filled her mind with poison was wrong and suffered no consequences would be a subliminal message to Coral Scylla. The Crab Faunus leaned close to the bars and whispered in a conspiratorial tone

"Do you have super-powers? The Cult of Taurus all had um….Semblances" Gangrel merely gave the child a smile and a wink before engaging his own Semblance; a dull and echoing crack filled the brig as the towering Faunus vanished in a cloud of black smog only to reappear near the exit

"THAT'S SO COOL!" Coral's cheer reached him from across the Brig "Goodnight Mister Gangrel"

"Goodnight" he replied, waiting until he was out of the brig and sure that he was alone to let out a slow shuddering breath and acknowledge the fact that his heart was breaking at the thought of what the Coral Scylla had been put through in her short life.

* * *

The room in which High Commander Celeste Lupus met with the Cult of Taurus was dimly lit though this presented little problem to the Faunus within; it was the hall in which she conducted her daily lectures and sermons when she was present and the four members of her most favoured and trusted followers knelt between the rows of pews. Celeste raised a thin snowy white eyebrow as she took notice of the way they were positioned, Alpha to the fore with Beta and Delta behind her and to the right while their was a clear empty space to the left of the Lionfish Faunus that Gamma had left open; a missing man formation in remembrance of Omega who was currently missing and presumed dead.

"Rise" she ordered, her voice even and carefully controlled; her followers did so and the only sound was that of Gamma's as yet uncompleted cybernetic arm moving as he stood. Even without the enhancements of her mask, power armoured suit or the sword which had once belonged to Adam Taurus Celeste exuded silent menace as she stepped closer, her body slowly becoming accustomed to the implants in her spine and the strain of walking and remaining upright for longer periods of time

"Alpha" she cooed as she came close enough to cup the masked face of the sadist "I understand you wish to report….a failure?" the pause in her words owing to a mixture of theatricality and genuine surprise

"Yes High Commander" Alpha answered, head sinking in dejection "The bastard children of deserters that dared use our name-"

"The Anima tribe yes" Celeste nodded in understanding

"At least four of them live. They've allied themselves with the Hunters, they were posing as students at the Vytal Tournament" the Ram Faunus's vibrant magenta eyes did widen at that, her best efforts to maintain stoic composure proving to be not quite enough

"You assured me that the matter was dealt with and that an example had been made of them"

"My apologies High Commander" Beta's clipped tones interjected "We can only assume that they fled while their people were being _'attended to'_ ….correcting the mistake will be a simple matter, we simply wished to keep you informed"

"No….It won't" Celeste mused, Alpha taking her sudden shift in tone as displeasure

"If you wish it I will dispense the same punishment upon my own people as any others that failed you in such a manner" it was a testament to just how fanatically devoted to their High Commander the Cult of Taurus were that none of them protest at the Lionfish Faunus so casually offering up their lives alongside her own, Delta going so far as to silently bow their head and expose the back of their neck for a killing blow. The quartet of killers were left in shock when the next sound to leave Celeste's lips was not the order for them to butcher each other, instead she let out a soft laugh

"You've done well Alpha, very well indeed"

"I….High Commander I don't understand" the Lionfish Faunus admitted. Celeste paced as she began speaking, a habit she'd developed recently as she gave speeches from her platform in this very room

"While I expect my orders followed and tasks to be completed thoroughly….this instance has proven informative. Tell me, why do suppose that either the Atlesian Military or the Shadow Cadre of the Frost River would consider forming an alliance with the other?" behind her mask Celeste's eyes widened in comprehension, though it was Gamma who spoke first, showing the cunning and intellect beneath his monstrous appearance

"To kill us"

"Precisely" Celeste beamed "And now for another question, one that I will answer myself. Why would the Military have a group of raiders and bandits with years of combat experience waste their time posing as Hunters and competing in tournaments rather than have them hunt us directly? The answer is simple, they wish to draw us out and have us fight them on their own terms"

"They wanted to use our own dedication to our cause against us, they will suffer" Alpha hissed with obvious rage and disgust

"An artless ploy" Beta noted, a derisive snort underlining the sentiment.

"And easily turned against them" Celeste almost purred "They expect us to see the bait they dangled and then attack at the first opportunity. When the surviving children of deserters make their next appearance the Atlesian military will focus it's attention fully on the tournament, allowing us to move freely everywhere else within the Kingdom and settlements….and when we don't act as predicted they will lose faith in their plans, leaving us free to attack at a time of our choosing"

"We stand ready High Commander" Alpha assured her

"I would expect nothing less from my most trusted" Celeste cupped her masked cheek once again and the Lionfish Faunus almost nuzzled into the contact the way one expect a kitten to do

"Our enemies will fall, but our timing must be perfect" Celeste warned "The Fang will draw blood when Atlas least expects and when it does it will be a blow from which they cannot recover" The Cult of Taurus almost shivered in anticipation at the thought of the violence that was to come.

 **Authors Notes:**

Another Chapter down and the plot is picking up.  
I think it's safe to say that based on Vol.6 so far there is literally no way to reconcile The Downward Spiral, Our Happy Ever After and FADE Legacy with canon; I am completely fine with this.  
I don't think I mentioned it in the notes of the last chapter but I've signed up for the _"Prompt-Madness Challenge"_ in a Discord Server for RWBY writers and artists that I'm in, so watch out for my contribution to that at some point in December.

Anyway, let's summarise:  
Onyx can read people and smell fuckery from a mile away.  
We all knew that Raffia killing that guy would come back to bite them in the arse.  
Raffia never had a chance.  
Just to be clear the Scavenger Guild were already sending Snow to Atlas Academy before they ever called Winter.  
The Scavenger Guild may be a technically legitimate business, but their leadership takes no chances….Also, aesthetic or die.  
" _If you mean to kill us then do so. I will not listen to this man waffling before I die"_ Admit it, Carcharodon's lack of fucks is great and you know it.  
It's official, the Scavenger Guild had the Frost River tribe almost entirely exterminated; they had Hunters kill non-combatants and then they proceeded to dredge and loot their ships.  
Winter is beyond pissed.  
Carcharodon may be a violent thief but he has a code of honour, it's different to what most Hunters would consider honourable but he won't budge on it, not again. Hence his being completely honest with Winter.  
So remember the crown that Mama Nikos wears, the Scavenger Guild gave back the Frost River Tribe's equivalent to that….Carcharodon has said that his weapons were a gift from the leaders of the tribe; he knew the person that wore that crown personally.  
The mental image of Athena-Jade riding Arctus's shoulders is adorable.  
Nyanza and Razzmatazz just being flustered dorks in the background.  
Corey is five seven and slim but athletic….she also inhales just as much food as Felix _(Because I'm assuming Aura takes some kind of toll on the metabolism)_.  
Seriously, these kids need to start using the counsellor more and canon academies need to actually get a counsellor because even without the Fall of Beacon, even if everything had carried on as normal; those Hunters are gonna end up with PTSD.  
Just how much of the line about negotiating with people who don't want peace was because of Blake having a flashback to Adam….Also the line about Corey being like Yang, if you've read Downward Spiral you can attest.  
" _Who on Remnant could handle me"_ who indeed Corey, who indeed.  
 _There is nobody left to find_ ….and with that sentence all of Carcharodon's hopes and dreams died.  
Car in the tribes' culture is now of equal standing to Kataigida Nikos….whether or not another tribal leader acknowledges that is up for debate.  
I think a key difference between the Cult of Taurus and Team GORE is the Cult are ready to die because they're fanatics, Team GORE know when they've crossed a line and are willing to accept the punishment that comes with it.  
" _For your crimes you will walk Remnant alone save for the ghosts of those you failed haunting you"_ Car just reeling out the memorable lines today.  
So Winter made it clear that if Team GORE leave without permission they will be shot, Car just exiled Raffia; literally nowhere is safe for him.  
' _Far too pretty, but acceptable'_ Felix will get that as a tattoo.  
Remember Vol.1 when Diamond threw Arctus into his first pit, fun times.  
Dude – It's a Mistrali thing.  
" _And then you lost in round one"_ \- Felix Xiao Long; not a known giver of fucks.  
Arctus's reasoning makes sense, on top of that the Schnee Semblance is versatile but everybody has seen it and has most likely made plans on the assumption that they'll be facing Arctus.  
Qrow making Batman entrances will be a running joke.  
Look at how far Eagle's come, Vol.1 Eagle would never have dared do that.  
" _Nah kid, Vytal Festivals have been my stomping ground for decades. You're hanging out with me"_ is something canon Qrow would say and you know it.  
" _N_ _ah_ _he must be one of those other Slate kids who're Bear Faunus's with Schnee features"_ you see this sarcasm, this is the man that Weiss Schnee fell in love with right here.  
The Flustern = The Whisper.  
Captain no-name done goofed.  
"PEOPLE LIKE YOU HELPED MAKE ADAM TAURUS WHAT HE WAS!" is the truth, Celeste is just following the same pattern and locking Coral in the brig and treating her like a criminal does nothing but start the cycle of Faunus kids with bad starts in lives being turned into monsters….Unless Gangrel breaks that cycle of course.  
"Unless the High Commander says so" is tacked onto the end of every rule kids learn in Tartarus.  
" _Well he actually said she'd be um….P, I double S'ed"_ is adorable.  
"When Alpha gets angry she hurts people….a lot, with sharp things" that poor child.  
Because telling someone that the people who indoctrinated them were wrong isn't enough, you have to show them.  
" _Goodnight Mister Gangrel"_ \- I can almost hear the people who read Downward Spiral calling me a bastard for that.  
The idea of the Cult of Taurus leaving a gap for Omega in their formation gave me mixed feelings.  
Remember that Celeste took control of the White Fang while confined to a wheelchair; she wasn't the dangerous fighter she is now, she had a way with words and a sharp mind; Atlas just tried to play her like another Adam and it's gonna go according to plan.  
" _Notice me Senpai"_ \- Alpha.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Bankerrtx01, Funlander, FleetOfWarships, iSassenach, Garthraxxus, FluffyFirefly and CanadianCavalier for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Oh gaskets will be blown, don't you worry about that.  
This bait might bite back….but it doesn't do it on request.  
Kataigida and Yang have got to meet at some point in this story; I'll find a way.  
Glad a few people caught the Silver Eyes.  
So that's another person in favour of Corvid and Onyx.  
About Salem, all I'll say is….Spoilers.  
I live for the awww.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	74. Monday

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 74: Monday**

The usual grogginess and lack of enthusiasm which usually permeated the atmosphere of Atlas Academy's mess hall early on a Monday morning were utterly absent, the energy of the Vytal Tournament and Festival carrying over and leaving those students who had progressed into the next round reinvigorated while providing those who had not with fresh motivation to improve. Currently Team FADE and NEON were sat together, Felix taking a moments' break from wolfing down food to shoot Diamond a glance

"Gym after class?"

"Definitely" she nodded

"I'll handle any assignments we get" Arctus offered "Obviously I can't just do it for you but I'll give you my notes, let you read my work and proof read yours" Felix reached over the table to give his cousin a fist-bump

"He's a treasure isn't he" Nyanza chuckled "An absolute-"  
"Nyanza if you quote that trash one more time I'll strangle you" Diamond warned him sweetly. The one negative of Team FADE's weekend had been the sheer extent of the coverage and attention given to them by the media and gossip magazines desperate for a story. Arctus and Diamond's brief kiss in the arena had appeared in several publications, one of which had been so needlessly saccharine that Nyanza had felt the need to quote it to the couple at every opportunity. Helios had been declared _'A continuation of the Nikos legacy'_ by the media, both Xiao Long siblings had praise heaped upon them, Eagle had squealed in delight at an article that described the ingenuity that went into creating something such as Sentinel as _'an inspiration to the next generation of Hunters'_ ; the stories while overwhelmingly positive eventually began to wear on the teens as they were jokingly quoted to them repeatedly; Diamond even receiving a call from her father, Mercury Black howling with laughter as he read aloud.

"No you won't" Nyanza gave her a smug grin before turning his attention his Scroll "You'd have to apologize to Razz- HOLY SHIT!" his exclamation caused heads to turn all around the mess hall for a moment before their fellow students decided that nothing of note was happening and returning to their breakfast. Teams FADE and NEON however kept their attention on the bushy tailed feline, looking at him expectantly as they awaited answers. Nyanza's pale green eyes widened as he reread whatever was responsible for the outburst several times

"Adi-Dazzler Sports wear want to sponsor me"

"Oh shit" Diamond gave him in approving nod

"So you get free hoodies?" Eagle asked

"I get free clothes and a fuck-ton of money to be seen wearing 'em….holy shit I've never had Lien like this before" Nyanza grinned excitably his voice dropping to a hushed whisper, Felix reached over and playfully ruffled his hair

"Congrats man, hey I know Yang gets a fair bit of Lien through sponsorships and royalties; I'll call her after class and ask her to go over any contracts they offer you if you want?"  
"Thanks man….I just can't figure out why they'd pick me to be the face of the company when-"

"Stop it" the stern voiced warning came from Olivine, only to be seconded by Helios

"Why would they not pick you? You performed just as well as any other Hunter in the tournament"

"Oum damn it you ass-holes are gonna make me blush" the feline snorted, burying the surge of emotions he was suddenly feeling

"Come on" Ether sighed "Let's get to class, Nyanza I'll talk sponsorships on the way. My sister deals with the business side of the band but I know a little" Team NEON rose to their feet, Helios waiting for Felix who silently motioned for Team FADE to follow suit before slinging an arm around the redheads' waist, tail swishing happily as Helios draped an arm over his shoulder and briefly kissing his cheek.

"Not coming?" Diamond's question caused Felix to turn back and see that Eagle was yet to rise to her feet; following her gaze the Lion Faunus saw the source of his partners' distraction

"Okay cute but she is literally in our class" he joked

"I know, I'll just be a sec" Eagle assured him before standing and straightening out her uniform a little as she made her way across the mess hall to where the three members of Team GORE stood in line to be served. Eagle felt a pang as she noticed that each of the Faunus appeared subdued, the absence of their fourth member obviously still taking a toll on them.

"Hey" she called out over the buzz of conversation that permeated the hall, unable to hide the smile that crossed her face at the way Hellion's wings perked up upon realising who was trying to get her attention.

"Little canary" the Dragonfly Faunus beamed as she sidled over, putting enough distance between herself and her team-mates to give at least the illusion of some privacy from their greater than human hearing

"I just wanted to see if you're okay" Eagle murmured as she pulled Hellion into a hug, the Faunus leaned into the contact and gently nuzzled into her neck "I know you can't go out anywhere but I can still keep you company and we can still do things if you want?"

"You're sweet" Hellion murmured pulling her a little closer "And I had no intention of letting my current constraints stop me from being with you" Eagle blushed and buried her face in the slightly shorter Huntresses shoulder, pointedly ignoring the students in the mess hall who were beginning to stare

"But tonight….Um tonight I'm heading into the capital to see my Mum….I'm gonna tell her about us"

"You're sure?" Hellion answered suddenly, Eagle merely nodded silently before letting out a shaky breath

"I don't want to lie to her. She'll find out eventually and I'd rather she heard it from me"

"This takes a different kind of bravery than fighting Grimm" Hellion observed, taking her hands and holding them "I only wish I could be with you for this"

"One day you'll be able to meet my whole family and they'll love you" Eagle assured her, Hellion reached up and pressed her lips against the blonde, causing her cheeks to darken to an impressive shade. The moment was brought to an unsatisfactory end as Carcharodon placed a grey skinned hand, knuckles covered in old scars on Hellion's shoulder

"It's time to go"

"Come on" Hellion sighed begrudgingly, Eagle felt the former raider lace her fingers through hers as they began to walk towards their first class of the day hand in hand, Onyx trailing behind; his arms laden with food he would no doubt sneak into the classroom and Eagle felt that, for now at least, everything was going great in her life.

* * *

Blake Xiao Long, formerly Belladonna had found herself far from what many would consider fitting surroundings for someone of her fame and reputation. Blake however took in the litter and graffiti ridden streets, lined with buildings in desperate need of upkeep with a sense of nostalgia; this was Rauchigschmiede, one of the poorer districts of Lower Eisenstadt Dritte; this was home, she had grown up in Sienna Khan's orphanage which had once stood no more than ten minutes walk away from her current location.

"Of all the places he could have made his home, he chose to come back here" the soft voice of Obsidian Eadala sighed from beside her as the two of them walked at a pace that accommodated for the ageing Snake Faunus's frailty.

"I suppose it still feels like home to him" Blake answered as they neared their destination, easily recognisable by virtue of both the fact that the building was newer and more cared for than those around it and the owners name proudly displayed in glossy letters on the canopy which hung over the various pumps of the gas station. The pair made their way across the recently swept forecourt and into the small convenience store attached to the gas station where customers would pay for their use of the services, a bell ringing from somewhere unseen as they entered.

"Hello" Blake called out, making her way to the cash register at the front of the store where an individual occupied themselves by watching coverage of the Vytal Tournament, in particular Team FADE's bout with Team CNBR. The individual was a man of comparable age to Obsidian, a dark skinned Bear Faunus with with a physique which had clearly once been something to behold though the passage of time had slowly taken its' toll on the mans intimidating appearance, his head was thinly covered in grey hair that had once been a darker colour while his nose was snout like and sported an old scar across its' length. Blake found the resemblance between the man and his son unmistakable

"Thought I'd be seeing at least one of you two at some point….It's been a while Sid" he spoke with a deep rumbling voice and a broad accent, instantly identifying him as a native of Lower Atlas

"Indeed it has Born" the Snake Faunus nodded as he made his way over to Bjorn Slate, father to Gangrel Slate and paternal grandfather to Arctus. Bjorn himself looked thoroughly unimpressed, letting out a slow breath as he regarded the pair before finally grunting

"Come on then let's have it, we all know what you're here for….unless that boy of mine got himself really out of his depth?" Blake found a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, she'd always liked Bjorn's no nonsense attitude and utter lack of deceit

"It pains me to have to do ask you to come out of retirement Bjorn it really does-"

"But you're gonna do it anyway"

"We are" Blake interjected with a nod "Because the Faunus of Atlas deserve the best person for the job and that's you"

"If I was that suited to the job it would have been done properly the first time" Bjorn growled, shaking his head with a mixture of weariness and disgust "It was supposed to be finished, by the time I retired the Coalition had done everything the old White Fang, our White Fang had set out to do….what's going on now, I don't understand it Blake….Hell I don't wanna speak ill of the dead but Ringo getting cornered by someone he'd done wrong back in the day would make more sense than this"

"They're a cult" Blake informed him with a shudder "From what we know their leader styles herself after Adam and her inner circle call themselves the Cult of Taurus, it was one of them who killed Ringo….Felix, my son, saw everything"

"Oum have mercy" Bjorn whispered, whatever comment he'd intended to make about Blake being the resident expert on Adam Taurus's cult following being silenced by her final addition "He shouldn't have had to see that….bad enough that it happened at all. This is what you're bringing me back to Sid?"

"I've never known you to shy away from a fight you thought needed to be had" the snake Faunus breathed out hopefully

"I'm old Sid" Bjorn sighed, his words an admission he clearly found painful "I'm old and I'm tired and I don't want to spend the last years of my life looking over my shoulder worrying how they're going to explain the fact that my body was found in bits to my granddaughter"

"Bjorn, with all due respect you're a target already" Blake informed him, causing him to glance at her in shock "You left the White Fang and renounced Adam's way of doing things, you ran the Atlas branch of the Coalition before Ringo….they'll come for you eventually if they aren't stopped-"

"And Gang's doing everything he can to stop them isn't he? That boy of mine always did know how to pick a fight"

"He is" Obsidian assured his old friend, Bjorn pinched his snout like nose and muttered several unintelligible things which were most likely the sort of curses he would have chastised his son for.

"Fine" he grunted "Fine I'll step back up and run the Atlas Branch….I want some security on this place though, I'm not having another one get blown up"

"That can be provided and Blake will remain to bring you up to speed with the latest legislation and developments in Faunus and workers rights" Obsidian answered him, Bjorn still seemed reluctant despite committing himself to the course of action, adding

"How did things get this crazy Sid….we were meant to make Atlas better, I thought we had and yet-"

"I know old friend, I know" Obsidian bowed his head and shook it "Some people can never be reasoned with or helped, but they're not the people we're here to serve" Bjorn shrugged at that before turning to Blake

"And one condition I'm gonna insist on from you"

"Name it" Bjorn gave her a warm smile

"Talk to that boy of mine and his wife and get 'em to visit more often; I've got grand-kids and I barely see 'em"

"Your Grandson is a credit to you" Obsidian told his old friend with a warm smile "Arctus is definitely a Slate at heart"

"So he's daft as a brush but he can scrap then….Oum damn it I always hoped he'd turn out more Schnee, which is something I reckon you never thought you'd hear me say" Bjorn gave a deep barking laugh

"I'm just as confused by this strange new world as you are" Obsidian grinned, his lower jaw separating a fraction as he did so; Blake couldn't help but smile as she watched the two old Faunus leaders laugh and joke amongst themselves and privately she wished that her parents were here to see it, were here to see her and the world she'd helped change for the better.

* * *

Eagle had found her resolve wavering and hands trembling throughout the journey to Atlas's capital and no amount of deep steady breathing managed to quash the tight bundle of nerves and sinking feeling that had taken up residence in her stomach and both the fight from the Academy and the taxi she had taken to her destination had given her no chance to use the meditation techniques Hellion had taught her.

"Okay, okay I can do this" she whispered under her breath as she stood at the entrance of the Poly-Tech head office and research facility which also housed her mothers' apartment; Eagle had forgone her armour, instead wearing an extra hoodie for warmth and without its' comforting, familiar weight or the robotic bleeping of Sentinel who was currently still too damaged to function she blonde felt suddenly underprepared despite how unlikely the situation was to require those specific resources. Reminding herself that she was the one who had made this choice to confront a problem head on Eagle held her head high and marched into the atrium of one of the most successful corporations on Remnant, the open space a statement of affluence in its' own right in a place such as Atlas; Antonia Arc's love of function over extravagance could be seen here, the most notable decorations being a pair of deactivated robots designed by the Antonia before she had taken over the company, each of them older than Eagle by several years and flanking a golden plaque honouring the memory of her mentor and founder of the company, Geppetto Polendina. The atrium was a bustle of activity as employees clad in business suits or mixtures of casual clothes which Eagle assumed had been worn beneath their lab-coats pushed passed her as politely as they could manage, eager to be on their way home after a days' work; though even through the crowd Eagle apparently cut a striking enough figure to be easily recognisable as a familiar, somewhat reedy voice called out to her

"Ah Eagle, how have you been?" turning towards the source of the noise it took Eagle a moment to spot Ozymandias Eldritch, silver haired and peering from behind his spectacles as always; something unquantifiable but off-putting amount the man despite his good manners and jovial nature, Eagle noted that he wore a thick woollen jumper rather than his customary lab-coat and noted that he while he looked not her own Grandfather he seemed as though he could certainly be someone's.

"Hey Doctor Eldritch" she greeted him with a friendly wave as she made her way over, taking care to move out of the way of pedestrian traffic

"Please, call me Oz" he answered with a smile, Eagle thought to herself for a moment before speaking again, words accelerating to what many people considered Eagle's usual machine-gun pace as she asked a question she wasn't entirely certain she should

"Hey um, I was wondering….Sentinel got damaged in the Vytal Tournament and I'm gonna need some parts…..I've already filled out an order form but I was wondering if there's any way we could speed it up? Maybe I could use the Poly-Tech fabrication shop?" her crimson eyes filled with hope only for Ozymandias's expression to snatch it away once again

"Unfortunately not I'm afraid" he lamented "Were it my decision to make I would allow it but ever since the incident involving the White Fang restrictions have been tightened, understandably so but it's causing some inconvenience"

"Thanks Oz, it's okay I'll just have to wait for parts" Eagle shrugged "Have a good evening"

"Thank you" with that the two parted ways, though as they did so she Eagle noticed something that seemed extremely odd to her; the security which Eagle could never remember being so openly and heavily armed before now seemed to be paying an inordinate amount of attention to Ozymandias Eldritch, their eyes never leaving him until he was out of sight of the building.

"Weird" Eagle muttered to herself before deciding that they were most likely just being overcautious, or possibly new members of staff who didn't realise exactly who Doctor Eldritch was yet. Putting the matter aside she made her way to an elevator that, when a specific code was entered would take her to the penthouse suit Antonia Arc called home; the subtle lurching movement as the elevator jolted into motion only making to set Eagle's already fraught nerves on edge; the voice of her mother sounding over the intercom as Antonia Arc was digitally informed that she was about to have a visitor

"Good evening Eagle, how're you feeling? You seemed a little worried about something when you called earlier?"

"I'm fine Mum" Eagle answered the disembodied voice, hoping to instil some confidence in herself

"Well okay" Antonia sounded hesitant "The door will be open, let yourself in"

"Okay, will do" the rest of the ride to the towering building went in silence and when the elevator doors slid open with a hiss Eagle strode forwards with the same grim determination that she carried herself into battle with, letting herself into the penthouse suite to see Antonia Arc waiting for her

"It's good to see you" the older woman cooed as she pulled her daughter into a hug "I saw your performance in the Vytal Tournament, I'm so proud of you, I see you've unlocked your Semblance"

"Thanks Mum, just a shame Sentinel got so beaten up" Eagle felt her freckled cheeks colour, heart racing as she realised that if her mother had watched Team FADE's match she may well have seen Team GORE

"That's no problem I can get you the parts you need-" Antonia stepped back, feeling Eagle trembling against her slightly "Eagle what's wrong, something is clearly bothering you?"

"I came to talk to you about something important" Eagle admitted "I'm dating someone"

"Oh" Antonia mouthed, clearly not expecting the answer she received "It's obviously not the other girl on your team she seems quite smitten with Weiss Schnee's son….I assume that she's another student?" Eagle allowed herself a small smile despite her apprehension which now bordered on outright fear; her mother had always been supportive of her sexuality and Eagle felt that had to count for something

"Yeah it is-"

"That's wonderful Eagle, I'll have to schedule some time off as soon as the investigations regarding what happened in Gerat-Handlung are over; I'd love to meet her"

"There's the thing, I really don't think you would" Eagle's words came out faster, voice shrinking with each syllable "Did you watch any of the other tournament matches?….Did you seen Team GORE?"

"I most certainly did" Antonia's anger at the mention of her kidnappers blotting out her confusion at her daughters' worries and the sudden change in subject. Then a moment later she made the connection, the member of the Shadow Cadre who had been imprisoned during Antonia's own captivity had been a Dragonfly Faunus who used throwing knives and from what she had seen of Team GORE's match, was pretty in a roguish sort of way

"Mum say something" Eagle pleaded as she saw Antonia's face fall, an expression of silent shock which slowly morphed into anger and hurt

"How could you?"

"Mum, they're not the way you think they are; any of them and Hellion-"  
"Is this to get back at me?" Antonia demanded "Answer me honestly Eagle, I can accept I've made mistakes with you but is this to deliberately hurt me?"

"NO!" Eagle exclaimed "It's not like that, I just….she just-"

"THEY KIDNAPPED ME, THEY HALF KILLED SOME OF MY STAFF AND LEFT OTHERS NEEDING COUNSELLING! SHE IS A MONSTER!"

"THEY WERE DESPERATE!" Eagle shot back, voicing rising to meet her mothers' despite her desire for them to not argue "THEY LOST EVERYONE AND MADE SOME BAD CHOICES….They're sorry, they really are"

"I can't believe this" Antonia's tone was icy, the venom in her words bringing tears to Eagle's eyes "I could have accepted anything else you told me Eagle….but not this"

"Mum, she's-"

"I don't care" Antonia cut her off bluntly "I don't care how special you think she is or how hurt her tribe of thieves and murderers were. We've all lost people Eagle, good people don't do what they did" Eagle looked at her mother, tears streaming down her face freely now

"I'm not breaking up with her, I'm can't do it Mum-"

"Then you're as stubborn with your idiotic choices as your father!" Antonia snapped, the atmosphere in the room changing drastically as their mutual anger reached the point where it could no longer be contained. Eagle's face became a cold scowl as she wiped her eyes, Antonia realising that she had crossed some invisible line with her last comment

"Eagle, you need to understand-"  
"I came here to tell you what's going on in my life, not to ask you for permission. I'm going" without waiting for a response Eagle turned and stalked away, fresh tears welling up in her eyes as she desperately put as much distance between herself and her mother as she could manage fishing her Scroll out of her pocket with trembling hands and typing a message to Hellion to let her know things had gone as bad as they possibly could have.

* * *

Felix's eyes widened in surprise as he slid back several inches as a blow connected with his hands while they were held in front of his chest, he lashed out with a quick left hook only for it to be blocked and his sparring partner to launch a spinning heel kick to his right hand, striking the heavily padded mitt he wore with enough force to make him spin and stagger several steps before recovering

"Damn" Felix gave a low whistle of appreciation whilst shaking his hand which now stung despite the protective padding. Diamond remained poised to strike for a moment longer, half expecting the Lion Faunus to throw a right handed jab with no warning to test her reflexes

"Don't look surprised dude" she chuckled, finally relaxing as she watched him take pads off

"I'm not, I know you're strong I've seen you pick Arctus up" Felix chuckled as Diamond rolled her eyes. The blonde had only been partially joking, he had known that Diamond was a more than capable fighter but with her more slender build compared to the rest of Team FADE and preference for ranged combat or acrobatically out manoeuvring her opponents Felix had been pleasantly surprised to realise that she was as proficient in close quarters combat as she was

"So what's next then, sparring match or shooting range?" Diamond asked, her low husky voice cutting through Felix's thoughts

"Sparring then shooting range if you're up for it?"

"Sure" Diamond gave him a sly smirk "But just so you know, hosing down everything with twenty feet of your target doesn't count and I'm still the better shot"

"Tell that to the Grimm that were within twenty feet of the one I was aiming at" Felix shot back with a grin which displayed his oversized canines. Diamond chuckled softly

"Dude we need to hang out more" she added with a playful punch to her team leaders' shoulder as they made their way across Atlas's Academy's gym in search of an empty sparring ring; Felix predictably coming to a halt as a familiar redhead made their way over

"Hey Heely" his entire body language seemed to shift subtly and Diamond found the way his expression brightened at the sight of Helios adorable but equally hilarious

"What am I background noise?" Nyanza grumbled as he sidled along behind Helios, as much progress as the feline had made the idea of the inevitable sparring match with his partner was not a pleasant one.

"If only" Felix chuckled before giving his old friend a fist-bump "So I take it you two are going through into the next round?" his tone became hushed and conspiratorial

"We are" Helios confirmed, seemingly uncharacteristically excited at the idea "I think between Nyanza's Semblance and my experience we stand a fair chance….although I won't pretend that the next bout won't be a challenge"

"Right" Diamond breathed out with a sympathetic wince "I saw the fixtures, you're up against whoever Team GORE send"

"Don't worry you've got this" Felix assured Helios, reaching up to give him a kiss on the cheek as he tried to instil his boyfriend that he himself felt a little ashamed for lacking; Team GORE would no doubt be sending Carcharodon and the Lion Faunus new from experience that the former raider was not to be trifled with.

"So what're you guys doing here?" Nyanza asked

"Oh y'know just seeing what we could steal and take back to Halo Academy with us" Diamond shrugged with a snort "Pretty much the same as you, we're up against Team SABL in the next round so we wanted to work on some stuff and….Oum damn it why didn't you put that in your locker?" she gave an exasperated sigh as Felix's Scroll buzzed audibly in his pocket; the Lion Faunus merely shrugged nonchalantly

"Team Leader, I keep it on me at all times" he extracted the device from his pocket and answered the call with "Hey Mum" Diamond and Helios were unable to hear the other half of the conversation and if Nyanza was able to he chose not to out of politeness so when the Lion Faunus collapsed and pocketed the device they were a little surprised by his next words

"Hey do you guys mind cutting this short?"

"Yeah Dude, is your Mum okay?" Diamond asked with clear concern, Felix gave a quick double take before answering

"What? Yeah, yeah she's fine. She just told me that the majority of the work she came to Atlas for was finished today so she's probably gonna be heading home a little after the next round of the tournament" his cheeks reddened a little as he continued "Um, Heely she asked if you want to come out to dinner with us?" Helios evidently needed no time to consider the question, simply leaning down to kiss Felix's cheek

"I would be honoured to meet your mother Fluffy" Diamond and Nyanza firmly refused to make eye contact, both of them requiring every ounce of their self control to not erupt into laughter at the blush now covering Felix's cheeks, Felix himself quickly managed to regain some self control

"Okay cool, let me just go get ready; I need to message Corey and see if she's coming as well….Dee do you want me to get a signed copy of my Mum's book for you?"

"Sure Dude, thanks" Diamond grinned, fully aware that Felix was teasing her a little but honestly not caring, Blake Belladonna's book was indeed on her _'to read'_ list. Felix left a moment later, Helios not far behind which resulted in Diamond being left with Nyanza; a mischievous smirk crossed the silver haired snipers' face as she regarded the bushy tailed feline

"So….you and Razz?"

"I….um, we're…." Nyanza trailed off, a soft smile on his face as he finally answered "She's great"

"Yeah she is dude" Diamond nodded "So come on, I was planning on sparring with Felix but since you're here I can give you a taster of what's coming if you hurt her" Nyanza took one look at Diamond's cherry red eyes and saw that she was completely serious, a tired sigh escaping him

"And apparently I'm the lucky one"

* * *

Corvid Xiao Long made her way along the silent corridors of Atlas Academy still clad in her school uniform and her dark brown hair let out of its' usual ponytail, the hallways' current state of abandonment owing to the fact that this particular route led towards Headmistress and General Winter Schnee's office and no student wanted to be caught loitering with questionable motives; Corvid herself had received her summons to a meeting with the General from deputy head Professor Soleil, as she walked Corvid's mind raced as she tried to determine what either she or her team could have done to merit such attention. It took little time for the door to her destination to be in sight though before she could reach it the door swung open and a trio of Faunus stepped out, all of them clearly happy to be free of whatever meeting had been taking place. Corvid's steely grey eyes fixed on Onyx Ursabane as Hellion Eudialyte slipped passed her, frowning intently at her Scroll and evidently having somewhere to be

"Well this is Onyx-pected"

"Pretty sure you've used that one" Onyx noted with a grunt

"Pretty sure it's a classic" Corvid retorted "And I'm _purr-sonally_ offended you don't appreciate it. So what did you three do?"

"Lost Raffia" Onyx answered simply, the way that his eyes drifted away from hers made it painfully clear to Corvid that there was something she wasn't being told about the situation, she quickly decided that if he wanted to tell then he would

"Well yeah I can see why she'd wanna _Axolotl_ questions about that" she beamed, placing a hand on the Puma Faunus's chest as she slipped passed him and adding "But if you need to….de-stress sometime, you know where to find me" she almost lost her composure and burst out laughing at the way he visibly perked up at the offer, shaking her head she let him catch up with Carcharodon who had continued down the hallway without a word whilst she knocked on the door of the office

"Enter" the voice clearly belonged to the General and Corvid hesitated for a moment before squaring her shoulders, she could think of nothing that she or her team-mates could be conclusively blamed for and looking guilty would do no favours; with that in mind she entered the office with a calm smile and gave a lazy wave as she entered

"Hey Aunt Winter….do I call you Aunt Winter? It's weird, it's never really been talked about 'cos you're not around that much"

"Good evening Miss Xiao Long….or can I call you Corvid?"

"Sure why not" Corvid shrugged making herself comfortable whilst fully aware that she might be overdoing it a little; though her comment about being unsure what to call the older woman had been truthful, Weiss and Gangrel were her Aunt and Uncle and Arctus was her cousin because of the Schnee Heiress being a member of Team RWBY and Gangrel Slate spending several years in Sienna Khan's orphanage alongside Blake Belladonna; both of those facts made them family in every way that counted and whilst Corvid knew that Team RWBY had once been part of Winter Schnee's black-ops unit she had never really felt as strong of a familial connection with her. Winter for her part seemed to be fighting to keep a smile from tugging at her lips, Corvid assumed that she was inadvertently reminded the General of one of her mothers though before she could ask Winter spoke

"I assume you wish to know why you were summoned here, there are two reasons one of which leads into the other"

"Okay, I'm listening" Corvid sat up straighter, giving Winter her full attention

"The first is that Team CLIR's bout in the doubles round of the tournament against Team RNBW will be postponed" Winter paused, raising a hand to silence the imminent objection "It will only be a matter of two days while your team are on a mission, which I believe will be a simple but necessary task"

"Go on" Corvid grumbled, folding her arms across her chest, making no effort to hide her displeasure "Still sounds rigged if Team CLIR are fighting as soon as we get home…..you couldn't send a team who lost?" Winter chose not to adress the complaints and simply explain

"Since the White Fang made their resurgence public and undeniable with their attack on Poly-Tech there has been a sharp increase in reports of hate crime against Faunus, in some places it has spiked to pre-war levels" Winter paused and saw by Corvid's silence and the appalled look on her face that she appreciated the severity "What's worse is that there have been reports of both police and Atlesian Hunters being perpetrators and using their authority to harass Faunus-"

"WHAT THE FUCK?" Corvid spat furiously, half rising from her seat before remembering to whom she was speaking; Winter merely nodded

"My sentiments exactly. For that reason you and your team are being sent under the guise of a brief training mission to monitor a suspected offender and take action as you see fit"

"As I see fit?" Corvid repeated with some confusion which winter picked up on, this time the General made no effort to hide the smile on her face

"This leads into the second reason that you were summoned. You've come to the attention of the Specialist Branch Corvid" Winter turned her computer so that the screen faced Corvid, allowing her to see stills of her around the Academy, during the tournament and on missions along with what appeared to be several text documents "You've been noted as having, and I'm quoting from various sources here; remarkable intelligence and ingenuity in regards to weapons and engineering, impressive combat capabilities, the unquestioning loyalty and support of your team due to your leadership skills and have been described as operating in a moral grey area whilst also having an unshakeable moral character" Winter finished and raised an eyebrow whilst Corvid took a moment to process the information

"Okay….thanks to those people that said that I guess, the surveillance is still creepy though"

"Atlas keeps tabs on all Hunters that pass through its' borders" Winter answered "But the point of that surveillance was primarily to see if you would be as suitable of a candidate for the Specialist Branch as we believed, and I'm pleased to say that I think we were right about you" Corvid was sure that were she drinking when Winter had said that she would have sprayed her drink out of her nose

"I'm sorry what?" Winter patiently restated the matter, more plainly

"I am offering you a provisional place within the Atlesian Specialists following the completion of your studies at Halo Academy and the admittedly extensive additional training our Specialists are subjected to, which I'm sure your Uncle Gangrel would be more than willing to break from protocol and tell you about. I think you're already one of the best of the best Corvid, I'm merely offering you a place to realise your full potential" Corvid's eyes were wide and her mouth hung open in stunned silence as she took in what had just been offered to her, the ranks of the specialists included people whom she had looked up to since childhood; Ruby Rose and Penny Polendina chief among them. Corvid let out a slow breath as a glaring omission in the offer occurred to her

"Does the offer extend to all of Team CLIR or just me?" tension filled her voice, dreading the answer

"Just you unfortunately. Your team-mates are impressive Hunters Corvid but not quite of the same standard as yourself"

"Then I'm sorry but I can't take the offer" Corvid seemed to fold in on herself as she let out a bitter sigh "Call it than unshakeable moral character or whatever but I can't do it. I lead Team CLIR and that won't change when we graduate, I'm not abandoning my team" it took her a moment to meet Winter's eyes again though upon doing so she was relieved to find no anger or judgement their only acceptance

"I understand fully Corvid, your team are to you what the crew of my ship are to me. I wish you and your team the best of luck in both your mission and the tournament" Corvid rose to her feet, sensing that Winter's words were a dismissal, though the General added one last comment "And as to your initial question Corvid, I'm proud to consider you my niece"

"Goodnight Aunt Winter" Corvid gave a genuine smile as she left the office

"Goodnight" Winter gave a resigned sigh as the office door closed. Every generation had its' legends and heroes; Qrow Branwen was one, the man who could seemingly hear and see all of Remnant and whose exploits were without number; Ruby Rose had been another, the silver eyes warrior who could halt hordes of Grimm tens of thousands strong on her own; Winter was more than a little disappointed that she had lost out on the opportunity to recruit the next such hero.

* * *

Eagle sat hunched over on her bunk in Team FADE's dormitory dried tears staining her face as she clutched at the enormous stuffed Ursa named Mr. Pancakes she'd received from her Aunt Nora; everything about the blondes' body language broadcast utter despair. She cast still watery eyes over to her Scroll which had landed on Arctus's bunk, a clearly visible dent in the opposite wall where she'd thrown it in a fit of anger at the end of the several calls and messages she'd been subjected to. Antonia had been furious enough to spread word of Eagle's relationship with Hellion to the rest of the Arc siblings and Eagle's Grandparents and from there it had trickled down to each and every member of her sprawling extended family. Eagle screwed her eyes shut, forcing herself not to start crying again at the thought of it; the aunts who were openly angry or shocked and readily vocal about their sentiments had bothered her less than she'd anticipated; what had stung the most had been the talk with her Grandparents _'We don't want to tell you what's best for you, you're not a child'_ Craven Arc had said, only for Ivory Arc to add _'But we can't pretend that we're happy with this; your mother called us to talk sense into you and surely you can see why she's worried, we all are'_ the knowledge that the Grandparents who had raised her didn't trust her and as much as they had tied to hide it, were disappointed had been a crushing blow, followed closely by a message from Uncle Flax that read simply _'They kidnapped your Mum, stabbed your team-mate and shot down my Bull-Head on top of the robberies….Stay classy kid'_ Eagle had been sorely tempted to type an equally vitriolic response, something she attributed to her friends personalities rubbing off on her, but had found that she simply liked the energy for another fight. The faintest possible silver lining had come from three sources, the first being when Lie and Nora Ren had called her assuring the distraught young woman that they would give Hellion a fair chance, and also that Nora would happily break the legs of certain members of the extended Arc family; the second being from an unlikely source, Velvet Scarlatina had messaged her to apologise for her brothers' attitude and offer some advice, she had after all dated Adam Taurus for a few months prior to the war. The final dim ray of hope had come in the form of a voicemail from Hellebores Arc, Eagle could clearly hear the sounds of baying and snarling monsters being put down by massed weapons in the background of her ' _Aunt Hell's_ ' message which had simply stated _'I'm busy smacking the black of some Grimm in the no-man's land between Vale and Vaccuo; we'll talk properly when I get home. Don't worry this'll all blow over….you'll have to better than that if you want my spot as family fuck up'_ this had drawn a watery chuckle from Eagle who nonetheless desperately wanted to speak to the aunt whom had been the first person she had gone to upon questioning her own sexuality. After an amount of time that Eagle was utterly unable to gauge she found herself jumping in response to a sharp rapping against the dormitory door

"It's open" Eagle caught sight of Hellion and before the Dragonfly Faunus had closed the door behind her the blonde had crossed the room and wrapped her arms around her shoulders, burying her face into the crook of her neck

"Little Canary" Hellion started nervously, running her fingers through Eagle's thick blonde hair while holding her tight with her free arm "What happened, what's wrong?"

"I told Mum about us and now she hates me" Eagle answered bluntly, the painful admission prompting fresh tears "My whole family know now and most of them think I'm crazy, they don't even know you and they won't give you a chance"

"I never expected forgiveness for what my people have done" Hellion gave a morose sigh

"I just….we're a big family but we're close; I don't want everyone to be angry with me" Eagle mumbled into Hellion's shoulder and the former raider screwed her eyes shut, refusing to let tears fall from them as she mustered every ounce of fortitude she could and did what needed to be done

"Little Canary….Eagle, you make me so happy; but I won't let you do it at the expense of your relationship with your own people. I'll leave the choice in your hands but if you say that you can't do this, that this is too much I will respect that. Say the word and once Team GORE leave Atlas you will never have to see me again; I don't want to cause you any more pain" Eagle pulled looked at her while a mixture of confusion, pain and anger flashed across her face

"IF YOU DON'T WANT TO HURT ME THEN STAY HERE WITH ME!" she cried before seeming to physically crumple and collapse back into Hellion as her shoulders shook with silent sobs "Please, stay with me"

"There is nowhere else I would rather be" Hellion assured her with a whisper in her ear before taking the taller Huntresses hands and kissing each of her knuckles in turn "You make me better, more than I was before I met you….I don't want to lose the way you make me feel" Hellion gently pulled Eagle down so that she could place a soft kiss on her forehead, Eagle kissed her lips in return and gently cupped her cheeks

"I think I love you"

"And I think I love you to" the admission came easily though Hellion's wings still buzzed in surprise at herself when the words left her

"Promise you'll stay?" Eagle's voice was fragile, betraying just how far her kind and innocent soul had been pushed today

"I promise and my word is my bond" Hellion assured her, gently directing her towards the bunk that seemed most likely to be hers "Rest and I promise I will be here when you wake up" Eagle did as she was asked, curling up beside Hellion on the bed without pause of thought and in short order a mixture of exhaustion and the Dragonfly Faunus playing with her golden locks had left Eagle breathing slowly as she fell asleep, still holding Hellion's hand. Hellion herself tried to get comfortable on a bed that felt far too small and far to boxed in with its' position flat against the wall; she had every intention of honouring her promise, though she expected explaining that to the rest of Team FADE would either be troublesome or entertaining, depending on her mood at the time.

* * *

Gangrel Slate gave a wide yawn which spoke of bone deep weariness as he positioned himself on the sofa beside Weiss, casually wrapping his right arm which was still flesh and blood around her

"You know she's going to be playing in the dark again the second she thinks the coast is clear" his wife noted with an amused grin whilst resting her head against his muscular chest and shoulder. She was referring to Athena-Jade, the youngest of the Slate children having just been told a bedtime story by her father, Weiss freely admitted that Gangrel could tell the classic children's tales more creatively and enthusiastically than she did; in part due to his upbringing which whilst had been in poverty had doubtless been more loving than her own; there was also the matter of Weiss being unable to create unique voices on the fly for different characters the way her husband did; she had listened to Gangrel tell bedtime stories before and often found herself laughing along with the children.

"Yeah that's one of my bad habits she's inherited, sorry about that" he chuckled

"I managed to speak to Arctus on a break at work today" Weiss noted conversationally "He won't be participating in the doubles round of the tournament….it's a shame but his reasoning made sense"

"He's worried everyone's seen all his tricks now and they'll be expecting them?" Gangrel guessed with a sigh "Can't fault him for thinking it through, telling Athena's gonna be fun though" sarcasm dripped from his words

"I'm sure she'll manage….Diamond will be competing after all" Gangrel snorted at that

"AJ likes Arctus's girlfriend as much as he does" Weiss chuckled but the tiredness permeating her voice made it clear how demanding work had been, Gangrel idly toyed with her ivory hair while murmuring "You okay babe? You sound exhausted"

"Work on the next generation of Eco-Dust isn't happening as fast as I'd like….it's strong but it's not as versatile as the naturally occurring Dust; it's still volatile as well" Gangrel nodded in understanding while Weiss gave an irritable huff "And things are only being slowed down by Whitley's internal investigation….as much as I understand its' necessity some people should not be within a mile of a laboratory"

"Get him to hand the investigation over to me and I'll make sure nobody trips over their own feet"

"It won't happen" Weiss shook her head "He'll share information with the authorities but he wants to find out who's been selling Eco-Dust to drug dealers himself….he's taken it almost as personally as the White Fang and since Winter has kept him out of that business he's throwing himself into this" Gangrel understood his brother in law's sentiments entirely; whoever was supplying the main component of the narcotic _'Booster'_ to scumbags that poisoned children was the lowest of the low and the news that the synthetic Dust was most likely being acquired by someone working inside either the SDC itself or one of their main customers had been infuriating.

"Speaking of the White Fang….as much as I would prefer not to" Weiss gave an irritable sniff at the mention of the resurgent terrorist faction "How are you Gang, you're not just tired….what's wrong?" the Faunus moved his gargantuan frame and repositioned himself so that he could look Weiss in the eye while they spoke

"I'll be honest a few things are bothering me, Dad's getting back into the public eye….Blake told me that he agreed to take over the Atlas branch of the Coalition this morning-"

"He'll be protected" Weiss assured her husband while at the same time a deep concern for her father in law whom she loved dearly welled up inside her

"Then there's the tournament situation….one of my agents has apparently gone rogue and I can only hope that he's doing it to deliberately test Winter's patience and they haven't vanished off the face of Remnant….Or been killed by the Fang" he gave another tired sigh, seeming to age where he sat "Honestly though the main thing that's been in the back of my mind bugging me is Coral Scylla"

"The girl the White Fang used as bait?" Weiss asked, the sheer rage and disgust as a parent that someone would use a child, a little girl younger than her own daughter for such a purpose was written plainly across her face

"Exactly" Gangrel nodded "I'm worried about what's going to happen to her when this is all over….her parents are active White Fang members, they're not going to be raising her even if I do find them. I'm just worried that once she's given us anything useful that she knows she's gonna end up being shipped off to some care home and it's all gonna start all over again"

"What do you mean?"

"Another pissed off Faunus kid that the system failed, one with connections to the White Fang….Coral's a good kid she's just had her head filled with propaganda. I'm worried that if we just throw her away once we're done with her it's all gonna fester and in twenty years we'll be hearing about another reborn White Fang with her leading it" Gangrel's amber eyes took on a haunted look "We were supposed to end it Weiss, even when I was breaking peoples' arms on Adam's say so I thought we were supposed to be the last generation of Faunus who have to do this….I thought we'd got everything we were fighting for with the coalition but it just won't end"

"You're right it can't happen again" Weiss murmured, lacing her fingers through his "So what do you plan to do?"

"Honestly I haven't got a plan….I just know that I've gotta do something to fix this; anything less and I'm not doing my job….besides, she reminds me of Jade"

"Oh" Weiss gasped before clutching her husband close, Jade Rangifer, the Spring Maiden who had perished in the war and whom Athena-Jade was partially named for was rarely ever discussed. Gangrel held Weiss as he continued

"This can't keep happening Weiss, it can be stopped it's just a matter of willpower….if nobody else wants to fix the problem then I'll do it myself" he kissed the top of his wife's head as the seed of idea formed in his mind; it presented many problems from the offset but the Bear Faunus had helped reshape the face of Remnant, a few bureaucratic mountains wouldn't stop him.

 **Authors Notes:**

So, I'm back.  
For the people who don't follow me on Tumblr, sorry for the delay I was just absolutely burned out….I hadn't taken a week of this story in a year and between writing and planning it's a seven day process for each chapter.  
I've got a story for the "Prompt Mayhem Challenge" coming soon so keep an eye out for that.  
I'm also taking part in the "OC secret Santa" project again for the second year in a row….No idea who I'm writing for yet but it'll be fun either way.  
It's gonna be a bust December but I just found out that my job will be giving me a week off, paid without losing any of my accrued holidays (They pre deduct Christmas)….I do not miss agency work.

Anyway, let's summarise:  
You know damn well Diamond and Arctus having a cliché kiss after winning would have been all over the media and you also know damn well that Nyanza would be quoting those articles while cackling.  
' _A continuation of the Nikos legacy'_ probably made Heely blush all kinds of colours  
I love the idea of Eagle just being the darling of the media during the tournament and having no idea how to cope.  
Merc and Diamond have a great relationship, they just tease they ever loving fuck out of each other as well.  
The sponsorship thing isn't important but it felt realistic and I felt like giving Nyanza a win here; also _"Adi-Dazzler"_ is a play on Adi Dassler the founder of Adidas.  
Cyberpet is a pleasure to write.  
Headcanon Onyx can sneak food into anyway, he is the guy to go to the cinema with.  
I'm pretty sure readers of The Downward Spiral could sense who we were going to see as soon as I mentioned Rauchigschmiede.  
Okay in regards to Bjorn's skin-tone; Bjorn is black, Gangrel is mixed race and Arctus has his Dads' Faunus traits but is white passing _(Honestly he has a Schnee complexion)  
_ Lower Atlas accents sound like Yorkshire.  
Bjorn probably can't help but still thing of Blake as _"That idiot boy Taurus's hanger-on"  
_ " _I'm not having another one get blown up"_ I mean Neo isn't here any more so….  
" _So he's daft as a brush but he can scrap then….Oum damn it I always hoped he'd turn out more Schnee, which is something I reckon you never thought you'd hear me say"_ I feel like this is why people have been wanting Bjorn ever since we got to Atlas.  
Geppetto Polendina founded Poly-Tech before Antonia took over _(Hence the name)_ just keep that in mind when considering what Oz could be looking for.  
Ozymandias Eldritch, being evil while wearing woolly jumpers since 2018.  
So Oz is definitely being monitored, although how effectively is always up for debate.  
Poor Eagle, it was going so well at first  
Eagle might be shy and a rambling flustered dork; but she is also hard headed and strong willed as fuck….Remember in first year when Felix tried to get her to calm down and not go running out there when Antonia was kidnapped.  
Throwing a sucker punch in a training session is definitely something Felix would do his team because it's something Corvid most likely did to him.  
" _Dude we need to hang out more"_ is me calling myself out because when I first planned this story out I actually thought Felix and Diamond would interact more than they do…..still, at least they're not as bad as Blake and Ruby.  
Team NEON vs Team GORE confirmed.  
Team SABL….I had Felix sparring with their team leader a while back, literally for no reason other than to have the tournament fodder characters actually exist before the tournament. _(It's something that bothers me about how tournament arcs in a school setting tend to work).  
_ More meeting the family goodness….I promise I will have the moment Helios and Yang meet on screen, there's just too much fun to have their.  
Ah the Xiao Long puns, it's been good to write those again.  
Team CLIR are facing Team RNBW whose leader is the child of Arslan Altan; I promise I'll show at least some of that fight.  
It sucks but it makes sense, the White Fang come back and all the racists come out the woodwork because now they've got someone they can point at to justify their shit.  
Yes, Corvid could have been "Specialist Xiao Long" in a few years; yes she just politely declined.  
The name Mr. Pancakes was given to the stuffed Ursa by one of my readers.  
Downside of having a big family, that's a lot of people with too much of an opinion that you're probably gonna have to cut off at some point.  
Damn even Uncle Flax is unhappy with her.  
Smacking the black off of Grimm has to be an expression in Remnant, it has to be.  
God bless Aunt Hell.  
Have some teenaged angst, nope have more, NOPE! MORE THAN THAT!  
Think about how Team GORE sleep, normal beds probably annoy them.  
Polar Bear scene for my long time readers.  
The Booster plot-line involving Rhodium and his as yet unseen supplier "Dunwitch" is still ongoing and we'll see how it ties into the Atlas stuff when we get back to New Vale in Third Year.  
You can't tell me Gangrel's fears aren't justified.  
Gang sounds so much like his dad here….weary.  
Gang has a plan….you will love it, trust me.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, iSassenach, Garthraxxus, Funlander, FleetOfWarships, FluffyFirefly, Ferrous and Bankerrtx01 for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Team GORE are confined to campus, they're still attending lessons and allowed to interact with other students but they do not leave the academy unless it's to fight in the tournament and use themselves as bait.  
Don't worry, we'll see Raffia again….So many of you are convinced that he's going to die when you've seen him take a sniper rifle bullet straight to the face, get shredded by mini-guns, have his spine severed and jaw blown off, have his eyes burned out with acid and have all of his limbs removed at different points….He's hard to kill guys.  
I think the Nikosi would definitely understand what Carcharodon's crown was even if they hadn't seen it before.  
Corvid and Iris will be Team CLIR's initial plan, though that plan may have to change depending on how their mission goes.  
Car and Onyx is the plan but it's Helios and Nyanza because having skill and luck on your side is always a good idea.  
Nope, none of the Cult are former Frost River Tribe. If anything they're the children of White Fang members who didn't flee Atlas and were either imprisoned or executed for their crimes; it's a mix of zealous loyalty and bitterness towards Team GORE/The Shadow Cadre since they're the children of deserters.  
The Flustern as the Whisper was honestly a nod to Winter's first ship in The Downward Spiral, the Schweigen or the _"Silence".  
_ You may just get your wish with AJ and Coral/Omega.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	75. It Goes On

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 75: It Goes On**

The dingy apartment was dark; located in a district of Lower Atlas that was of no real importance to anyone whose attentions could be deemed inconvenient it was a sparsely decorated single bedroom accommodation whose threadbare and mismatched furniture and peeling wallpaper spoke of the utter disregard its' sole inhabitant held for it. The man that Ozymandias Eldritch had once been had previously lived in a suburban home far more in line with what his peers would most likely expect of him; that had been sold and discarded as the voice in his mind which whispered the plan to reshape Remnant into his very psyche grew stronger and more insistent, the more Ozymandias's newfound powers as the Wizard grew the more the vaguely feminine voice had pushed him; his previous employers had been deemed unsuitable for the cause, his family an unnecessary hindrance and distraction, his home far too open and visible and so over the course of more than a decade he had slowly morphed into the ruthless and calculating schemer behind several intertwined plots, orchestrated with a grandfatherly smile and warm demeanour. Currently he sat cross legged amidst a plethora of computers and their mass of attendant wiring in what could best be described as an improvised command centre; the dozen or so screens casting enough light on his while his eyes shone from within as he tapped into his time warping powers just enough to comprehend the stream of information he was subjecting himself to; he spoke in a series of disjointed and distracted mutterings, his voice echoing unnaturally, its' pitch and speed seeming to shift at random until his eyes returned to normal, his entire being seeming focus on a single piece of information before him

"Curious" his voice was a satisfied purr and he took in what he had found, rereading and cross referencing several times before deciding that it was time to act; using one of his many monitors as a camera he began a transmission, secure in the knowledge that his activities would go unseen from his current base of operations regardless of the scrutiny he had found himself under within Poly-Tech. After a short wait his transmission was received and answered, the masked and armoured form of Celeste Lupus came into view

"Going anywhere special? You've gotten all dressed up" Ozymandias couldn't help the snide joke; his alliance of convenience with the head of the New White Fang did nothing to detract from how frankly idiotic and counterproductive to their own goals he found them to be, not that their goals would mean much in the future he planned to create.

"Eldritch, a test of my patience as always" Celeste answered, her tone even yet barely masking her distaste at having to tolerate working with a human "You have something for me?"

"On the contrary" Oz smiled "I've given you weapons and information; now it's time for you to do something for me….this arrangement of ours is supposedly mutually beneficial after all" Celeste fought her natural urge to bristle at notion that she serve his interests, remembering that he had thus far at least, honoured his end of their arrangement

"What do you need from me?"

"Your continued aggression towards my employers at Poly-Tech" Ozymandias gave an unsettling smile "A device by the name of Project Snare is being transferred to a top secret location-"

"And you wish for the White Fang to retrieve your work" Celeste surmised

"Absolutely not" Ozymandias chortled, amused by how linear her thought process seemed to be "That iteration of Project Snare is a prototype which is currently already being improved upon. No the site itself is of interest to me, the delivery there is merely a way for you to find it….I've been searching for this location, it's known as _'The Toybox'_ for years and now I've found it"

"And what do you want us to do with this facility?" Celeste asked, clearly annoyed at Ozymandias's theatrics

"The Toybox is a storage facility, it's where Poly-Tech buries its' secrets; failed experiments and military projects that never saw the light of day, a holdover from when Geppetto Polendina owned the company. You'll find it near the settlement of Geheimnis, whilst I don't have a precise location I will send you the details you need regarding the shipment of Project Snare which you can follow. I want the White Fang to attack the facility and once inside there is something I wish for you to recover for me, again I shall send you the information you require through our usual sources. Feel free to have your people to take anything else they desire from the facility, my only concern is for my own interests"

"I understand" Celeste nodded "And what is it that you need so badly you would have the White Fang attack a secret Poly-Tech warehouse for?"

"A container roughly five and a half feet tall which you will not be able to open and whose contents I will not disclose" Ozymandias answered, fully aware of how much this would infuriate the Ram Faunus.

"It will be done" Celeste answered simply, keeping her emotions guarded "Though I will require some excuse to be fabricated as to why my people are to be risked for this. The attack on Gerat-Handlung was understandable, there were traitors to our race present; this is different"

"I will see to it that Poly-Tech dismisses several of its' Faunus employees and gives you the provocation you need. I'm sure they'll find a home in your ranks….how is Kuro by the way?"

"Better for being free of your influence" Celeste shot back calmly, the tarantula Faunus whose ties to the previous iteration of the White Fang had shown a great deal of promise, Ozymandias had been loath to hand his considerable expertise over to Celeste as a show of good faith but ultimately it had been deemed necessary.

"Glad to hear it" Ozymandias answered simply "Do be sure that whoever you send is capable, this is of great importance to me….and well if I fail to see a return on my investment in your cause I will have to cut my losses I'm afraid" whether or not Celeste was concerned by or even believed the delicately delivered threat Ozymandias was unsure, the Ram Faunus merely gave him a twisted smile

"Rest assured human, my most favoured will be glad of the chance to strike another blow at our enemies"

* * *

Team FADE's dormitory was currently occupied by Arctus who was occupying himself by texting Athena-Jade, his sister telling him about her day at school and both of their parents promising to start teaching her basic self defence and martial arts as the first step towards one day becoming a Huntress herself; he was also keeping some attention of the movie that Eagle and Hellion were watching whilst bundled up in a mass of blanket with a large bowl of popcorn between them whilst Marauder perched on Felix's bunk, plucking at some dried meat.

"If you two want some privacy then just ask" Arctus offered; with Hellion confined to the academy alongside her team mates she and Eagle had been making do with improvised dates such as this, something which the rest of Team FADE along with the rest of Eagle's friends had found utterly adorable, though it hadn't stopped them from teasing her until her cheeks had almost glowed with embarrassment.

"Don't leave, I wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable in your own dorm" Hellion answered, the Dragonfly Faunus was genuinely grateful for Team FADE in the weeks following the Arc families' collective backlash against Eagle for their relationship, they had made sure that the blonde knew she always had a family with them; Felix even going so far as to call home and have Yang Xiao Long verbally confirm it.

"Okay if you're sure" Arctus shrugged, the Bear Faunus was at something of a loose end; the rapidly approaching doubles round of the Vytal Tournament meant that Felix and Diamond were almost constantly training, the Lion Faunus currently using an extensive workout to distract himself from the fact that Team CLIR had been deployed on a mission and the usual nerves and worry that came with it; as Arctus continued his textual conversation with sister whilst mentally tallying up which of his friends were likely to be available to hang out Hellion returned her attention to both the movie, something Eagle had correctly guessed she would like and to Eagle herself, planting a trail of kisses along her girlfriends' freckled and muscular shoulder, left bare by the tank-top she was currently wearing which caused Eagle to give an involuntary shudder and nuzzle closer into the Dragonfly Faunus whilst a sound somewhere between a whine and a surprised squeak escaped her, which Hellion found herself smiling like an idiot at

"I love you" Eagle murmured as she reached around and took Hellion's hand in hers, the words had been increasingly common from her since the first time she had said them

"I love you too" Hellion assured her, honestly unused to the words; the Shadow Cadre and the Frost River Tribe at large had all known that they were a large extended family and that they had each loved each other, though it had always been shown through actions and rarely simply stated so honestly; Hellion found that she liked this way of doing things.

"As much as I love staying in with you like this I can't wait until we're back in New Vale" Eagle murmured "There's so many places I want to show you" Hellion didn't answer and Eagle was immediately aware of how rigid the girl currently holding her from behind had become

"What's wrong?" she asked gently as she paused the movie and turned to face Hellion who seemed determined to look anywhere but at her

"I hope that happens" Hellion answered, needing to take a breath to steady herself before she continued "But I don't know what will happen to Team….to my people when we leave Atlas. We were only ever allowed into the academy to help deal with the White Fang; Carcharodon may decide that it's time for us to move on….Even with what the Scavenger Guild told us he might still have hope that some of the Frost River Tribe still live" Eagle's expression seemed to crumple, though her crimson eyes seemed to hold one lingering shred of hope as she asked a question she desperately needed to hear answered, her voice trembling with fear at what the response may be

"What about you….what do you want, do you want to stay?"

"More than anything" Hellion answered without hesitation "Being with you feels like….it feels like home"

"Then stay" Eagle struggled not to sound as though she were pleading as she held Hellion close to her; Hellion melted into the touch

"I will do everything within my power" she promised "Carcharodon may be hard to convince but he will see reason eventually….we don't have a ship and there are only three of us left; we'd be dead within a year if we went back to our old way of life" the realisation hit Hellion as she spoke, the culture and way of life she'd been born into was essentially dead and the knowledge that she would see her tribe fade into nothing but a memory passed on in stories that Mistrali sailors used to scare their children left her suddenly sombre. Eagle picked up on this and kissed her forehead

"I'm sure Professor Goodwitch wouldn't just kick you out of the Academy….you're good at being a Huntress, really good"

"I learned those skills hunting people instead of Grimm"

"And now you can put them to a better use; you could be a hero" Hellion's pale jade eyes met Eagle's deep crimson and saw the hope and determination there and the Dragonfly Faunus pulled her lover into a tight embrace

"I don't know what will happen next for my people Eagle but I want you to be here for it" Eagle ran her hands through Hellion's hair and gazed at her lovingly before answering

"I'll be right here" hearing that Hellion pulled Eagle into a slow kiss which left the blonde red-faced and panting for breath as they broke apart; only to realise that Arctus was no longer present, having obviously decided to give the couple some privacy and left without interrupting them. This realisation brought a wicked smile to Hellion's lips before she took Eagle's lower lip between her teeth and ran her hands along her toned body, eliciting low moans of pleasure while the movie they had been watching was left completely forgotten about.

* * *

Antonia Arc pursed her lips, double checking that the information she was reading was correct before frowning. She had hoped that she had been wrong in her suspicions, that there was still a slim chance that the aid the White Fang were receiving had not come from within her own company and much less from someone who had been a great many things to her, a partner, confidant, lover and friend. It seemed such hopes were misplaced which left only one course of action; hardening her expression she entered a series of commands into her computer that would render her office within the Poly-Tech headquarters both inaccessible and all but impossible to eavesdrop on, a moment later she was stood before the wide screen mounted on the wall and making a subconscious effort to straighten her clothes and make herself seem larger, more in control and more intimidating than she actually was; the rational part of her mind scoffed at the notion that she would stoop to such a primal display, whilst her baser instincts all but screamed into her subconscious that appearing weak or compromised in front of General Winter Schnee was simply not an option. The visage of the ivory haired military legend in question soon appeared on the screen, hands clasped behind her back and wearing a stern expression

"Arc, report"

"One day you will remember that I am not your soldier" Antonia growled, refusing to let any trace of petulance slip into her voice as she raised her chin; Winter nodded in understanding

"My apologies Antonia, I mean no disrespect….has there been any progress in our operation"

"There has" the blonde woman nodded "I've arranged for the previous iteration of Project Snare to be transported by land to a storage facility in the Geheimnis settlement; all of the documents are presented in a way that makes the routine shipment seem far more secretive than it really is, reading it one would assume that the Geheimnis site is a classified location"

"I see" Winter said simply, the General had no need to ask whether or not there were any of the more dangerous or damning projects that Poly-Tech had collaborated with the Atlesian Military on at the Geheimnis site, her station made her privy to the locations where all the proverbial skeletons were buried and the site that Antonia had chosen was responsible for nothing more complex or threatening than surplus automated cleaning systems.

"And I am to understand that our target has fallen for this ruse?" Winter asked, already surmising the answer

"Someone certainly has" Antonia answered simply before elaborating "Minutes ago we detected a cyber-security breach, someone accessed our shipping logs externally….judging by how easily they homed in what they were looking for it would seem that they were familiar with Poly-Tech protocols"

"And the fact that they risked doing this from a private computer rather than simply doing so whilst at work inside a Poly-Tech facility is telling" Winter noted, sapphire eye narrowing as she considered her next move "I'm loathe to simply make Doctor Eldritch simply disappear without concrete evidence. I suspect that tracing this security breach back to him will take time, it would be much more expedient to apprehend whoever makes an attempt to target your facility….though I highly doubt Eldritch will be present, having someone who can positively identify him in custody will be beneficial" Antonia took a moment to process this information before the thought of just who could be counted among the ranks of Winter Schnee's 'Operatives' occurred to her

"As long as it isn't the same pawns you have posing as students in the Vytal Tournament" she snapped hotly "I assure you they will never set foot in another Poly-Tech premises again without being fired on regardless of who they work for….I lost my previous P.A to them; she resigned while I was absent, PTSD" Antonia kept her own sleepless nights, plagued by memories of rampaging Faunus bandits to herself and decided that even broaching the subject of one of their number fraternising with her daughter to Winter would be foolhardy; Eagle was eighteen and could make her own mistakes.

"No" Winter answered bluntly "Team GORE have their own objective. I have someone else you're familiar with in mind for this operation; one of the best the Specialist Branch has to offer….You recall Specialist Asteri?" with that a form seemed to emerge from the shadows behind Winter as if they had been part of the darkness itself; crimson hair, amber eyes and a face partially obscured by a respirator, the woman was clad in the uniform of her rank, personalised with additional armour and modified to accommodate her prosthetic left arm, the Cybernetic grafted to the flesh above her elbow intended to replace a limb lost to the same Faunus that had kidnapped Antonia; if the official reports were to be believed this same Huntress had been present when the White Fang had attacked in Gerat-Handlung and had fought the leader of the terrorists personally

"Miss Arc" Kafsi Asteri intoned "You have my assurances that your employees will not be harmed during the course of this operation" Antonia looked into the cold yet fierce eyes of this Specialist and saw nothing but simple ruthless pragmatism there; she found herself believing that Asteri was indeed as capable as Winter claimed and that she would keep her promise

"Thank you; I'm not what you would call a people person but my staff mean a lot to me….all of them, they're the people that make our visions for a better Remnant possible" Antonia admitted before steeling herself "Although I would like to make one request"

"Name it" Winter replied and the scientists' expression turned fierce as she thought of the extent of Oz's betrayal of her trust

"If and when you move to apprehend Doctor Eldritch; take him alive if at all possible….and be sure to ask him _why_ "

* * *

Carcharodon burst from the ground, his body still reforming from the protean liquid state his Semblance converted it into as he launched himself at Onyx; the Puma Faunus defended himself well, sheathing his axe across his back in preparation for the onslaught of knees and elbows at close quarters the Shark Faunus would doubtlessly unleash. Onyx's predictions were proven correct as Carcharodon threw a right cross into his knee with enough force to buckle the limb and send Onyx staggering forward a step, the Shark Faunus followed up by weaving under around the frantic left that the taller fighter lashed out with and drove his left elbow into his bottom rib; as Onyx was left sputtering and gasping for breath Carcharodon kept his momentum going and delivered first a backhanded left into the base of Onyx's neck and then a knee to the gut which landed with enough force to lift the Puma Faunus from the ground and sending sailing through the air, only to land in a roll and position himself in a crouch; his whole body tense and coiled in preparation for the next exchange, Carcharodon knew that if he were to try and charge now Onyx would simply barrel through him. Their sparring session had gone on for hours as they alternated between armed and unarmed combat, throwing in scenarios where one was unarmed in order to prepare for any eventuality; had Carcharodon been on speaking terms with any of his fellow students he would have asked for those not competing in the doubles round to attack Onyx and himself in droves in order to truly prepare himself.

"Gonna make me wait?" Onyx grunted gruffly before simply charging forwards, clearing half of the distance between them in a single lunge; Carcharodon expected a running right handed blow or a swing of his axe and so made to go low, only to find himself directly in the path of an oncoming kick; Onyx's shin connected with Carcharodon's side and sent him clattering to the ground where he promptly righted himself, leaping into the air with a flying knee strike intended to halt any follow up attack Onyx made before landing and readying himself in an open handed stance from which he could redirect the Puma Faunus's blows. The two regarded each other in grim silence for a moment that lasted far longer than it should have, each of them tense as they waited for the other to make their move; eventually Carcharodon's bottomless black eyes seemed to soften, a difficult feat for the inhuman orbs

"Enough" he rasped out as he made his way to the edge of what had been defined as their training area and sat himself down on the cold ground, reaching for a bottle of water. The Atlesian night air was cold, most would find the biting winds inhospitable but Carcharodon and Onyx were native to climates equally as frigid and found themselves feeling somewhat at home.

"I've spent too much time on dry land, my balance is slipping" the Shark Faunus noted with clear distaste while Onyx made no comment. The Shadow Cadre, like all children of the Frost River had begun their training as fighters and raiders when they each turned five years old; being woken before the sun rose each morning and drilled by a curmudgeonly old master at arms who was also one of the tribal elders on the deck of the ship that they had been raised upon before being given their own vessel; balance was paramount as it was made perfectly clear to the young raiders that they would be training whether their ship was docked, on the Frost River itself or on the open sea and should any of them fall or be knocked overboard they would not be rescued; merely remembered fondly as a warrior of the tribe who died in single combat. Onyx made his way over, silently judging Carcharodon's mood before broaching a subject with his leader that since the Shark Faunus's official instatement as leader of the tribe it was no longer Onyx's place to question.

"You're being moody again" Carcharodon noted, easily picking up on his oldest friends' demeanour "You've been different since…." the rest of the sentence went unsaid, there had been no discussion of Raffia's fate between the three of them; while Carcharodon hadn't gone to the extreme of expunging their former ally from the tribes history, a moot point considering the circumstances, it was simply too raw and too painful to discuss.

"It's not me that's changed" Onyx sighed sitting down next to Carcharodon "Everything's changed"

"If something's bothering you then speak" Carcharodon rasped out with some annoyance "Things haven't changed so much that I don't still value your input" Onyx nodded but took a moment to compose his thoughts

"When we first set out for Atlas there was a mission, we followed Mizu and then you because we planned to avenge our fallen and gather our scattered people….and now we can't truly do either, the Scavenger Guild have won and our people are dead. Car, we never discussed what we intended to do afterwards; you're the Council of Elders now, just you….I don't think you have a plan" Carcharodon's lips peeled back from his countless sharp and serrated teeth as a furious hiss escaped him; a moment later he seemed to fold in on himself as he buried his face in his hands with an admission that was clearly painful for him to make

"There is no plan" he let out a shuddering breath, fighting to keep some semblance of composure as as Onyx gently squeezed his shoulder with a meaty paw of a hand "My sister had a plan; I had grief and hate and rage….and you all followed me anyway"

"And I've never regretted that decision" Onyx assured him bluntly "But now we need to look to our future and I feel like a traitor to our people for saying this but we can't go back to raiding….I think we should stay and train as Huntsmen" Carcharodon recoiled away from him and fixed him with a truly baleful glare

"I will never join the ranks of-"

"We're already here Car!" Onyx snapped, the new boundaries between them imposed by Carcharodon's status suddenly forgotten "We are already training to be Hunters….and they're already in Hellion's head; if we leave here we'll be leaving her behind and we both know it. Car I can't say goodbye to anyone else" Carcharodon halted, whatever retort he had planned to make dying on his lips as he heard the tremble in Onyx's voice and was forced to face the crushing realisation that the Puma Faunus was right; their way of life was over and without the support of his most staunch ally the Shark Faunus could no longer continue deluding himself.

"You're right" he finally said "Better what few of us remain stay together and if don't find an alternative we'll spend the rest of our lives running and hiding, scavenging what little we can….These Hunters; frankly they're a bunch of imbeciles more concerned with looking impressive than actually surviving. No wonder the Hunters on Anima were so viscious, they must have been all that was left"

"So we're staying?" Onyx visibly perked up, a spark of hope igniting

"The Grimm are a problem that both the Kingdoms and those outside them need to face; we can get their official paperwork and live our lives killing Grimm free of the Kingdoms' interference….we're staying" Carcharodon nodded, a frown forming on his face as a thought occurred to him "If it's possible to do so at least. When we return to New Vale I will make our case to Professor Goodwitch….though I can't recall seeing any teams that are permanently missing a member"

"Oh" Onyx's mouth hung open as Carcharodon delivered the punchline of the cruel joke that fate had seemingly played on them

"Which means if we want to train as Hunters we need to find Raffia"

* * *

Arctus perched atop the wall of the ramparts around Atlas Academy's walls, the corners of which were largely inaccessible due to the artillery pieces mounted there and thoroughly secured and protected against whatever malicious or simply mischievous hi-jinks the students could throw at them. As the Bear Faunus waited he kept a small Glyph active, no larger than the size of his palm and glowing scarlet with the Fire Dust infusing it, he kept his hand and the Glyph positioned directly above a yellow styrofoam container that the canteen staff had provided him with when he asked for a meal to go; a toothy grin spread across his face as he considered what his predecessors would have thought of the Schnee Semblance, the iconic sign of their illustrious family, being used to keep his girlfriends dinner warm like an improvised microwave.

"Hey big guy" a familiar husky voice which never failed to make his smile just a little wider no matter how often he heard it called out to him; he turned and saw Diamond making her way towards him clad in the sweatpants she wore while working out and a matching hoodie, currently only half zipped, allowing the light to catch the necklace Arctus had bought for her before the dance and make it stand out against her skin

"Hey beautiful" he murmured as she reached him, releasing his Semblance and handing over the food he had procured whilst leaning down to meet her kiss

"You're a treasure y'know that" Diamond beamed as she took the food gratefully "But how come we're eating out here?"

"Eagle and Hellion were having a moment" Arctus answered as Diamond casually made her way onto the wall to sit beside him "Felt like I was interrupting….besides this is nice, it reminds me of hanging out on the roof at Halo" Diamond shrugged as if to concede that their current location did have some of the same appeal, whilst also promptly chewing her current mouthful of food and swallowing rapidly to follow up with

"They were making out weren't they….Sweet Oum's it's good to see her finally having some confidence"

"They weren't" Arctus replied, causing Diamond to blink and widen her cherry red eyes in surprise until he amended "But I could tell they really, really wanted to"

"Good for them"

"Yeah, besides the conversation they were having was kinda private anyway….but by the sounds of it Team GORE might actually just carry on as students after the tournament"

"Huh….didn't see that coming" Diamond noted "But good on them having a plan for the future….whatever we think of the rest of 'em Hellion's been good for Eagle"

"As crazy it sounds I don't even really mind any of them that much" the Bear Faunus paused at his words, taking in just how absurd they sounded when considering everything that had transpired over the course of Team FADE's first year, up to and including his being stabbed by Raffia Dirge

"I know what you mean" Diamond agreed as soon as her mouth was empty enough to do so, pausing for a moment before adding "Do you ever think about what the future's gonna be like for us?"

"How do you mean?" Arctus asked, suddenly cautious for reasons he couldn't articulate even to himself

"I don't know dude, I'm just thinking….when we get back to New Vale we're half way through being students. I'm just wondering what's gonna happen after that"

"I mean us getting work as Hunters isn't gonna be hard" Arctus grinned "With the experience we've got we could probably get some jobs already if we had licenses….whatever happens we'll still be together though"

"Good" Diamond laughed as she playfully nudged him "I'm in this for the long-haul dude….it's nice to hear you say it though"

"Me too Dee" Arctus answered as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders "I wanna…." he trailed off as he realised that this was a subject that had never been broached between them; Diamond gave him a curious look

"What?" Arctus met her eyes and answered in a voice that was now a little more quiet and cautious than it had been

"Dee I wanna marry you some day….I really can't imagine my life without you in it" there was a moment of silence where an unbidden thought crept into Arctus's mind and he wondered if he had said something wrong; that was alleviated a moment later when Diamond flung her arms around his shoulders and kisses him forcefully before burying her face in his neck

"I love you much big guy, y'know that right?"

"I love you too" Arctus answered simply, Diamond gave him a playful poke

"Although if you're throwing words like marriage around I think you've gotta meet my parents at some point"

"I would love to, maybe over the summer I'll be able to visit Mistral?" Arctus suggested. He had a single encounter with Diamond's father, the duration of which could be measured in seconds and had never met Emerald Sustrai; as he felt Diamond adjust herself and get more comfortable against him the Bear Faunus decided that there was frankly nothing he wouldn't do for her; even if it meant meeting Mercury Black, a prospect which he was privately terrified of.

* * *

Dijon Harrier was an alumni of Atlas Academy, having graduated six years previously along with his team-mates who formed Team COLD and had, regrettably gone their separate ways. In the intermittent years Dijon had been an individually enlisted member of Atlas's Hunter corps which, along with having no spouse or children to relocate made him a prime candidate to be seconded to the police in one of the settlements beyond the Hive Cities where the line between law enforcement and Hunter were even more blurred than they typically were within the icy Kingdom. Dijon stood at roughly six and a half feet tall and sported a well muscled physique which bordered on bulky and contrasted oddly with his crew cut blonde hair and boyish face, the lower half of which was currently hidden behind a black scarf clearly intended to obscure his identity; he also wore all black attire, practical clothing suited to the Atlesian climate with tactical armour painted a matte black to make him less visible to enemy combatants and kept his weapon fastened to his chest by a combination of shoulder strap and electromagnetic clamp for easy reach. Dijon had quickly rose through the ranks of the militarised police department he had found himself appointed to and was now the leader of a small patrol unit consisting of a dozen officers and himself who transported themselves through their jurisdiction in a pair of well protected, all terrain armoured personnel carriers. Currently those vehicles were parked on a long desolate road leading towards the settlement Dijon was appointed to, one in front and one behind of a pickup truck which judging by its' bumper stickers was clearly a family car belonging to proud parents. The pickup truck had been pulled over by the first of the armoured vehicles first as a precaution, a tail-light was broken and the pickups' tires didn't seem to gaining enough traction on the surface which had turned icy during the night; upon realising that the driver was a Faunus man with his human wife and their three children matters changed and the family felt an unmistakable sense of dread when the officers began covering their faces as the second vehicle arrived and Dijon stepped out, demanding that everyone exit the pickup truck, including the children.

"License and registration" the Huntsman barked as he stepped into the Bull Faunus's space; the man complied whilst making a point to avoid eye contact and do nothing that could be considered threatening, he was old enough to remember pre-war Atlas and understood the situation he found himself in intimately.

"That's a nice truck" Dijon noted, before handing the offered documents over to one of his underlings who produced a lighter and without hesitation set fire to the paperwork "It's a shame you don't have a license or registration"

"You can't-" the mans' wife began only to fall silent in horrified silence as Dijon delivered a punch to the mans stomach which left the Bull Faunus doubled over on the floor struggling not to vomit

"Up" Dijon ordered

"Please, take the car just-"

"Up, now!" Dijon lashed out with a kick "Get up and stop resisting!"

"Not in front of my kids" the Faunus pleaded only to dragged back to his feet by two of the officers

"Fuck your kids" Dijon spar "White Fang used kids in their last attack….in fact until I'm convinced otherwise you, your litter of fleabag kids and your Faunus fucking whore of a wife are a terrorist cell"

"Please" the wife pleaded, desperately trying quiet her now crying children "What do you want" Dijon stared at her coldly

"I want to secure the existence of my people and a future for human children...that can't happen if our women are degenerates getting fucked by-" the ground beneath him exploded and Dijon landed several feet away in a crumpled heap, Aura flickering visibly around him the force of the attack he had just been subjected to

"OPEN FIRE AND WHATEVER THE FUCK THAT WAS!" he bellowed as he sprung to his feet and readied his weapon in its' assault rifle form

"Sir behind-" what the officer had been warning him about hit Dijon before the words could leave his mouth and he hit the tarmac face first with a clearly audible crunch, weapon clattering across the floor, an armoured boot connected with his gut flipping him over and a weapon was pressed against his forehead, the owner of said weapon snarling out

"That would be me" Dijon found himself staring up in anger that was suddenly muted by dread as he took in the sight of a Huntress clad in a battle-suit sporting four wings spread out behind her and boasting weapons that would have been more at home on an Atlesian Paladin, the exoskeleton allowing each heavy weapon to wielded single handed and while her face was hidden behind a featureless helm the cold fury radiating from the woman was undeniable

"I am Corvid Xiao Long of Team CLIR" the woman informed them "I have direct orders from General Schnee to investigate the abuse of power by Hunters and law enforcement in this area and act accordingly. You are all under arrest….boys, cuff 'em" at her instruction a pair of young men, one with pale lavender hair and clad in an immaculate suit, the other rough and rugged looking made their way into view from flanking positions with their weapons drawn and in the distance Dijon could hear the engines of a Bull-Head, meaning that they had air support

"You're not cuffing anyone!" one of Dijon's men exclaimed, levelling his weapon at Corvid. The air around the Huntress suddenly took on a charged quality, as if a thunderstorm were approaching

"I have two rail-guns and a forcefield generator. Stand down" many of the officers, realising that a confrontation with the Hunters would only end one way lowered their weapons and allowed themselves to be detained; the one pointed a weapon at Corvid was not among them, the air rippled as a salvo of bullets failed to reach her

"Rusty, deal with that one" her tone was icy, as close to outright murderous as any of her team could recall hearing her; Rusty grabbed the barrel of the mans' weapon and brought his Semblance into life, causing the weapon to rust and corrode into nothing within seconds; he then followed up by leaving the officer on the ground unconscious with a single punch in the face. Seeing that the threat was over Corvid stepped over to the family who had been the subject of the Hunters' malice

"I'm gonna get you home safe, you can make a statement and report what happened tonight right now or wait until you've taken care of your kids….I can promise you that they'll go to prison for this"

"Thank you" the Bull Faunus croaked out, still seeming as though he couldn't entirely believe what had just happened "I wanna take care of my family first" Corvid nodded in understanding

"Lux, Rusty we're not taking them back to their own station; find somewhere to leave them until they can be picked up….somewhere cold" she then opened a comm channel to Iris who was currently circling overhead in the Bull-Head Atlas Academy had provided "Find somewhere to land and make your way to their station, inform them what happened today and that they will now be answering to me until General Schnee ships in new people….I'll talk to Aunt Winter myself and explain that we didn't even need to go covert as soon as I've gotten these people home safe" within minutes the officers who had been placed under arrest had been thrown in the back of their own vehicles along with Dijon Harrier, whom Corvid had knocked out cold both to be sure he wasn't a threat and also simply because she felt he deserved it and Corvid had taken to the skies, maintaining a position almost directly above the pickup truck as it led her towards what she supposed she could consider her jurisdiction for the time being; the settlement of Geheimnis.

 **Authors Notes:**

Okay first off let's address the big old mastodon in the room shall we; I have a new username….for the second time in two years.  
Tumblr in its' infinite wisdom has decided that as of the 17th December 2018 NSFW content will be banned on their platform and considering a) what this will do to the RWBY community on the website and b) the usual level of incompetence that Tumblr staff have I decided it was time to get off of a sinking ship or at least make plans _(Considering that my blog has already been marked as sensitive I can see this was the correct choice)_.  
The Alolan Charmander username was taken on Twitter so now I am FandomPariah on Twitter, Tumblr, FF Net and Ao3 as well as FandomPariah #0370 on Discord should anyone wish to contact me; rest assured though I will continue to write and post  
I'm also considering signing up to Pillowfort or any other sites people can suggest.  
FandomPariah works as a handle, it's not tied to any one fandom like my old username and frankly considering my reputation it fits me.

Anyway, let's summarise shall we:  
The vaguely feminine voice whispering to the Wizard….If you read Downward Spiral you can see the long game I'm playing here.  
Also with his age, Ozymandias would have been an adult before he became the Wizard….I felt like giving a little glimpse at just how much the change has taken from him; he was a normal man with a family once.  
These White Fang leaders keep allying themselves with humans who have absolutely no respect for their grand crusades; first Adam and Cinder and now Celeste and Oz.  
" _The Toybox"_ from Atlas, the same Kingdom that had an extrajudicial prison called _"The Chasm"_ they do like their code names.  
Now I wonder what Geppetto Polendina could have hidden in the Toybox that Ozymandias would have an interest in.  
 _Geheimnis = Secrets; I'm not subtle.  
_ " _A container roughly five and a half feet tall which you will not be able to open and whose contents I will not disclose"_ is Oz speak for shut up and mind your own business.  
Kuro is the Faunus who modified Neon's armour for Celeste's purposes; the fact that Kuro and Oz worked together explains how the suit integrates with Celeste's prototype synthetic spine so well.  
Yep, we're getting more Cult of Taurus action….which means Gamma and his new arm are coming out to play.  
Athena-Jade is gonna be a Hunter like her parents and big brother.  
Team FADE most definitely rallied around Eagle the moment they heard about her family.  
Felix and Corvid still worry about each other when one of them is on a mission.  
The idea that Team GORE come from a background where telling people how you feel is rare just make sense.  
Hellion is starting to think of "Her people" as Team GORE first and not the Shadow Cadre.  
Yeah Arctus made the correct choice and got out before he became a total third wheel.  
Winter and Toni are playing Oz and the White Fang; there's nothing in Geheimnis for them to find.  
Antonia tries to be detached and logical and pragmatic….but the fact is she genuinely hates Team GORE.  
Kafsi is back ladies and gentlemen.  
Carcharodon and Onyx's fight scenes are always fun to write.  
A little insight into exactly how tough life was in the Frost River Tribe; they were Pirate Viking and Spartan all mixed into one.  
I feel like Onyx feeling that he can't joke and talk honestly with Car any more due to his position is something that hurts both of them.  
Not as much as that Raffia shaped hole does though.  
" _My sister had a plan; I had grief and hate and rage"_ Car gets all the good lines.  
So yeah Team GORE are gonna be a part of the story for the long haul….If they can find Raffia.  
Arctus utterly abusing the Schnee Semblance like that was funny to me.  
I'll admit the whole Polar Bear scene was just self indulgence on my part.  
Being scared of Merc is probably a sensible choice….even if he is wrapped around Diamond's little finger.  
I feel like I've used the name Dijon for a minor character in Atlas already….Oh well, there are only so many colours; we'll just say Dijon is the Remnant equivalent of John.  
Was the whole scene with racist and heavily militarised police on the nose; yes, yes it was. At the end of the day we've all scene the footage of police abusing their authority when dealing with minorities, yes the "Stop resisting" line was intention and yes Dijon having a line that was an approximation of the "Fourteen words" used by Neo Nazis was intentional as well; I want to make clear exactly the kind of people Team CLIR were being sent to remove.  
So yeah, Team CLIR are now the only real Hunter presence in Geheimnis….the same place the Cult of Taurus are about to roll up at….Oh boy.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, iSassenach, Funlander, Ferrous, Garthraxxus, FleetOfWarships and FluffyFirefly for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Oh god, I feel like the Arc family has special contingency plans for if Nora and Aunt Hell ever get drunk together.  
I feel like a lot of people have predicted how Gang and Coral would interact.  
I feel like the talk would be one sided, Antonia would rant at Qrow and he would promptly ignore her and let Eagle make her own choices.  
Snot? Ever washed dried blood out of a stuffed animal? I had a nose bleed when I was a toddler and one of mine end up bloodstained from the shoulders up….It didn't wash out so I just had this one stuffed animal that looked like Carrie.  
I feel like if the Frost River Tribe wasn't reduced to almost nothing Carcharodon would wear the crown more often, as it is it'll most likely only ever be worn for special occasions.  
Yeah, Corvid probably meant for it to be a one time thing but….toe-beans; and since some people are iffy about the pair, look Corvid dated a nice girl who worked at a coffee shop, that girl broke up with her; let Corey have her 'bad-boy' phase.  
I mean Helios has already beaten Onyx once and Nyanza's Semblance makes everything hard to judge….can't flatten him if everything just misses him by an inch.  
Okay I will alleviate some fears right now; Coral is not a sleeper agent.  
I feel like I want to hold off on the Battle-Cat family scenes until third year, when Helios can be introduced to everyone.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	76. The Toybox

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 76: The Toybox**

Ever since their apprehending of the ringleader of the racist element within the police of the settlement of Geheimnis Team CLIR had found themselves worked to the bone and almost perpetually on patrols, being roped into the task of training new officers in the basics of Grimm combat when they were not. Winter Schnee had used her considerable political capital and an alliance with the chief of Atlas's police force to ensure that the corruption was investigated and expunged in its' entirety and funding was immediately found to rectify the situation; this naturally left the law enforcement which doubled as a Grimm hunting unit in the area dangerously short staffed and whilst senior officers from various other locations had been shipped in and new applicants and cadets were being trained at an accelerated rate the timing could not have been worse; the Vytal Tournament and the security risks it presented required officers in every city and settlement to be operating at peak efficiency, meaning that the students had been required to stay and assist until further notice, although they had heard some rumours from the officers who had been relocated from other branches that led them to believe that the order to return to Atlas Academy would be given any day now.

Currently Team CLIR were in the staff room of the Geheimnis police station enjoying a rare moment of rest, they were on call and would have to start a series of patrols soon but until then and unless they heard otherwise they could allow themselves to relax. The station was a stone building whose grand architecture was intended to evoke the style of old Mantle, its' interior however spoke of the lack of funding provided to the settlements and the neglect the Atlesian Council showed to those outside of the Hive Cities; their were at least a dozen empty offices due to staff cuts, maintenance was considered a pipe dream and the heating hadn't worked in years. Corvid forced herself to ignore all of the glaring problems that she was currently in no position to change, content in the knowledge that she would mention them to her Aunt when she returned to the Academy and distracted by both the excellent food, courtesy of the family whom they had rescued from Dijon Harrier and his unit, and the doubles round of the Vytal Tournament; the first match of which would be starting any moment.

"Can't believe we're missing this" Iris sighed as she reached over Corvid to help herself to some of the food from the restaurant that the Bull Faunus and his wife owned "We've barely had any time to train either….we're gonna be exhausted when we go up against Team RNBW and-"

"Hey" Corvid snapped irritably, before her expression softened a little "That attitude is gonna do more to beat us than Ranger Altan can….even if they are hot as-"

"Can you not, for like five minutes?" Iris chuckled, playfully throwing scrunched up napkin at her team leader

"The little lady's right though, you two have got your win in the bag….just don't let yourself believe otherwise" Rusty drawled from a nearby sofa where Lux was making himself comfortable sprawled across the taller and bulkier mans' chest

"One day you're gonna stop calling me that" Corvid sighed

"Not today though little lady" Corvid let out a growl and made a face she would vehemently deny was a pout whilst her team-mates shared a laugh at her expense

"Whatever" she sighed "Honestly though I don't mind having to wait for our match, it means we can watch without any pressure on us tonight and I wanna see Fluffy kick some ass"

"Fair….Good luck" Lux paused and gave a devilish smirk "Corey I kinda wish it was me and you going into the doubles again, I wasn't finished showing off"

"Are you ever?" Iris noted with a raised eyebrow; the friendly verbal sparring was cut short when the door was flung opened and a fresh faced new recruit burst into the staffroom, positively shaking with frantic urgency

"Just got a call that sounds like it needs Hunters"

"What's the situation?" Corvid demanded, tone becoming unusually businesslike; the recruit whom Corvid was almost certain was no older than herself and whose name she thought was Gardener or something similar audibly swallowed

"Shipment from Poly-Tech, coming from the capital to the warehouse just out of town….driver just called in because there's some shady looking Faunus following his truck-"

"THAT'S IT!" Corvid was on her feet "WHAT IS WITH THIS FROZEN FUCKING HELLHOLE OF A KINGDOM; WHY IS EVERYONE HERE SUCH A BACKWARDS-"

"Miss Xiao Long, you're not understanding" Gardener tried to calm her down "The driver said he's being followed by multiple trucks being driven by Faunus wearing masks…..y'know, those masks" the young man gestured to his face in a way that was clearly meant to evoke the angular masks that covered the eyes worn by White Fang grunts; Corvid's anger fizzled out instantly only to be replaced by a need for ruthless decisive action

"Iris, our Bull-Head?"

"Still needs refuelling" her dark skinned team-mate informed her with a troubled expression, her golden cybernetic arm whirring subtly as she hoisted her oversized mace 'Venus Rising' from the ground single handedly

"Suit up team, Lux you're driving" Corvid turned to the evidently unprepared and fearful new recruit "Have armed reinforcements follow behind us….people with combat experience only"

"Are we sure rushing in is the best idea?" Iris asked

"No" Corvid admitted "But I know it's a better idea than waiting" with no more to be said Team CLIR left the peace of the staffroom and began preparing for what they could each sense was likely to be a combat situation; none of them noticing as they left that the pre match analysis and discussions from various famous hunters had ended and now the distinctive drawl of Qrow Branwen was announcing Felix Xiao Long and Diamond Sustrai-Black.

* * *

"Hey" Arctus's cautious murmur caused Diamond to pause her last minute of Lex Talions which was currently laid across her lap in its' sniper rifle form and glance up

"Sneaking into changing rooms big guy? Classy" her sarcastic tone and eye roll telling a story that the bright smile on her face utterly failed to corroborate as the Bear Faunus took a seat next to her, Felix was elsewhere in the locker room and either unaware that he had entered or choosing to give them some space.

"You look worried?" Arctus noted with some unmistakable concern, Diamond collapsed her weapon and holstered it at her back before shrugging and idly playing with the piercing in her nose as she answered, an old nervous tic of hers

"I mean a little bit dude yeah" she sighed "I mean I know me and Felix have trained almost every day and that we've planned for this but still….Razz has shown me some videos of these guys training and I'm not sure how this is gonna go-" she fell silent as Arctus cupped her cheeks and gently kissed first her lips and then her forehead

"Dee, you're amazing, you've already done great and I'm proud of you….and I'm sure you can win this"

"I just don't wanna get my teeth kicked in on live TV; I can't grow 'em back like you" Diamond grumbled jokingly before leaning into her boyfriend "Come on you managed to sneak in here, you gonna give me a kiss for good luck or what dude?" Arctus dutifully delivered and within second Diamond was straddling his lap and cupping his jaw; kissing the Faunus passionately and sighing with pleasure into his mouth as his hands trailed along her thighs. The moment ended with the sound of a fist colliding with the thing metal of the lockers making both of them jump; Diamond making an obscene gesture as both she and Arctus saw that it was Felix who had made the noise

"Dee-Dee, show time"

"Did you have to be a dick about it?" Diamond hissed as she planted one last kiss on Arctus's jaw before sliding off of his lap and falling into step with her team leader

"I mean if I'd waited another five seconds he would have had your shirt off so kinda" Felix shot back with a smirk

"You are such a bitch" Diamond laughed, playfully punching his shoulder as they prepared to step out into the arena itself; the noise of the crowd already deafening "How are you calm?"

"The drive here helped" Felix answered simply, the first day of the doubles round was being hosted in Freiheit, the above ground settlement often referred to as Atlas's 'other' capital city and Team FADE had chosen to abscond from classes that day and make the journey to the city in the Killer-Bee rather than take the flights provided by Atlas Academy

"I'm picking the playlist on the way back" Diamond chuckled

"Absolutely not" Felix countered with a grin and his own playful nudge "Come on let's not keep 'em waiting, we've got asses to kick" Diamond found herself smiling, between Arctus's encouragement, Felix's infectious cockiness and the knowledge that her parents were certainly watching right now she rolled her shoulders back and strode out into the stadium with her head held high; the sound of cheers hit her like a solid wall while the voice of Qrow Branwen boomed above it all

"AND THEIR OPPONENTS FOR THE EVENING, DIAMOND SUSTRAI-BLACK AND FELIX XIAO LONG OF TEAM FADE REPRESENTING THE HALO ACADEMY OF NEW VALE!"

"Holy Oum" Felix breathed out as he scanned the crowds, their size almost leading him to believe that the entirety of Freiheit was present inside the stadium

"I know right"

"I wish you had Faunus eyes" the Lion Faunus breathed out "There's people with signs, Team FADE flags, t-shirts….do we get Lien from this merch or what?" Diamond merely shook her head as they stepped onto the precipice of the arena, just clear of where the terrain would form itself; a feat Diamond still wanted to understand the workings of, she was certain that if Atlas could create artificial landscapes so easily they could effectively end homelessness with ease; though she kept her thoughts focused firmly on the task at hand, tuning out Bartholomew Oobleck's recounting of the competing teams previous matches as she took in her opponents

"Evening" Sandrock Wufei, leader of Team SABL greeted them calmly; average height with a wiry physique and glossy black hair tied back into a long ponytail, dark eyes framed by thin glasses his appearance failed to do justice to the threat that both Felix and Diamond knew him to be, he wore white pants, baggy enough to not hinder his movement and fastened with a black belt which indicated his rank as a martial artist, as the crowds cheered he slipped off the high collared black jacket he wore and revealed the simple white tank top beneath complemented only by the simple harness that held his weapon, the double ended bladed staff _'Jufeng-Yin'_ and a pair of dull metal bracers, far less ornate than Helios's though the designs of twin serpentine dragons whose mouths opened around the wrists could be seen through the scratches and dents covering their surfaces

"Dude did you really just dramatically throw your jacket off for the crowd?" Diamond fought the urge to laugh, it was Sandrock's team-mate who answered

"Right and the skintight shirt isn't playing up for the crowd's attention at all?" Diamond looked to Felix, sudden fury masked behind a too-sweet smile

"I'm gonna kill him"

"Go for it" Felix chuckled

"I was talking about you Xiao Long" the second member of Team SABL snorted; they were Brazen Taiyoko; a young man standing at roughly five feet and eleven inches and sporting a bulkier physique than their team-mate. Brazen's light brown skin was complemented by his outfit, ripped black pants and an equally dark hoodie whose sleeves had been cut away, over which an almost bronze sleeveless jacket with twin tails had been thrown, leaving his muscular arms which sported several sizeable scars on display as well as the collapsed forms of his weapons mounted on his wrists. His blunt and somewhat flattened looking face was framed by a black bandanna tied around his forehead, his hair protruding over the top in long and immaculately styled spikes which faded between black at their tips to their natural colour of a pale dusty brown.

"You look like a fucking try hard" Felix noted simply with a scoff; their trash talk could go no further as the commentary from Qrow and Oobleck which they had been collectively ignoring came to an end and the floor of the arena began to lower and slide out of view, soon to be replaced by the field of battle

"And we have sand dunes on Team SABL's side of the field" Qrow drawled

"And rocky outcroppings on Team FADE's" Oobleck finished "Not much in the way of cover for either team, I'm expecting this to be up close and personal" the crowd roared their support for this notion before for Qrow's voice rose over them once more.

"THREE! TWO! ONE! BEGIN!" Felix and Diamond rushed forwards, passed the small heaps of rocks that may have served as cover or vantage points; Felix drew Hack and Slash and shifted them into their machine pistol form and opening fire only for Sandrock to unfurl his staff and calmly deflect the bullets before bringing them both to a halt with words whose jovial delivery sent chills up their spines

"Hey Xiao Long, remember when we were sparring in class and you didn't get to see my Semblance?"

"I know I'm being played here but yeah" Felix called back

"Watch closely" Sandrock growled before sinking his weapon into the ground and dropping into a crouch as he punched the sand

"FELIX MOVE!" Diamond called out as she leapt onto the nearest outcropping and used her Semblance to keep her balance as a solid wall of sand rose like a tidal wave to meet them, cursing fluently Felix made to retreat only to find the ground unsteady beneath his feet as rocky pillars surged upwards throwing him to the ground. When the Dust settled Felix dragged himself to his feet with the crowds cheering ringing in his ears, Oobleck's commentary adding insult to injury

"A big opening from Wufei, I don't know if either member of Team FADE has an answer for that"

"A fucking Geomancer" Felix spat, throat dried out by sand which had managed to get everywhere. He called up to Diamond "Mind dealing with that for me? You can stay off of the ground easier"

"Got it" Diamond nodded, leaving Felix free to turn his attention to Brazen; a moment before the Hunter in question delivered an axe kick from a mid-air somersault that would most likely have fractured Felix's skull if he hadn't rolled aside and frantically converted his weapons to their chainsaw bladed sword mode and began mirroring Sandrock's technique of using them to deflect projectiles as Brazen opened fire with his own weapons _'The Striking Tiger'_ a pair of golden gauntlets which reached to the elbows which each sported a trio of blades mounted on the back of the hands, styled to resemble the claws of some jungle predator and a compacted shotgun along each forearm

"Congrats, you look like an edgy version of my Mum" Felix taunted

"Then hold still and take this spanking" Brazen quipped back before launching forwards at blinding speed and launching both arms forwards in a stabbing motion, Felix locked his own blades between those of Brazen's weapon and found himself sliding backwards under the force of the attack; having only a brief warning in the form of his opponents' smile and wink before Brazen threw his arms to the side, Felix being forced to follow the motion which left is chest utterly unprotected against the punishing kick Brazen delivered. Felix fortunately managed to retain his grip on his weapons as he was sent flying backwards and sunk their blades into the ground to bring himself to a stop with a feral growl

"Okay" he grumbled to nobody in particular as he delivered what could be considered the understatement of the year "Not quite going to plan"

* * *

"That's the truck" Corvid noted tensely as she shape behind a pair of approaching headlights became discernable; she had been expecting one of the gargantuan land-trains whose individual carriages were each the size of a comfortable apartment but had instead been confronted with a simple eighteen wheeler of the mundane variety

"I'll flash him so he knows to pull over" Lux murmured back from the driving seat of the patrol car that Team CLIR had taken; far less armoured than the personnel carriers that Dijon and his thugs had used the vehicle was more suited to rapid response and intervention

"Good idea" Corvid answered, voice hushed as she glanced down at the bulky gauntlet on her left forearm which sported a screen currently displaying the location and condition of the Omega Wing as well as a live feed from its' main camera; the aerial drone had been too big to be thrown in the car and Corvid had decided that she would be too easily seen by the suspected White Fang tailing the truck if she were in the air, instead the Omega Wing flew low trailing behind the police interceptor and barely a foot above it.

"Lux, foot on the peddle until I say different; Iris keep your head down and be ready to grab something with your Semblance; Rusty cover me when I get out" the truck came to a stop and Lux spun the patrol car as he followed suit, leaving Corvid's passenger side door directly next to the drivers' side of the truck, the leader of Team CLIR leaned out of the window rather than exit the vehicle entirely, the knowledge that Rusty was aiming High Noon directly through the rear window giving her some cold comfort in a situation that otherwise gave her nothing but bad feelings.

"This all?" the driver, a somewhat rotund man with a patchy beard covering his multiple chins asked nervously

"Hunters. We've got backup on the way." Corvid answered, forcing a calmness she didn't quite feel into her tone "What're we looking at?"

"About half a dozen trucks….not trucks like mine, think like mail vans" the driver explained "I saw the masks and stepped on it when I called the police; I think they didn't want me to be certain they were following 'cos they hung back-"

"You're sure their still following?" Corvid asked, typing a few commands that would put the Omega Wing on standby until she gave a verbal command whilst the driver, whose eyes bulged with fear nodded

"Yeah I'm sure, I know what I saw….the fucking masks man….I was a kid when Taurus took Lower Atlas….spent a few months in the secure zone" the panicked rambling was cut short by Rusty's harsh tone

"Here they come"

"Omega Wing, battle mode" Corvid hauled herself out of the car window and despite the limited space between the two vehicles the drone managed to close the distance between them and unfurl into a mass of shifting components before reforming around her in its' battle-suit form, forcefield charging and weapons primed. The moment the helmet had slipped into place and her vision had been enhanced by several displays and readings she zoomed in on the first of the trucks Rusty had seen approaching, they were exactly as described and she had no trouble identifying the White Fang masks for what they were.

"Go, get to safety and if you pass our backup, tell 'em to step on it" Corvid instructed the driver and as the tires of the truck crunched against the poorly maintained road she raised her right arm, aiming the rail-gun mounted on her shoulder directly at the cab of the first of the White Fang convoy

"This is Corvid Xiao Long of Team CLIR; you're all under arrest as suspected members of a terrorist organisation. Step out of the vehicles and get down on the ground" a moment later the doors of the trucks were flung open and dozens of masked and well armed Faunus poured out, many wearing tactical armour of surprisingly good quality

"Can't kill us all Huntress!" a woman with the pincer like mandibles of a stag beetle sprouting from her cheeks called out as she cocked a shotgun and aimed

"Our backup is close" Lux told Corvid with some hope creeping into his voice "What's the plan" Corvid took in the sight of the several dozen armed attackers facing them, weighing it against the knowledge that the reinforcements would be arriving from behind the White Fang and surrounding them before answering slowly and clearly

"Non-lethal force unless there's no other option. We hold the line until backup gets here and then we bring 'em in"

"Yes bring them, bring them all" a melodic and hypnotic voice almost sang, Corvid was sure that the sensors of the Omega Wing were malfunctioning as her own perceptions seemed to be narrowed down to nothing but the voice and its' source as the masked woman stepped into view, weapons forming around her hands

"Bring all of those who stand against the will of the High Commander" Alpha raised strode out from between Gamma and Beta who flanked her, Delta slinking out of view "We will punish them for all of their crimes against the Faunus race….and you will suffer the most Corvid Xiao Long"

"Corey what do we do?" Iris demanded "These are the maniacs from Gerat-Handlung" before she could answer Gamma stepped forwards, spittle flew from the cage like mouthpiece of the mutilated Pangolin Faunus's mask as he spoke

"You can take the Xiao Long brat….I get anyone of rank; I wanna know what they did to Omega"

"By all means" Alpha cooed, through sheer force of will Corvid allowed to force herself to focus on Gamma despite the Lionfish Faunus's Semblance. The arm he had lost to Kafsi Asteri had been replace with a cybernetic whose attachment point was still raw and unhealed, a dull gunmetal grey thing whose sleekness seemed at odds with Gamma's grotesque form; the brute of the Cult of Taurus evidently noticed the attention he was being

"I was commanded to be well" he gloated and Corvid didn't need to be able to see his face to know that he was grinning like a madman whilst Alpha remained inscrutable behind the mask that obscured her entire face and Beta remained poised and collected.

"THIS IS THE POLICE, DROP YOUR WEAPONS!" a voice, clearly projected through a megaphone ordered, signalling the arrival of the Geheimnis police department who had finally managed to get behind the White Fang and double back. Not one of the masked terrorists made to follow their number despite the way the odds seemed to be turning against them and seeing this filled Corvid with an indescribable sense of dread which she forced herself to plough through

"Orders Corey?" Lux asked urgently, prompting Corvid to think fast and be decisive

"Iris, Semblance on any tucks that try to go after the Poly-Tech truck. Lux, Rusty it's kinda obvious who's in charge of these guys; we'll focus on them while the police sweep up the rest" it seemed inevitable in Corvid's mind that it would soon come to violence, her worries were proven correct as the last of the police cars came to a stop and the armed officers took their position in a semi-circular firing formation focused on the White Fang; Alpha spoke with utter calmness

"Gamma, compel whoever is leading the police to give us the information we want….Cull the rest" the Pangolin Faunus gave no verbal response, only hacking and snarling sounds as his Semblance took effect; Gamma grew whilst his muscles bulged and shifted. his scarred and burned flesh becoming a deep scarlet as the Atlesian steel coated keratin plates adorning his back, shoulders and remaining forearm lengthened; to complete the horrifying sight his cybernetic form revealed its' hidden function and unfolded, reshaping into a four pronged claw which resembled a sadistic parody of an arcade game, each of its' prongs fitted with a series of what could best be described as modified mining drills. Gamma turned and regarded the officers and took a single step in their direction before Corvid leapt into action

"YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO!" she used the propulsion systems of the Omega Wing to launch herself over the White Fang as the remainder of the Cult of Taurus readied their weapons; a high pitched shrieking noise followed by a flash of white light, both muted by her weapons sensors, informed her that Lux had followed her orders with gusto; Corvid aimed and fired both of her rail-guns at the ground in front of Gamma as the monstrous Faunus stalked towards the police who were in no way prepared to deal with him; the ground was torn apart and his advance was halted though he remained upright and let out a distorted and terrifying laugh in response

"Scared to kill me and scared to die at the same time….you humans are a weak species" Corvid landed, placing herself directly between Gamma and his intended targets, calling back to the officers

"Deal with their footsoldiers, I'll handle this guy"

"You'll die trying!" Gamma roared as he charged; the officers scattered and began engaging the bulk of the White Fang forces, adding to the cacophony of gunfire as Gamma leapt into the air and pulled back his cybernetic claw for a devastating blow. Corvid engaged the Omega Wing's forcefields and her own Semblance of immovability, bracing herself as Gamma's attack landed. Corvid remained resolute though the ground beneath her cratered, her forcefield held though it flickered and Gamma's mechanical limb sparked and screeched in protest as he attempted to overpower the shielding through brute force. Corvid's rail-guns slid back over her shoulders as she deployed her forearm mounted blades and prepared to do battle in the face of odds that most would consider insurmountable; scared she may be but she knew what needed to be done and refused to accept less than a victory.

* * *

Felix's world had shrunken down until his perceptions encompassed nothing but his immediate surroundings; Qrow's commentary and the sound of the crowd cheering on each of the combatants had ceased to register in his mind, he was only dimly aware of Diamond's continued outmanoeuvring of Sandrock's Semblance fuelled offensive; all that mattered to the Lion Faunus right now was Brazen Taiyoko and the furious blows that the two were trading at lightning speed. Sand erupted outwards in a wave as the Vaccuan Hunter collided with Felix's hastily raised defences, Felix parrying the clawed gauntlets aside with his swords and delivering a punishing spinning kick to his opponents ribs as Brazen's own momentum forced him to stumble forwards several paces; pressing his advantage without hesitation Felix made a backhanded slash with his left and stabbed downwards with his right, forcing Brazen to use his Semblance to evade; it had become apparent over the course of the battle that Brazen was capable of compressing the air around himself and using it as a means of propulsion. The sand covered ground seemed to crater as the grains were displaced when Brazen flung himself backwards and Felix gave no quarter, rushing in after him

"Too eager" Brazen smirked as he collapsed his weapons, Felix's eyes widened as he drew close and the realisation that he'd been played hit him; the Vaccuan Hunter cupped his hands together and stepped aside before his Semblance at full strength, using to blast Felix backwards and send him crashing into one of the many rocky outcroppings that had adorned Team FADE's half of the arena and been moved from their original positions by Sandrock's geomancy.

"Shit!" Diamond's frantic curse as she fell from the outcropping as it was shattered; the pair rose to the feet and braced themselves

"Got a handle on Sandrock?" Felix growled as he twirled his swords, the two members of Team SABL had regrouped but had yet to press the advantage

"He's good but he can't use that Semblance all day, it's wearing him out" Diamond informed him "What about Brazen?"

"He needs to be held in place" Felix offered "More your thing, if you wanna switch?" Diamond nodded and collapsed her weapon, charging forwards with every intention facing Brazen Taiyoko in hand to hand combat.

"Let's play!" Brazen cackled before launching himself forward with a woosh of air Diamond leapt into the air and attempted to bring her knee crashing into his face, an attempt that was thwarted when Brazen managed to wrap an arm around her midsection and send her crashing down into the ground with a thud; he attempted to follow up with a punch to her face only for Diamond to wrap her legs around his arm and throw him aside whilst kicking him square in the mouth

"Well this is fun" Brazen spat, a thin trickle of blood running down the corner of his mouth which curled up in a manic smile as he charged forwards again.

"Let's see what you've got" Diamond popped her knuckles and raised her fists as Brazen leapt into the air to deliver a crushing downwards blow, Diamond stepped back just enough for the attack to miss and blocked the follow up left hook only for her cheek to erupt in pain as his right connected, followed by a left to the ribs that threatened to leave her gasping for air; her training had given her enough resolve to push on however and she saw the glinting metal of Brazen's weapons as he redeployed them and raised her arm, her left elbow colliding with the inside of his right, her right hand connecting with the side of his head before she joined her hands behind his head and forced his skull down into her knee before delivering a solid punch between the shoulder-blades. Diamond's momentum was brought to a forceful halt as Brazen surged forwards as if to tackle her, his elbow lashing out and colliding with her gut before a backhanded slash caused her Aura to ripple as the blades caressed her face, Brazen followed his momentum into a spinning kick which connected with her knee, tearing a scream of pain from her as she collapsed to the ground; instinctively she drew her weapon from her back and snapping off half a dozen shots the moment Lex Talionis had configured itself, none found their mark but it was enough to force Brazen back for a moment.

"AND THAT'S A BIG HIT FROM TAIYOKO!" Qrow's voice exclaimed

"Indeed" Oobleck concurred "Sustrai's Aura is holding but that clearly hurt and she's struggling to get up"

"Yeah no shit it hurt" the silver haired sniper hissed through clenched teeth as she dragged herself to her feet, collapsing her weapon once again and re-evaluating the situation; Brazen was strong, fast and possessed a ruthless streak that should have been indicated by his weapons. As she took stock of the situation, including the fact that her opponent was clearly reading himself for another attack Diamond's own subconscious chose to speak to her in a voice that sounded very much like her fathers'

"Fighting dirty it is" she breathed out as Brazen charged again, this time attempting a flying kick which Diamond side-stepped and turned to avoid. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Brazen threw a left handed stab at her face and she reached out to grab his hand, saw his eyes widen as she twisted his wrist to a painful degree before taking his ring finger and bending back with an audible snap as her Aura and his fought against each other; his howl of agony was both interrupted and increased in volume as she kicked the inside of his knee with enough force to buckle the limb before she silenced him a knee to the face as he fell and a powerful kick to the chest sent him crashing backwards

"AND SUSTRAI-BLACK IS BACK IN THE GAME!" Qrow bellowed over the roaring of the crowd, Diamond could clearly hear the boos and jeers mixed in with the applause, many of the viewers deeming her approach too brutal

"Bitch you broke my finger!" Brazen snapped at her as he rose to his feet and the two circled each other

"You've got nine more" Diamond countered, blinking sweat out of her eyes and daring to glance at the overhead monitors displaying each of the competitors Auras; the display informed her in simple terms that she and Felix needed to land a decisive blow soon or their time in the Vytal Tournament would be over.

"DEE GET CLEAR!" Diamond simply flung herself to the side as one of the rocky outcroppings from Team FADE's side of the arena was sent into the sand dunes of Team SABL's half where it protruded like a sharks' fin from water, Sandrock having used his Geomancy to place the obstacle between Diamond and Brazen, giving his team-mate time to recover

"We're getting killed here" Felix noted as he retreated to Diamond's position, the spray of bullets he was unleashing at Sandrock failing to reach their target as the ground rose up to absorb the impacts "We need a change of plan"

"Well if it's desperate times, desperate measures we can always so that thing….we'll only get one chance though"

"Let's do it" Felix concurred, using more controlled bursts of fire to corral Sandrock, his opposite number retreating towards Brazen and taking cover behind the pillar of rock he had moved; exactly what Felix had intended.

"Go" Diamond instructed as she drew Lex Talionis "I'll give you a top up" Felix nodded in understanding and surged forwards, racing towards Sandrock and Brazen's position and engaging his Semblance; barely a second later the first of Diamond's Fire Dust rounds collided with his back, the thermal energy being absorbed and added to the reserves of power the Lion Faunus was yet to tap in to

"AND XIAO LONG IS GOING ON THE OFFENSIVE!" Oobleck's voice echoed throughout the stadium

"They tend to do that" Qrow quipped before adding "AND SUSTRAI BLACK IS DEFINITELY UP TO SOMETHING!" Felix gave a savage smile at the commentary, he wanted them to know he was coming. Sandrock used his Geomancy once more, shunting the rock pillar that he and his team-mate were taking cover behind directly towards him in an attempt to slow his advance; exactly what the Lion Faunus had wanted, Felix leapt upwards and used the blades of Hack and Slash to quickly scale the rocky surface

"An interesting turn of events" Oobleck noted, clearly on tenterhooks as he waited to see Team FADE's strategy unfold; the rocky outcropping shook and began to crumble as Sandrock realised he'd played into Felix's hands, Felix himself simply leapt from it and reached upwards; Diamond, who had used her Semblance to traverse the inside of the domed forcefield and was now suspended overhead while inverted, reached out and caught him.

"I can't believe that worked" Felix laughed, taking a moment to adjust the sudden reversal of up and down as he became subject to Diamond's Semblance

"It hasn't yet" Diamond noted. Felix chose not to answer, simply reloading Hack and Slash and converting them to their machine pistol forms as quickly as possible, Gravity Dust in one weapon and Fire Dust in the other; before he was quite finished the domed shield rippled, a salvo of shells colliding against it as Brazen opened fire from below

"Hurry up dude!" Diamond urged "If my Semblance fails it's a long way down"

"Ready" Felix answered, suddenly calm as he aimed directly at the barely perceptible, but certainly present surface of the forcefield and fired, the Gravity Dust sending him hurtling downwards at incredible speed whilst the Fire Dust served as more fuel for his Balrog State, which he promptly entered. Felix hit the ground between Brazen and Sandrock like a golden, glowing and molten missile; his explosive impact with the ground sending a shock-wave through the stadium which flattened many of the features that had been present and filled the air inside the forcefield with sand, dust and falling debris

"Felix! Felix you okay dude?" Diamond called out as she dropped down to the ground and cautiously readied her weapon; slowly the dust began to settle and Diamond struggled to believe what she saw, judging by the thunderous applause the audience could scarcely believe their own eyes either

"A REMARKABLE FINISH FROM FELIX XIAO LONG WITH AN INCREDIBLE ASSIST FROM DIAMOND SUSTRAI-BLACK!" Oobleck announced

"That one is definitely gonna be a crowd favourite" Qrow added, unmistakable pride creeping into his voice "He's gonna be a legend back on Patch for that" Oobleck seemed to realise that the actual result had yet to be announced and quickly rectified that

"Both Sandrock Wufei and Brazen Taiyoko are removed from the arena and their Auras have been depleted" Felix, whose own Aura was merely a sliver above the disqualification point gave Diamond a thumbs up as a bright but dazed smile, leading Diamond to believe he may have given himself a concussion. Sandrock and Brazen were laid unmoving on the ground where the blast from Felix's gambit had thrown them

"Team FADE take the win!" Qrow announced, his voice barely audible above deafening cheers.

* * *

The long road leading to the settlement of Geheimnis had devolved into a battleground and blood was spattered across the snow as combatants from both sides fell clutching at grievous wounds. The local police, heavily armed due to their regular encounters with the creatures of Grimm had the White Fang outgunned and outflanked, what should have been a one-sided battle was prolonged and made all the more bloody by the weapons that someone had supplied the extremists with and their own propensity for simply closing the distance and fighting at close range with whatever makeshift or naturally occurring weapons they had at their disposal. Corvid, in a brief respite from the furious onslaught waged against her by Gamma, was horrified to see an officer whose helmet had been removed be dragged down by a feline Faunus, screaming as their aggressor clawed at their eyes. The horrified Huntress found her attention redirected a moment later as the surrounding area was illuminated by the harsh light of Lux's Semblance; her partner had found himself locked in combat with Delta, several of the Atlesian steel spikes their weapon fired buried in the ground at his feet; Lux had realised that the key to circumventing the Spider Faunus's Semblance for long enough to focus on them and return fire was to break their focus, blinding and deafening them for a few seconds at a time was effective way to do so and had the added bonus of disorienting any other White Fang fighters nearby. Alpha, the Lionfish Faunus leading the attack had found herself engaging Rusty in single combat; the Vaccuan gunslinger having managed to land a decisive victory early in the fight as he had grabbed her wrists and engaged his Semblance, the torture devices and weapons adorning her hands known simply as _'Judgement'_ were currently sparking and inoperative, it still wasn't enough however and Rusty's tenacity and ruthlessness were all that kept him from being utterly overwhelmed as he gave more and more ground in the face of Alpha's furious advance. Corvid took in all of this in barely a second only for time to seemingly halt and her blood to run cold as she caught sight of Iris, or more importantly who was behind her. Iris had been hanging back on the edges of the skirmish and using her Semblance to both wreak havoc and save lives; her telekinesis had pulled police officers out of the path of lethal attacks and dragged vehicles with ease, using the cars and trucks that the two factions had arrived in as both impromptu shields and battering rams; Beta had taken notice of this had intended to put a stop to it

"IRIS BEHIND YOU!" Corvid found herself forced to take her focus away from her team-mate as she came under attack herself, Gamma having launched himself at her once again.

Iris turned and used the elbow of her golden cybernetic left arm to knock the blade of Beta's weapon _'Indominus'_ aside as he swung at her chest with it in its' broadsword configuration.

"Combat is not a spectator sport little girl" the Snow Leopard Faunus admonished her in his cultured tones, twirling his oversized weapon with ease and finesse as Iris readied Venus Rising; Iris chose not to respond though her eyes glowed pale blue with the light of her Semblance, Beta lunged forwards with a precise stabbing motion only to be flung backwards by Iris's telekinesis and sent staggering away as the spiked head of her mace collided with his shoulder, the Faunus retaliated by carrying his momentum into a graceful spinning slash which Iris leaned back to avoid, sensing her misstep as a cruel smile formed on Beta's lips; a moment later she found herself being smashed back-first into the ground and the air being forced from her lungs as a second Beta appeared above her, landing a devastating kick to her chest

"What the hell?" she gasped whilst frantically using her Semblance to put some distance between the two of them as she returned to her feet; Beta was not so easily discouraged however and gave chase, sending his Semblance clones ahead to close the distance. The clones were frail things, despite the speed and skill they fought with; the first shattered as the head of Venus Rising imploded its' skull, the second being torn clean in half as the mace ripped through its' midsection and a third finding its' attack parried before it was destroyed

"A valiant effort" Beta mused, announcing his presence a fraction of a second before Iris's world exploded into agony as the Faunus impaled her cybernetic arm, the blade bursting through the forearm in a shower of sparks and sending a wave of painful feedback that left Iris dropping to her knees

"But in the end" Beta sighed "Ultimately futile" with that he shifted Indominus into its' twin katana form and ripped the now separated blades free of the limb, in opposite directions, tearing the mechanical limb apart below the elbow.

"NO!" Corvid let out a horrified scream as she saw Beta kick a now defenceless Iris, clearly relishing the position of power he had over before delivering a killing blow.

"DON'T WORRY ABOUT HER!" Gamma roared as he charged again, his own cybernetic limb whirring threateningly "WORRY ABOUT ME!" Corvid acted on instinct, lowering the Omega Wing's forcefield and triggering her Semblance, as the Pangolin Faunus, still in his monstrous Semblance powered form leapt into the air to deliver a lethal strike Corvid caught him, the Atlesian steel blades he had forged his own keratin plates into gouging into her battle-suit as she did so; then she hurled him with all her might into the nearest vehicle and deployed her shoulder mounted rail-guns; the vehicle exploded in a ball of flames and Corvid wasted no time on turning her attention to Beta

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" she opened fire on the Snow Leopard Faunus who managed to leap away and land with what could only be described as poise

"Ah, perhaps you'll be more challenging and entertaining than your friend" Corvid saw nothing but red and launched herself at him with a feral scream; Beta swiftly reformed the Indominus into its' rail-gun form and fired at the centre of the rapidly approaching mass, Corvid came to a sudden, jerking stop as her momentum was robbed and her hastily re-activated forcefield flickered under the assault, several warnings flashing up on her HUD

"Perhaps not" Beta lamented with a sigh before engaging his Semblance and sending a pair of clones out to flank her "Still, you will make a most pleasing gift should we deliver you to High Commander" Corvid braced herself and waited for the attack to come, the clone to her left charged and she readied her weapons; only for the clone to be removed from existence by a rapidly expanding and moving wall of a forcefield which ploughed through everything in its' path without resistance.

"I AM SPECIALIST KAFSI ASTERI! GET ON THE GROUND WITH YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEAD OR YOU WILL BE MET WITH LETHAL FORCE!" Corvid remained in stunned silence as the veteran strode passed her, Aegis Thunder shearing away limbs and vaporising the bodies of White Fang fighters who failed to comply with her orders; one grunt made the mistake of attempting to rush her, a second later her cybernetic arm lashed out, its' ultrasonic blade deploying and they were on the ground clutching the space where their eyes had once been; a second was dispatched with equal ease as she buried the blade in their neck. Beta, seeing this, looked to Alpha for orders rather than continue his attack; the Lionfish Faunus gave a roar of frustration as she kicked Rusty, who sported countless minor injuries aside, her Semblance ensuring that all present heard her

"IT WAS AN AMBUSH, FALL BACK!" Gamma's primal roar confirmed that the behemoth was still alive a moment before he burst from the flaming wreck of the truck, running over to the nearest White Fang vehicle that could be used as a means of escape, righting it by hand before climbing inside; Alpha, Beta and Delta close behind.

"Detain them" Kafsi seemingly paid the Cult of Taurus no mind, instead ordering those who had followed her, which Corvid now saw included a pair of tanks, to focus on the still breathing grunts who could prove to be a valuable source of information. Seeing this cold ruthlessness in action convinced Corvid that she had made the right choice by declining her Aunts' offer.

"I want my daughter back!" a Crab Faunus staggered behind Kafsi and attempted to reach into their bloodstained white jacket with pincers in place of human hands

"Don't do it" Corvid pleaded as she aimed on of her rail-guns at the attacker before Kafsi could react "She will kill you" the Crab Faunus spat blood at her

"You give me back my daughter, you already killed my wife tonight….I want my daughter…..and if I have to die getting her back then you're dying with me!" he produced what was clearly an improvised cluster bomb from a hidden pocket, its' mechanism modified for the mans' use.

"Get back!" Corvid yelled before aiming and firing; the Crab Faunus hit the ground screaming in agony as the pincer that held the explosive landed several fit away

"Medic!" Kafsi barked "Attend to this man" the scarlet haired Specialist marched over to Corvid, surveying the carnage around them, burning vehicles, blood-stained asphalt, bodies littering the ground and all.

"It was never our intention to involve students in this operation and you have my sincere apologies" she promised solemnly

"I just wanna get my team the hell out of here"

"Understood" Kafsi nodded "Help your injured, I'll have a ship inbound to take you back to Atlas Academy within the hour. Go home and rest soldier, you earned it"

 **Authors Notes:**

And we are back with a mother-fucking bang ladies and gents  
Okay so due to issues with the organisers I won't be taking part in the OC Secret Santa project this year.  
However I do have an idea for a short story/one shot involving Tock.  
Also, I posted the theory that inspired this story idea on Twitter, Tock's voice actor has re-blogged it and expressed support.  
I feel like I need to come out and say that RWBY Vol.6 is the best the show has ever been and even though my own universe has branched off in a completely different direction that renders certain characters and concepts unusable to me; I do love what Rooster Teeth are doing.  
And I want to take a moment to say good luck to all my readers who are dealing with exams right now.

Anyway let's summarise:  
So that's what Team CLIR have been up to, they might have dealt with the racists in short order but there's still work to do.  
I feel like as callous as Atlas is towards its' own citizens there are still a few good people in power genuinely trying to make things better for the people and Winter is definitely one of them.  
I also feel that Atlesian architects, when designing settlements that are above ground for the first time in generations would naturally fall back on whatever Mantle's aesthetic was.  
Bringing back Rusty calling Corvid "Little Lady" 'cos she's like more than half a foot shorter than him.  
I feel like Corvid, after being exposed to the Atlas level of casual and institutional racism that still exists despite Blake's best efforts would finally reach a snapping point.  
Of course Corvid tried her best to make sure she watched her baby brothers' fight.  
Seriously, for all the security the Vytal Tournament does have a lot of sneaking into changing rooms going on….I'm assuming it's like an Olympic village and the staff know better than to interfere with horny Hunters who may or may not be fucking pre/post game.  
I forgot about that old habit of playing with the stud in her nose that Diamond has.  
I need to write more Diamond and Felix interactions, I can't imagine them not bickering and being best friends despite it.  
Seriously, I wonder if the Vytal Tournament students made any money...there was definitely merch being sold.  
I had Sandrock and Felix spar in Vol.5 just to give some context for his appearance here; I don't like when tournament fodder students appear from nowhere and then vanish again after their match….his whole character is also a Gundam Wing reference.  
The trash talk was fun.  
Brazen's character design and weapons just popped into my mind fully formed, not sure where the idea came from….probably a collection of different anime ninja characters; he most certainly does look like a _"Fucking try hard"  
_ Yes Sandrock just blocked machine gun fire, he's good.  
And now it makes sense why he held back from using his Semblance in the sparring match, he didn't want to pay for the property damage it would have done to the academy.  
I wanted Team FADE to struggle, to really feel like they could lose.  
I was originally going to have the truck be one of those giant land trains then I decided against it, it wouldn't have added anything.  
I feel like it can't be overstated just how many lives were ruined and how many kids were traumatised when Adam took over a sizeable chunk of Atlas in the The Downward Spiral.  
You all knew shit was gonna go bad as soon as you knew it was the Cult of Taurus running the show.  
" _I was commanded to be well"_ I felt like the religious language there worked, they are a cult after all...Also Hozier gets played on the radio at work a lot.  
" _Cull the rest"_ pretty much sums up Alpha's view on human life in one sentence.  
I've been waiting to show off Gamma's new arm….imagine the claw as an arcade claw with fracking drills built into the pincers.  
Gamma and Corvid going all out would do some DBZ levels of scenery damage.  
I feel like Brazen kicking Felix through the same boulders that Diamond was sniping from is a level of teamwork and co-ordination we need to see more of from Team FADE.  
Okay so the trailer for Mortal Kombat 11 dropped a few days ago and it really informed the fight between Diamond and Brazen, just visceral and nasty _(Like the fight between Maria and Tock, which I loved)_ in particular the finger breaking.  
I feel like Merc (And most likely Em as well) definitely taught their daughter that in a real fight anything goes, Brazen is lucky she didn't kick him in the balls.  
I feel like an Aura functions kind of like AT Field from Evangelion, which is why its' possible for one Aura to overpower another….and why Hunters use close combat weapons….I mean we all know it's anime logic and rule of cool but whatever.  
Let's be honest she'd get booed for that, it's the same level of dirty that Team GORE got booed for.  
" _They tend to do that"_ I mean he's not wrong.  
Diamond and Felix haven't really had a combo attack before, seemed like a good place to change that.  
Yeah the fight between the White Fang and the police got nasty.  
Lux and Rusty are both lucky they're not dead.  
Iris always works best from the back, but she can fight if needs be.  
" _Combat is not a spectator sport"_ I hope someone knows who Beta quoted there.  
So, who forgot that was Beta's Semblance?  
" _GET AWAY FROM HER!"_ ….Runs in the family.  
The truck was a decoy to lure the White Fang into a trap, where Kafsi would be waiting….you knew she was gonna turn up to this fight at some point.  
Alpha may be bloodthirsty but she isn't stupid.  
Kafsi does not show mercy, she fights to kill without hesitation and it is probably enough to leave Corvid a little shaken up.  
Okay in case it wasn't obvious; the Crab Faunus was Coral's Dad, his wife who died in the skirmish was her Mum….which frees up some things.  
Next chapter will be a continuation of the doubles round and slowly setting up for the grand finale of second year.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, iSassenach, Garthraxxus, Funlander and FluffyFirefly for their reviews.  
Nah, I'm not gonna wave death flags for two of the main characters when we're half way into the story….this isn't Game Of Thrones.  
The thing with Raffia is that he's very, very hard to kill; even the usual "Remove the head or destroy the brain" might not be enough to kill him considering he's been shot in the face by Ruby and Flax.  
Prototype of Penny….well you're on the right track.  
Salem hasn't escaped yet; Oscar didn't trap her in a time loop, he disconnected her from the normal flow of space and time….subtle difference.  
Indeed they would/will.  
Yeah when Car talks like he's seen some shit it's because he's seen some shit.  
The Apathy are an interesting Grimm though I honestly prefer the unused concept art that had them looking notably less human; I don't think they'll make it into this story but I will most definitely be including more of my own Grimm once we return to New Vale.  
I would love more Cyberpet art, thank you very much.  
Yeah I think the abuse of power needs to be brought into the story if you're going to include something like the White Fang….I mean I know we never saw it in canon but the Atlas soldiers who were stationed around Vale during the tournament almost certainly gave Velvet grief.  
Yeah for the different languages I just use google translate so it may well be butchered but; Atlas = German, Mistral = Chinese, Anima Tribes = Greek, Vaccuan = Arabic, although the language and aesthetic may not always match up….And Menagerie is a melting pot of different cultures so there are all kinds of settlement names.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	77. Mission Critical

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 77: Mission Critical**

The settlement of Freiheit, home to the largest population outside of the Hive Cities was currently alive with the indescribable atmosphere of the Vytal Festival which reached out though the streets and spread like roots from its' focal point of the purpose built 'Legacy Stadium'. Those enjoying the spectacle were aware enough of a security presence in the form of armed soldiers in addition to the amount of Hunters who had converged on the settlement to feel safe and secure in the knowledge that the Kingdom of Atlas was not taking the terrorist threat lying down. What the public was unaware of however was the true extent of the military presence. Far above the stadium, cloaked from view and all but the most advanced means of detection with its' crew prepared for action at a moments' notice, was the Gespenst. Gangrel Slate sat at the head of the table in his briefing room with his First Mate, the grizzled and scarred Specialist Chiffon stood beside him; the greying Bear Faunus drummed against the desk with the clawed fingers of his cybernetic left arm as they waited for a scheduled report which was currently late, if only by a matter of minutes

"If something had happened we'd know about it" Chiffon noted calmly, sensing his captain and old friend since the Specialist training programs' tension; though he paused an added "Are you sure it was a good idea to send her back into the field so soon after-"  
"It was at her own insistence" Gangrel countered "Psych and medical both say she's good to go….but still, I'm a little concerned myself" the point was rendered moot a moment later when the expected transmission finally came through, a screen flickering into life with crackling static as even the state of the art Scroll capable of punching through the jamming signal that the Gespenst projected took a moment to connect; eventually Gangrel and Chiffon were greeted with the sight of Specialist Donner, her electric blue Mohawk and short cropped sides seeming at odds with her stern and dour expression; a far cry from the bright if somewhat cocky smile her colleagues were used to seeing from her. The most noticeable difference however was the black eyepatch she wore to cover the space where the left eye she had lost to the sadism of the Cult of Taurus, Beta in particular, had once been.

"Sir, sorry for the delay sir" Donner's words were clipped and snappish

"Any issues?" Gangrel demanded, a ghost of Donner's old smile returned to her face as she gave her answer "Negative sir, a brief altercation between some students and I couldn't find anywhere to call from….horny teenagers in every corner"

"Some things never change" Gangrel chuckled softly before deciding that he needed to get to the point "Report Donner, any activity?"

"Negative" Donner answered with a slight shake of the head "No suspicious activity. Patrols outside the settlement report nothing out of the ordinary"

"I see" Gangrel growled as he took a moment to let the information sink in "Keep me posted, stay alert"

"Wasn't planning on taking my last working eye off the ball….sir" Donner almost snarled

"Donner" Gangrel's tone held a gentle warning before soothing her "We'll get 'em"

"Understood sir" Donner growled before the transmission ended. Gangrel and Chiffon shared a moment of silence before the First Mate stroked the stubble on his chin

"You're worried?"

"Yeah" Gangrel admitted "We put operatives posing as students into the tournament, people that the White Fang wouldn't pass up a chance to take out….So where are they?"

"You think they'd make a move on the tournament with that many Hunters present?"

"These people have killed Specialists and Freelancers Chiffon" Gangrel reminded him "Winter has personally taken over the job of dealing with their arms dealer but that doesn't change how well prepared they already are….hell I had Matte Skye lend us a few of the Baba-Jaegers just in case they decide to really copy Adam Taurus and show up with tanks"

"You're right Chiffon" murmured "Something isn't right….when are your operatives going to be competing" Gangrel paused and checked the time

"Any minute now" his amber eyes filled with concern "So if they're gonna make a move this is it"

Since his and Diamond's victory in the opening bout of the doubles round, and following a medical examination, Felix Xiao Long had found himself surrounded by warriors of the Nikos tribe, the Nikosi contingent having taken over a small section of the stands close to the front. The Lion Faunus had found himself thoroughly accepted into his boyfriends' people, his aching back and shoulders had been slapped more times that he could count, Nikosi brew which burned the throat had been thrust into his hands and he's been carried overhead and generally treated as a returning hero as the next few tournament matches took place.

"Do you and Helios have an attack like that?" Syneffo asked as she downed a glass of something Felix was sure she wasn't old enough to be drinking, her voice a little hoarse from all the shouting and cheering she had done thus far, Felix didn't need her to specify that she meant the team attack that he and Diamond had won their match with and shook his head

"Not yet….Helios and Diamond do though funnily enough, they used it in our initiation in first year"

"AND NOW!" Qrow's amplified voice boomed "WE HAVE A MATCH THAT PROMISES TO BE LIVELY, A VALE ON VALE, HALO ACADEMY VERSUS HALO ACADEMY SPECIAL!" the crowd went wild at this and the announcers let them work themselves into a fervour for a few moments before Oobleck took over

"AFTER THEIR UTTER DOMINATION IN THE FIRST ROUND, MAKE SOME NOISE FOR CARCHARODON GORE AND ONYX URSABANE!" the cheering redoubled in intensity, whatever distaste and negativity the former raiders had eared themselves in their previous battle seemed to have been momentarily forgotten as the two Faunus strode out into the arena to thunderous applause

"AND THEIR OPPONENTS!" Qrow chimed in "HELIOS NIKOS AND NYANZA ANGORA!" as the pair strode out, Helios's rich gold armour shining in the floodlit arena the Nikosi contingent burst into cheers and war-chants that Felix couldn't understand. Syneffo hurled herself up onto the shoulders of one of her mothers' bodyguards and pointed at Helios while proudly declaring

"THAT'S MY BIG BROTHER!" Felix laughed along with the others at her exuberant display, knowing deep down that had he been in the crowd for Corvid's first time in the tournament he would have most likely reacted exactly the same. He turned and caught sight of Kataigida and noted that her expression seemed to slowly harden as she stared out into the arena, even through the slight daze which was mercifully more alcohol fuelled than a product of his injuries Felix noted that the leader of the Nikosi looked concerned

"Silence" at her command the Nikosi fell silent and looked to her for leadership, she gestured to what had caught her attention and spoke "That is the crown of the Frost River tribe" a murmur passed through the Nikosi warriors as they each contemplated the consequences of the heir to their tribe being forced to face off against the leader of another tribe, one who were noted for their violence

"Will it be war?" Syneffo asked, hands flying to the handles of The Harpies Claws as she prepared to unsheathe the pair of axes; Felix clamped a hand firmly on her shoulder

"Easy kid, it's not gonna be a war"

"Oh?" Kataigida raised a scarlet eyebrow "You speak for them?"

"I know why they're here and who they're answering to" the Lion Faunus shrugged, keeping eye contact with Helios's mother despite the scrutiny he found himself under from the rest of the Nikosi "Besides Helios has beaten Onyx, the one without the crown, already" Kataigida nodded in understanding before addressing her people as a whole

"Their people are all but wiped out and they're here due to some alliance with this Kingdom….be ready but let the fight proceed; do not interfere unless they give us provocation" a murmur of compliance rippled through the warriors and Felix tried to convince himself that the problem had been solved; the tension lingered however, at least until Syneffo drew close and whispered

"How likely are they to provoke a war with us?" Felix considered for a moment and shrugged

"Depends how much Nyanza annoys them" Syneffo couldn't help but laugh at that

"Peace is in the hands of the idiot cat….so we'll be cleaning blood off of our blades within the hour"

"Most likely" Felix laughed whilst at the same time sincerely hoping that the jokes were just that.

* * *

While the crowds made the air itself tremble with their enthusiasm and the announcers added to the cacophony with their magnified voices recounting the battles that had led each team to this point Helios stared across the as yet unformed arena to his opposite number; though the Shark Faunus held himself in a stance that many would call 'at ease' every muscle of Carcharodon Gore's body was unmistakably coiled as the raider stood ready to launch into action. The hooded and ragged black cloak that Carcharodon customarily wore had been discarded, leaving his toned muscles and weapons which had clearly been recently polished on display, his distinctive tribal tattoos, a stylised and ornate shark like design taking up much of the left side of his skull was obscured by the crown he wore; his liquid black eyes peered from a freshly polished silver faceplate which covered all but his mouth and was adorned with five shark like, swept back fins, the whole thing being engraved in unmistakable tribal markings. Helios may never have seen the ancestral crown of the Frost River tribe but there was no way he could mistake what it was or its' significance. He cleared his throat and spoke clearly, loud enough for his voice to carry across the arena

" _Endechetai O-Laos'sou evimero me'tin igesia-sas; Megalos-Karcharias"_ Carcharodon nodded solemnly before replying as custom dictated

" _Kai dikos-sou enkairos, protos-gios"_ Nyanza, being the sole person on the battlefield who had not been raised within the culture of the tribes knew nothing of what had been said, only that both Helios and Carcharodon spoke the same language despite having markedly different accents and dialects; as such he joined the conversation the only way he could

"Huh?"

"Merely congratulating Carcharodon on his rise to power among his people" Helios explained, deciding that Nyanza would fail to see the difference it made or the cultural nuances considering that the remaining members of the Frost River tribe could be counted on one hand he simply added "This is formal combat, custom dictates it" Nyanza nodded in understanding, and bounced on the balls of his feet as he mentally prepared himself for the coming battle. The bushy tailed feline wore an outfit that was a stark departure from his usual; a black tracksuit with white sleeves and golden-brown detailing bearing the logo of the Adi-Dazzler sports brand, a backwards brown baseball cap with the same logo, his wispy white hair protruding from beneath it and white hi-top trainers; over his lightweight jacket an almost effervescent white harness had been thrown, reaching from his shoulders to his hips it held the Pharaoh Mafdet in their pistol forms and several extra magazines, including countless Dust based rounds. Helios noted that the new look suited his partner, the concerned look in his pale green eyes however, did not.

"AND THE STADIUM IS FORMING!" Oobleck called out, why he felt a need to describe what anyone watching the match could see was beyond Helios; but sure enough the unadorned white tiles of the stadium floor receded out of view to be replaced by the arena in which the bout would take place.

"So I take it you want a one on one with Car?" Nyanza observed, knowing his friends' personality if not his customs enough to make a guess "So that leaves me and Onyx….might need a little more than luck for that one"

"You have one advantage that he isn't truly prepared for" Helios answered calmly, upon seeing Nyanza's questioning expression he continued "You can make him lose focus. He is a product of Anima, the same as myself. Remember when we first met…..you were insufferable, use that" Nyanza stared at the redhead in open mouthed shock for a moment before asking in hushed tones

"Did you just make a joke? Heely I'm so proud" Helios's soft chuckle was lost beneath the din of the two halves of the stadium rising into place followed by the announcers echoing voices

"AND WE HAVE A SMALL VILLAGE ON TEAM GORE'S SIDE OF THE FIELD….IT LOOKS VAGUELY MISTRALI IN DESIGN" Bartholomew explained for those unfamiliar with the design of the stone and wooden houses filling a clearing flanked on either side by trees which Helios instantly recognised as native to his homeland

"AND TEAM NEON HAVE ENDED UP WITH A TAR-PIT" Qrow's amusement seeped into his voice as he added "Nasty, looks like Nikos's armour is gonna need cleaning again after this" Nyanza stared out at the bubbling, viscous black liquid whose depth he had no way to be certain of; several routes towards the opposite side of the arena could be seen, formed from boulders and floating debris

"We're not gonna see Carcharodon coming" he noted, an astute observation which caught Helios off guard coming from his partner

"Indeed" he nodded, pursing his lips and adding with a scowl "Team GORE seem to have gotten oddly lucky with the arenas they've fought in" before either of them could discuss their sudden suspicions further Qrow's voice boomed out again

"THREE, TWO, ONE! BEGIN!"

"Throw me my shield" Helios instructed simply before throwing the golden disc into the air and leaping up after it with his Aura rippling around him as he gathered his Semblance; by some manipulation of gravity when he planted his feet on the shield and kicked off he was sent sailing, weightlessly through the air. Nyanza wasted no time in engaging his own Semblance, pale green eyes glowing as if lit from behind as he caught the falling shield and hurtled it after his team-mate who by a stroke of artificially created good fortune caught it one handed as he landed on Team GORE's side of the battlefield and used it to deflect Carcharodon's first strike; though Nyanza was stunned to see that Helios still slid back several inches under the force of the blow. The crowd watched with baited breath as the first exchange of blows between the two team leaders shook the ground beneath them with its' ferocity; Helios leapt and made to stab downwards with his Semblance increasing his velocity, Carcharodon's Semblance meant that the redhead simply passed harmlessly through him, Helios recovered with a backhanded swipe with the edge of his shield prompting Carcharodon to weave under his arm and drag the forearm mounted blade on his left arm across Helios's now exposed chest before following up with a spinning kick to the chin and a backhanded right as he carried his momentum into a spinning leap, Helios's avoiding the blow aimed at his eyes by leaping aside.

"LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE DECIDIED TO GIVE NIKOS AN ACTUAL CHALLENGE!" Qrow noted in his typical drawling voice. Nyanza decided that Qrow had given a generous description of the situation and as the Shark Faunus continued to rain blows from all angles it seemed that Helios was, in the frighteningly rare condition of being the underdog.

"We're not here to watch!" Onyx's booming challenge was the only warning Nyanza needed before the Puma Faunus he found himself facing made his first move; namely tearing a wall free from one of the buildings littering Team GORE's half of the stadium and throwing it directly at him in an absurd show of force. Nyanza ran directly towards the projectile and leapt into the air, drawing his pistols as he sprinted across the crumbling stone surface and opening fire; the muffled cough utterly lost in the uproar of the crowd as Onyx's arm and freshly drawn axe were frozen solid against a tree when and Ice Dust round connected against them

"Well you've got some fight in you" Onyx chuckled gruffly as Nyanza landed several feet away "I take it you're showing off for someone?" with that the hulking fighter simply shoulder barged the frozen trunk hard enough for it to shatter and free his arm. The two of them circled each other for a moment, Nyanza allowing himself a cruel smirk as Helios's suggestion seemed ever more appealing.

"So what's the axe compensating for? Is it a sex thing, I'm guessing it's a sex thing" seeing greenish yellow eyes narrow and hearing the annoyed growl that escaped Onyx the smaller Faunus decided to push on "Because let's be honest, if gossip is anything to go by then chicks only like you for your toe-beans….you get all the foreplay and none of the sex, congrats you're every sheltered Huntresses' fetish" Onyx cocked his head and twirled his axe as his own smirk formed

"I understand you; more than you realise….You're a talker. Like me" Nyanza paused at that, unsure how to react and inadvertently giving Onyx the opening he needed; he shifted Jotun Fang into its' artillery piece form and fired from the hip, the explosive round tearing the ground asunder where it impacted and forcing Nyanza to roll aside; the pale Faunus leapt back to his feet and made to aim his pistols only for Onyx to appear suddenly in front of him wearing a wide smile of manic glee as he swung his axe into Nyanza's stomach. Nyanza's Aura rippled under the assault and was lifted from his feet, flying across the battlefield until he collided with the nearest house to decorate the battleground, the simple structure collapsing as he did so. Onyx chuckled gruffly as murmured under his breath

"Like me….Just smaller and weaker"

* * *

In the outskirts of New Vale, on an assuming street much like any of those in the decidedly upper middle class suburb was the house which retired Huntsman, occasional lecturer at Academies, part-time sports announcer and surprisingly good neighbour by all accounts Qrow Branwen called home; or rather the house which served as a front and entrance to the underground lair which he considered to be his true home. Despite Qrow's absence for an extended period of time and undeniable presence in the Kingdom of Atlas the house was far from abandoned, his neighbours having noticed comings and goings soon after he left and at first wondering who would be so bold as to burgle the house of the legendary Huntsman; a little investigation silenced all but the most scandalous of neighbourhood gossips when it became apparent that it was simply Qrow's niece, the arguably even more famous Ruby Rose and her wife Penny minding the old mans' house as they had promised that they would. Currently both Ruby and Penny were present whilst the twins Tai-Jaune and Summer-Pyrrha were watching the Vytal Tournament at a friends' house after school and following Felix's impressive victory were most likely driving the parents of said friend to desperation as they each attempted to emulate their cousins' soon to be iconic attack.

"Ooh that's a big hit" Ruby winced as she watched her nephews' school friend, the Feline Faunus with the bushy tail and smart mouth receive a punch in the mouth that brought him rolling to a stop, dazed and over a dozen feet away from where his opponent stood; only the sound of keys clacking at a pace that seemed a fraction too fast to be normal answered her and Ruby paused, the next cookie to be plucked from the well stacked plate behind her halfway to her mouth as a thought occurred to her with enough urgency for her to turn away from the tournament and face her wife

"Are you okay?" her words were gentle and tinged with concern as she reached over ans squeezed Penny's hand, halting her typing "I can turn it off if it's bothering you"

"It isn't" Penny assured her before kissing the back of her wife's hand "But thank you" the copper haired android had been built for the purpose of becoming a Huntress and was equal to Ruby in terms of enthusiasm when it came to fighting the creatures of Grimm or developing new weapons and equipment to help others do so, the Nano-bot rounds marketed by Poly-Tech being one such example, but she found herself unable to share Ruby's joy when watching the Vytal Tournament. She hoped that all of her friends' children did well but her own experience of dying at a tournament had soured her on them a little.

"Found anything?" Ruby enquired peering over Penny's shoulder and using it as an excuse to wrap her arms around the slightly shorter woman and kiss her freckled cheeks, Penny happily leaned into the contact as she answered, voice becoming somewhat businesslike and clipped as she did so; something Penny herself suspected was owed to some obscure subroutine in her own systems

"Negative. No traces of either the Wizard or the unaccounted for Maidens have been detected. No word from any of Qrow's other operatives, indicating either nothing to report or their termination….with the former being drastically more likely. Radio chatter between Vaccuo and Menagerie indicates a sudden spike in Grimm activity congruent with a recently formed Spawning Pool, as yet unconfirmed" at the mention of a possible birthing site for the monsters she fought Ruby scowled, she would have liked to be able to fly there and deal with the problem herself, especially now that the latest iteration of the heavily modified Bull-Head known as _'The Pearl'_ that she and Penny owned was airworthy; however the mention of Qrow's other operatives brought a small smile to her face. Everyone who had been a part of Winter Schnee's Black Ops unit during the war had been contacted by Qrow Branwen since he took over Ozpin's mantle of Remnant's hidden protector; the few that had accepted alongside the two Maidens they had found in the years since and a handful of alumni of Halo and Atlas Academies that Professor Goodwitch and Winter Schnee had recommended formed the bulk of Qrow's nameless organisation, guided by a network of contacts decades in the making

"Well if it's on Menagerie's side of the water we can call Team CFVY in the morning; they won't want anything swimming to close to Port Alistair….and it'll be a good chance to give _'Spring'_ some training"

"Agreed" Penny nodded

"Cool" Ruby beamed "In the meantime, I wanna see how this one goes; it looks like it's gonna be close" Penny couldn't prevent the smile that formed on her face as she watched Ruby engross herself in the sole screen dedicated to the Vytal Tournament; the rest of the several dozen monitors connected to Qrow's supercomputer were presenting the vast stream of information Penny was parsing. The android found herself just as unable to prevent the way her mouth hung open as the crowd panned to a particularly lively segment of the crowd

"Freeze frame. Magnify" the computer, clearly voice controlled at least to an extent complied with the command

"What?" Ruby turned to her in confusion

"Her" Penny pointed to a teenage girl in the crowd, a girl with long scarlet locks who was clad in ornate armour with a pair of axes hanging from her hips, none of that was what Penny was pointing to

"Oh" Ruby mouthed in understanding

"We need to contact Qrow as soon as possible, he'll want to know about this" Penny suggested, Ruby nodded in silence as she stared at the image of the girl whose eyes were identical to those that greeted her in the mirror each morning; stunned by the revelation that there were other Silver Eyed Warriors in existence on Remnant.

* * *

Nyanza crouched under another swing of Jotun Fang, before promptly leaping into the air and planting his hands of the blade of Onyx's axe as the Puma Faunus followed up with a backhanded slash, the smaller Faunus used the flat surface as a springboard to put some distance between them; lashing out with a frantic kick which found its' mark on Onyx's stubble covered chin as he did so.

"ANGORA IS STILL FIGHTING BUT ONYX CLEARLY HAS THE UPPER HAND" Oobleck announced, taking his attention from the admittedly far more dynamic and exhilarating battle taking place between Helios and Carcharodon.

"I wouldn't call what you're doing fighting….flailing like a dying salmon maybe" Onyx chuckled cruelly as rolled his shoulders back and cricked his neck; a display clearly intended to convey that Nyanza's lucky hit had done little to actually phase the Puma Faunus. Nyanza grit his teeth and silently accepted that it was the truth, Onyx was vastly stronger, more experienced and had a ruthless edge to him that Nyanza simply lacked; the bushy tailed feline had managed to last this long through luck and tenacity alone and with his Aura being rapidly depleted by Onyx's thunderous blow his Semblance was in danger of becoming a scare commodity.

"Your witty banter is disappointing" Nyanza noted dryly

"I didn't come to play games….and I have better uses for my mouth"

"Innuendos, really?" Nyanza sighed in mock disgust, trying to distract his opponent from the fact he was rapidly forming the rough outline of a plan. He slowed his breathing and forced himself to focus as he ejected the magazines currently loaded in the Pharaoh Mafdet and quickly replaced them with a pair filled with Dust rounds, a luxury he had until recently never been able to afford in bulk

"Going to make a move?" Onyx taunted "There's no shame in losing to a stronger opponent, don't be a coward about it" Nyanza didn't respond with words, instead he charged forwards and engaged his Semblance in preparation and as Onyx readied his axe and charged to meet him he fired one shot from each pistol, the round from the right was a high explosive round which narrowly missed Onyx and passed over his shoulder; only for the second round to collide with the flat of Jotun Fang as the Puma Faunus made to block. The Magnetic Dust payload was discharged and Onyx was first thrown off balance as his weapon and various pieces of armour both attracted and repelled each other, then the explosive round was pulled back by the magnetic field and detonated as it impacted between his shoulder blades

"OH THAT WAS CLEVER, I LIKE IT!" Qrow called out over the sound of cheering; Nyanza was too focused for the commentary to register as he charged forward, shifting his weapons into their tonfa form as Onyx staggered forwards and dropped to one knee. The crowd erupted into a roaring frenzy as the smaller and previously outclassed Faunus landed a punishing running kick into his opponents' mouth; Onyx recoiled and attempted to retaliate only to be forced back into his prone position by Nyanza's left tonfa colliding with his right knee, the then the right tonfa smashing against the side of his skull only for Nyanza to follow up by rolling over the former raiders' broad back and perform a two footed drop kick as a way of putting some distance between them. Nyanza's heart pounded in his head as he frantically shifted his weapons back to their ranged form and loaded them with Lighting Dust, opening fire and leaving Onyx's body coursing with arcs of electricity as he retreated and ducked behind one of the buildings of the small Mistrali settlement forming Team GORE's side of the arena.

"ANGORA SEEMS TO BE CHOOSING HIS BATTLES CAREFULLY THERE" Oobleck noted, Nyanza himself simply sucked in gulps of air as he tried to formulate his next hit and run attack, in his mind it was his best chance against someone who overpowered by as much of a margin as Onyx did.

"URSABANE WON'T TAKE THAT LYING DOWN THOUGH" Qrow countered and while Nyanza may not have been able to see the Puma Faunus every instinct he had told him to move; the building was reduced to nothing but falling and smouldering debris the moment Nyanza leapt aside; obliterated by Onyx's own explosive round, one of a much higher calibre.

"YOU MISSED!" Nyanza bellowed as he raised his weapons, hoping some sound of irritation would give away Onyx's location despite the ringing in his own ears; instead the only warning the feline received was a blur of movement to his left and then he felt Onyx's meaty paw with his padded palms and fingertips close around his windpipe; any resistance was pre-emptively halted by the Puma Faunus bringing his skull crashing against Nyanza's nose with enough force to leave everything blurry and the blinding pain the only sensation that could be focused on

"I told you I have better uses for my mouth" Nyanza shook his head and forced his swimming vision to comply, just in time to watch Onyx clamp a Fire Dust crystal between his teeth with a wicked grin before unleashing his Semblance; there was nothing Nyanza could do to be prevent the wave of agony that washed over him as the Puma held him place and subjected him to an almost solid wall of noise, concussive force and flames

"HOLY OUM, HE CAN BREATHE FIRE?" Qrow demanded; Onyx however wasn't finished. Nyanza felt himself be hurled into the air whilst below him Onyx planted Jotun Fang on the ground and discharged an explosive round, allowing the weapon to fly free from his grasp and directly upwards; the base of its' shaft smashing into Nyanza's spine as he fell.

"AND NYANZA ANGORA'S AURA HAS BEEN TOTALLY DEPLETED BY ONYX URSABANE" Oobleck announced with a clear lack of enthusiasm

"THAT WAS JUST DIRTY" Qrow spat

"VERY UNSPORTSMANLIKE" Oobleck agreed. Onyx gave a derisive snort at their quibbling and simply loomed over Nyanza who was still clearly unable to stand

"I live by different rules….It would've been disrespectful to hold back, you fought well Nyanza"

"Fuck….you" was the pained reply he received, delivered through gritted teeth

"I'm sure someone will….Now, honour dictates I let Car handle the Nikosi; however our mission-" whatever else he intended to say was silenced as a golden blur collided with his face at terrifying velocity. The crowd were first stunned into silence, then burst into roars of applause as it became apparent that Onyx Ursabane had been knocked unconscious by the thrown shield of Helios Nikos from across the arena.

* * *

"AND THAT WAS AN UNBELIEVABLE SHOT!" Oobleck sounded as though he were on the edge of his seat

"NIKOS IS GONNA REGRET THAT IN A SECOND" Qrow noted with a sigh. Helios himself silently agreed that his anger fuelled assault on Onyx from range had hardly been well thought out and would most likely cost him in a battle that he was already under no illusions about the seriousness of. Since their initial exchange Carcharodon had managed to use his Semblance to dictate the pace and direction of the battle and had been steadily forcing him back towards the tar-pits of Team NEON's side of the arena; Helios intuitively knowing that the advantage that Carcharodon would have in those surroundings would be disastrous.

"Face me coward!" Helios barked out as he readied his sword, hoping to provoke a head-on assault from the Shark Faunus. The attack came but Carcharodon burst from the ground that he had been moving along close enough step inside Helios's guard his Semblance giving a form best described as a living shadow

"Talk less, fight better" was the cold reply as the Shark Faunus's right fist drove into Helios's gut, finding its' way beneath his armour and knocking the air from his lungs; Carcharodon lashed out with his left and threw his right elbow forward in a series of punishing slashes, Helios's Aura rippled as the Red Waves collided with it. Seeing that his opponent was on the verge of bracing himself and launching a counter-attack Carcharodon simply used the protean body afforded to him by his Semblance to ooze around Helios and reform behind him, promptly striking him in the back and hurling him into the bubbling tar-pits

"THIS COULD BE IT, THIS COULD BE ONE OF THE BIGGEST UPSETS OF THE TOURNAMENT!" Helios heard the announcers praising Carcharodon's skill as he breached the surface of the darkness and hoisted himself onto one of the many boulders littering it, a furious snarl escaped him only to be replaced by the rare sensation of fear as he and Carcharodon locked eyes for a brief moment before the Shark Faunus used his Semblance to sink into the ground, his insubstantial form slithering towards the tar-pit, where he would be free to launch attacks without giving the redhead any warning. The first blow came, almost predictably from behind; a wild slash which glanced off of Helios's armour but almost sent him tumbling into the tar once again. Before he could steady himself the second blow came, Carcharodon launching himself into the air and landing a roundhouse kick and treating viewers to the unpleasant sight of blood spraying from Helios's mouth as he collapsed.

"No" the scarlet haired warrior growled as he spat out another mouthful of blood, the coppery tang refusing to leave his mouth "Not here and not like this" he planted his feet and firmly grasped the sword component of Olympus Enforcer, adamant that he would not be bested by a glorified pirate who refused to duel him with honour; not in front of this crowd, not in front of his mother and most certainly not in front of Felix. Carcharodon's next attack came from the right, clearly intending to disable his dominant arm. Helios crouched low and slashed at the Faunus's gut sending him crashing back into the tar with none of his previous predatory grace or agility

"NOW FACE ME!" Helios roared as he activated his Semblance, a wave of dizziness and nausea washing over him as he inverted his control of gravity; within seconds the contents of the tar-pit began to rise, spheres of the viscous mass connected by dripping black strands hovering in mid-air until Carcharodon was revealed

"WHAT A PERFORMANCE" Helios didn't know which announcer had spoken and at that moment he didn't care, he simply sank his blade into the boulder he stood on before reaching out and grabbing the forcefully levitated Carcharodon by the scruff of the neck; then Helios reversed his Semblance and hurled the shark Faunus away from the tar-pits while a the same time magnifying gravity to horrendous proportions, the result being that his opponent came to a stop at the end of a gouge several feet deep and dozens of feet long that his landing had carved into the ground. Helios ripped his sword free and went on the offensive with a primal war-cry. Carcharodon leapt to his feet and responded in kind, the two of them meeting in a storm of clashing blades and lighting fast blows

"You are a credit to your people Nikosi" Carcharodon spat "I almost wish your people had chosen to act on Mistral's behalf against mine; it would be a worthy and honourable death for one of us" Helios refused to give a response, heeding the Faunus's own advice of talking less and fighting better he ducked under a pincer like move that would have seen the Red Waves brought to bear against his throat and simply talked Carcharodon to the ground before holding his sword over the downed Faunus's neck

"Were this to the death I would urge you to yield" he admitted "Your people have lost enough"

"But not our will to fight on" Carcharodon countered before activating his Semblance once more and sinking into the ground he was currently laid upon. Helios caught a glimpse of the moving shadow slinking towards one of the Mistrali buildings yet to be destroyed by the violence on Team GORE's side of the arena.

"No" Helios said simply as he wiped away a fresh trickle of blood from his mouth; his patience had been pushed beyond its' limit and the golden armoured warrior decided that if Carcharodon wished to remain unseen then he could stay below the ground. His body became almost impossible to see as his Aura swirled around him, hiding him behind its' all-encompassing darkness

"NIKOS LOOK LIKE HE'S GETTING READY FOR A BIG HIT" Oobleck announced

"AGAINST WHAT?" Qrow demanded, then it became apparent; the entire arena groaned and shook as whatever mechanisms brought each of the battlefields into place was strained almost to the point of collapse when Helios simply used his Semblance arena in its' entirety

"NOW THAT'S IMPRESSIVE" Qrow admitted "BUT WHERE'S GORE?"

"I DO BELIEVE" Oobleck mused "THAT HE'S ACTUALLY TRAPPED IN THE GROUND DUE TO NIKOS'S SEMBLANCE-"  
"WHERE DO THE RULES STAND ON THAT?"

"A TIMER HAS BEEN STARTED" the former Professor clarified "IF CARCHARODON GORE DOES NOT RE-APPEAR THE ARENA IN FIFTEEN SECONDS THEN IT WILL BE DECLARED AS A RING OUT" Helios almost allowed himself a sigh of relief before redoubling his efforts as the crowd began to count down along with the announcers, both of whom were clearly greatly enjoying the show.

"FIVE!" Helios's vision swam and his breathing was laboured, he could feel Carcharodon's Aura struggling against his own.

"FOUR!" his heart hammered in his chest, each beat sending a fresh wave of burning pain through him.

"THREE" the ground began to crater around Helios's feet, support struts below the battlefield screeched in protest.

"TWO" Helios collapsed to his hands and knees, blood pouring from his nose under the strain.

"ONE!" he couldn't breathe, he was sure his Aura would break at any moment

"ZERO! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN THAT'S THE MATCH! CARCHARODON GORE HAS BEEN DECLARED RING-OUT BY TECHNICALITY MEANING THAT HELIOS NIKOS AND TEAM NEON PROGRESS TO THE NEXT ROUND!" the crowd erupted into a deafening cacophony as Helios finally released his Semblance and simply collapsed flat on the broken ground, struggling to breath and too exhausted to move. The first things Carcharodon became aware of when he managed to resurface were both the medical staff rushing to get Helios onto a stretcher and the uproar of the audience. Reading the scoreboard brought the Faunus sinking to his knees, removing the crown of his people from his head and staring at it in silent defeat; he had sold his soul and his pride to the Atlesians for a chance to avenge his people, everything he had done in the last two years had led to the moment he stood in this arena, his presence an undeniable challenge to his enemies. Instead he had failed at the final moment and the knowledge that he had done so broke something inside him.

* * *

Whilst the Vytal Tournament took place the streets leading to the stadium were flooded with market stalls, parades and street performers each contributing their talents to the festivities they were not the only people to do so. It seemed as though every bar in the city, regardless of whom their usual clientele were, was showing the tournament matches happening close by to those locals whom were simply unable to afford tickets. Far from the city centre, situated in a distinctly working class part of the city whose streets were lined with small terraced houses belonging to those who worked in the nearby factories and warehouses was once such bar; a small and dimly lit establishment with a lively atmosphere known as 'The Anvil' the atmosphere of the place giving anyone present who simply wished to mind their own business and blend into the background ample opportunity to do so, which was exactly why Raffia Dirge had chosen to position himself here and wait for the right moment to strike. In the weeks since his exile on pain of death the minute Axolotl Faunus had first wandered through the tundra, his own continued existence of little consequence to him. When he wandered onto one of the many roads leading between the Hive Cities and the settlements the first vehicle to cross his path had not been the expected Atlesian soldiers and police, arriving to deliver him a swift death; instead it had been a gargantuan land-train whose individual carriages were the size of small buildings. Secreting himself aboard and gorging himself on the food within Raffia had eventually found himself in the city of Eisenstadt Dritte where he had contemplated his future; eventually deciding that while Carcharodon may have exiled him he had never relieved his follower from duty. Raffia therefore decided that he would continue with the mission to revenge himself upon the White Fang and seek his redemption, in death if needs be.

"HUNTSMAN! BAG YOUR SHIT UP PEOPLE" a brash but cheerful voice boomed over the ambient buzz of chatter filling the bar, the tone clearly indicating that the warning was meant more as a teasing jibe at the Hunter in question though Raffia noted that several people hastily stashed wads of Lien and what was most likely bags of narcotics; the Axolotl Faunus then glanced over to the entrance, his body coiling as he prepared to attack if the need arose

"Evening Raff, thought that you would've been at the stadium with your mates?" Raffia almost cursed out loud, the dull buzzing of panic slowly setting in has the familiar form of Iskald Grey, the Huntsmen whose dog-tags he had returned to the Scavenger Guild made his way over, causing the eyes of everyone present to turn his way for a moment

"Not looking for me I hope?" Raffia hissed, his tone as close to jovial as he could manage while also hiding the white knuckled grip on his swords.

"Nah" Iskald shrugged "Got stuck on patrol tonight, technically shouldn't be stopping in here for a pint to watch the match but I'll write it up as chasing leads….So how come you're sat here on your lonesome?" Raffia's fins lay flat against his skull in a sign of pure irritation but he knew he needed to give an answer of some sort to avoid suspicion

"My team and I….we aren't on speaking teams at the moment, I still wanted to see them win though" the older man gave him a knowing look before proceeding to come to entirely the wrong conclusion

"Right, who fucked whose girlfriend….student life never changes I see"

"It's not-"

"As for seeing 'em win" Iskald continued with an exaggerated wince "I dunno mate, the lad in the gold armour is doing alright" Raffia made a non-committal noise before taking the excuse to return his attention to the screen mounted in a corner of the somewhat seedy bar. His eyes widened as Helios Nikos showed the true extent of his Semblance's power, a moment later he watched in stunned silence as Carcharodon was declared forfeit

"Ah that's a shit way to lose….anywhere outside of tournament rules he'd have had that" Iskald gave him a pat on the shoulder in commiseration while Raffia kept his eyes fixed on the screen; silently noting that Iskald's presence may be of some benefit after all, the man drove and would be able to get him to the stadium within minutes of the attack starting. The Axolotl Faunus watched and waited, hands trembling in fear and anticipation; the Cult of Taurus must be aware of his peoples' presence in Atlas and the Vytal Tournament by now, Carcharodon and Onyx were both exposed with their Auras depleted and were being broadcast to the whole of Remnant, there was no way that the White Fang would overlook such an opportunity to correct their earlier failure to kill every member of the Shadow Cadre and in doing so send a stark and violent message to any who would oppose them. And yet that was precisely what happened, minutes ticked by and as the next match of the evening began Raffia was forced to accept that the White Fang seemed to have no interest in continuing their hostilities.

"I'll be back in a second….it's my round" Raffia mumbled out in a daze, leaving Iskald behind as he slunk across the bar and ordered the older man a drink before leaving the building; vanishing into the crowds and darkness as he sought somewhere to stay for the night where he could process the most crippling uncertainty of his life.

* * *

Carcharodon was numb as he made his way into the locker rooms with his held high, he refused to bow before these people. Onyx walked a pace or two behind him, a meaty paw clutching at his face which was already mottling with a mass of ugly purple and yellowish bruises courtesy of Helios's shield. As the pair made their way into the clean, yet odd smelling room lined with pristine white panels and filled with more lockers than would ever be used at one time, they were met by Hellion who had obviously managed to sneak past the abysmal security; her wings buzzed in panic and her jade eyes were wide as she spoke frantically, a sign of weakness that Carcharodon was sure she had never shown before meeting Eagle Arc

"Are you okay? Why hasn't the White Fang attacked? What do we do now?"

"What we do now" Carcharodon rasped out, silencing her "Is we leave. We have to leave immediately and kill any who try to stop us"

"Car-" Onyx's voice was uncharacteristically nervous as the Puma Faunus picked up on his old friends' desperation

"We were only allowed to live because the Atlesians wanted to use us for a plan that has now failed….They're going to kill us. They have no honour and I will not see the last of our people taken out into a frozen wasteland and shot in the back while bound and blindfolded" the chilling statement seemed almost prophetic as almost the moment the words left Carcharodon's lips the door leading from the locker room into the long corridor that in turn led to the competitor and staff entrance to the stadium was opened revealing the stoic form of General Winter Schnee, flanked on either side by the latest model of Atlesian Knight; the automatons weapons held at the ready. Winter took a single step into the locker room, the robots remaining on the other side of the entrance and Team GORE collectively bristled

"Go" Carcharodon ordered "Run, I'll buy you some time"

"Don't be stupid Car" Onyx spat "You're almost out of Aura, she'll kill you in a single hit"

"They mean to kill us all. NOW GO!" Onyx made it clear he had no intention of following that order as he unslung Jotun Fang, muscles burning and aching with fatigue as he hefted the weapon and braced himself

"If we die then we die together" Hellion made it clear that she shared the sentiment as she drew a pair of knives and readied herself for a fight that she had no false hopes of surviving.

"At ease soldiers" Winter's voice cut through the rapidly rising tensions as she took several steps closer "It seems there is some confusion about what is happening here...explain to me what you think is happening and I will happily enlighten you as to your mistakes"

"We know you're going to have us killed" Carcharodon hissed, blades at the ready "We've outlived our usefulness to you….that's how you Atlesians work"

"While I can see your reasoning and can admit that there are those within my Kingdom who would act as you fear" Winter lamented "I will give you my word that no harm will come to you tonight….my presence here was to respond to the White Fang threat in person, our mission remains the same, only our plans need to change. I came to escort you back to Atlas Academy"

"Do you believe her?" Onyx growled, the possibility that they may live to see another day seeming to loom just out of reach. When Carcharodon failed to respond Winter slowly unsheathed her sword and placed it on the ground between them before stepping away from it

"I'm unarmed"

"I don't believe for a second that you're defenceless" Carcharodon rasped "But I respect the gesture….stand down" he collapsed his own weapons as his team-mates sheathed theirs

"Thank you" Winter gave him a nod, privately she respected the Shark Faunus as a leader whatever else she thought of him "And in the interest of openness in our continuing partnership-"  
"We're not partners, we're lackeys" Onyx observed with a grunt, Winter chose not to entertain the complaint

"I've received word that a Huntsman within the settlement has seen Raffia Dirge. The sighting is as yet unconfirmed….Gore, do you have any idea what he's doing here?"

"None" he admitted "I exiled him on pain of death….but if I had to hazard a guess then I would say that he came here to face the White Fang and forfeit his own life"

"I see" Winter's expression hardened "Nevertheless I can't allow a rogue operative to interfere with military operations, a unit has been despatched to apprehend him" Carcharodon would not have cared if he had been told this in the days following his exiling of the diminutive berserker, or more accurately he would have swallowed his feelings and forced himself not to care; now with Team GORE having made the decision to continue studying and training as Hunters if they lived long enough to leave the frozen Kingdom and realising the necessity of reuniting with Raffia the Shark Faunus had been forced to confront his own feelings and admit that the decision had been made in anger and benefited no-one, least of all himself. He heard Winter's words and did the only reasonable thing

"Then as leader of the Frost River tribe I wish to beg for mercy on my followers behalf"

 **Authors Notes:**

Wow, I almost didn't get this one out on time; work has been kicking my arse with overtime this week. Got a week off over Christmas though so I've got time to get some writing done (Hopefully not just for FADE)

Also, now that we're wrapping up the second round (One notable battle still needs to happen obviously) it's safe to say we're in the endgame for Vol.6 and second year as a whole.

Also this will be my last upload before Christmas so, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, have a good whatever you're celebrating.

Anyway, let's summarise:

Legacy Stadium was pointed out in Vol.5, foreshadowing.

Donner's back….I honestly toyed with the idea of Arctus seeing her in the crowd and finding out she'd resigned but I think that would be a disservice to the character.

Can you imagine the horrors that Celeste would inflict with a tank division, also I had the idea for the Baba-Jaegers then never really did anything with them….I have an idea for a third year villain who will make better use of them _(The character was already planned and has been since the conception of the story)._

The Nikosi breed warriors, they adore Felix after that stunt last chapter.

Diamond and Helios's combo attack in initiation, seems like a lifetime ago to be honest.

Is Syneffo slightly tipsy in this scene….probably, is she a loving and supportive little sister, hell yes.

Felix wisely not mentioning that one time Carcharodon said he'd rather fight Helios's mother, leader to leader.

" _The idiot cat"_ you know deep down she probably thinks he's cute.

He wore the crown to battle, you know he meant business.

The conversation in broken Greek (What I'm using for Anima Tribal language) was:  
Helios: _May your people prosper with your leadership; Great shark._

Carcharodon: _And yours in time, first son._

Nyanza's new outfit was low-key based on a Gucci tracksuit I saw in a designer menswear place recently.

Helios has come so far….the line was based on something from Transformers Animated, if I remember rightly it was _"You have a special skill….you're obnoxious"_

I'm not saying that Winter has been tipping the scales for Team GORE a little, but I'm not saying that she hasn't either.

I hope I captured the cinematic feel of Nyanza and Helios's opening moves because in my head it looked epic.

Damn Nyanza, those were some low blows….and inaccurate ones at that.

Onyx was originally based loosely on Tormund Giantsbane from Game of Thrones but a couple of his lines in this chapter _"You're a talker"_ and _"Like me just smaller and weaker"_ are homages to The Hound.

Have some Nuts & Dolts, just because I've missed writing these two.

Yeah I can imagine Penny never wants to go to another Vytal Tournament again, the irrationality is a part of being human that she wasn't prepared for.

Qrow has a pretty impressive network of people there….also I haven't mentioned it since Vol.1 but the Winter Maiden is in Vaccuo, the Spring Maiden is basically terraforming the ruins of Menagerie piece by piece and the other two are unaccounted for.

And now Qrow is gonna find out about Syneffo.

Magnetic Dust was inspired by Maria's weapons.

Also Nyanza has never really had access to these kinds of options before, now he's got money through his sponsorships he can do these kinds of tricks more often.

Shouting _"You Missed"_ is invoking Murphy's law.

Onyx handing out some Mortal Kombat fatality shit right there.

Let that sink in, Helios….Helios mother-fucking Nikos, was scared of Carcharodon for a second there.

And certainly not with Felix watching indeed.

Okay so you know that scene in Avatar where Katara stops the rain….basically imagine that but with a tar-pit.

Carcharodon's praise for Helios was genuine, he honestly wouldn't mind being killed in combat against someone that talented.

If the ending of the fight seems somewhat anticlimactic it's because it was supposed to, that was the moment where the last of Carcharodon's dreams of revenge were crushed.

So that's what Raffia's been up to.

I bet nobody thought we'd see Iskald again.

And so Celeste shows a level of restraint and planning that Adam Taurus lacked, obviously she used the tournament as a distraction for the attack on "The Toybox" but we'll find out what else she did next chapter.

Let's be honest, with everything he's been through Carcharodon's fears were justified.

Team GORE are ride or die to the end.

Winter proving that she's better than that.

Yes the Hunter who reported Raffia was Iskald, note that he didn't bother trying to detain him though.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, iSassenach, Bankerrtx01, FleetOfWarships, Ferrous, Funlander and Garthraxxus for their reviews on the last chapter; also a massive shout out to Garth for leaving the 500th review on this story on FF Net.

Hand puns….Yang probably approves.

Merc and Em make surprisingly great parents, they be the person they needed to be their for them and have made a home environment where anything can be discussed without judgement.

Not only did the Cult of Taurus fail, they walked into a military ambush….neither Oz or Celeste is gonna be happy with each other after that.

I honestly didn't think of the Z Move lol.

I can relate to life blind-siding you.

Lux vs Delta was a great match up for Lux, Delta's Semblance makes them impossible to target, Lux's Semblance is an area of effect attack, he doesn't need to aim.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	78. A Long Night

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 78: A Long Night**

The Vytal Tournament had concluded for the evening, though the festival would continue long into the night and early hours of the morning; Winter Schnee having accommodated for this by charting several flights from the settlement city of Freiheit back to Atlas Academy over the course of the night for the students. Felix Xiao Long however had no such intentions; he had rushed into the stadium's on site medical facility the moment Team NEON's battle wit Team GORE had ended, the Nikosi contingent close behind him with Syneffo at the fore as she frantically made her way towards where her brother lay. Ether and Olivine had already been present when Felix arrived and along with the medical staff had assured the visitors who simply refused to be denied access; the couple assuring them that both Nyanza and Helios were fine; the bushy-tailed Faunus while heavily bruised and in great pain after his fight against Onyx Ursabane was eventually able to stand albeit requiring an arm around someone's shoulders to keep his balance, fortunately Razzmatazz of Team GRAY arrived and took to the task whilst peppering his cheeks with kisses. Helios had been simply exhausted beyond comprehension, and had been utterly unable to deal with the overwhelming enthusiasm his people were ready to greet him with. Felix had rushed to the redheads' side and aid, offering to get Helios back to the Academy safely as he was clearly in no condition to celebrate with his people just yet; leading to the pairs current situation of making their way through the stadiums' expansive parking lot which was now notably emptier than it was when Team FADE had arrived

"You really were great out there" Felix beamed, tightening the grip he had around his boyfriends' waist "Levitating half the battlefield and then throwing Carcharodon into the floor, that was….cinematic" Helios leaned into the Lion Faunus a little more, cheeks colouring at the praise heaped upon him

"You were incredible, the way you ended the match will be the stuff of legends" he replied with clear pride and adoration. The conversation paused slightly as they reached the Killer-Bee, though Helios was forced to speak out as Felix placed the keys in the ignition of his powerful muscle car.

"There are laws within the Kingdoms about drinking and driving yes?….Felix I can smell Nikosi liquor on your breath"

"Yeah your people kept putting drinks in my hand" Felix admitted with a shrug as he turned the keys and brought the Killer-Bees' engine purring into life "Don't worry, I'm not gonna drive….I just know that you'll keep quiet about being cold so I'm turning the heat on" with that he slipped back out of the drivers' seat and opened the rear door of the car, gently pulling Helios down onto the back seat with him.

"So are we staying here tonight?" Helios murmured as he tiredly wrapped himself around the smaller man

"Until I sober up" Felix answered, leaning up to kiss Helios's lips tenderly before gently poking his golden armour which was still spattered and stained with the tar from the battlefield, several dents and scratches marring its' gleaming surface

"That can't be comfortable" Felix's smile turned mischievous as he grew daring "Let me help you out of it" Helios cocked his head in confusion, too exhausted from his battle too fully process the suggestion until Felix was kissing along his jawline whilst fumbling with the clasps of the armour adorning his chest, as the Faunus's sharp teeth grazed eagerly along his neck the warrior took charge and hastily unfastened his armour, hoisting both it and the form fitting tank-top beneath it over his head and, with some difficulty depositing them in the passenger seat where they would be out of the way

"Now, where were we?" feeling Helios cup his chin and pull him up into a lingering kiss elicited a sound from Felix that somewhere between a groan and a whine as he ran his hands along the sculpted muscles of Helios's now bare chest and abdomen

"Yeah I think this is where we left on" Felix eventually panted out breathlessly as they parted, a soft gasp escaping him as Helios nipped at his neck; the Faunus responded by slithering off of the back seat and trailing kisses down Helios's scarred and tattooed skin, hands resting on his thighs

"Oum I love you" he whispered between kisses, Helios's body stiffened at those words; the red-head had heard Felix say them before and had been too caught off-guard too give them they response they deserved; something that despite his exhaustion and the distraction of the Faunus's lips and hands he would not allow to happen again

"I love you too Felix" he panted out, head rolling back and fingers curling in the mane of dirty blonde curls on the Lion Faunus's head as he unfastened Helios's pants. Hearing the words made Felix pause for a moment before redoubling his efforts with gusto while at the same time taking Helios's hand out of his hair and lacing his fingers' through the redheads while his free hand tugged and the waistband of Helios's boxers

"Are you sure?" Helios asked with some uncertainty, the idea of them being caught or Felix not being comfortable were at the forefront of his mind until he suddenly felt the lion Faunus's tongue teasing him before Felix slowly took as much of him in his mouth as he could manage; deep navy blue eyes looking up at him lovingly; at that point Helios's eyes rolled back and he found himself unable to think about much of anything. The only sounds filling the car were grunts and gasps of pleasure, the creaking of the back seat as Helios's hips bucked and the vibration of Felix's scroll which went unanswered; the Lion Faunus utterly unaware of the fact Corvid was calling him, his focus entirely devoted to bringing Helios closer to the edge of release until the redheads' entire body finally seemed to tighten and Felix bobbed his head with greater enthusiasm and took Helios's entire length in his mouth as he climaxed; desperate to make this a memorable night for reasons other than just their hard fought victories.

* * *

Atlesian Specialist Donner stood beside Chiffon, her fellow Specialist and superior by virtue of his seniority and rank of first mate aboard the Gespenst. The two of them stood in the briefing room of the vessel; before them sat Gangrel Slate the Bear Faunus steepled his hands and peered at them with Amber eyes silently exuding an aura of cold, barely restrained fury

"Sir?" Donner dared to attract her commanders' attention, straightening her back and standing at attention as she did so

"They fucking played us! They played us and we fell for it" Gangrel barked out furiously, the trembling rage in his voice enough to make the two veteran Specialists he addressed flinch. There was no need to specify whom was being discussed

"They saw Team GORE and knew that we'd be waiting for them here" Gangrel took a deep breath, Atlesian steel claws of his cybernetic limb sinking through the surface of his table "They let us wait and while we were focused on the tournament they hit everywhere else; Kafsi reported that the Cult of Taurus attacked our decoy Poly-Tech shipment….my niece was there"

"She okay Captain?" Chiffon asked, bracing himself for the worst possible news; he was aware of Corvid Xiao Long due to Gangrel's amusement at the fact his niece had declined the offer of a place within the Specialists given by General Winter Schnee; talented as the young woman was the fact remained that the New White Fang's elite killers were horrific in the extreme

"Aye she's alive….a couple dozen soldiers and police officers died there though" Gangrel informed them, clearly finding it emotionally taxing "The White Fang also launched an estimated three dozen or so attacks across the Kingdom with a combined total of of over one hundred of fifty casualties. While we've been sat here watching the Vytal Tournament wondering if they were gonna put in an appearance they've bombed four museums, raided and burned down factories and warehouses, attacked Dust shipments and assassinated high ranking police officers, several potential informants and several Faunus who were vocal about not supporting them AND JUST TO FINISH THEIR NIGHT ON A FUCKING HIGH NOTE THEY DID A DRIVE BY SHOOTING ON MY DAD'S GAS STATION!" Gangrel had risen to his feet during his furious tirade and upon delivering the final revelation his fist collided with the table which promptly collapsed

"Fuck" Donner breathed out, fully aware of Bjorn Slate's return to leadership of the Atlas branch of the Coalition and how great a victory it would be for the White Fang to have murdered two successive people to hold the position in such a short period of time, to say nothing for the effect it would have on Gangrel

"Is your old man safe?" Chiffon asked quietly, he'd met Bjorn at Gangrel and Weiss's wedding and remembered him as a decent man

"Yeah, yeah he's fine" Gangrel sighed, managing to regain some of his composure "He was out at the time and has a security detail with him at all times. The kid on guard duty is in the hospital though….they'll live but they're a mess. This needs to stop" there was a pregnant pause before Chiffon, deeply concerned by seeing Gangrel so clearly unsettled, croaked out

"Orders sir?" Gangrel gave a low rumbling growl as he considered the question before answering.

"Donner, begin co-ordinating intelligence gathering teams around each of the White Fangs' targets, search parties, security cameras, police interrogations; I need all of it-"

"Aye sir" Donner saluted before turning on her heel and leaving

"Chiffon you have the bridge. I trust your judgement regarding any Specialist vessels seeking new orders. See that the assets we borrowed from Matte are returned and when Kafsi arrives tell her to wait for debriefing; I have to report to the General"

"Aye sir" Chiffon half-turned before pausing "We'll bury these bastards Gang, just a matter of time" Gangrel nodded silently before watching his fellow Specialist leave; taking several moments to attempt to further compose himself before kicking the remains of the table out of view and opening a video call

"Winter" he nodded as his superior came into view, the utter disregard of rank and protocol between them an accepted part of their professional relationship.

"I assume you've seen the same reports I have?" Winter wasted no time with preamble "Suffice to say that I am understandably concerned by tonight's events"

"The Specialists are already mobilising" Gangrel assured her "I understand that Kafsi will be bringing prisoners from the mission you assigned her to; I'll have them processed and begin questioning within the next twenty four hours….Am I cleared for information regarding the Eldritch situation?"

"We will be moving to apprehend him. I will alert you if any of your assets are required" Winter answered simply though Gangrel knew that he would be privy to a full report on the matter as soon as the General had written and filed it.

"I'm a little concerned that Corvid was anywhere near that and I wasn't informed-"

"Slate do not make me remind you of rank!" Winter snapped forcefully before swiftly stifling the emotions behind the outburst "It was an unintentional convergence of two unrelated operations; you know damn well I wouldn't have had her anywhere near that, promising as she is…..What's happening Gangrel, these terrorist scum are making us look like amateurs and fools?" the greying Faunus let out a slow breath, broad and muscular shoulders sagging as he gave an answer

"I've been fighting Adam" the admission gave Winter a pause and she raised her eyebrow silently bidding that Gangrel explain "I think on some level we all have. We don't know who this High Commander is, they don't use her name and we've never seen her face. All we know is she's a Ram Faunus who sees Adam's way of thinking almost as a religious doctrine as well as a political stance, she's styled herself as the second coming….I think we've all defaulted to assuming that she'll act like Adam in the absence of any more reliable information"

"I see" Winter said slowly

"This using our own plans against us and misdirection is something I don't recognise from the White Fang play book" Gangrel admitted "When I was a member of Adam's Fang we would have sprung the trap on purpose and used the fact that we escaped as part of our next recruitment drive"

"Suffice to say that this new High Commander is a more intelligent leader" Winter noted dryly, Gangrel merely shrugged and made no intentions to justify his actions as an angry and impoverished teenager.

"Continue normal operations" Winter instructed "Keep me informed of any developments but if the White Fang members Kafsi captured provide any actionable information then you have free reign to use any means you see fit up to and including the destruction of an entire settlement" the frankness with which Winter told him that the Kingdom of Atlas would happily allow him to kill thousands of its' own citizens as long as he provided results sent a chill up Gangrel's spine; the Bear Faunus knew however that the fact he had such a reaction was a large part of the reason Winter had promoted him to his position, he would never repeat the mistakes of the past and abuse the hellish powers that the Kingdom of Atlas allowed him to wield.

"Understood….It won't come to that" Gangrel assured her, and more importantly himself. Sensing that this conversation was coming to a close he added "There is also the other matter, tangentially connected to the White Fang"

"I'd argue that it's a little more than tangential" Winter countered as her eyes narrowed "I will break no laws or protocol for this Gangrel, but I can express my support and insist that processes be expedited"

"Thank-"

"However I will only do so if and when I am asked to by my sister. This is a matter that she needs to be aware of-"

"Obviously" Gangrel snorted, making no effort to hide his annoyance as he questioned exactly what kind of man Winter thought he was "I have no intention of going ahead with this if there are any doubts from the family, Weiss or the kids"

* * *

The world seemed to fade away into nothing but background noise as Qrow stared at the image attached to the message he had received from Ruby; mouth slightly agape as he tried to understand how he could possibly have been unaware of the information he was seeing and what it meant the future of his efforts to protect Remnant.

"Qrow? Qrow are you still there old chap?" the somewhat inebriated ramblings of his old friend intruded upon the veteran Hunters' thoughts and Qrow dragged his eyes away from the Scroll to face Bartholomew Oobleck

"What?"

"I was asking, outside of your niece and nephew who would you wager on reaching the final singles round of the tournament. This fine fellow here argues that the Nikos boy while talented has been too linear in his approach thus far" Oobleck drunkenly waved in the general direction of the bartender with whom he had been conversing. Hearing the name of the red-headed student whom Felix was apparently dating seemed to focus Qrow's mind and he lurched away from the bar and unfolded his weapon to use as a cane, inadvertently causing more of a stir than he'd meant to when the blade of Harbinger parted the crowds in front of him

"Sorry Barty I'll catch up later; got something I need to take care of quickly" he growled out, words only slightly slurred by the whiskey he'd been drinking since the conclusion of the tournament matches for the evening.

"Oh, well….goodnight" Qrow barely heard his old friend as he lumbered out of the bar that he had found himself in, the cold and fresh night air hit him like a solid object and he took several grateful gulps and blinking until he found focus and clarity before setting off in search of the Nikos clan. He had some inkling of where to find them based on his many missions on the continent of Anima over the years he was familiar with, if not the tribe personally, then at least their reputation as being one of the few tribes who would actively deal with the Mistrali government and be able to set up temporary encampments close to settlements without incident, with that in mind he made his way through streets which grew emptier as he distanced himself from the bulk of the Vytal Festival until he reached a moment where the fading noise of the ongoing revelry behind him was lost beneath the noise ahead, just beyond the perimeter wall of Freiheit.

"But did they lock you out?" Qrow murmured to himself, searching for the nearest gate before committing to using his avian form to clear the cities' defences. Seeing that there was indeed a nearby gate, currently guarded by a small unit of perhaps a dozen older model Atlesian Knights and a pair of automated sentry guns to deter any creatures of Grimm that may draw close; Qrow paid them no mind and simply stalked passed them and towards the Nikosi tents which were exposed, owing to the lack of natural resources in tundra with which to craft the defences the Nikosi utilised. The tents were centred around a roaring campfire which lit the forms of several figures around it, their movements and body language alerted Qrow to the fact that he had been seen and as a group of Nikosi rose to their feet and strode purposefully towards him, the grizzled Huntsman quickly collapsed the scythe he had been using to support his weight and hold his hands out in a widely understood non-threatening gesture

"I wish to speak with leader of the Nikosi" Qrow spoke slowly and clearly as the small group reached him, at their head a tall and imposing woman wearing the pelt of a truly gargantuan bear as a cloak and clad in highly ornate and stylised armour. Half a dozen men and women silently moved into position almost surrounding Qrow but none stepping directly behind him, a clear indication that he was free to turn and leave at any time. As a second wave of Nikosi drew close Qrow caught a glimpse of the girl with silver eyes carrying an axe in each hand, he was forced to turn his attention to the woman clad in artificially blackened furs as she lowered her hood to reveal vibrant green eyes, braids of scarlet hair and a golden crown

"Then your wish is granted outsider, speak" it quickly dawned on Qrow that he had simply acted on instinct and had no real idea of how he intended to convince the Nikosi that one of their number would be vital in the ongoing war against the Grimm; as such he gave an honest reply

"I'm interested in the Nikosi girl with the silver eyes-" the response was instant, before Qrow could make any attempt to explain he found spears levelled against his gut and throat, their owners ready to skewer him for so much as breathing out of turn whilst the other warriors of the tribe readied swords, axes, war-hammers and flails whilst Kataigida Nikos simply stared at him with cold fury etched into every line of her face

"Speak more carefully" she warned, evidently barely restraining herself "Lest I have the tongue removed from you're mouth as a final lesson before you die"

"What I meant to say" Qrow corrected, maintaining the open handed gesture and remaining as still as possible "Is that I see her great potential as a warrior and I believe I could be of some assistance training her; forgive me I meant no disrespect"

"You disrespect us even now" one of the Nikosi warriors grunted "What do you have to teach her, old fool?"

"Calm yourself Pagos" Kataigida ordered, eyes never leaving Qrow "Outsider I will give you one further chance to explain your seeking us out, then I will decide whether or not you pose a threat to my daughter and my people" Qrow could sense that whatever control he may have had in this conversation was long since gone and his life was entirely at the mercy of the leader of the Nikosi; as such he quickly spoke again and desperately hoped that the path of honesty that he had committed to was the right one

"My name is Qrow Branwen; I am a former Huntsman and I fought alongside Pyrrha Nikos at the fall of Beacon….that I was unable to sacrifice myself in her place is one of my greatest regrets" the mutterings between the tribe was unmissable and it was clear from the curious looks he was being given that their opinions of him had changed, Qrow pressed on "I trust that your people have heard of the Huntress Ruby Rose, the Red Reaper, the Silver Eyed Warrior, the hero of Remnant….she has many titles, she's also my niece. I wish to train your daughter because I believe that she has vast potential that, with all due respect you haven't fully realised" Kataigida's expression darkened

"Syneffo leave"

"Mother I-"

"Leave" the older Nikosi repeated forcefully "Nkri, Louloudi see my daughter back to her tent. Fotia, Aima kill this man if he moves. Pagos lead a search of the area in case he brought others"

"I did not" Qrow assured her quietly. Syneffo stepped close and spoke into his ear, her voice a low and menacing whisper

"My people remember the old ways and the old stories, I am aware of the powers you believe my daughter to have. I will tell you now that she has shown no signs of them and you may believe me or not; but believe this Qrow Branwen I will not see my children dragged into the same conspiracies that claimed my cousins life and if you attempt to lure them away from their place and their people I will inflict such horrors upon you that you will wish it were still the warlord Tyrian who held sway over the Anima tribes"

"Your word is final" Qrow bowed his head respectfully "I don't want to coerce anyone to fight or break up any families. If your daughter ever does harness her powers and you want her to be trained in how to use them then I can ask Ruby to-"

"WHO GOES THERE?" the furious voice of a Nikosi sentry demanded

"Um hi, I was just looked for someone, Qrow Branwen….Oh hey Dad, I saw Mister Oobleck at the festival and he said you just wandered off this way so I came looking because he was kinda worried about you and-Oh hey you guys are Helios's family, hi, he did great tonight-"  
"You know this child?" Kataigida demanded, Qrow's crimson eyes widened in panic as he realised that Eagle could very easily be seen as an accomplice of his

"My daughter" he answered frantically "A student and a friend of your sons', she's Felix Xiao Long's partner" Kataigida raised a hand and the sound of weapons being lowered filled the air

"Take your daughter and leave Qrow Branwen" the grizzled old Hunter did so, grateful that he hadn't found himself skewered. Looping an arm through Eagle's he gently led her back through the gates of Freiheit

"Come on, let's put some distance between us and them"

"Oh my gosh what was that about?" Eagle demanded, freckled features marred by deep concern

"A business proposal they took offence to" Qrow grunted, not wanting to involve his daughter any further than she already was "The past keeps coming back to bite us all" Eagle frowned for a moment before deciding that she would not have a night at a festival with her Dad ruined by one interaction and promptly began an offensive of infectious cheer and enthusiasm that she would maintain for as long as it took.

* * *

When Gangrel Slate finally returned to Schnee Manor, abusing his authority somewhat by allowing himself to do so at all, it was already the early hours of the morning though in the icy Kingdom of Atlas the sun would still not rise for at least another six hours regardless of the time of year and the temperature still hovered around freezing each night. He had shed his weapons and the stark white coat whose decorations informed all who saw him of his rank and many military accomplishments and distinctions, leaving them in the hallway whilst tiredly noting that the collapsible hand-cannon 'Breaker' which he had inherited from his late partner Perdu 'Squish' Callow was in need of a servicing. Making his way through the manor with the silent footfalls of a trained killer a small smile crossed his face at the sight of Scruff, the ageing mastiff that the family had adopted when Arctus had found it wandering without a collar and refused to part with the stray; currently the dogs' hind legs kicked as it slept though Gangrel soon found his attention distracted by the thin beam of light visible around a door frame in the distance

"Oum damn it AJ, not tonight" he grumbled under his breath before prowling towards the kitchen, fully expecting to catch his daughter who seemed to have no understanding of the concept of bedtime in the process of making herself a late night snack or glass of chocolate milk; opening the door he was pleasantly surprised to find that this what not the case

"If you were hoping to catch Athena-Jade she would have just hidden under the table; I heard you coming and so would she" Weiss noted as she greeted him

"How?" Gangrel asked, somewhat concerned that he may be losing his touch; those concerns faded away when took in the sight of his wife, still clad in the business suit she wore to work with the jacket draped across the back of the chair she was sitting in as she chewed on a sandwich she had made

"Long night for you as well?" he enquired as he leaned against the counter beside her and rubbed at his own bleary eyes

"I've pulled so many all nighters lately that time has lost all meaning to me" Weiss replied dryly before putting her midnight snack down for a moment to let her ivory out of its' signature offset ponytail and cascade down her back as she worked a crick out of her neck. Gangrel quietly moved behind her and began to massage her shoulders

"What's wrong?" Weiss murmured as she leaned back into him, feeling the hulking Faunus's tension radiating off of him "I can tell something's bothering you"

"White Fang hit everything they could get their hands on tonight….Corvid's team had a run in with them-"

"Oh my Oum!" Weiss's entire body became rigid as terror at the idea of the terrorists getting their hands on her niece washed over her

"She's okay" Gangrel assured her "One of my best was on site. I spoke to Blake on the way home, she knows, she's beyond pissed but she knows….they tried a hit on my Dad thank Oum he was out-"

"Tell him to pack what he needs and come here" Weiss answered sternly "Get him out of Lower Atlas and have him stay with us for a while where it's safe" Weiss had grown to love her father in law dearly, the man was supportive, caring and generally everything that Jacques Schnee had either failed or never attempted to be.

"Will do babe, though whether he takes the offer or not is anyone's guess" Gangrel gave a resigned sigh, the offer for Bjorn Slate to return to Schnee Manor had been open since the day he had left but the older Faunus was set in his ways and was frankly uncomfortable around so much luxury.

"There's something else" he admitted "It can wait until tomorrow if you want but we do need to talk about it"

"Go ahead" Weiss offered, unsure as to what could be troubling Gangrel beyond the White Fang putting his loved ones' in danger once again. The kitchen was filled with a tense silence for a moment as Gangrel found the resolve to ask the question he felt that he needed to

"Weiss, have you ever thought about us having another kid?" Weiss's first response to almost fall comically from her chair as she coughed and sputtered, choking on thin air as she heard her husbands' words. Her second response, after taking a second to compose herself was to turn and treat Gangrel to a sly and impossibly seductive smile as she wrapped her arms around his waist

"Y'know….if you wanted us to go to bed, you could have just asked" the Faunus gently brushed her hair, a low rumbling growl escaping him as he gave serious consideration to her incredibly appealing offer

"Tempting" he admitted, gently cupping her chin and pulling her up into a slow and gentle kiss "But I meant adoption….Coral Scylla, the kid the White Fang used as bait in their attack on Poly-Tech. I've had reports back from one of my operatives tonight and while I'm not sure I'm convinced that she's probably an orphan or as good as and I don't want her to end up in an orphanage, I don't want to just use this kid for any information that she might have and then dump her in the system when she's no more use"

"So you want to bring her here?" Weiss asked, eyes hardening "Here, where our children live"

"Weiss she's six" Gangrel countered "She's a six year old girl who grew up with the kind of parents who would give their only child to the White Fang to use as a front line soldier….she deserves better, any kid deserves better than that"

"What if they did something to her?" Weiss asked, clearly cautious and hesitant towards the idea "You know that there's no depths that these people won't sink to….what if she has, I don't know a bomb or something planted in her" she tuned away, suddenly afraid that she sounded foolish or worse still, that prejudices that she thought she'd long since moved passed were rising to the surface. Gangrel's next words served as both reassurance that this was not the case but also a horrifying reminder of exactly how cruel the new White Fang were willing to be

"She isn't. We checked" seeing the appalled look on Weiss's face he continued, evidently disturbed by the necessity of such actions himself "When my ships doctor gave her a medical exam he x-rayed her and checked for a tracker. No trackers', no bombs and from what the psychologist she's been seeing can tell there are no signs of psycho-conditioning. Personally I think it's more due to the Fang having time constraints or limited resources than the idea not occurring to them, they definitely thought of it….she's not a sleeper agent, just a little girl that ran away when she saw the grown-ups start murdering everyone they could get their hands on" Weiss chewed at her lip as maternal instincts and concern for this child she'd never met battled with the unshakeable desire to see her own family protected. After several moments in deep thought and silence she stared at her husband intently

"Gangrel answer me one question" she didn't have to ask for his honesty, she knew she would receive it without question, seeing him nod she asked "Do you think this girl, Coral….could she pose a threat to our children?" Gangrel remained silent and Weiss could almost see his thought process played out on his face as hypothetical scenarios chased each other around in his mind before he finally spoke

"No"

"Okay" Weiss sighed "I'm not going to make a decision here and now, I can't because it's not just our choice to make. You're asking us to give Arctus and Athena-Jade another sibling, I want them to know about this and be okay with it-"

"Of course" Gangrel nodded

"Good….I also want to meet her in person" Gangrel nodded again, returning to thought once more before answering

"I'm pretty sure I can work something out that'll work for everyone"

* * *

It had been the early hours of the morning when Felix and Helios had returned to Atlas Academy; first waiting for the Lion Faunus to be deemed sober enough to make the journey had delayed them and then the simple fact that the Killer-Bee, while a truly spectacular example of what a muscle car and a Huntsman's personal vehicle ought to be, was utterly unable to compete with the airships that the majority of the students had returned to campus aboard in terms of sheer speed. Thus they had arrived back to the campus several hours after their team-mates and though they had enjoyed a trip that had alternated between peaceful and contented silences, conversations about anything and everything and singing along to songs on the radio they had been suitably punished for their tardiness upon making to return to Team FADE's dorm and being forced to retreat alternating between muffled giggling and silent mortification at the unmistakable sound of a bed creaking and Arctus's grunts, almost drowned out by Diamond's extremely vocal ecstasy. The pair had naturally made their way to Team NEON's dormitory only to find it similarly unavailable to them, though not so obviously; it seemed as though Razzmatazz of Team GRAY whom had been helping Nyanza stand after Team NEON's bout in the doubles round had elected to stay the night and if the faint noises that could be heard from the other side of the dormitory door were any indication the bushy-tailed feline was intent on making the Huntress with vibrant pink hair know exactly how appreciated she was.

Following this had been a protracted effort where the two of them searched for somewhere to sleep, an endeavour that Felix noted he would probably find far more funny the next morning when he had slept, eaten and his entire body didn't ache so much. Eventually they found themselves in a secluded area of the library, reasoning that they were unlikely to be disturbed too early in the morning on the Saturday following tournament matches, skills that Felix had learned from Corvid allowing them to gain access; it was at that point that the Lion Faunus had finally checked his Scroll and learned of Team CLIR's skirmish with the Cult of Taurus and despite contacting his sister and being assured that everyone was, if not strictly 'okay', then suffering from only minimal injuries with the exception of Iris's ruined cybernetic arm Felix had been panicked and utterly unable to rest until Helios had pulled him close and gently stroked his hair until they both drifted off to sleep, Felix's head on Helios's lap. They were still in a rough facsimile on this position when they were both awoken by the sound of Helios's Scroll

"Arctus I swear to Oum if that's your sister I'm hiding everything she owns" Felix grumbled, utterly confused and disoriented by being dragged unceremoniously from his sleep. Helios was far more coherent, his people slept in shifts and the habit of staying awake when nobody else was willing to was hard to break; the need to be ready at a moments' notice had been ingrained into him since childhood.

"I an assure you that it isn't" he gave an amused chuckle as Felix pulled himself into an upright position and rubbed sleep from his eyes whilst Helios grabbed his Scroll and answered the incoming video call; vibrant green eyes widening in surprise at the sight of Syneffo staring back at him

"When did you get a Scroll?" he asked

"Five minutes ago, that's not what's important right now" Helios took a moment to truly take in his sisters' appearance; the way she constantly looked over her shoulder, the focus in her silver eyes, the uncharacteristic fidgeting disguised as shifting her weight in-case of attack and he was suddenly deeply concerned, there was no sign of a struggle which precluded his initial concerns that the Nikosi had been attacked and prompted him to ask simply

"Syneffo what's going on….what have you done?"

"I'm going against mothers' orders right now because I feel that I have to" she held her head high in defiance, the gesture undercut somewhat by Felix's snort and sleepy mumbling

"Yay for teenage rebellion….can ya do it later though?"

"Where….where are you two?" Syneffo asked, suddenly seeming to notice that her brother and his boyfriend had been sleeping somewhere clearly not intending for sleeping

"That's not what's important right now" Helios turned her own words against her before reporting "What have you done….where are you?"

"Outside of the settlements' walls, I sipped passed our sentries and acquired a Scroll-"

"How?"

"Doesn't matter right now" Syneffo waved Helios's concerns aside "Mother has been hiding us….from me-"

"What on Remnant are you talking about Syneffo" Helios growled"

"A Huntsman came to us after the tournament, a man by the name of Qrow" she continued over the sound of Felix's furious muttered cursing "He believes that my silver eyes make me special, some sort of natural weapon against the Grimm….Mother knew and did nothing but this Hunter wants to help me unlock and harness this power-"

"And am I right in assuming" Helios sighed, sensing the direction this conversation was heading "That our mother has forbidden this and you want me to interfere"

"I want you to do your duty to your people!" Syneffo snapped

"Excuse-" Helios's tone was low and dangerous, the redhead suddenly furious at the implication though his sister simply cut across him

"It is your duty to keep the Nikosi strong, if what Qrow Branwen says is true then you owe to your people to help me unlock these powers….One of us has to protect the tribe while you study behind a Kingdoms' walls-"  
"Never" Helios hissed, tone forceful enough for Felix to almost recoil away from him in surprise "Take that tone with me again, child….go back to the camp"

"Not until you promise to help me"

"Syneffo-"  
"No Helios, if you can be sent to New Vale to train then so can I….either help me or I will do this alone; serving our people does not mean blindly following our mother!"

"I'll speak with her" Helios sighed "I promise nothing else, now go back to camp"

"Fine….and thank you" with that Syneffo ended the call and silence reigned between Felix and Helios before the blonde nuzzled into his boyfriend and noted with a smile

"She's an amateur, I could've convinced Corey to help me break the rules in half the time it took her" Helios's expression softened as he leaned his head against the wall and let out a slow breath

"Fluffy, I giving serious consideration to murdering your great-uncle" Felix let out a bitter chuckle

"Not if I do it first"

* * *

"Know this human, if you were behind this I will personally flay you alive before an audience!"

"I would prefer that not be the case, I just bought a fresh bottle of moisturiser" Ozymandias Eldritch replied, making absolutely no effort to hide his disdain and amusement at the apoplectic rage that had left Celeste Lupus, High Commander of the White Fang near incoherent and wildly unreasonable. Through the transmission Ozymandias heard the sound of Wilt being drawn and turned to face the screen, at least allowing the Faunus the pretence of having his full attention for a moment; Celeste stood in the armour she had taken from a dead Specialist and carrying the sword of a dead terrorist whilst standing before him, an act she was only capable of performing due to his aid and yet she still glared furiously at him from behind her mask, posturing as though she had power.

"Dozens of my people were killed or captured on your misinformation human" she spat venomously "You WILL explain yourself"

"It appears as though Atlas placed more suspicion on me than even I realised….most likely the whole thing was a trap aimed to apprehend us both" the treasonous scientist explained in his usual jovial tone as he adjusted his glasses "That being the case I must draw this conversation to a close, our continued partnership would be very much hindered by my incarceration or death"

"Our communication channels?" Celeste demanded

"Will be dark for some time, understandably" Ozymandias answered calmly "Our standing arrangements regarding resources will continue as well as possible and I shall re-establish contact as soon as I am able"

"If you have betrayed me-"  
"You will do what precisely?" Ozymandias huffed with clear exasperation "Thanks to your peoples' inability to avoid capture my position within Poly-Tech, life, freedom and everything else you could possibly have used to blackmail me have already been jeopardized and thus far I have precious little to show in return for the aid I have given your organisation….do attempt to do better next time"

"HOW DARE-" Celeste's tirade went unheard as Ozymandias simply ended the call, discreetly activating the powers of the Wizard; though in the lifeless and dingy surroundings of his apartment dwelling it would be all but impossible to tell his perception of time was altered and each second stretched out for what felt like an hour; the sole purpose of which was to give him more time to adjust his schemes. Ozymandias cast his eyes around the apartment and saw nothing of strategic value that could not be replaced, sentimental value was utterly beyond the man and had been since the voice that accompanied the powers he wielded began whispering in his mind. The apartment would have to be destroyed before the authorities arrived; though a small smile, far for sinister than his usual grandfatherly expressions formed on his face and was given a truly haunting appearance as the light from his eyes cast unnatural shadows. The sacrifice had proven worth it in the long run after all as tonight, in the moments before Celeste had contacted him he had learned that the mission he had sent her followers on would be fruitless; the almost mythical 'Toy-Box' facility in which Poly-Tech stored countless secrets and experiments was not located in the settlement of Geheimnis, but Ozymandias now knew for certain where to find it.

It had been under his nose for years and the fact gave him a reason to laugh as he began to flit around the apartment, appearing in multiple places at once as he wiped hard-drives, destroyed physical copies and pouring highly flammable accelerant on everything in sight.

 **Authors Notes:**

So last chapter of the year (Although I may write something unrelated to FADE since I've got a week off of work)  
Here's wishing all my readers a merry whatever you celebrate and a happy new year; I hope 2019 goes well for all of you.  
We're rapidly approaching the endgame of Vol.6 and Year 02 now and that will become even more apparent in the next couple of chapters.

Anyway let's summarise shall we:  
Helios was fine, scuffed up, bruised and exhausted to the point of blackout but fine….Nyanza could barely stand after the kicking Onyx handed out but meh, ya win some ya lose some.  
Okay so I've never written an MLM NSFW scene before and full disclosure I am straight but I thought if the straight couples get 'em and Eagle and Hellion get to be all over each other then I'd be out of order if I didn't give Battle-Cat their due; I hope I did it justice.  
Gang is beyond pissed right now.  
Celeste is smarter than Atlas anticipated, she said a couple of chapters ago that she wouldn't walk into the obvious trap.  
It should say something that both Winter and Gang are their wits end with things right now; realistically the prisoners Kafsi managed to capture are the only real victory they've had against them so far and even that was paid for in blood.  
Seriously both canon Adam and Adam the way I portrayed him in Downward Spiral would have sprung the trap on purpose and we all know it.  
Winter just told Gangrel he can blow up a city if he needs to as long as its' not one of the Hive Cities and the Council will be fine with it….Let that sink in.  
Gangrel and Winter were both at the destruction of Eisenstadt Siebte, they won't go down that road.  
Oobleck most definitely still gambles on the matches….He's probably texting Port every five minutes and having a running scoreboard.  
Qrow using his scythe as a walking stick is great until he's in a crowded room.  
That moment when you're drunk and the cold air hits you….iconic.  
Could have made a better first impression there Qrow "I'm interested in your underage daughter" is a good way to get yourself skewered.  
Qrow meant what he said about regretting that he couldn't have died in Pyrrha's place.  
Kataigida isn't gonna become a villain, she's just trying to protect her daughter from a shadow war that's already gotten members of her family killed..  
Also if you read Downward Spiral you'll get just how deep of a threat _"I'll make you wish Tyrian was still in charge"_ is.  
The only reason nobody died is because Eagle is a friend of Helios's and….well she's genuinely just too adorable to want to start a fight with.  
Coming home from work to a dog must be great.  
Weiss was probably just fucking with Gangrel there lol.  
Blake knows about the White Fang taking a shot at Corvid….Blake who is one of the best at sneaking in and out of places.  
Weiss's reaction was classic.  
The horrifying thing is that Weiss's concerns about the White Fang planting a bomb or tracker in Coral aren't unfounded.  
So Coral and Athena-Jade are gonna meet, this'll be fun.  
And that's what Felix and Helios get for turning up in the early hours of the morning….Diamond deserved good dick and she got it lol.  
Corvid definitely taught Felix to pick locks.  
If you don't Felix flipped his shit upon hearing about Team CLIR getting into a fight with the White Fang then you're wrong.  
Yay for teenage rebellion.  
Felix using every swear word he knows when he hears Qrow's name made me chuckle.  
Syneffo just wants to do right by her people and make herself the best version of herself she can be.  
Felix could definitely have got Corvid to help him.  
Oz isn't even pretending to give a single fuck about Celeste's threats any more.  
He has a point, now that he knows Atlas are coming for him Celeste has nothing to hold over him except for physical violence which considering what he is….well it would be interesting to watch at least.  
Yes he burned down the entire apartment complex just to destroy his own place.  
I'm sure you can guess where the actual Toy-Box is….and if not, well we'll be going there next chapter anyway.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, iSassenach, Ferrous and Garthraxxus for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Yeah Syneffo was stated to have silver eyes since her first introduction.  
I mean Felix may or may not know exactly what Ruby can do; also people have weird eye colours in Remnant, hell Corey's are gunmetal grey; unless you know what to look for you'll miss it.  
Yeah the last time they brought Raffia in they had to burn his arms off at the elbow with a weapon that he now has and even then it cost a Specialist an arm.  
Onyx will be laughing about that in the morning.  
Yeah Car is an emotional mess at this point.  
Chiffon will be around in the finale battle but I have plans for who gets who in terms of the Cult….rest assured though, we'll be getting some more Chiffon & Donner next chapter.  
Tense conversation confirmed lol.  
I'd like to think the last of Nyanza's luck helped Helios land that shot.  
Eh you'd be surprised how tough Helios is, the match was on a Friday….give him a weekend off and he'll be good.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	79. Ominous Revelations

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 79: Ominous Revelations**

Antonia Arc sat alone in her penthouse suite apartment set atop the company she'd built into something beyond even Geppetto Polendina's imagination; her home suddenly feeling far too large and too empty for her as she sat on her sofa staring a picture of her family taken during much happier times, its' frame nestled between a pair of wine bottles whose contents had been consumed the night before; a feat she was currently suffering for which only added to her woes.

"Oz you bastard" she hissed as she screwed her eyes shut, refusing to shed tears over the man she'd thought may have been something special and had at the very least been considered among her closest friends, what scant few she could be said to have.

It was currently late Saturday morning, the day following the beginning of the Vytal Tournaments' doubles round which had coincided with the decoy Poly-Tech shipment to what anyone looking at the relevant documents would be led to believe was the almost mythical 'Toybox' site. A report from Winter Schnee had informed Antonia that the White Fang had indeed taken the bait, all but confirming the involvement of Professor Ozymandias Eldritch; the weaponry many of the Faunus insurgents wielding being manufactured by Poly-Tech subsidiary companies. The true horror and depravity of the man that she had allowed into her company, her life and her bed was revealed when Winter had sent a Hunter team to the mans' home to apprehend him; only to find that the emergency services were already on the scene and the entire tower block that the Professor resided in was aflame, the colour and ferocity of the fire making it undeniably clear that this was a deliberate effort to destroy the building. It would foolish to assume that the arsonist was anyone other than Ozymandias attempting to destroy evidence and cover his tracks; the callous action had resulted in more than one fatality and so murder would be added to the ever expanding least of crimes he was to be punished for. After concluding her briefing with General Schnee Antonia has been left in something of a stunned trance, desperately finding things to occupy herself in a bid to stop herself from thinking about the situation. After personally changing the authorisation codes for every single Poly-Tech site across Remnant to ensure that Ozymandias wouldn't be able to supply the White Fang with any more weapons she wrote to Penny, alerting the android who considered her something of a surrogate sister that it would best if she had her systems checked over as soon as possible considering that Ozymandias was the last person to perform any in depth repairs or maintenance on her, then she sent out memos to every security firm Poly-Tech had dealings with warning them of the danger that her former employee posed and found the name of the truck driver who had been unwittingly used as bait; promptly transferring a sum of Lien that could best be described as mind-boggling into his bank account for his troubles. Following that however Antonia had simply drunk to dull the emotions she couldn't begin to process and had continued to do so until long after the sun rose.

"My Oum I've become Qrow" the laughed to herself bitterly as the realisation hit her, the room spinning as she repositioned herself causing her to lurch forward violently. Steadying herself she reached for Scroll and swiftly brought Qrow Branwen's contact details onto the screen; as she thought about the debatably former functioning alcoholic who had fathered her child she began to entertain the idea of asking him for help, Qrow often traded favours with General Schnee after all, one of those favours had been the supercomputer and Remnant-wide surveillance system she had helped put in place for him; if Ozymandias had gone to ground then Qrow could conceivably be one of the most well equipped people to find him. Antonia stared at the screen for a while longer before finally slumping back on her sofa and deciding against it; it reeked of desperation. From Ozymandias and Qrow her mind wandered, almost against her will to thoughts of Eagle and Antonia took her Scroll, once again unable to bring herself to call the subject of her thoughts; she hated that she had pushed her daughter away for more than she hated the idea of her being in a relationship with one of the Shadow Cadre, or whatever they were calling themselves these days. After staring at the screen for an indeterminate amount of time Antonia finally managed to begin typing a text message; after the words _'I wanted to apologise'_ appeared on the screen a combination of her own reduced inhibitions and the fact that it was simply easy to write the words than say them aloud seemed to take charge and the entire message had been typed and sent without further hesitation, it was only as minutes ticked by without a response that worry and doubts began to seep in once more. Distraction eventually came in the form of an alarm which caused her eyes to widen; instantly sobered she frantically tracked down the tablet responsible for the noise, disbelief quickly giving way to terror as she realised what was happening.

"Oh Oum no" she whispered before sending an urgent message to her chief of security, ordering him to mobilise his best and await further instructions. Then she contacted Winter Schnee, making no effort to make herself presentable; there was no time. The Toy-Box had been breached and this time it was not a decoy.

* * *

Eagle Arc's brow furrowed with intense concentration, crimson eyes focused and a small screwdriver that she would have need of soon enough clamped between her teeth as she worked; deft fingers working with a skill and delicacy belied by the impressively defined muscles of her arms, back and shoulders which were left on display by the tank-top she wore

"You keep staring at her and you're gonna take your fingers off" the gruff voice of Onyx Ursabane snorted

"Be quiet" Hellion snapped, adding a barely audible "I can't help it" a second later. Eagle was grateful for their presence despite the deep blush that coloured her cheeks; while she could and routinely did hurl Sentinel around by hand that feat was made easier by stabilising mechanisms in her own armour, dragging the damaged automaton down into Atlas Academies' workshop was a task that she had wanted help with and her own Team-mates had been unable to do so; Diamond still being fast asleep whilst Arctus gently and carefully extricated himself from her whilst apologetically explaining that he needed to travel to Schnee Manor; Felix was simply absent and Eagle hadn't seen her partner until she found him in the canteen grumbling to himself and working out a crick in his neck that he claimed was due to sleeping in a weird position. Hellion had come to her aid and brought Onyx with her, the lumbering Puma Faunus was more than happy to help and claiming that he was heading to the workshop anyway do fix the dents that Nyanza's spine and shoulder blade had left in his weapon; Hellion was nominally there to work preprepared Dust crystals into a fresh batch of throwing knives but was finding it harder and harder to concentrate

"Hey Hellion" Eagle paused and removed the screwdriver from her mouth so that she could speak clearly "Can you come and hold this for me a sec?" the Dragonfly Faunus downed her own tools without hesitation and made her way over, naturally using the task as an opportunity to be as physically close to Eagle as possible and pressing herself against the blondes' muscular back whilst reaching over her shoulders to hold the panel that Eagle needed kept out of the way.

"Th-thanks" Eagle stammered out, blushing an almost incandescent shade of red as Hellion gently kissed her freckled shoulder and Onyx merely chuckled at the flustered Huntresses expense before returning to repairing Jotun Fang. Eagle took a few seconds to focus herself, almost melting into the comfortable warmth of her girlfriend pressed against her, then she resumed work on the work on the many connections between Sentinels' main body and the newly reconstructed cranium. After several minutes of intense focus, interspersed with several mumbled words that took the place of actual profanities Eagle stepped back and began the panels that had been removed back into place

"Is he….healed?" Hellion asked, words like repair seemed unsuitable for something which seemed so lifelike.

"We'll soon see" Eagle murmured her tension evident in her voice, prompting Hellion to gently hold her free hand as she reached under a while hidden panel to flip the master switch for her droid; Sentinels' body lurched forward and its' singular optic glowed with a faint light whilst several odd mechanical grinding noises could be heard from within; after several seconds of waiting with baited breath Eagle let out a yell of joy as Sentinels' cyan optic flickered into life, bright as ever

"Doot doot, doot da doot, doot?" the chirps and bleeps having a distinctly questioning tone as the automaton stretched its' clawed arms as if waking up from a deep sleep

"Missed you too buddy" Eagle smiled, suddenly struggling with a lump in her throat as she gently patted the gleaming cranium of her loyal droid.

"Thank you" she turned and planted a kiss on Hellion's cheek, Hellion respond by wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling the slightly taller woman down into a slow kiss which ended only when one of the small smattering of other students working on their weapons on a late Saturday morning wolf-whistled at the display

"Who was that?" the Faunus demanded viscously "Stand up so I test the sharpness of the new batch" she pointed at her freshly finished pile of knives, relenting after a moment when nobody spoke up; Onyx could be seen doubled over with silent laughter nearby

"Come on, we can go….unless you wanna stay and help Onyx?" Eagle offered, gently tugging at her arm as Sentinel made his way down from the workbench he had been placed on, hitting the ground with a heavy thud

"Let's go" Hellion sighed, keeping her arm around Eagle "Oh and I think you've got a message, I felt your Scroll vibrate a minute ago"

"Oh thanks" Eagle had been so focused on repaired Sentinel she hadn't noticed; as they left the workshop with the droid trundling along behind them. Reaching into the back pocket of the old and worn jeans that she wore when doing potentially dirty work she retrieved the device and opened it, frowning slightly when she saw that it was a message from mother whom she hadn't spoken to since the fallout of telling her that she was dating Hellion. Her expression soon changed however when she opened the message

"Oh….Oh" she came to a halt, Sentinel narrowly avoiding a collision with her legs

"Something wrong?" Hellion asked

"Not wrong, just weird" Eagle answered distractedly as she reread the message again a few times, seeing Hellion still waiting expectantly she explained "She wants to talk and try and patch things up….at least I think, there's a lot of typos here"

"Then you should go and talk….I know you miss being able to talk to your family" Hellion looked away for a moment, adding "I don't want to be the reason you can't" Eagle stepped close and gently took the Dragonfly Faunus's hands in hers and kissed her forehead gently whispering

"I'm with you; nothing's gonna change that….Yeah, I love my family and I hate being on bad terms, but I'm not gonna be shunned and bullied into doing what they want. If they can't accept you then they can't accept me"

"If you're sure" Hellion murmured, resting her head on the blondes' shoulder

"I am" Eagle assured her "You're still allowed to tournament matches right….I'll tell my Mum to meet us in Freiheit at the stadium when Team CLIR are fighting, she'll be able to change her plans. I'll meet her and talk but I want her to meet you as well" hearing this Hellion gently wrapped her arms around Eagle and kept her close; silently proud beyond words that the flustered and easily bested warrior she'd first encountered on a battlefield was growing into something truly amazing. They held onto each other in the hallway in peaceful silence, both losing track of time until a voice sneered at them

"What neither of you have got dorms?" Eagle turned and saw that the voice belonged to Cinnabar Blaine, Diamond's ex whom they had no encounters with following their defeat of Team FADE in the tournament. Cinnabar's bravado was soon shattered as Hellion made good on the threat to test the sharpness of her latest throwing knives, the projectile in question proving to be exceptionally sharp as it whizzed by his ear and sunk into the wall behind him; a slew of curses from the former raider following it.

* * *

Arctus let out a jaw-popping yawn as he stretched and made himself comfortable. It had been a long, but admittedly thoroughly enjoyable night in which he got very little sleep and he was now suffering for it with a pounding headache, eyes that burned and itched and struggling to stay awake. The message he had received from his mother had been polite but firm, he was needed at home as soon as physically possible for reasons that were not disclosed but from what he could infer seemed to be incredibly important. His first task upon arriving had been to help his Grandfather take his suitcases to the room that had been prepared for him; the fact that Bjorn Slate had arrived grim faced and in the company of a heavily armed security detail filled the younger Faunus with a sense of foreboding

"I CAN'T BELIEVE GRANDPA'S COMING TO LIVE WITH US THIS IS GREAT!" Athena-Jade all but cheered as she streaked into room with nothing but boundless enthusiasm for this development. The barking of scruff, the ageing but perpetually energetic mastiff preceded the arrival of Bjorn himself, who was lazily scratching the dog behind its' ears as it bounded around hi, tongue lolling out of its' mouth and Weiss who gave her daughter a reproachful look

"One day you're going to run in the house, fall over and hurt yourself"

"But Aura though?" Athena answered simply with such naive conviction that it was utterly impossible to be mad at her. Sighing with a soft smile Weiss set down the tray of drinks she was carrying and handed Arctus a strong coffee

"Here, you look exhausted"

"Thanks Mum….so what's the big emergency, how come Grandpa's moving in?"

"There are a couple of things we need to talk about" Weiss started, looking over to Bjorn and silently asking for permission to explain on his behalf before continuing "Bjorn will be staying with us for a while because his safety can't be guaranteed in Lower Atlas any more" the words hit Arctus like an icy wave and woke him up far more than the coffee could ever hope to

"Grandpa why wouldn't you be safe?"

"White Fang?" Arctus breathed out, knowing the answer before his grandfather nodded

"Aye" he lamented "Got a call while I was working late last night; the gas station's been shot up and the kid on watch duty's got rounds in their legs and back….I'm not one for running but I'll be damned if I sit there and let someone else take it for me" Athena-Jade looked horrified, her sheltered life within the echelons of Upper Atlas exposing her to nothing more severe or extreme than the occasional older schoolchild repeating their parents ignorance had left her with no point of reference for what she was being told. Seeking some sort of guidance she looked to her older brother and saw that Arctus remained calm and determined; Athena crossed her arms and pouted, making herself as appear as menacing as she could at eight years old.

"I'll keep you safe Grandpa, I'm gonna be a Hunter like Mum, Dad and Arctus"

"Well thank Oum for that" Bjorn wheezed out between barking laughs "I thought I might have some trouble there; I'll sleep better knowing you've got my back" hearing his Grandfather go along with the idea was too much for Arctus and he had to force himself to not spray hot coffee everywhere as he laughed, eventually coming to a stop when he saw that Weiss still looked concerned

"Hey Mum what's up?"

"The other thing we needed to talk about….and I want to stress that nothing has been decided and nothing will change unless both of you agree with it"

"Uh huh" Athena-Jade leaned forward in her seat, intrigued at being treated so much like an adult all of a sudden.

"Your father and I….well, there's a child that the White Fang used in attack, a little girl. Arctus you know what I'm talking about" Weiss paused and Arctus nodded in understanding, whilst he hadn't seen the child that Cult of Taurus had sent to the gates at Gerat-Handlung he was aware of her existence "She's currently in protective custody on your fathers' ship because she might know something and she doesn't seem to have any family who aren't in the White Fang….we were giving serious consideration to adopting her and giving her a better life; but again I don't want to force this on either of you"

"What happens if we say no?" Arctus asked, forcing himself to visibly shiver as his own mind provided several gruesome possibilities "Because if it's a choice between keep her safe here or send her somewhere where the White Fang can get to her then we haven't got a choice, we keep the kid safe….I'm just putting it out there, don't let my opinion be a deciding factor though"

"Why ever not?" Weiss demanded, confused and a little concerned

"Mum I'm a student at Halo….I know this sucks to say out loud but I don't really live here any more. I live in New Vale and come home for the holidays-"

"Arctus this will always be your home and you always be a part of this family" Weiss assured him firmly, seemingly holding back tears

"Come on Mum y'know I didn't mean it like that-"

"I'm with Arctus" Bjorn growled "Not sure if it's my place to speak up as a guest here but the boy's right….This new Fang, I don't recognise anything of what we stood for in 'em; I dread to think what they'd do to a little girl if they thought she'd told the military anything"

"More than that" Weiss murmured "Gangrel's worried that if she's put in care there's a chance that she'll just be radicalised"  
"It's not a stretch all things considered" Bjorn noted; spending a large part of his sons' childhood in prison was something he considered his greatest failure and the violent and angry twelve year old with a head full of militant rhetoric he'd been reunited with at Sienna Khan's orphanage would serve as a constant warning of the price of failure.

"So AJ, what do you think?" Arctus prodded gently "Ever thought about having a sister?" Athena-Jade remained silent, sapphire eyes narrowing in concentration as she pondered on something

"How old is she?" the question took everyone by surprise "She can't just come in here and I'm still the youngest, that's not fair at all" her unique way of looking at the situation once again got a round of laughter from those around her

"She's six years old, younger than you" Weiss answered, still chortling

"So then you get to be the cool big sister" Arctus added, these seemed to be magic words that made Athena-Jade's eyes widen and a toothy smile much like his own to cross her face; a single word falling from her lips with unimaginable conviction and gusto

"Yes!"

"Athena" Weiss warned, not wanting to raise her daughters' hopes to unmanageable levels "This little girl; she's been through a lot; I need you to understand that she might be hard to make friends with, she might not want to make friends at all for a while….she might get angry or sad and not be able to help it"

"But she's gonna have the best big sister in all of Remnant" Athena answered earnestly, setting herself a mission and just like her brother or her father she was going to be a Huntress and complete her mission.

"Kids never know what they're getting into" Bjorn lamented as he chuckled darkly "That's why everyone tries to recruit 'em"

"Are you sure you're okay with this Arctus?" Weiss prodded "There's doing thing because of duty and then there's family-"  
"We'll manage" Arctus smiled "It's probably gonna be rough at first but we'll manage….'cos I'm the best big brother in all of Remnant, right AJ?"

"Exactly!" Athena answered with a bright smile.

"Then I'll tell Gangrel that it's decided; he wanted to be here to have this talk in person but….well the White Fang launched over thirty attacks last night-"

"He's busy, he's where he needs to be. I get it" Arctus nodded in understanding; any of his usual lamenting Gangrel Slate's intensive work schedule and lack of time with his family was disregarded, the safety of the Kingdom as a whole was at stake and Arctus would not put his own wants above that.

"Exactly" Weiss breathed out "But I want you, both of you, to know that I'm incredibly proud of you and I know that he is as well".

* * *

"He's in there sir, processed, checked and restrained" the Specialist whose face was hidden behind a visor informed Gangrel Slate as he stalked towards the room that would host the interrogation; she didn't salute her captain but no offence was taken, such displays were infrequent on the Gespenst.

"Good work Stone" the hulking Faunus replied, as Gangrel drew closer Stone whispered, her tone conspiratorial

"Sure you don't want us to make sure he….falls over a few times on the way back? I mean it was your-"  
"No" Gangrel answered bluntly. He desperately wished to be able to honestly answer that they didn't stoop to such lows but Gangrel knew that he had personally lost his composure with more than one suspect and the fact that such abuses of power still took part in the supposedly reformed Atlas, with himself as a participant, sickened the Faunus and made him question everything he stood for. He pushed all of those doubts and concerns to the back of his mind and steeled himself, entertaining a dozen different approaches to what would happen once he opened the door before him, each based on the preliminary reports he'd received from the police and his own agents. With a slow exhale he dismissed them all, instead he decided to simply speak to the man as one father and member of the White Fang to another and opened the door with a mechanical wooshing hiss.

"Hello Mister Scylla, let's have a chat"

"Fuck you, you human loving traitor cunt!"

"Pathetic, try harder" Gangrel shot back in a dull monotone, disregarding the opening salvo of insults before crossing the room with the echoing crack of his teleportation, reappearing opposite his prisoner and making himself comfortable at the desk which served as the only piece of furniture in the windowless room. Vermilion Scylla had been stripped of his White Fang uniform and instead wore a simple grey jumpsuit, one sleeve of which had needed to be cut away to accommodate for his bulky pincers whilst the other was notably empty; the mans overall appearance could best be described as broken and dishevelled.

"So you gonna kill me if I don't talk, huh traitor? Gonna kill me like everyone else who didn't abandon the cause to fuck a human girl, you son of a bitch?" he was rambling now, his desperate attempt to seem strong in the face of his captor only serving as proof that he was at his wits end and close to snapping.

"If I was going to kill you" Gangrel growled leaning into Vermilion's face "It would be because that student who would have been caught in your little attempted suicide bombing was my niece….and even then it would still be _after_ you've talked"

"I'm not tell-" the Crab Faunus fell silent and flinched when Gangrel's cybernetic fist impacted with the desk they were sat at; Vermilion held in place by shackles around his ankles and remaining arm.

"I did some research" the Bear Faunus noted almost conversationally "Vermilion Scylla, born in Port Rauchwasser, Eisenstadt Vierte; forty years old, missing presumed dead ever since Adam Taurus took control of Lower Atlas. You would have been eighteen when Vale was attacked and the war started"

"What are you getting at?" Vermilion demanded hotly

"You're not one of these kids that the new High Commander's brainwashed. You remember the old Fang just as well as I do. Fighting to make a better world for your kids I can respect, I really can….but are you really gonna sit there and tell me this is what we stood for? Gonna tell me Adam would have supported this?" Gangrel waited for a second, timing the delivery of his punchline perfectly "I know Coral doesn't"

"WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE TO HER? WHERE'S MY DAUGHTER? WHERE-"

"She's safe" Gangrel answered simply, cutting across the explosion of panicked fury

"YOU SICK FUCK YOU'RE GONNA USE HER AS-"

"She's safe" Gangrel repeated forcefully "And she will continue to be safe. Unlike you I don't use kids as weapons or sell them to fucking psychopaths….Do you even know what the Cult of Taurus used her for?" Vermilion remained silent except for a low whimper that escaped him and Gangrel found him grabbing the man by the neck, suddenly incensed by the display of cowardice

"I swore when I came in here that I was gonna do this by the book" he pulled Vermilion as far forward as he could without breaking the chains holding him in place "But if you don't look me in the eye and give me an answer I'm gonna crack your skull. Did you know what they needed your daughter for?"

"The Commander said that she was going to serve our people….I thought that they were gonna train her to be a fighter-"

"They used her as bait" Gangrel told him, watching the way his eyes widened in shock "They had her get the security guards come to the front get so they could shoot 'em then they took your daughter and made her watch someone be tortured to death. When she was found she was soaked in other peoples' blood!" he hurled the man back into his seat, the Crab Faunus was now openly crying, through his tears he managed to ask

"What do you want from me? I don't know any plans, I'm just a guy, I-"

"I want names and locations of the High Commander and the Cult of Taurus. She launched an all out offensive last night, how does she follow that up?" Vermilion paused for a moment before the cracks in his mental defences became too much

"The Cult are going to report back to her in person….she'll be doing a victory lap; rallies and speeches to the biggest cells-"

"A recruitment drive" Gangrel mused "Not too different from Adam after all….name?"

"Why does it matter?" Vermilion waited for a moment, seeing that Gangrel was still staring at it him, demanding an answer he found his urge to resists rekindled, if only a little "Okay so you kill the High Commander, then what? Who's gonna really make sure the Faunus don't get fucked over? The Coalition are a joke, they're all bought and paid for by the Kingdoms! The Faunus are our own nation within Atlas and we've thrived under-"  
"In Atlas maybe" Gangrel noted, choosing not to bother arguing with the mans' flawed logic "But you're not living in Atlas. Coral let some things slip and I know that you have a settlement somewhere that we haven't been able to find….Your daughter looks underfed, so do you and so do a lot of the Faunus we see in this New White Fang; I think you're starving Scylla. I think your leader is so focused on the war effort that she's forgetting that her soldiers are actual people"

"SO WHAT? WE'RE GONNA DIE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER! YOU'RE ATLAS, DON'T TALK LIKE YOU'RE STILL ONE OF US!"

"Let's not pretend that this is about your principles Scylla" Gangrel countered "We both know why you're holding back, you're scared"

"OF COURSE I'M SCARED!" he all but screamed "DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE CULT OF TAURUS WILL DO TO ME IF I TELL YOU WHERE TARTARUS IS?"

"I'm sure your daughter can give me an idea, she's watched them work" the Bear Faunus countered, utterly devoid of sympathy "That being said, you're currently in one of the most well defended prisons on Remnant and talking to the head of the Specialist Branch….It's in your power to make sure that no Faunus ever has to worry about them again, just talk" Vermilion Scylla's breathing was erratic for a moment Gangrel almost entertained the notion that the man had swallowed some sort of poison that had been missed when searching him, then finally he spoke.

"The Cult of Taurus don't have names, don't ask me about it all anyone knows is that they just don't….the High Commander's called Celeste Lupus"

"And your base?"

"For Oum's sake there're kids there!" Vermilion snapped "If I tell you it'll be an air-strike and-"

"I only need Lupus" Gangrel growled "I know you won't believe me when I say that I wouldn't do it on principle but ask yourself, what would I actually gain from it?" finding himself unable to answer the question Vermilion visibly crumpled

"Tartarus is in Upper Eisenstadt Siebte, the military bases on the outside of the mountain….when they were abandoned after the war some White Fang who never managed to evacuate moved in. We've got no food production, we're just trading with other places to get by-"

"And a few months ago Lower Eisenstadt Siebte was sealed off" Gangrel finished, remembering that Arctus had taken part in the mission to do so. The Scavenge Guild bodies that his son had found now made perfect sense, the White Fang in Tartarus had to be the sole group able to loot the ruined city if they wished to survive; regardless of whatever psuedo-religious rhetoric their leader disguised the fact with.

"Thank you" Gangrel murmured as he rose to his feet "I'll see to it that the information you've given is considered during your sentencing….might be able to get it down to just one life sentence" as he made his way towards the exit Vermilion called after him

"What about Coral? What's gonna happen to my daughter….I've already lost my wife, please, please keep her safe!" Gangrel nodded, he'd heard nothing from Weiss yet but considering the jamming signal his ship emitted that was unsurprising; the Bear Faunus made the one promise that he could keep

"Whatever happens she'll be safe and cared for" with nothing more to be said he left the interrogation room, mind buzzing as various ideas for how to deal with the New White Fang with as little bloodshed as possible took root in his mind, only to be interrupted by his Scroll; the fact that someone was able to contact him on it here giving him a clear indication of who it would be

"Winter" he greeted his sister in law upon seeing that his guess was correct "I just got intel on the Fang, big stuff-"  
"File a report, normal comm channels are too slow for this" Winter all but barked "Intruder at the Toy-Box; I want Specialists on site now"

"Understood. I'll send someone immediately" Gangrel ended the call, a chill running down his spine at the thought of the kind of horrors that could be unleashed if someone were to rob the proverbial graveyard where dangerous technology and secrets went to die.

* * *

Hellion had returned to Team GORE's dormitory following being summoned by Carcharodon; it seemed that the Shark Faunus found their defeat in the Vytal Tournament to be no reason to relent in their extreme, bordering on excessive training regimen; quite the opposite he instead wished to push both himself and those under his command even harder. With Hellion thus preoccupied Eagle had returned to Team FADE's dorm; the freshly repaired Sentinel in tow. Currently she was playing fetch with the droid whose presence she had sorely missed whilst relating the mornings' events to Diamond, Felix and Arctus being absent for their own reasons.

"You want us to come with you to the stadium we all will" Diamond assured her, pausing for a moment before adding "I mean if you're going when Team CLIR are competing we'll obviously be there anyway but y'know what I mean right"

"Thanks, it means a lot….I just really want my Mum to see how great Hellion really is; that all of Team GORE aren't as bad as she thinks they are"

"I know it means a lot to you" Diamond paused, trying to find a way to phrase things that wouldn't admit her friend who had far less experience in relationships than she did "But I'm just saying it's not the end of Remnant if she doesn't. She'll come around and come to terms with who you're dating even if she doesn't like it"

"Would you be saying that if your parents hated Arctus?" Eagle retorted, Diamond merely shrugged

"I mean it'd suck but realistically my Dad never like my ex-"

"Oh we ran into him earlier" Eagle noted "Still a total jerk"

"Yeah I didn't think I hit him hard enough to lobotomise him" Diamond snorted prompting Eagle to break into a fit of uncontrollable giggles, the unshakeable tension she'd been feeling since replying to her mothers' text message suddenly lessened just a little. The moment came to an end when there was knocking at the dormitory door

"It's open, come in" Eagle called; the door opened revealing a thoroughly exhausted looking Corvid Xiao Long

"Hey Corey" Diamond greeted "If you're looking for Felix he's either still cleaning the Killer-Bee or he's already headed out"

"He seemed really bothered about something this morning" Eagle noted "Are you two okay?"

"Yeah, yeah we're good, Team CLIR just had a rough mission last nigh" Corvid let out a yawn and both Eagle and Diamond shared concerned looks at just how unfocused her steely grey eyes seemed and the way she almost swayed on the spot from tiredness

"Corey come and sit down, you look dead on your feet" Diamond offered bluntly; Corvid did so without complaint

"Anyway, I wasn't looking for Fluffy I was looking for Eagle" Corvid continued as she sprawled out on the blondes' bunk beside her "I hate asking for favours like this but it's an emergency….can you call in a favour with your Mum? I need a rush job on a cybernetic limb"

"We're not exactly really on speaking terms right now" Eagle murmured before a thought occurred to her and made her jolt upright "Wait a limb, is Iris okay?"

"Iris herself yeah" Corvid growled "White Fang pretty much split her prosthetic down the middle though. She's got all the specs for the arm but-"

"A rough mission last night?" Diamond stared at the older Huntress in disbelief "You went up against the White Fang!"

"And we all came home" Corvid mumbled back sleepily, just being laid on a comfortable bed enough to cause her to slowly drift off "Eagle can you help out?"

"Sorry" the blonde shook her head dejectedly "I don't think there is a way to 'rush' a cybernetic, even with the specs already on hand….if you're wanting before the tournament it's just not enough time"

"Fuck" Corvid hissed before sighing "Looks like it's me and Lux again"

"When is your match by the way?" Diamond asked "Eagle need to know….Corey?" hearing no response Eagle went to gently prod her only to stop when she heard the slow and even breathing emanating from her

"Um, she's passed out" she informed Diamond "You think she's okay?"

"I think it's just exhaustion" the snipers' cherry red eyes were concerned however "But y'know what Corey's like, she's gonna beat herself up over Iris getting hurt"

"Think there's anything we can do?"

"Not really" Diamond admitted with a sigh "If she wants to talk she will"

"Yeah I suppose" Eagle mumbled before gently pulling her blanket from under Corvid and tucking her in as best she could.

* * *

"Think this is a little excessive?" Donner asked as she and Chiffon strode towards their target; almost the entirety of the security team of the Poly-Tech main office alongside them whilst every entrance to the building was being watched by an experienced and well armed Atlesian Specialist, each of whom was commanding a small squad of the latest model of Atlesian Knight.

"Not at all" Chiffon answered bluntly "He might not be a Hunter but with what he's got access to down here he doesn't need to be" the thought was sobering and the two veterans continued to lead the security force, numbering several dozens of armed men and women towards their target. What few people within Atlas knew was that the construction of the Hive City forming its' capital had been modified to accommodate Poly-Tech; normally the space between the floor of one level and the ceiling of the level below was filled with things such as the Kingdoms' power grid, air recycling, signal boosters for Scroll reception and other such important infrastructure. The entire space between Poly-Tech and the level below however played host to the catacombs filled technology deemed too dangerous to be allowed into circulation spoken about it hushed tones by conspiracy theorists and known as the Toy-Box.

"How big is this place?" Donner demanded, curved swords held in a white knuckled grip as they made their way through countless corridors, each lined with a reinforced blast door marked with the project name of whatever was held behind it

"I'm a little concerned that all of these are still closed" Chiffon growled, voice lowering to a whisper as he added "I know what Project Styx is and why Slate had sealed away….if Eldritch is ignoring that then what have the White Fang got him looking for?"

"Doesn't matter, he isn't leaving with it" Donner hissed, sole remaining eye blazing with hatred for the Atlesian citizen who would aid the terrorists responsible for her missing eye and so many deaths. A moment later Chiffon held up a hand in a gesture that brought the guards to a halt, a sound nearby confirming his suspicions; Ozymandias Eldritch was nearby and a quick flurry of silent hand motions sent roughly half of the security firm scattering through the corridors whilst making as little noise as possible as they moved to surround their quarry with Donner leading them. Chiffon then gripped the esoteric weapon he wielded, most often described as a death-ray by his fellow soldiers before mentally counting down and leading his own contingent of guards to meet the traitor head on

"Eldritch!" Chiffon bellowed as he caught sight of the spindly and ageing man whose glasses, turtle-neck sweatshirt, posture and overall air of feeble harmlessness stood in stark contrast with the threat he was known to be. Ozymandias peered at the Specialist and the guards accompanying him, then over his shoulder to where Donner and her own forces were cutting off his escape before he could flee

"On the ground! Legs apart, hands behind your head, right now!" Chiffon barked, the scientist remained silent and steadfast; his non-compliance enraging Donner who spat

"You're charged with treason, espionage, terrorism, arms dealing, arson and murder. Get on the ground right fucking now before we put you on the ground!" Ozymandias still gave no response, merely closing his eyes. For a moment the air seemed to shift in some impossible to articulate way but Chiffon knew his target had no Semblance or training to speak of, he nodded to the security guards around him who readied their weapons

"Cuff this bastard and bring him in" adding, as his gut feeling all but screamed in protest "Be careful….something seems off" seeing Chiffon's force move in and begin to surround Ozymandias Donner ordered her own to do the same

"ON THE GROUND! NOW!" Donner bellowed as Ozymandias was enveloped on all sides by men and women wielding rifles and Dust infused batons that would double as a taser when used

"I think not" Ozymandias voice was distorted, echoing unnaturally and changing pitch and speed as it did so, like a record broken to produce horrific effects; his entire body was suffused with a vibrant and poisonous green light which shone from his eyes; Chiffon had the oddest impression of the light being an Aura that had somehow become diseased and rotten before he watched the scientist produce a single scalpel, the whole time wearing a sinister and inhuman smile.

Then the massacre started.

Chiffon had no way to describe what happened around Ozymandias other than to say that time confirmed to the mans' will. Bullets hung in the air motionless until he avoided them, his own blows were propelled to devastating momentum and velocity which sent security guards smashing into walls in sprays of blood, leaving bodies with injuries more consistent with being hit by a truck; limbs were crushed, shattered or torn free as he parried blows and his simple scalpel was transformed into a weapon of obscene destructive force as it was hurled through heads and torsos three at at time only to float as time and therefore physical forces ceased to act on it until Oz recovered it and began slashing at the nearest guard to him in a gory display which followed the same sickening parody of physics as the rest of the slaughter, hiding Ozymandias from view and leaving on the distorted sounds of screaming until one of the guards tried to flee only to be dragged back into the one sided battle and promptly dismembered. Swallowing the bile that rose in his throat Chiffon aimed his weapon and fired, only to watch on in horror as the bolt of destructive light slowed to a crawl, a nexus of glowing death within which individual particles could be seen flickering in and out of existence; Ozymandias grabbed the nearest guard to him and simply hurled them into the path of the attack, their body hit the ground a smouldering and charred heap. the edge of the dinner plate sized crater in their chest cavity still glowing a fiery orange

"NO!" twin screams of rage issued from Donner and Chiffon as they rushed into combat, desperate to do something; anything that would halt the tide of destruction that Ozymandias Eldritch had somehow become. Chiffon watched as Donner unleashed her Semblance, her eye and hair glowing with a blinding electric blue energy whilst her skin became translucent with stormy tone undulating beneath its' surface; lightning composed of pure Aura crackled both within and around her before she plunged her scimitars into the walls of the corridor and unleashed a burst of raw power with a thunderous boom. Ozymandias's corrupted Aura rippled and for a moment his skin appeared burned, red, raw and shining before it healed in less than an instant; the proof had been there though, he could be injured or slain. The mad scientist himself however responded with speed and fluidity that was unsettling to watch, crossing the ground littered with the dead and wounded in a moment and leaving the walls slick with yet blood as he slashed at Donner's thighs in a wide arc; sending her tumbling to the ground howling in pain. Chiffon closed the distance and made to swing the butt of his weapon at Ozymandias's skull, reasoning that he would have more openings and risk less friendly fire if the man were dazed, Ozymandias and delivered an open handed blow to Chiffon's sternum that sent the veteran flying backwards, weapon flying from his grip and the sound of his own ribs breaking clearly audible before he was left dazed and stunned when he collided with the far wall of the corridor, cracking its' surface with his impact. Ozymandias however was clearly not finished with him and began stalking towards him; the same warping of time that fuelled his impossible strikes aiding his movement, the scientist seemed to flicker out of existence and reappear markedly closer every few steps

"I do this without malice" Ozymandias's voice echoed and shifted as she spoke "But those who fail to appreciate the world I seek to create simply have no place within it" Chiffon struggled to breathe, blood trickling from his ribs and by the agonising stabbing sensations in his chest he guessed that his own ribs has punctured his lungs, with what little strength he could muster he reached into one of his many pockets for a grenade, anything loud enough to serve as a warning to those Specialists above watching the exits. He knew that it would most likely be nothing but a futile gesture against Oz himself but the grizzled Huntsman refused to roll over and accept his death. Ozymandias drew close and Chiffon was sure that he was slowing himself on purpose, drawing out the fear and pain so as to relish it more. Then the distinctive sound and flash of light of his own Death-Ray filled the corridor and before he blinked the spots out of his vision Chiffon herd the metallic sound of a scalpel hitting the floor. Looking up pushed the limits of his constitution once again; a portion of Ozymandias's skull was simply gone, embers falling from his facial hair and jaw hanging slack albeit at a lopsided angle, the top of the lower jaw, left cheekbone eye socket and a portion of cranium being simply absent and the flesh and bone around the wound burned black. Then the unthinkable happened and Ozymandias's Aura rippled and flickered into life before the man spoke in the same inhuman tone as before, words barely affected by the destruction of a portion of his mouth

"Time heals all wounds" with that ominous statement and an unnatural shifting of the air he vanished, allowing Chiffon to catch sight of a wounded Donner who had crawled on her belly through the gore to clutch at his weapon and fire; the sight of his long time ally and friend in such a condition focused his mind more than the generic and faceless horrors of battle that he'd been trained to desensitise himself to could ever hope to; he swiftly opened a comm channel to another Specialist, making sure his words were clear despite the pain that lanced through his chest with each breath

"Code black! I repeat code black, evacuate everyone and secure the perimeter! I need medical evac….contact Commander Slate, we have a situation here!"

* * *

Felix had spent a sizeable portion of his morning cleaning out the interior of the Killer-Bee; as much as he had enjoyed what had transpired in the vehicle the night before and wanted to repeat the event somewhere with more space and privacy, that did not mean that the Lion Faunus had any intention of leaving his beloved car so sullied. After completing this task he had travelled once again to the settlement city of Freiheit, taking an airship along with students who were either competing that evening or wished to find good seats early this time rather than drive and waste several hours each way. While he would most likely visit the tournament and the larger festival if he could convince his team-mates and the rest of his social circle to join him that was not why he had came; he was here to speak with his Great Uncle Qrow who was currently staying at a hotel in the city so that he didn't have to travel to and from the Atlesian capital every evening to perform his duties as an announcer.

"Vaccuan food, Atlesian beer….this combination alone makes me wish the two Kingdoms would get their heads out of their asses" Qrow opined as he set down a tray which held a pair of well stacked plates and two pints of dark, oddly crimson ale; Qrow's expression flickered as a thought occurred to him "You're not driving tonight are ya?"

"Nah….not worth risking the paint job" Felix chuckled as he took a swig

"Of course that's what you'd be worried about" Qrow sighed "So what's up kiddo, you look like something's bothering ya?"

"Just needed to talk to you about some stuff" Felix shrugged, pausing as he took his first mouthful; Vaccuan food tended to have a distinctly smokey taste to it that wasn't as overpowering as say the spices used in Mistrali cuisine

"I heard Corey had a run in with the Fang last night" Qrow growled, crimson eyed showing something almost murderous for a moment before he continued "If this is you coming to me asking for help finding 'em so you can pull a repeat of last year, trying to solve the whole problem on your own then the answer's no"

"It's not that" Felix assured him, shuddering before giving a rare display of vulnerability "Look I'm a Hunter and I'll do my job but honestly if I never see those sickos again then good"

"Okay then, go for it"

"You had a run in with Nikosi last night" Felix's tone made it clear that this was not a question, Qrow sighed

"Eagle tell you about that?"

"Eagle got dragged into this as well?" Felix demanded angrily before forcing himself to control his temper "No I know about it because Helios's little sister called him early this morning talking about basically running away from home if needs be so she can come and train with you….Uncle Qrow, what the fuck man?"

"Oum damn it, of course you're dating her eldest" Qrow grumbled under his breath before adding "Don't worry about it Fluffy, I made the kids' mother an offer, it got turned down….your boyfriends' sister will calm down in a day or two"

"Really?" Felix demanded with a raised eyebrow, struggling to keep his tone civil enough that it wouldn't draw attention the other patrons of the bar they were in "It sounded serious, she was talking about being some living anti-Grimm weapon because of her eyes. I would have just passed it off as her getting drunk at the festival; but she mentioned you by name and the only people I can think of with silver eyes are Aunt Ruby and the twins" Qrow silently cursed his own misfortune, of course Syneffo would go to her brother for assistance, of course Felix would have been with him at the time and of course Yang's son would have a sharp mind and absolutely no idea when to quit

"Fluffy" he cautioned "I can't tell you. There are some secrets that I have to keep; I'm sworn to silence and that's just the way things are-"

"Right like you swore to silence about Eagle, that worked out so well!" Qrow clamped down on his immediate instinct to respond with anger, instead letting out a sigh and visibly crumpling under the weight of his own decisions

"You're right, I had that one coming" he admitted with a sigh "But it doesn't change the fact-"

"Oh fuck off!" Felix snapped "Just stop Qrow, you can't keep doing this; just coming into peoples' lives and causing havoc and then just standing back, acting all high and mighty talking about the way things are….you might have been a legend once, but that's over now you're just an old man" Qrow screwed his eyes shut and exhaled whilst mentally counting to ten; his great nephews' tirade had stung more than he had thought possible

"You done Fluffy?" he eventually asked, trying to keep as much of the venom out of his voice as possible.

"Look, I'm sorry I snapped" Felix muttered, running his hands through his messy golden mane "But I-"  
"No you were right" Qrow admitted "Especially about the last part, I am old….that's why I need to train the Nikos girl; Ruby's gonna need all the help she can get when she takes the job on"

"What are you talking about?" Felix demanded, Qrow seemed to consider giving him another non-answer before finally speaking

"What I'm going to tell you is so far above secret that there is no official classification for it….I never really retired Felix and the things I deal with are genuine _'Fate of Remnant'_ deals. I need your silence"

"Okay" the Faunus nodded, head suddenly buzzing as countless thought contributed to a fog of confusion; Qrow took the opportunity to finish his ale in an effort to fortify himself before going on

"The short version is that a lot of old fairy tales about magic are or were real, a lot of other myths have been deliberately suppressed because of the truth in them and everything people think they know about the Salem conflict is a lie orchestrated to stop the public from going into a panic that would have Grimm running through the streets. I'm a member of an organisation that protects the secrets and therefore protects Remnant" were he a few years younger and less experienced Felix would have assumed this were some kind of joke, one of Qrow's elaborate tall tales being delivered as a prank; as it was he saw the weary look in the older mans' eyes and instantly knew that this was real and he had just found himself part of something much bigger

"You look like you don't know which question to ask first" Qrow noted "So let me ask you one….what was Salem? Not who, what?" Felix cocked his head suddenly confused

"She was the woman who modified Doctor Merlot's technology and controlled a Grimm army, she was trying to take over the world-"

"Lies" Qrow shook his head "All of it, I should know I helped spread them. It wasn't her unique Semblance working in tandem with banned technology; Salem didn't even have a Semblance because she wasn't a person….Salem was a Grimm"

"What?" Felix gasped "That's not possible?"

"The more people who think that the better" Qrow growled "Grimm hunt in packs, different species can co-ordinate, you've seen it happen?"

"Uh huh"

"That's because Grimm have a hive mind, all of them are connected" he explained "Currently it's shattered and broken, only small localised threats led by a single Alpha Grimm. Salem was the manifestation of the entire Grimm Hive Mind; she had memories of before she was ever truly conscious….she knew the legends like the four Maidens were real, she was trying to unite the four and remake Remnant in her image with their power"

"Holy shit" Felix breathed out "That's what my parents were up against?"

"It's what we were all up against" Qrow nodded "Ruby used her silver eyes and the help of a boy named Oscar Pine got rid of Salem though….ask Whitley Schnee about Oscar sometime"

"But if Salem's gone" Felix tried to get the conversation back onto its' original topic; something safe and easy to process "Then what do you need another Silver Eyed Warrior for?"

"Because of what you described fighting in the Breach last summer" Qrow answered simply and Felix's navy blue eyes widened

"Phobos?" he whispered the name of the terrifyingly intelligent Beowolf, somehow gifted with the power of speech "You think Phobos was another Salem?"

"I think it was a sentient Grimm that could co-ordinate and lead an attack" Qrow stated flatly "That points to the Grimm Hive Mind healing from the effects of Salem's removal from it….I don't have all the answers Felix; but something's coming, I can feel it"

"Then how do we help?" Felix asked quietly "Team FADE were the ones to stop Phobos, we're capable how do we help"

"By training" Qrow answered "This isn't me treating you like a kid and saying I'll tell you when you're older; this is me speaking from decades of experience and telling you that you're good but you're not ready yet. I have two Maidens and teams of seasoned veterans on standby, you need to train"

"Uncle Qrow-"

"Fluffy you got lucky in the Breach and you know it. Arctus could have died" that made Felix halt, the thought of the scar stretching from his cousins' left shoulder to right hip and the memory of the Bear Faunus bleeding out in the making the point more clearly than anything else.

"Does Corey know about this?" Felix asked eventually

"Not yet, although I've been considering bringing her into the circle once her team graduate….provided Yang doesn't kill me in my sleep for it" Felix sat in silence for almost a minute

"So now what?" Qrow looked at him and sighed

"Now you let me worry about all of this; go back to training for the tournament, enjoy your weekend, do your assignments….This isn't something you can help me with"

"Yeah, yeah sure" Felix mumbled "I'll tell Eagle you said hi" he rose to his feet, uneaten food forgotten about as he left the bar in a daze and searched for somewhere quiet to contemplate everything he knew, realising that whatever happened nothing would be the same after this.

 **Authors Notes:**

Well this was fun, got some things that I've been wanting to do for a while done and if it felt like a tone shift during the last two scenes then good; we're still building up towards the second year crescendo but I'm also laying the groundwork for third and fourth year whilst showing the through-lines of this entire story….trust me I'm not just throwing ideas at the wall here, I knew who the antagonists for each three volume arc were going to be and how it would tie together before I even wrote the first chapter of this story.  
So first update of 2019, I hope everyone's year goes well.  
If I haven't posted it already I should have a one-shot focusing on Winter Schnee up soon; in the meantime go read my one-shot _"Jiminy Cricket"_ if you're a fan of Penny or Tock.

Anyway let's summarise:  
Poor Toni, she doesn't have the best of luck with people.  
Yes Oz used Dust to burn the entire apartment complex down, just to make sure Atlas can't follow his tracks.  
So the White Fang, provided Oz can't or simply doesn't feel like bypassing the new security; now have a limit on their weapons.  
I mean calling in Qrow isn't exactly a bad idea.  
Eagle and Antonia reunion…..when?  
Eagle is a buff distraction.  
Damn, Onyx fucked Nyanza up so bad that it dented the damn axe he hit him with.  
Sentinel is back; you're welcome….I've missed him too.  
Seriously, drunk typing….so many mistakes.  
Cyberpet is an adorable ship and I love writing it.  
Cinnabar is still alive and still a dick.  
Bjorn is back at Schnee Manor….and this time he's not _"The help"_ like he was in Downward Spiral.  
Any scene with Athena-Jade in it is golden.  
But Aura though? I swear to you dialogue just comes into my head, fully formed with no effort when writing AJ, she's a treat.  
Arctus never actually met or even saw Coral; considering that he and Diamond were inside the factory whilst Felix and Eagle were in the battle outside Coral never saw him either.  
Seriously knowing that her oldest has pretty much moved out and that it kinda happened without anyone really realising must have hit Weiss hard.  
Bjorn has a lot of regrets.  
Cool big sister Athena-Jade, nobody is ready.  
So it's confirmed, it's official, it's happening; Coral is gonna be moving in with the Slate/Schnee family.  
Yeah I mean when Gangrel punched Raffia in the face that time, it's easy to say that he deserved it but at the same time it was still an abuse of power.  
I imagine Gangrel doesn't need to get angry to be terrifying; he's a six foot eight Bear Faunus who can teleport and a Specialist, he just exudes bad-ass.  
Coral's dad has been missing presumed dead for over half his life; that's a level of dedication to the cause.  
Canon Adam is a scumbag, Downward Spiral Adam was still a scumbag but he did have a couple of hard lines; "No kids" was one of them and he killed his own people for crossing it; another line was torture, he did cross it occasionally but I do find it amusing that the very existence of the Cult of Taurus is a contradiction of his beliefs.  
Papa Scylla didn't ask questions; if you live in Tartarus and Celeste says "Gimme" you give.  
Recruitment drive after a victory, exactly what Gangrel said last chapter that Adam would have done; the only difference being was that they attacked on their own terms rather than taking bait.  
I mean it's sad to say but the argument that the Coalition are bought and paid for has some weight behind it….I mean the head of the Atlas Branch just moved into Schnee Manor and is related to the Schnees by marriage, Blake's the head of the New Vale branch and she's an old school friend of a Schnee; it doesn't look good from an outside perspective.  
Gangrel just hitting him from every angle until he cracked there.  
Nice little titbit there, as strong as the White Fang looks under Celeste her home base is barely holding together; they have no real infrastructure or means of supporting themselves and it was most likely exploiting that insecurity that allowed her to rise to prominence in the first place.  
You Carcharodon would be straight back to training without pause after a loss like that.  
Diamond has a point kids.  
Corvid and Lux confirmed for the doubles round….I have plans.  
Atlas in the Downward Spiral had at least one secret weapons cache hidden out in the middle of nowhere, now they use a hidden basement under Poly-Tech, half of their dangerous shit is a joint effort between them anyway.  
Just for no reason other than I know somebody will ask "Project Styx" was a biological weapon.  
That fight scene was fun to write, it was based on the Batman fight scene from the finale of Titans and a post I saw about Batman basically being a Cryptid in Gotham, his movements are utterly unnatural and everything about him is just wrong somehow; that vibe combined with the Wizards' ability to distort time felt like they'd make for something utterly horrific….and then I threw in a scalpel for good measure.  
We all know that Oz hears voices….he's evil but he's pragmatic not a sadist like the Cult; so why would he be dragging out fear and pain?  
" _Time heals all wounds"_ admit it, that's bad-ass.  
So now the question is, did Oz find what he was looking for before the Specialists found him.  
Just because he sucked dick in that car doesn't mean he's gonna treat it like a back alley  
Okay I imagine that Team FADE's dorm has had its' fair share of arguments about whose Kingdom has the better food.  
Syneffo just took the lid off of a whole world of secrets without meaning to.  
Downward Spiral was planned prior to Vol.4 so Qrow's Semblance isn't his bad luck in this, he's just unlucky.  
Felix is pretty damn smart and don't forget it.  
Felix is also really, and understandably, bitter towards Qrow.  
So y'know in Men In Black where Will Smith just gets everything dropped on him and ends up sitting at a bench for a whole day trying to make sense of shit….yeah that just happened to Felix.  
You don't really think Atlas would let the truth about Salem get out there?  
Had to recap on Salem's origin because not everyone reading this had read Downward Spiral and we got canon Salem origin in Vol.6.  
And there it is, Phobos is the start of the string that's going to connect the entire four year story of FADE, Ozymandias; who worked on Project Snare is the next piece of the puzzle.  
You know Qrow started thinking about hiring Corvid the second he heard about her refusing the offer of joining the Specialists if he hadn't already.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Funlander, iSassenach, Ferrous and FluffyFirefly for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Lol Fluffy was never gonna let anyone else use the back-seat of his car….it'd be like defiling holy ground.  
Yeah, sending Ruby might have been a better first contact, but even Ruby is gonna take some time to cross continents and the Nikosi are nomadic; he saw the chance and took it….and promptly failed.  
AJ was easier to convince, just tell her she gets to be as cool as Arctus when she's the older sibling.  
As you can see, you were right to be worried.  
Don't worry, we've got more Team CLIR coming up….after it's important for what I've got planned that they at least get through to the singles rounds.  
Glad to know people enjoyed the Battle-Cat scene.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	80. Wipe-Out

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 80: Wipe Out**

Gangrel let out a slow breath as he considered the plan he was about to put into action; since learning of the location of Tartarus he had worked without pause and pushed even the lax boundaries of the authority that General Winter Schnee had allowed him to act with. Eventually, though not without some subtle manipulation and less subtle strong-arming of those who opposed his way of doing things, his plan was approved in an emergency meeting of the Atlesian council in which he gave his case via transmission from the Gespenst; time was of the essence and he could not afford to be away from his vessel. Standing decidedly alone in the primary hangar bay of his ship, despite the numerous teams performing the various checks and maintenance on the various fighter craft and drop-ships stationed around him Gangrel closed his amber eyes for a moment and admitted to himself that his plan was was indeed risky for many reasons, including both the political precedent it could set in addition and the obvious and unavoidable possibility of death should he fail; but despite all of that it was, in the Bear Faunus's mind the correct choice both tactically and morally and so he would do it regardless.

"We're approaching the target T-Minus two minutes, drop zone is a little outside their walls. Payload is prepped in hangar two" hearing the familiar voice of his First Mate Gangrel opened his eyes and took in the sight of Chiffon who was clearly dressed and equipped for combat despite the events at Poly-Tech a little more than forty-eight hours previously. While Gangrel knew that his ship was fitted with the best medical equipment available and that his chief medical officer routinely worked what other doctors would be forced to describe as miracles the Bear Faunus still doubted that Chiffon's Aura had healed his broken ribs

"You're not cleared for duty soldier" he noted

"Fuck off with that 'soldier' shit" Chiffon snorted "Friends don't let friends go solo into enemy territory"

"Friends don't let friends air-drop out of a hangar from this height with no parachute" Gangrel countered "We don't know what they've got in terms of anti-aircraft guns and I'm not wasting one of the new fighters"

"Yeah well, court marshal me later 'cos I'll disobey orders over this if I have to" Chiffon shrugged, trying to hide a wince as he tugged injured muscles

"I pull rank on you over this and Winter will probably give Asteri your job out of of spite" Gangrel joked; a few moments passed by before the hangar bay doors opened with a deafening mechanical screeching and grinding followed by the howling sound of the wind which threatened to knock them from their feet, a fatal error at this altitude.

"We are directly above the drop zone, payload is ready and wings three and four are ready to provide aerial assistance on your command sir" the voice of Gangrel's third in command issued from a nearby speaker, rather than make any sort of gesture that would show to the bridge crew that he had received the message he simply strode towards the now open hangar door and spoke to Chiffon as he did so

"Keep the safety on your weapon"

"Gang-"

"Do not fucking argue with me on this one" the Bear Faunus growled "We should expect some resistance but we're not going down there to start a fight….there're non-combatants down there, kids"

"Got it" Chiffon nodded before engaging a locking mechanism on his signature weapon

"Now hold on" Gangrel ordered, gripping his old friend by the shoulder firmly despite his injuries and leaping out of the hangar. Wind whipped around them as they fell freely through the air and steadily picked up momentum; the height from which they were falling meaning that whilst the snow covered ground rushed up to meet them it still seemed to take far too long to do so. If Chiffon had any doubts he didn't show them, Gangrel himself was utterly unconcerned about this part of the plan; landing strategies were after all the first thing a student of Beacon Academy learned. Gangrel waited, counting down in his head until he decided it was time to use his Semblance, vanishing from the air with a dull booming crack and cloud of dark acrid smoke; reappearing behind one of the many snow covered rocks that littered the side of the mountain that the settlement of Tartarus, formerly an Atlesian Military base was situated on

"Little warning before you do that next time" Chiffon grumbled from beside him, massaging his shoulder which along with his chest was suffering from fresh waves of pain

"You knew it was coming" Gangrel growled "Now shut up, they definitely heard that" he took a few seconds to steady himself after taking a passenger along for his teleportation before unsheathing the cruel looking broad bladed and hooked sword from his back and holding it directly over his head for a moment before lowering his arm

"No snipers" he noted

"Or maybe they're just not that fucking stupid" Chiffon grumbled, rising to his feet and following the Bear Faunus who had already moved out of cover and was making his way towards their target; Tartarus itself

"They can see us" Chiffon noted as he took in the sight of the perimeter wall of the former base, noting that several hasty and slapdash repairs had clearly been made and that many of the weapon emplacements and watchtowers lining the structure which rose high enough to shield the building behind it seemed to have been added after the fact and constructed from whatever the White Fang could steal, salvage or trade for though that was not to say that they were in any way insufficient. They had clearly seen off whatever Grimm had necessitated the repairs to the wall and as a pair of double-barrelled high calibre machine guns were aimed at them both Gangrel and Chiffon noted that the weapons seemed to be in relatively good condition

"STAY RIGHT THERE HUNTSMEN!" one of the sentries manning the machine guns barked down to them and Gangrel saw that dozens more armed guards were aiming rifles at them from the wall

"WE CAME TO NEGOTIATE!" Gangrel shouted back up to the sentries. There was confused muttering between the guards, none of them quite sure how to deal with the response they'd received

"I really wanna tell them that their mother was a hamster and their father smelt of Elderberries" Chiffon muttered under his breath; Gangrel merely rolled his eyes before calling out something that ranked amongst the most dangerous words he could possibly utter in his current circumstances

"MY NAME IS GANGREL SLATE, FORMER CAPTAIN OF THE WHITE FANG! I WANT TO SPEAK WITH YOUR LEADER!" both he and Chiffon could practically feel the tension as sentries muttered among themselves, clearly debating the merits of shooting the traitor and his human accomplice where he stood; evidently deciding that killing without the explicit approval of the High Commander was more of a risk than they were willing to take as after a few moments the main gate of the base turned settlement allowing them entry. Gangrel and Chiffon moved forwards, getting no more than a few paces inside the perimeter before they were stopped and surrounded by armed Faunus

"Hand your weapons over"

"Absolutely not" Gangrel replied calmly "Your leader can have their own armed security with them for these negotiations if they want but we're keeping our weapons"

"I say shoot 'em" a clearly agitated young man whose hair appeared to be replaced with a porcupines' quills spat

"Shoot the arch traitor?" a Rabbit Faunus laughed "Nah, the High Commander will wanna do this personally"

"You're aware we can leave at any time right?" Chiffon noted "We're here to talk, that's all" the sentries shared concerned looks, the lack of fear in the humans' tone evidently unsettling them. One of them finally made a decision and spoke to a Faunus who was clearly their underling in some way

"Take 'em to Kuro. He can make the call, we still get credit for bringing 'em in either way" with no further discussion Gangrel and Chiffon were escorted through Tartarus, taking note of its' dilapidation and the gaunt, hungry expressions on the faces of those who called the place home; further convincing Gangrel that his choice had been the correct one. They were taken to a room that could only be described as a makeshift church of some kind, allowing for the crowd that had amassed around them to take seats as the pair were brought before a Tarantula Faunus whose entire body was covered in dark, fibrous hairs

"I am Kuro" the man, whom Gangrel guessed to be of a similar age to himself announced "And I speak on the High Commanders' behalf in her absence-"

"Which I'm guessing is more and more often lately?" Gangrel interrupted, putting his plan into motion "Seems like the High Commander has been spending less and less time here since Eisenstadt Siebte was sealed off; seems like she doesn't need you-"

"Silence traitor" Kuro cut him off harshly "You won't spread your poison here"

"You're right I won't" Gangrel sighed "I'm here to make sure you understand exactly how things are and offer you terms"

"You think we would surrender?" Kuro asked, everything about his tone and body language reeked of inexperienced posturing, he was a follower and a lackey struggling to play the part of a leader

"I think you're low on food, Dust, medical supplies and pretty much everything else….which is something I'll help you with as a show of good faith" before Kuro could demand an explanation the Bear Faunus opened a comm channel to the Gespenst and gave a single order "Deploy payload"

"What have you done?" Kuro demanded

"There are now twenty drop pods of resources being deployed to this location, twenty tons per pod. Consider this an act of goodwill on behalf of both myself and the Atlesian Council whom I am authorised to speak for….so let's talk about ending this war shall we?" the room in which Celeste Lupus held her sermons was filled with stunned gasps and a wave of frantic, disbelieving muttering as everything that the Ram Faunus who led them had claimed was shaken in an instant

"Let me be clear" Gangrel stated firmly "This conflict will end today one way or another, I would prefer to do so without more bloodshed therefore I am offering the following terms-"  
"More lies and tricks from Atlas!" Kuro bellowed, suddenly desperate, Gangrel paid him no mind at the moment, instead delivering what he had fought the governing body of his Kingdom for

"Atlas is willing to allow Tartarus to exist as an independent settlement and provide material and financial aid to make this settlement self sustaining. Beyond that point Tartarus will be recognised as an independent Kingdom in its' own right and will be willing to make trade agreements with the Kingdom of Atlas if its' governing body so chooses" the shocked whispers reached a new intensity as the White Fang seemed to realise that Atlas had effectively just handed them Adam Taurus's vision of _'New Menagerie'_ on the continent of Mantle and offered to help them make it a reality; Gangrel then delivered what he hoped would be the most decisive non-lethal blow he could in this war "In return the Kingdom of Atlas demands the extradition of individuals using the alias 'High Commander of the White Fang' and 'The Cult of Taurus' for trial for various crimes; in addition to this should Tartarus continue to aid terrorists acting within Atlesian territories this will be taken as an act of war…..In short we're offering you peace; we're offering you freedom and a way of life that doesn't mean sending your kids to war. All we want in return is good faith and justice for people that your current leader has murdered. Decision's yours Kuro" the Tarantula Faunus looked at the Specialists, then to the mass of tired, worn and hungry Faunus waiting with baited breath and then to the armed and masked members of the White Fang surrounding both himself and the Atlesians; it took him almost no time at all to decide that if something sounded too good to be true then it was most likely a lie, especially when considering the Kingdom of Atlas whose racism and hate he was more than familiar with

"I believe nothing these men say and any of you who would consider committing treason against the High Commander and abandoning the cause for whatever scraps they're willing to throw us should be ashamed, you have no right to call yourselves Faunus" he nodded to the armed sentries "Guards, kill these men" Gangrel sighed and prepared to use his Semblance but the bullets never came, the guards hesitating for what must have been the first time in years

"I SAID-" Kuro's furious demand went unfinished, the tarantula Faunus both silenced and sent crashing to the floor as a Scorpion Faunus brought the butt of his rifle crashing against the back of his skull with a sickening crunch, repeating the action another dozen or so times with bloody results which mothers in the crowd shielded their children's eyes from; the Scorpion Faunus then jabbed the stinger of his tail into Kuro's chest seemingly to make sure that the man wouldn't live to speak of his treachery before turning to Gangrel and removing his mask, revealing eyes that held both unspeakable terror and the faintest flicker of hope

"You mean what you said? We don't have to fight any more?"

"All of it" Gangrel assured him "As long the terms of our peace deal are honoured" the young man, Gangrel guessed him to be no older than his early twenties nodded before adding

"My brother and sister didn't come back from missions….none of what we've done seems to have helped us; it's time for new leadership in Tartarus" as the Scorpion Faunus finished speaking a few others cheered and mirrored his sentiment. Gangrel reached out and shook the mans hand and offered words that he thought might just resonate

"Before Adam Taurus lost his fucking mind there was something he used to say to me before every mission, I think it needs to be said before we sign these peace treaties between our Kingdoms"

"What was it?"

"Let's go save the world"

* * *

The cheering of the crowd was dulled to a distant roar in the locker room as Corvid Xiao Long and Lux Lumière made their final preparations; both to their equipment and to their own mental state, silently preparing themselves for the battle to come. Team CLIR had been defeated in the doubles round of their previous appearance in the Vytal Tournament, they had only had a weekend to recover from the mission that had seen them facing off against the Cult of Taurus and both of them knew that their opponents were highly capable Hunters. Corvid forced her doubts aside with a single slow exhale and reminded herself of who she was, she was Corvid Xiao Long, she was a stubborn refusal to budge given form and today she would be stubbornly refusing to budge until her opponents were beaten and her team were victorious. The sound of the locker room door opening was something Corvid almost expected at this point, the security had been laughably lax regarding students coming and going during their Team CLIR's first year as well, which Corvid recalled several students using to their advantage.

"Hey there darlin'" Rusty drawled as he sat beside Lux and took his boyfriend and partners' hand in his own "Give 'em hell out there y'hear" he drawled before kissing Lux's cheek, his own lips and cheeks still sporting clearly visible cuts from the battle they had found themselves in.

"Wish I could be out there with you Corey" Iris sighed prompting Corvid to look up at her from where she sat on one of the benches; she found herself unable to take her eyes off of the spot where her friends' prosthetic limb should have been, which prompted Iris to scowl at her upon noticing

"Corey it's fine for Oum's sake stop staring at it!" she snapped uncharacteristically harshly before her tone softened "Sorry….the new one should be ready soon"

"I'm sorry Iris, I should've-"

"Hey" Lux gently placed a hand on her shoulder "People get hurt in this job….we're all okay, you did everything you could and we couldn't ask for a better leader"

"But if you really wanna help" Iris shrugged "I'm thinking of working on a secondary weapon, maybe something that I can build into the arm when I get it, you wanna help?"

"Of course" Corvid beamed, steely grey eyes lighting up with enthusiasm "I'll have you armed and ready in no time"

"And you ruined it" Iris sighed, though her smile and the gentle punch on the shoulder she gave her friend said otherwise. Corvid, filled with fresh enthusiasm rose to her feet and waited for the Omega Wing to hover into place beside her before turning to Lux

"Let's go turn some heads" with that the two of them strode out into the arena itself, their match would be one of the last to take place in Freiheit before the tournament moved to another city but the crowd was no less enthusiastic or numerous, a deafening chorus of cheers sounding out as Qrow Branwen and Bartholomew Oobleck announced them. Corvid and Lux however focused solely on the pair of Hunters standing across from them; Ranger Altan and Blowzy Glimmer of Team RNBW a Mistrali team whose exploits the crowd loved just as much as they did Team CLIR's own. Blowzy was a small, petite slip of a young woman with pixie cut pastel pink hair and wearing a flowery dress which stopped just above the knees; everything about her seemed almost obscenely cheery and saccharine until Corvid took note of the bulky headphones slung around her neck which were clearly more than they appeared to be and saw the smile on her face which toed the line between mischievous and predatory. Ranger was tall and athletic, boasting a powerful build and slight curves, light brown skin and shaggy platinum blonde hair which reached to their shoulders; their outfit which gave the impression of some kind of master martial artist was a mix of dark greens and black with the exceptions of the white bandages around their knuckles and a necklace of ornate red beads hanging around their neck; they sized up their opponents with deep chestnut eyes and a soft smile came to their high cheek-boned face. Corvid had noted on more than one occasion that Ranger Arslan was ridiculously attractive and merely shot them a wink in return

"Heard you're fresh back from a mission?" Ranger enquired gently "Shame we can't do this while you're at your best"

"You wouldn't last five minutes with me at my best" Corvid shot back suggestively, expression making it clear that Ranger was free to interpret that comment however they wished

"For Oum's sake Corey" Lux muttered from beside her

"Distracting your opponent is a valid tactic" Ranger purred "Though I do hope that's not all that's going on here"

"Oh sweet Oum there's two of them"

"Welcome to my personal hell" Blowzy snickered from across the battlefield

"What can I say, I've hoe-ned my skills to perfection" Corvid added with a grin that could only fairly be described as 'shit eating' fortunately the arena began to sink out of view as the battlefield was selected, the noise being enough to bring the banter between the four of them to a halt.

"AND THAT'S ANCIENT RUINS ON TEAM RNBW'S SIDE OF THE ARENA-" Qrow announced

"NOT AN EXACT OR ACCURATE RECREATION OF THE RUINS SEEN IN VALE'S EMERALD FOREST BUT CERTAINLY FIT FOR PURPOSE" Oobleck added seemingly unable to stop himself from talking about his passion of history

"AND TEAM CLIR HAVE….I'M PRETTY SURE I KNOW THAT EXACT LAKE IN MISTRAL" Qrow noted with some surprise before recovering "NOTHING TOO CRAZY TO GIVE ONE TEAM AN ADVANTAGE HERE BUT THERE'S STILL SOME OPTIONS"

"Huh" Corvid noted as she looked at the relatively peaceful landscape that now covered half of the arena "Looks like where Team CLIR had a mission in First Year….Thinking about it, I think your Mum was our Hunter for it Ranger"

"Did you flirt with her too?" Blowzy asked mockingly. Corvid let out a sigh that anyone who knew her would have recognised as a precursor to a violent response

"THEE!" Qrow's voice boomed out and Corvid surreptitiously prepared the computerised gauntlet on her left arm

"TWO!" Ranger and Blowzy readied themselves, Blowzy donning her headphones while Ranger merely adopted a fighting stance

"ONE!" Lux's hands tightened around his twin rapiers

"BEGIN!" Lux moved impossibly fast, his paired swords being drawn and combined into their ranged form and a single Dust tipped arrow aimed and fired in a single breath. The crowd were left in stunned silence before erupting into cheers as Ranger Altan simply plucked the arrow out of the air scant millimetres from their face and promptly crushed the Dust crystal tip in their hand and made a 'come' gesture. Corvid however had used the brief opening to don the Omega Wing in its' battle-suit form and take to the air

"AND XIAO LONG HAS BROUGHT HER PRIMARY WEAPON THIS TIME FOLKS!" Oobleck announced

"IT'S BEEN UPGRADED SINCE THE LAST TIME THESE CROWDS SAW IT….PRETTY SURE THE GUNS WERE STILL ON THE ARMS BACK THEN" Qrow added

"Hey Corey!" Blowzy called up to her, ducking between simulated ancient ruins to deny the airborne Huntress a clear shot "It's not as flashy as your but I've got something for ya!" Blowzy slipped out of cover and Corvid watched as her headphones expanded and reshaped themselves, an opaque and reflective black tactical visor covering her eyes before several mechanical components unfurled over the visor forming the weapon itself; a split second later Blowzy was wearing a head mounted laser battery and fired a wide beam of crimson light from directly in front of where her eyes would be. Corvid let out a low whistle as she was forced to evade the attack

"That's pretty flashy" Corvid called down from behind her own featureless mask "It's literally a big flash-light" seconds later she was forced to take evasive action again; all the while taking note of her adversaries' speed, range and capabilities.

* * *

A single coach with wheels and suspension modified for crossing all manner of terrain made its' way up the steep incline of the mountain whose peak was perpetually snow-capped, though the destination of those aboard was not quite so high. The vehicle had been reported stolen but its' license plates had since been changed and coaches travelling the long roads criss-crossing the barren Atlesian landscape were a far more common site since the settlements above ground had begun to flourish; nobody would pay any mind to such a vehicle until it reached a suspicious proximity to the mountain which housed the ruins of Eisenstadt Siebte by which point it would be a moot point as there would be no one there to ask questions. Celeste noted idly that the vehicle was comfortable and had room to store her wheelchair which she found herself needing to use less and less as her augmented spine restored what had been taken from her, though the primary benefit it provided her with was privacy; its' windows were heavily tinted and due to the size of the coach situated a little higher than passengers in most other vehicles on the road would be able to peer into, helpful when ones' travelling companions wore distinctive masks marking them out as terrorists who had murdered Hunters and police alike at all times.

"It's a shame we'll most likely have to dispose of this vehicle" Celeste mused out loud "Perhaps I should invest in something similar" the Ram Faunus had been relishing the thrill of her almost total complement of victories against Atlas; the misinformation which had led her most faithful into a trap at Geheimnis being the sole instance of the White Fang not completing their objective, the sting it left on her pride easily assuaged by the fervour of the crowds she had been speaking to across the Kingdom for the last two days almost without pause or sleep. Despite her exhaustion Celeste felt as though she were unstoppable, as though she would soon be able to lead the White Fang marching to victory through the streets of Atlas's city as they laid low their oppressors. Such thoughts were brought to a halt as she noticed that the coach was slowing down, Alpha who had sat by her side watching her revered leader compose and amend their magnum opus _'Peace Through Tyranny'_ snapped her head towards the drivers' seat where Beta was situated

"What's going on?"

"There are Faunus approaching….they seem to be coming from Tartarus"

"Stop the coach" Celeste ordered, her voice calm despite the cold weight of dread seeping into her gut and her paranoia screaming into her subconscious to be wary as she rose to her feet and donned the black power armour that had became as much as a symbol as her mask or the sword which had once belonged to Adam Taurus. The armour moulded itself around her and sealed itself, the now familiar rush of power surging through her as it integrated with her own cybernetic implants; fixing her mask into place and with Alpha at her back Celeste made her way to the front of the coach and opened the door

"Oh thank Taurus you're back!" Celeste was somewhat taken aback by the sight that greeted her, roughly a two dozen Faunus of all ages clustered around her, wearing terrified expressions and little else; the lack of suitable outerwear and general air of panic around them suggested that they had simply abandoned everything and ran; this combined with the fact that they seemed glad to see the Cult of Taurus raised countless red flags

"What has happened?" Celeste enunciated each syllable carefully, tone dangerous enough to force even the most terrified and adrenaline fuelled mind to focus and comply, one of the Faunus finally spoke up

"The arch traitor Gangrel Slate came to Tartarus" the words hit Celeste like an icy wave; there were few Faunus considered worse traitors to Adam Taurus and thus the Faunus race than Gangrel Slate, Blake Belladonna certainly, perhaps Velvet Scarlatina and Obsidian Eadala though the order such individuals were ranked in meant little compared to the scale of their treachery.

"How many dead?" Celeste murmured mournfully, genuinely sorry for the losses it had doubtless taken to bring the traitor down; though she assured herself that each of her fighters' had willingly laid down their lives for the cause and that if Slate still lived she would have the Cult inflict pain on him like nothing experienced in all of history. Then she saw the terrified glances those fleeing from Tartarus were giving each other, none of them daring to answer her question

"You High Commander has spoken" Alpha warned, Semblance seeping into her words and forcing the attention of the Faunus onto her

"Kuro's dead High Commander….and a few of the sentries were cut down buying time for us to escape" the insectoid Faunus's lip quivered and they found themselves unable to go on, a Mouse Faunus continued in their stead

"It wasn't Slate that killed them….he came and offered peace terms….our people wanted to accept them and killed Kuro when he ordered-"

"Enough" Celeste breathed out, hands balled into white knuckled fists "The traitor has come into my home and sown his treason….this demands justice"

"What would you have of us?" Alpha asked in a hushed whisper, both incandescent with rage and stunned by the unrepentant gall of their enemies, behind her Beta, Delta and Gamma had congregated and were similarly making their readiness known. Celeste spoke the escapees from her settlement first

"Take this coach, drive to one of the outer settlements and contact one of our cells there. Tell them I have sent you to be integrated into other cells and you will find yourselves with homes and employment….You are to say nothing of what has happened" she stood aside and allowed the now refugees from her fallen Kingdom to make their way aboard, even in their current state all of them were careful not to touch or stare too long at the masks of the Cult of Taurus; to whom Celeste said simply

"Come with me" the Ram Faunus didn't wait for a response simply marching purposefully towards Tartarus, hand tightening around the shaft of Wilt as she stalked towards her target. Within minutes, which passed in cold, murderous silence perimeter wall of Tartarus came into view and Celeste finally spoke, hissing out commands.

"Beta, Gamma flank the main entrance and wait for the signal. Delta, attack from behind….Alpha, announce my presence" the Lionfish Faunus was filled with sadistic glee at those words and the two woman advanced towards the main gate of the repurposed military base, fully aware of the weapons being aimed at them. Celeste gave a silent nod and Alpha spoke; voice carrying and reverberating unnaturally and hauntingly

"CITIZENS OF TARTARUS, YOUR CRIMES ARE SERIOUS AND UNDENIABLE, YOUR DEFENCE OR JUSTIFICATION IS IRRELEVANT….YOUR SENTANCE IS CLEAR!" satisfied that the traitors would now be afraid and scrambling without a plan Celeste drew wilt and charged the main gate; justice would be swift and bloody.

* * *

Eagle had cheered so much already this evening that she could her voice beginning to get hoarse though she certainly wouldn't let that curb her vocal support of Corvid Xiao Long

"Hey!"she exclaimed, feigning offence as Hellion used her distraction to steal a hand of popcorn, having assured Eagle that she didn't want any only moments ago

"I regret nothing" Hellion chuckled as she gave the blonde a sly wink, wrapping an arm around Eagle's waist and enjoying the feeling of the armoured Huntress leaning into the embrace. The pair were seated at the end of an aisle of seats, positioned so that they could be seen by Antonia Arc when she entered the stadium despite the numerous rows of seats and sheer scale of the crowd. Several rows ahead Eagle could see the rest of her team along with Blake Xiao Long and Helios Nikos, Blake had eschewed the V.I.P box for this bout and had simply taken a seat as close to the front as she could; a keen eye would spot a heavy security detail scattered around her whose stoic expressions identified them easily in the sea of exuberant attendees; elsewhere in the crowd were several other friends of theirs, Eagle had seen the rest of Team NEON as she entered the stadium and Hellion had informed her that Onyx was here somewhere though Carcharodon had decided against attending.

"You're looking for her?" Hellion noted gently, lacing her fingers through Eagle's and squeezing her hand

"Yeah" Eagle admitted, concerned that her mother had still not arrived. Under normal circumstances she would have been beside Felix and Blake who it occurred to her were actually now part of her sizeable extended family, as it was she wanted the meeting between her, Hellion and her mother to be as private an affair as possible given their surroundings; though the reassurances from her team-mates that they were there if she needed her and wishing her all the best had eased her nerves somewhat

"She's not here" Eagle muttered, stating the obvious as her eyes roamed over the crowds once more in a futile attempt to spot Antonia Arc "She said she'd be here"

"Then she'll be here" Hellion assured her gently "Whatever she thinks of me I can't imagine that she wouldn't want to make amends with her only child"

"I guess" Eagle mumbled, still dejected until she caught sight of Hellion staring at her and blushed slightly at the intensity in her jade eyes "What?"

"Nothing" the Dragonfly Faunus assured her before gently kissing her cheek "I was wondering what you'd look like with tribal markings; I still think you've more than earned the right to wear your victories with pride"

"You still think I should get tattoos?" Eagle asked uncertainly, though honestly glad of the distraction

"It's a cultural thing" Hellion offered "A persons' tattoos tell their story….you certainly have a story that shouldn't be kept silent"

"I'll think about it" Eagle grinned, still unsure but not strictly opposed to the idea "I'm not sure if I could draw what I wanted a tattoo to look like-"

"I would be honoured to design them for you" Hellion purred, her voice a sending a slight shiver down Eagles' spine and prompting her to lean a little closer to her girlfriend; painfully aware that they were in full view of thousands of people. The pair soon had their attention returned to the battle taking place by the sound of Qrow's amplified voice

"LUMIERE SEEMS TO BE ON THE ROPES HERE!"

"I wish I could have brought Marauder" Hellion huffed as she watched events unfold; Lux was putting up a valiant fight but Ranger Altan was utterly dominating him, controlling the pace of the fight and keeping too close for Corvid's ranged weapons to offer any real support as they forced the dapper Hunter to concede more and more ground as he was pushed closer to the edge of the arena. While Eagle couldn't hear anything that was being said it was apparent that Corvid had made to intercede, swooping low to pick Lux up and deposit him somewhere safely. Ranger and Blowzy however were already acting in unison, the martial artist sweeping Lux's feet from under him and hurling him into the air where he was struck by a blast from Blowzy's unique weapon and sent crashing out of the arena and the tournament. As Qrow and Oobleck announced the outcome of the attack Eagle was distracted from Corvid's retaliatory onslaught by the feeling of her Scroll vibrating in her pocket; she hurriedly withdrew the device and opened the text message which was, as she'd suspected from her mother, heart sinking as she read its' contents

' _There was an attempted break-in at Poly-Tech over the weekend; I've had to let Oz go due to his involvement. I had hoped that things would be taken care of by now but unfortunately I can't leave the office. I'm really sorry but I won't be able to make it tonight'_

"Are you okay?" Hellion asked, worried somewhat as she watched Eagle's expression turn from hopeful to crestfallen to angry in a matter of seconds

"Yeah I'm fine" the blonde snapped "It's not like this is a new thing, I don't even know why I expected anything else anyway"

"She's your mother"

"Only when it suits her" Eagle huffed, blinking tears out of her eyes "When she's got a problem with how I live my life or wants to score points over Qrow then she's my Mum, when it comes to actually being a parent….I get sent to my Grandparents house" Hellion was at a loss, she desperately wanted to do or say something that would help but had no real frame of reference for what a functioning nuclear family was meant to look like; after a few moments Eagle rose to her feet and simply said

"I'm going back to the academy, I don't even wanna be here" Hellion followed after her without a moments' hesitation.

* * *

In the arena Corvid Xiao Long was struggling with her own problems, though hers were far more straightforward than family complications or romance; she was simply trying to avoid being shot out of the air. Whilst Ranger Altan heavily specialised in close quarters combat and had few ways to effectively combat an airborne opponent with ranged weapons, the fact remained that Corvid was outnumbered and the protective shielding around the arena severely limited her options. Her tactical display informed her of a sudden build up of heat from behind one of the simulated ruins, indicating that Blowzy Glimmer was about to go on the offensive once again; the ruin was reduced to debris and fragments as the Omega Wing's rail-guns opened fire. Once again Corvid was forced to perform aerial acrobatics to avoid the return fire that left the air sizzling and charged whilst warnings flashed on Corvid's tactical display

"Fuck….really gonna make me do it" Corvid hissed through her clenched teeth, avoiding another burst of weaponised light aimed at one of the wings of her battle-suit. She had thus far been conducting herself with ruthless effectiveness but at the same time fairly in this tournament, Blowzy was forcing her hand. Corvid took a deep breath and prepared for the tone of the tournament and the coverage around it to change drastically as she acted the Omega Wing's shield generator

"Hey Daft Punk!" she called down to Blowzy, blasting through her latest cover "You hit hard….but I hit harder, better faster stronger!" with that she simply swooped down towards the petite Huntress in a devastating dive-bomb; Blowzy opened fire again only to be left in open mouthed shock as her laser weapon failed to connect, Corvid's forcefield rippling around her as she simply crashed into her opponent with shattering force. Blowzy was hurled back first by the impact, a forcefield connecting with her Aura sent tingling and stinging sensations throughout her whole body and left her temporarily stunned; providing Corvid all the opportunity she needed to fire both of her rail-guns at incredibly close range

"AND BLOWZY GLIMMER'S AURA HAS BEEN KNOCKED IT THE RED BY CORVID XIAO LONG….IN A DISPLAY OF QUESTIONABLE SPORTSMANSHIP" Oobleck announced and Corvid here the sound of the audience uniting against her, a dull droning of thousands of voices booing and jeering what they no doubt considered to be cheating

"IT'S A GREAT WEAPON" Qrow defended

"IN THE FIELD UNDOUBTEDLY" Oobleck countered "BUT IN A TOURNAMENT DESIGNED TO SHOWCASE ABILITIES IT SEEMS LIKE AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE-"

"Thought you were cooler than that Xiao Long, apparently not" Ranger spat as they stalked out of cover, twirling their scimitar "Seriously, Ruby Rose's niece, your own shield generator, you're related to the announcer and wasn't your Mum a teacher back home?….do you actually earn anything you win?"

"Fuck you!" Corvid spat, too furious to think of a more eloquent reply as she charged forwards; the Omega Wing's thrusters propelling her to incredible speed as she deployed her arm mounted blades only to hit nothing but air as Ranger leapt over her

"And with all that you still can't hit me" they snorted, Corvid let out a sound of pure frustration as she turned and opened fire with her rail-guns, levelling everything around where Ranger Altan had been stood. When the dust settled her opponent was several feet away from where they had been previously, sprawled on the ground with their Aura flickering. Her temper subsiding just enough for her to be somewhat reasonable Corvid deactivated her shields, the air visibly rippling around her as she did so; then deactivated the Omega Wings' ranged weapons for good measure

"Let's do this up close and personal" she growled out as her rail-guns retracted back over her shoulders. Ranger rose to their feet and straightened their back and Corvid prepared to engage her Semblance and weather the storm of blows she fully expected to come; instead Ranger chose to respond in a far more meaningfully offensive way

"Nah. You can have the win on paper but I'm not giving you the satisfaction. I forfeit" with that they turned and simply walked to the age of the arena where Blowzy was waiting and hopped off, leaving Corvid numb as she tried to process what had just transpired; clearly she was not the only one

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" Oobleck paused, seemingly needing a moment to choose his next words "RANGER ALTAN HAS FORFEITED THE MATCH, MEANING TEAM CLIR WILL PROGRESS TO THE SINGLES STAGE" the crowd erupted, though it was into the cheers that Corvid has envisioned for this moment; instead it was a cacophony of anger and disappointment from an audience that felt they'd been robbed and that Corvid was the one responsible. As chants began to gain some momentum she turned on her heel and left the arena, deciding that she had no interest in hearing what they thought of her. The Omega Wing peeled away from her and collapsed into its' aerial drone mode, hovering behind her as she made her way into the locker rooms. The first locker Corvid was within striking distance of crumpled under the force of a ferocious punch she unleashed on it, desperate for something to vent her emotions on

"Corey" Iris's tone was gentle and imploring "It won't help"

"Well what will help?" she demanded furiously "Two years we trained for this, we did it, we won, we came further than we did as first years….and the fuckers just stole our moment" Corvid admitted it sounded childish when said aloud but the fact remained; she'd worked hard for this moment and to have it tarnished and emptied of meaning in such a way was unbearable for her

"This aint your moment little lady" Rusty attempted to soothe her, whilst at the same time attending to Lux's bloody face "Your moment's when you wipe out everyone they put in front of you in the singles rounds. Your moment is when you win this whole darn tournament….cos you're Corey Xiao Long"

"This is gonna be hanging over us now" Corvid sighed dejectedly "I shouldn't have used the shields"

"Nonsense" a gruff voice grunted out "They should have prepared better for the unknown and unexpected. Storming off and claiming a moral victory when they couldn't beat you in combat is just being a coward and then lying about the cowardice" all eyes turned to Onyx Ursabane who had entered the locker room unheard

"Not that I don't appreciate the thought but what the hell are you doing sneaking in here?" Iris demanded hotly

"Exactly what it looks like" Onyx snorted "Assuring her that those weaklings out there who hide behind Hunters for protection have no right to an opinion….you would have been revered by my people; if not as an ally then at least an especially worthy opponent"

"Y'know toe-beans" Corvid sighed, deactivating the Omega Wing and sauntering over to the Faunus who towered almost a foot over her "Thanks" she gave a tired but warm smile. Neither of them were exactly sure what was going on between them, they certainly weren't dating that much was abundantly clear though ever since the dance the two had sought each other out whenever they were stressed, bored or simply in the mood and had been having semi-regular, consistently enjoyable sex; the condition that whatever happened between them remain private had been insisted upon by Corvid and Onyx had delivered thus far.

"Glad to help" the Puma Faunus grinned, she could almost hear the cogs turning in his mind as he thought how to proposition her without seeming crudely single-minded

"Hey Onyx" she ran a finger down his muscular chest as she stepped closer until there was almost no space between them; the moment she heard a low rumble of satisfaction escape him she gave a mischievous smirk and swept his legs out from beneath him, hurling the Faunus into a locker which she promptly closed behind him

"My Mum and Fluffy will probably be here any second I don't wanna explain why you're here" Corvid informed with an amused expression whilst her team-mates burst into fits of laughter "Besides, contrary to popular belief I've never hidden someone in my closet when my parents came home….this'll have to do"

* * *

The numb disbelief that the conflict with the White Fang could have been ended so neatly and with almost no additional bloodshed had been short lived; though the brutal way the Tarantula Faunus speaking on the High Commanders' behalf had been dispatched was unsettling it spoke of an eagerness for change, which Gangrel Slate could admit to himself that he fully intended on taking advantage of. Beyond the mission to Tartarus however the unrelenting bureaucratic drudgery of his job remained; resources had to be reallocated from the Vytal Tournament since the White Fang had failed to take the bait, the manhunt for the escaped Ozymandias Eldritch had to be co-ordinated, a dozen smaller operations required his oversight, there were reports to read and sign off as well as those he had to write himself, students from the graduating class of Atlas Academy who had been noted as suitable for the Specialist Branch would have to be approached. Gangrel had been glad when Winter had taken over as Team GORE's point of contact and handler, doubly so when Raffia Dirge's violent nature showed itself; the Bear Faunus was sure that if he had been the one tasked with tracking down the rogue agent he would most likely beat him to within an inch of his life when he found him, though he found brief respite from his seemingly unending work in the form of a message from Weiss, relayed via Winter and informing him that Coral's adoption process would be put into motion; both of his children having been on-board with the idea of gaining a sibling.

Currently however Gangrel was tense and filled with sense of foreboding; a little over an hour ago the Gespenst, which monitored a vast amount of radio chatter and Scroll communications at all times simply due to the nature of its' role had picked up what couldn't be described as anything other than an S.O.S; frantic and almost incoherent pleading for assistance while weapons and screams could be heard in the background. Thinking a settlement had been beset by Grimm Gangrel had been ready to relay the message to the nearest Atlesian ship he could order to act or scramble fighters, learning that the point of origin of the S.O.S had been Tartarus had changed matters. The Bear Faunus and half a dozen other heavily armed Specialists had taken one of the new state of art Manta Type 5 transports and sped towards the White Fang settlement whilst the Gespenst turned and followed behind, Chiffon assuring Gangrel that the weapons would be primed when the warship was within firing range.

"Sir we're approaching your previous drop zone" the pilot intoned, tension permeating their voices

"Bring us in closer" Gangrel ordered "Weapons ready but don't fire until I give the order, we're dropping in right on top of 'em" there were a few murmurs of agreement from the Specialists around him. Seconds ticked by seeming to stretch out far too long until the pilot spoke again

"Sir something's not right, I just did a thermal scan and….Holy Oum" Gangrel rose to his feet and entered the cockpit; amber eyes widening as he looked over the pilots' shoulder and saw the readings which could only have one explanation. As he looked out of the cockpit, greater than human eyes straining he saw that his fears were indeed correct; trails of smoke could only be seen faintly against the darkness but as they drew nearer to Tartarus the glow of flames was unmistakable.

"EVERYONE PREP FOR DROP! EXPECT HOSTILES! PILOT I WANT ICE DUST ROCKETS ON THOSE FIRES!" Gangrel received a chorus of compliances as he opened the hatch of the transport and hurled himself into the night air, teleporting with a dull crack and reappearing on the ground inside the wall of Tartarus, hands finding his weapons as his nostrils were assaulted by the smell of burning and the coppery scent of blood permeating everything beneath it. His fellow Specialists landed around him as the first Ice Dust rocket impacted against one of the many buildings within which blazing infernos raged; several passes around the settlement starved the flames of the fuel and oxygen they needed and reduced the flames to faintly glowing embers within charred and blackened husks

"Fan out, be ready for anything" Gangrel ordered stalking towards the building in which he had his audience with Kuro; he never reached it. Instead he whipped around as he heard one of his Specialists let out an exclamation behind him, only lowering his weapon once he was sure there was no assailant.

"Bodies sir" the Specialist explained, gesturing inside the building they had opened the door to and in doing so all but confirming Gangrel's worst fears.

"SIR WE'VE GOT A LIVE ONE!" a voice called out from behind a nearby building, adding "HE NEEDS MEDICAL EVAC ASAP THOUGH!" Gangrel sprinted towards the speaker and came skidding to a halt in a courtyard which by what could be inferred by the charred ruination littering it had been used to hold training drills. A far more macabre and prominent detail were the bodies littering the courtyard, Gangrel felt bile rise in his throat at the scale and extent of the horror as he saw just how of those bodies could be described as intact. His disgust was only magnified when he saw the survivor and knew instantly that they wouldn't last long enough for help to arrive.

"It was them wasn't it" Gangrel whispered as he brushed passed his fellow solider "It was the Cult of Taurus" the Scorpion Faunus who had killed Kuro managed to look at Gangrel with their single remaining eye, nodding slowly as blood bubbled out of their mouth in a failed attempt to speak. The Faunus was missing their tail and their body had been reduced to a bloody and ragged mess so thoroughly mangled that only the most severe injuries could be easily identified; his hands had been crushed into uselessness and his face had been simply ripped apart, Gangrel suspected by the torture devices that the head of this group of sociopaths wielded as weapons. As a final, killing blow the Scorpion Faunus had been impaled and was held suspended from the ground by a steel spike which burst through his ribcage.

"She….she" the Faunus struggled to speak, Gangrel saw the light leaving the mans' eye and new these were his final moments.

"She told them to kill me last, she told them to make me watch" a ripple of whispers passed through the Specialists who had been converging on Gangrel's location, each of them having found more bodies.

"The leader of the White Fang killed every man, woman and child here rather than let them pursue peace with Atlas" Gangrel murmured to the Specialist beside him, too stunned to fully process the carnage around him until a gunshot rang out

"Nevermore sir" one of his soldiers explained as they holstered their weapon "Grimm are gonna be swarming the place within the hour" Gangrel nodded in understanding and silently gave the order for the Specialists to fall back; the Grimm could be culled from the air. As he left the ruins of Tartarus the Bear Faunus couldn't shake the cold terror that gripped him; he had come seeking peace and others had paid the ultimate price for it, more than that he knew that this would only be the first retaliatory blow and whilst Gangrel couldn't say with any certainty where or when it would be he was sure that his family would have to be cautious and look over their shoulders until this nightmare ended.

 **Authors Notes:**

Well damn, that got dark….I mean the first introduction to the Cult of Taurus was a mutilated corpse but still.  
Anyway, we've got a couple more chapters of bringing the pieces together and then we're gonna be starting the Second year finale.  
Also, nearly died at work today….this being posted proves that explosions aren't that big of a deal.

Now, let's summarise shall we:  
Atlas gave Gang the authority to blow up an entire settlement, but diplomacy is pushing the boundaries; sounds like Atlas.  
Chiffon doesn't stay down for long.  
Landing strategies.  
Yes Chiffon just said that lol.  
Yeah Kuro has zero charisma.  
The scene where the Scorpion Faunus killed Kuro was based on something from Game of Thrones.  
"Let's go save the world" did anyone who read The Downward Spiral have feelings there?  
Her Semblance makes her immovable, it's literally Corvid's stubbornness manifested as a power.  
Seriously locker room security is a joke at this point; the guards are probably underpaid and have no interest in stopping horny teens with literal superpowers from fucking in the changing rooms.  
Corvid puns, and with _"Armed and Ready"_ it's a Xiao Long family heirloom.  
Blowzy Glimmer is a manic pixie dream girl….except she has a fucking laser and will kill you with it.  
Corvid is a horrendous flirt.  
Team CLIR have met Arslan Altan, confirmed.  
Ranger just snatching the arrow out of the air looked great in my head.  
Celeste wants a tour bus, because of course she does.  
Alpha is a creepy Fan-Girl.  
Still referencing "Peace Through Tyranny" because the IDW Transformers comics may have been rebooted but their legacy will live on.  
Seriously if you're glad to see the Cult of Taurus then everything that can go wrong obviously has.  
Alpha's announcement to Tartarus is identical to a death sentence that Celeste passed on someone in Vol.5.  
Eagle with tats….it's like a puppy with a Mohawk.  
Cyber-Pet is still adorable as hell.  
Poor Eagle.  
The Omega Wing having a forcefield generator combined with Corey's Semblance is actually kinda an unfair advantage; her opponents can't hit her Aura and she physically can't be removed from the ring….it's great against Grimm, but borderline cheating in a tournament.  
Ranger definitely touched a nerve there.  
That was probably the most insulting thing Ranger could possibly have done to Corvid's pride.  
So Corey and Onyx are….a thing.  
She threw him in a fucking locker.  
Being the head of the Atlas CIA involves a metric fuck-ton of paperwork.  
Coral is gonna be a Slate….now someone's just gotta talk to her about that.  
Yep, they did exactly what you thought they'd do….with gusto.  
Alpha found the guy who killed Kuro and used "Judgement" her torture-gloves on his face.  
So, this removes Tartarus from the equation….the White Fang having a base like that was always going to have to be resolved somehow; it also sets her off on the march to war for the finale.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Ferrous, iSassenach, Bankerrtx01, FleetOfWarships, Garthraxxus and Funlander for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Athena-Jade is a fucking treat to write.  
I work in Sheffield, your cousins accent is what I imagine working class Atlas sounding like.  
Oh yeah, I have plans for Oz….horrible, horrible plans.  
Oh yeah Nyanza's back is gonna be fucked for weeks even with Aura lol.  
I mean having Sentinel back will certainly help.  
Oz went ham, nobody had a chance.  
Felix's temper still needs work.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	81. One Step Forward

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 81: One Step Forward**

Following the conclusion of Vytal Tournaments' doubles round classes at Atlas Academy had resumed as normal; although with the prospect of the singles round fast approaching and the transfer students' from Halo, Shade and Haven Academies' time in the icy Kingdom rapidly drawing to a close the amount of attention being paid in classes was questionable at best. Such was the case in the second year Grimm Studies lecture that Team FADE were attending, presided over by Professor Tiffany Cornflower, a woman whose many prominent scars spoke of a lifetime spent facing the creatures of Grimm and whom was considered one of Atlas Academies' best teachers though how much she was actually teaching at present was debatable; Arctus and Diamond seemed to be paying attention and were combining their notes as they knew that they would most likely study together. To their right was Eagle who while attentive was not currently writing down anything that was said due to Hellion holding her dominant hand, the Dragonfly Faunus ignored the lesson in favour of sketching out tattoo designs in a notebook whilst beside her Carcharodon studied a different textbook laboriously with his still limited grasp of reading and writing in the Kingdoms' language, the Shark Faunus reasoned that he'd killed enough Grimm over the years to be able to safely ignore this lesson; Onyx was simply slumped over his desk seemingly barely awake. To Arctus and Diamond's left were Felix and Team NEON, the Lion Faunus and Helios chatting as animatedly as they could afford to without being noticed by the likeable but admittedly strict professor

"Holy shit" Felix breathed out, bright smile that had been on his face faltering for a moment "I just had an idea….we're both in the singles round; Heely what happens if we have to fight each other?" the normally studious redhead paused, lowering his pen and frowning a little as he considered the idea

"Then it will be the best performance of this tournament" his vivid green eyes seemed to light up at the notion "And I expect nothing but your best"

"Seriously, you want me to go all out on you?" Felix asked nervously

"Of course" Helios answered simply "Don't worry, I promise that whatever happens in the arena should we face each other will stay in the arena"

"Yeah but I don't wanna hurt your pretty face though" Felix joked, privately relieved by Helios's answer as the thought of having to risk his relationship for the sake of the tournament had worried him

"Likewise….an agreement then?"

"Not the face" Felix chuckled, unfortunately loud enough for Professor Cornflower to hear

"And since neither Mister Xiao Long or Mister Nikos are paying any attention I suppose now would be a good time to cut this lecture short"

"I was-" Felix attempted to find an excuse but was simply waved off

"The topic of will be covered further in third year, Grimm Studies I must remind you is a mandatory subject for all students which segues nicely into an announcement I need to make. There will be a seminar on Thursday evening regarding optional additional subjects and classes that can be taken and advice for which classes would be most suitable to make each of you as effective as possible at the kind of work you wish to do as Hunters; on Monday morning submission forms will be available in the cafeteria. Atlas students are required to submit their completed paperwork before the end of semester, the Academy will be happy to help transfer students deal with their individual cases" a ripple of excited muttering passed through the class, the professor having their undivided attention for the first time only for the moment to end as the bell rang signifying the end of the lecture. The buzz of enthusiastic chatter continued as the various students packed their belongings and filed out of the class, the majority making their way towards the cafeteria. Felix waited for the rest of Team FADE to regroup in the hallway before setting off at a leisurely pace

"Oh my Oum the new subjects are so cool!" Eagle gushed, unable to keep her excitement contained "You wanna learn to fly airships and fighters like Corey is?" Felix asked

"I mean I can already fly" Eagle noted with a proud smile "The Dust and workshop classes get way more advanced but some of the stuff we could learn would be amazing"

"I think we should take medical training" Diamond suggested "I know a little bit of first aid but we can't rely on a hospital being nearby if our Aura breaks….especially since I'm guessing everyone here wants to Hunt Grimm rather than go into law enforcement?"

"Yeah, yeah that's a good point" Felix murmured "You're right….I'd rather fight Grimm"

"Then there's litigation classes" Arctus noted "I mean if we're going Grimm Hunting we could be in other Kingdoms' territory-"

"Yeah but you're from Atlas and Dee's from Mistral" Felix countered "Between us Team FADE already know the laws in three Kingdoms….and it's not like anyone in Vaccuo gives a fuck about the law"

"Little racist there Fluffy" Diamond warned him

"Ugh" Eagle huffed "Only giving us a weekend to start making choices isn't fair, especially when there's people still training for the tournament as well" Felix paused

"Well Blake's going back to Patch tonight. Me and Corey are going to say our goodbyes, I'll talk it over with both of them and get some advice"

"I could call some of my Aunts but….yeah, family stuff" Eagle sighed stuffing her hands into the pockets of her uniform jacket as she seemed to fold in on herself

"Hey, it'll work itself out" Diamond assured her

"And if it doesn't….I have a family full of bad-ass blondes that you already have a membership card for" Felix joked, getting a small giggle out of his partner. Eagle wrapped an arm around each of their shoulders, simply declaring

"I'm really I happy I met you guys; I can't imagine having better friends to fight giant monsters with"

* * *

Celeste Lupus sat alone in a darkened room, barely large enough to be called anything other than a cell and containing only the uncomfortable bed upon which she sat cross-legged, a small desk upon which lay the original copies of Adam Taurus's writing, _'_ _Towards Peace'_ which the Ram Faunus had recovered before having Tartarus put to the torch and her own armour standing like a silent and menacing sentinel in the corner of the room; its' glossy surfaces reflecting light the improvised recharging station that her followers had hastily cobbled together upon her arrival; said light being the only thing illuminating the spartan room, casting Celeste in an eerie hue as she considered how best to marshal her remaining forces against the enemy that had forced her hand.

Her current position was one that had quickly become the norm since she had arrived at this particular White Fang cell inside of Atlas; she had refused meals and had neither offered or requested counsel from any of those that ran her organisation whilst she was indisposed, instead retracting into herself as she contemplated the loss of her home and all those who had lived there. The Ram Faunus would never see the destruction of Tartarus as her doing, the lies and treachery spread by the traitor Gangrel Slate had condemned those living within her settlement the moment they began to listen; in her mind all Celeste had done was cleanse the Faunus race with fire and righteous fury of those who would sell their brothers and sisters to the human oppressors for scraps and to do otherwise would make her no better than they were; a coward who couldn't stay the course. Nevertheless the destruction of Tartarus and the ease with which it had been done shook her to her core, the fact that so many of her followers could be swayed so easily had tainted the recent string of victories and the knowledge that while she was rallying her troops after exploiting Atlas's distraction whilst their attention was elsewhere the Atlesians had exploited her own distraction in turn enraged her.

Celeste's first instinct had been to send the Cult of Taurus from one cell of the White Fang to the next, seeking out any others who lacked the proper dedication to the cause and making an example; the High Commander had quickly discarded the idea, reasoning that turning on her own people on a large scale was exactly the sort of thing that the human oppressors would want her to do.

The second notion to occur to her had been violent and bloody retribution against Gangrel Slate; to strike at his wife or children and make him understand loss, that too had been cast aside as Celeste realised that Gangrel Slate may be a traitor but he was by no means stupid and would expect such a thing; attacking Weiss Slate formerly Schnee in her own home or an SDC building would take monumental planning and was still all but certain to cost her several dozen lives in the process, attacking Atlas Academy were their son was currently studying was simply a foolish notion to even entertain leaving Celeste mentally running in circles as she sought an angle of attack.

"There must be an answer" she hissed out as she rose to her feet, joints aching from remaining stationary for so long crossing the room in a single stride she took the manuscripts penned by Adam Taurus and began to read the texts that she had long since memorised in search of answers; stopping with wide eyes as she read a paragraph in which Adam recounted his execution of Jacques Schnee

"I have been weak….inexcusably weak" Celeste cursed herself as she answer became clear; when Adam Taurus had been directly challenged by the leader of the then fledgling Coalition who had been working alongside the SDC his response had been direct and bloody retribution. Celeste had been similarly challenged, Atlas had displayed her failures for all to see in the form of Team GORE and her response had been misdirection, simply nipping at the heels of softer targets whilst the true enemy went unpunished. Celeste set down the writings, lest she destroy the nearest thing to hand in her sudden anger at her own cowardly ineffectiveness. A moment later the small room was filled with the sound of Celeste's armour being activated as she donned it and placed her mask over her face, sheathing Wilt she almost tore the door from the hinges as she left the room she stalked through the hallways of the legitimate business this cell was using as a cover until she encountered one of her followers, a young Spider Faunus whose presence Celeste found some comfort in

"High Commander!" the young woman stood to attention

"Take me to your commanding officer" Celeste ordered "I want word sent to every single branch and cell of the White Fang to begin preparations"

"Preparations for what?" the Spider Faunus covered her mouth as she realised that she had just openly questioned the High Commander; Celeste merely gave a smile that could only be described as feral before answering

"War"

* * *

Gangrel marched through the corridors of the ship that served as his home away from home, though nothing would ever truly have the same feeling as returning to the manor where Weiss and their children were. He neared his destination and was unable to shake a sense of trepidation as he considered if what he was here to do made him manipulative. Coral Scylla had been informed about the fate of her parents several hours ago, a senior Specialist aboard the Gespenst who knew of Gangrel's intentions taking the dubious honour of being the one to tell the girl, offering to spare him from having to be the proverbial bad cop in this scenario; now it fell to the Bear Faunus to present her with an option better than the ones he had been afforded as a child. As he reached the entrance to the quarters which had been given to the girl he gently rapped against its' metallic surface before opening the door with a soft hiss of air

"Sorry" Coral mumbled and what she was apologising for was plain to see, in her grief she all but destroyed the room; claws having ripped small gouges into the walls, the television suffering from a broken screen and the mattress that she sat on opened and gutted. Gangrel let out a slow exhale, forcing himself to swallow a lump in his throat at a sight that was hauntingly familiar before simply sitting down beside Coral on the ruined mattress

"It's okay….it hurts, trust me I know it hurts"

"How do you know?" Coral muttered, suddenly angry as she curled up and hugged her knees; Gangrel noted that as well as the dried tears on her face the pincers she had in place of hands had been scuffed and suffered several small chips to their chitinous surfaces, most likely when she cut into the walls

"I lost my Mum when I was three" Gangrel answered "I can't even really remember her….My Dad went to prison for five years when I was seven for being part of the White Fang. I know because I've been there kid, I know what it's like to think you're on your own and I'm really sorry that it's happened to you"

"I just wanna go home, I wanna see my Mum and Dad" Coral whimpered with fresh tears in her eyes

"I know you do kid" Gangrel assured her, privately refusing to add to her misery by telling her what had befallen her home and simply saying "But I don't think you're gonna be able to see your Dad" Coral stared at him for a moment with evident fear in her pale brown, almost amber eyes

"What's gonna happen to me?" she sniffled, wiping her eyes with the back of her claw "I don't wanna be stuck in an orphanage….bad guys always go after the orphans" Gangrel had to stop himself from bursting out laughing at that, the observation sounded so much like something Athena-Jade would say that it convinced further still that this was the correct course of action

"Well you can't stay on the Gespenst forever" Gangrel noted "But, I do have a pretty big house that's on top of a mountain, kinda like Tartarus….you could stay with my family for a while if you want?" he offered the solution as a temporary one, not wanting to appear as though he were attempting to replace the family Coral had just lost; knowing that she would resent the effort

"I thought you just lived here?" Coral gestured around her to the ship as a whole

"It feels like I do sometimes" Gangrel muttered, once again struggling not to laugh "But no, there's a big house in Atlas where me, my wife, my son and daughter, my wife's brother and for the moment my Dad all live….and our dog, it's nice and we've got spare rooms"

"They won't want me to come" Coral murmured sadly "Other kids don't like me….they call me 'fingers' and won't play with me because I haven't got hands" Gangrel immediately wanted to give the child a hug, the fact that even within an entirely Faunus community she'd still grown up being singled out for her Faunus traits was heartbreaking

"I can promise you that won't happen" Gangrel told her "I've already told my daughter that there might be another little girl coming to stay with us and she can't wait to be friends with you" Coral made a non-committal noise, as though she didn't quite believe what was being said but didn't want to speak out of turn

"Pinky promise" Gangrel stated simply as he held out is left hand, cybernetic finger extended; Coral absently hooked the tip of her pincer around the digit and gave the best pinky promise she could while asking

"Why are you doing this for me? Everybody said you're a bad person who hates other Faunus"

"Because I've always wanted to try and help people and make things better….The way the people that say that do things only helps one group of people, I'd rather help everybody"

"Okay" Coral mumbled, still seemingly unsure but choosing to change subjects rather than press the issue "Am I gonna be in trouble for messing up my room?"

"Not this time" Gangrel assured her "But you're gonna be helping to fix it" Coral let out a sigh of relief, clearly focusing her mind of the parts of her situation she could understand and use to allow herself some kind of normalcy, Gangrel made a note that he would see that she had another appointment with the ships' psychiatrist for her own good. Turning his attention to the thoroughly trashed room and in particular the broken television he decided to play his hand

"Well you're not gonna be able to watch the Vytal Tournament on that any more" he observed gravely

"Awww" Coral moped "But the singles rounds start soon, they're gonna be awesome!" Gangrel grinned, exactly as planned

"I know they are, did you see the match Felix Xiao Long and Diamond Sustrai-Black?"

"The Lion Faunus, yeah" Coral nodded "The High Commander says the same things about somebody called Xiao Long that she does about you"

"Well, when I was in an orphanage it was with Felix's Mum; which makes me his uncle" that wasn't quite how family worked but with the upbringing Gangrel had Blake and Yang's kids were his family, simple as that "And Diamond is actually my son's girlfriend"

"NO WAY!" Coral gasped

"So" Gangrel drew the word out, seemingly contemplating "I've actually got a spare ticket; do you want to come and watch the Vytal Tournament with me and meet my family before you come and stay with us?" Coral was almost bouncing up and down with excitement now, her previous woes forgotten for the moment

"Can I really?"

"Of course you can" Gangrel nodded, unable to keep the smile from his face "We'll get you some new clothes and everything"

* * *

Felix had left the Killer-Bee at Atlas Academy, noting that he would get far more opportunities to drive and push the muscle car to its' limits when Team FADE returned to New Vale. Instead he and Corvid had taken a flight to the capital of Eisenstadt Prime where they had met with Blake; their mother taking them to a small diner on the way towards the terminal that her cross-Kingdom flight would leave from, owned by a feline Faunus by the name of Luna that Blake had greeted as an old friend though neither of her children could ever remember seeing her before. Currently evening was fading into night and the artificial cycle of day and night within the hive cities was making its' presence known as the overhead lights mounted into the ceiling of each of the hives' layers began to dim to the bare minimum and the temperature noticeably dropped, an effort to both save Dust and discourage loitering and antisocial behaviour in the poorer districts buy simply making being out of ones' home unpleasant. Blake and her children were making their way through the streets leading towards the airship terminal which were filled at all hours with pan-handlers and street merchants attempting to make quick Lien from unwary tourists, as well as all manner of illicit activities if one knew where to look; though that was none of the trios' concern

"Shame you can't stay another week" Felix sighed "Would have been nice to have you at the tournament for the one on ones"

"Don't worry, Yang and I will be watching" Blake assured him before turning to Corvid "Both of you….don't let the way your last match ended get to you Corey, you're great at what you do"

"Thanks Mum" Corvid's steely grey eyes softened "Just got under my skin y'know….whatever it's fine, their opinions don't matter"

"You know you can talk to us" Blake offered, concerned as always by her daughters' propensity for masking her problems and dealing with things alone as long as possible

"Alright, alright….can we just go back to teasing Felix for being an adorable little sap"

"Hey fuck you" Felix shot back with a grin

"Language" Blake interjected, seemingly without even needing to think before doing so. The conversation at the diner had focused heavily on Felix and his teams' third year options and eager both Xiao Long siblings were to be back home, though it had been generously sprinkled with good natured teasing of the Lion Faunus for how utterly in love he clearly was

"Helios seems like a nice boy and I'm sure Yang is going to love him when she finally gets to meet him" Blake assured her son, before flashing Corvid a wicked smile "But if you want someone to tease Corey, how about you introduce me to whoever gave you that hickey that you think I haven't noticed?" Corvid's hand flew to her neck and her eyes widened as she barely managed to prevent a slew of curses from leaving her as adjusted her fur-lined collar

"Or….and hear me out; we could not do that" Blake merely sighed and shook her head as she tightened her coat around herself, the deep purple tailcoat with a fur collar that Yang had given her as a gift keeping the Atlesian chill at bay; before the conversation could go any further the sound of screeching tires and roaring engines reached both Blake and Felix's ears, Corvid noticing that something was amiss a moment later as the two Faunus turned

"What on Remnant…." Blake trailed off, eyes widening as the commotion became clear; a pair of unmarked and unobtrusive white vans of the kind used by tradesmen everywhere came barrelling down the street, sending pedestrians fleeing to avoid being mowed by until they came to skidding halts on either side of Blake and her children

"Kids" Blake warned "Go"

"Not a fucking chance" Corvid answered while Felix simply let out a guttural growl, both of them sharing their mothers' suspicions which were proven correct when half a dozen masked and crudely armed Faunus came pouring out of each van, pointing the assortment of baseball bats, crowbars and knives the wielded at the trio as menacingly as they could whilst one of them spoke

"Blake Belladonna-"

"Xiao Long actually, has been for years" Blake corrected as she began unbuttoning her coat and rolling her shoulders back; her aggressor continued

"On your knees and put your hands behind your head….you'll make a good enough prisoner for the High Commander on your own, don't put up a fight and the kids can go" Blake looked at the vehicles and weapons their attackers had used, combined with the utter lack of anything resembling strategy and saw the group for what they were; a bunch of disorganised opportunists eager to try and improve their standing within the White Fang. Blake easily dismissed them as utterly unthreatening and was about to make a counter-offer involving their surrender, then she saw Felix start walking towards the reptilian Faunus who had spoken.

Felix heard both Corvid and Blake's frantically hissed commands for him to stay where he was, however compliance was utterly beyond the Lion Faunus at that moment; hands balled into white-knuckled fists and deep blue eyes furious as all of the self control his anger management and therapy sessions with Neptune David-Vasilias came crashing down

"Back off kid, you'll get yourself hurt!" the Lizard Faunus who had offered terms warned, a switch-blade finding its' way into his left palm. Felix's response was instant and effective, he grabbed the mans' wrist with his own left before delivering an Aura fuelled punch with his right to his adversaries' elbow; breaking the mans' arm with a clearly audible snap followed by screams of pain which were soon cut short as Felix landed a head-butt with enough force to send a web of cracks across the surface of the White Fang grunts' mask

"This is what threatening my Mum gets you" Felix snarled savagely before hoisting the lizard Faunus up by the scruff of the neck and hauling them face first into the wind-shield of the van they'd arrived in. The sound of shattering glass seemed to break the stunned daze immobilising the other White Fang, all of whom promptly rushed towards Felix with their weapons at the ready. The first to draw close carried a golf club though before they could swing they found themselves tackled to the floor as Corvid launched herself into the fray, rendering the bushy tailed Faunus she'd floored unconscious with a kick to the face before setting about proving exactly why the name Corvid Xiao Long was feared on Patch.

"FLUFFY BEHIND YOU!" Blake's warning almost came too late, Felix span and instinctively raised his left arm, hand covering his ear and elbow extended forwards as he blocked; even despite his Aura the feeling of a crowbar connecting with his arm was unpleasant. Before Felix could counter-attack his assailant dropped to the ground clutching at a leg which now bent at a distinctly unnatural angle, the image of Blake Belladonna, a clone created by her Semblance fading away into nothingness whilst Blake herself shrugged her coat off of her shoulders and flexed her right hand causing the golden bracelet she wore to expand outwards and reveal the original right half of Ember Celica. Blake wasted no words and simply began her systematic and unrelenting decimation of the attackers in a way that impressed upon Corvid and Felix exactly why their mother was considered one of the best Hunters of her generation; Blake was seemingly everywhere at once and yet nowhere, disabling one foe with exactly as much force as required before her Semblance allowed her to slip away into darkness; evading retaliatory attacks and appearing behind her next target. Were her children in any state of mind for pop culture references Blake's onslaught would have put them in mind of both a ninja and the villainous monster of a slasher movie; as it was they were left in stunned silence when the ground was littered with injured and unconscious Faunus within a minute

"Holy Oum….Mums' a bad-ass" Corvid breathed out, attempting to add some levity to the situation

"Still one left!" Felix snarled as he caught movement behind one of the vans, the last remaining grunt sprinting down a side street as the Lion Faunus made to leap over the hood of the vehicle and chase them down only to be halted by Blake's hand on his shoulder

"You've done enough….don't follow them into a trap; we'll help the authorities when they get here" Felix, breathing ragged as the adrenaline left him pulled his mother into a hug

"Sorry for rushing in….they threatened you and-"

"I know" Blake assured him gently, a touch of amusement seeping into her voice "You're so like Yang"

"Thanks" Felix grinned, taking the comparison as a compliment; brow furrowing as he heard the sirens that signified the Atlesian police finally making an appearance "Looks like you're gonna miss your flight"

* * *

Eagle let out a hiss of pain through clenched teeth as Hellion's needles found their mark once again

"Almost done little canary" the Dragonfly Faunus herself soothed, planting a gentle but decidedly teasing kiss on the blonde Huntresses neck before leaning back and carefully scrutinising her work as she straddled Eagle's hips. The piece was large and intricate, easily one of the finest Hellion had ever designed and she had been ecstatic when Eagle had not only agreed to being tattooed but also decided that this was her favourite of the many designs her girlfriend had sketched. From her spine to her right shoulder a bird of prey was depicted swooping down on a pack of stylised creatures of Grimm whilst a double crescent moon evoking the Arc family emblem hung overhead, it's significance was clear to any who saw the tattoo however a close inspection would reveal that the body and talons of the bird were comprised of countless intricately tattooed gears whilst in place of feathers the birds wings were adorned with the glyphs of the Frost River Tribes' written language, detailing Eagle's victories. The piece was still incomplete as Hellion noted she would only be able to finish the line-work tonight however it was still impressive; that she had created such a work of art in the old way without any of the modern guns was a testament to both her own skill and Eagle's stamina; though if one were to glance at Eagle's left shoulder they would see that she had been more than adequately compensated for her patience. Eagle's shirt had naturally had to be removed for the tattoo and with the blonde's permission Hellion had unclasped her bra leaving her view of the toned and defined muscles of Eagle's back and shoulders' unrestricted, each time Eagle had let out a sound of pain of discomfort Hellion had kissed, teased and gently bitten at the soft and freckled skin until Hellion let out a quiet moan of pleasure; as Hellion delivered the last few pin pricks she noted that Eagle's left shoulder and neck were covered in fresh love bites

"It looks perfect" the Faunus purred as she took in all of her handiwork with a sly smile

"Can I see?" Eagle asked, Hellion kissed her cheek before leaving the pushed together beds that Team GORE slept on and plucked Eagle's Scroll from where she had left it before opening the dormitory window and allowing Marauder to glide into the room, the raptor letting out a disgruntled squawk at being forced to wait outside for so long whilst Hellion focused. Returning to the bed Hellion took a picture of Eagle's tattoo on the Scroll, noting both how adept she was becoming at using the devices and that the camera made the flesh around the ink look more reddened and raw than it truly was.

"Oh my gosh it looks so cool! Thank you so much I love it!" Eagle gasped as Hellion showed her the picture, her words speeding up to the blondes' customary excitable chattering; she made to roll over and talk to the Dragonfly Faunus face to face only for Hellion's hands to clamp down on her upper arms gently but firm enough to hold her in place

"I wouldn't suggest lying down on that so soon" she noted before giving Eagle a questioning look as the blonde's cheeks coloured and her breath audibly caught in her throat

"That-that was um, that was…." she trailed off, cheeks flushed scarlet and Hellion suspected that if she released the blondes' arms she would immediately hide her face behind her hands. Instead Hellion gently took her girlfriends' earlobe between her teeth and ran her hands from the blondes' arms along her sides and down her toned stomach

"Tell me you want this" the indescribably seductive whisper in Eagle's ear came as Hellion fumbled with the button of her jeans; speaking was utterly beyond Eagle at that moment and instead she responded the only way she could, by unfastening the jeans herself and reaching around run her fingers through Hellion's hair. A whimper of intense pleasure escaped the blonde the moment her lovers' hand slipped between her thighs, touching her gently through her underwear only for the moment to seemingly shatter around them as the unmistakable sound of Eagle's Scroll filled the dorm.

"Oh my Oum" Eagle gasped out in mortification "Why is my Mum calling now?" Hellion's only response was a stream of curses in her native tongue whose meanings the blonde wasn't exactly sure she wanted to know. Quickly pulling the bedsheets over herself and refusing to allow herself to consider whose part of the shared bed this actually was she answered the video call, Hellion slinking into place beside her and wrapping an arm around Eagle's waist as she entered the frame

"Hello Eagle" Antonia Arc pointedly refused to acknowledge Hellion's presence "I thought we should talk"

"I thought we were gonna talk before, you didn't turn up" Eagle answered coldly, the tone and harshness of her crimson eyes stunning both Antonia and Hellion

"And I called to apologise and explain myself properly" Antonia sighed, before taking note of Hellion for the first time "Can I have a moment with my daughter please?" despite the tone Antonia used being enough get under the Faunus's skin she still made to leave the bed, only for Eagle to gently take her hand in a silent request that she stay

"No" Eagle answered calmly "Hellion is part of my life whether or not you approve, she's staying"

"I see" Antonia ground out, brow furrowing in an expression that Hellion noted was remarkably similar to her daughters' before the older woman continued "Look, Hellion is it? I will put this as plainly as I can; your people kidnapped me and hurt several of my employees and no amount of tragic backstory will change the contempt and disgust I hold your actions in-"

"I-"

"That being said" Antonia cut across the interruption "I've lost family to war and seen what it does to people; and you clearly mean a lot to my daughter….so I am willing to give you a chance"

"Thank you" Hellion nodded graciously, personally she cared little for Antonia Arc's opinion of her but since it was important to Eagle the Faunus would do everything in her power to keep the two of them on civil terms

"So how come you didn't turn up?" Eagle asked, stony facade breaking as she added "It seemed important"

"Ozymandias….that bastard" Antonia hissed, shocking her daughter with the language "Has been selling guns and Dust to the White Fang as well as leaking information to them….that's why the security robots failed to respond when they attacked you in Gerat-Handlung"

"I'll tear his heart out!" Hellion spat, she didn't know this Ozymandias and didn't need to; the fact that he'd dared risk Eagle's life was a death sentence in the Faunus's mind, Antonia's lips twitched upwards at the corners despite herself before she continued

"He was caught attempting to steal assets from our headquarters, he was injured but is still at large and is considered armed and extremely dangerous"

"Oh my gosh" Eagle breathed out "Are you okay?"

"I am" Antonia nodded "I was just unable to leave the premises whilst the Specialist Branch were investigating….I would like to see you soon, we can meet at the next round of the Vytal Tournament if you'd like?"

"I would" Eagle admitted with a smile Antonia looked from her daughter to Hellion before letting a soft sigh

"I'll let you go, I'm sure you've got assignments to work on"

"Um, yeah sure okay" Eagle answered, the call ended and its' abruptness left the blond perplexed until her deep crimson eyes widened in horrified shock as the realisation hit her

"Oh my Oum" she whispered "I was just in a video call with my Mum in your bed with almost no clothes on" he cheeks almost glowed with embarrassment whilst Hellion's only response was to double over with manic laughter.

* * *

Whilst the Xiao Long family had elected to detain the members of the White Fang that had been subdued during their ill thought out attack, the lone escaping Faunus had still been followed as they fled through Eisenstadt prime, changing their clothes and burning their uniform as they plunged further into the lowest reaches of the hive city; all the while unaware of a diminutive figure shadowing their every move and waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Raffia Dirge was currently perched on a stack of pallets outside of the small workshop manufacturing some manner of machinery that the lone Faunus had fled into and peering in through a grime encrusted window. The Axolotl Faunus highly doubted that the imbecile who had failed in their attack and then allowed themselves to be followed to their safe-house would be allowed to know anything of any value, though Raffia's face still split into a manic grin as he watched the Faunus be verbally reprimanded by other members of the White Fang; it was a simple matter of figuring out which was in charge and forcing the information he wanted out of them. Their were half a dozen on the dimly lit workshop floor in total, discounting the young man with webbed fingers that Raffia had followed left a pair of canine Faunus who had contributed little to the meeting taking place whom Raffia also dismissed, an insectoid Faunus with antennae who seemed far too jumpy to be in charge but could also give his position away, the Axolotl decided to deal with that one first before turning his attention to the remaining two; a gorilla Faunus who loomed silently behind a young woman with a distinctly reptilian tail who paced as she ranted. Despite being unable to hear what was being said it was still clear who was in charge after studying the group for a moment, all that remained to be decided was a plan of attack.

"Far too obvious" Raffia breathed out almost silently as he regarded the pair of swords at his waist; simply using his weapons in their ranged mode to tear through the workshop and lay waste to his enemies was out of the question, he was still wanted by Atlas and his weapons were certainly distinctive if not unique. Looking around he took stock of his surroundings and what was available to him, the pallets he was perched upon were situated in a small yard at the rear of the building where deliveries were processed and recycling bins were stored, as a patch of metal devoid of rust or corrosion caught the limited and dimmed light from the ceiling of the hive layer a notion struck the raider and he swiftly sprung into action, taking care to remain utterly silent as he slunk down from his position and over to a large container of Atlesian steel that was due to be recycled; a curse almost escaped his lips as metal scraped against metal audibly when he cautiously removed a length of steel pipe, giving it a few test swings before deciding it would suit his needs. He then plucked a small piece of broken machinery whose purpose he was unsure of but fit easily in his palm and had enough heft for a part of Raffia's plan which was admittedly simple but was one that had served the Shadow Cadre well several times. Returning to the pallets he took note of which fire escape the White Fang would most likely use to enter the yard and promptly hurled the piece of machinery at a nearby section of the fence separating the workshop from the other businesses around it, he didn't have to wait long

"Who's there!" the voice belonged to the insectoid Faunus with the antennae who reached into their jacket as they stepped out into the yard but didn't draw their weapon, their tone was an obvious attempt to mask their own fear despite the rest of the group following them out into the darkness. Raffia made his move and vowed to give no quarter as he attacked, he hurled the steel pipe like a javelin before leaping after it; the metal crashed into the insects' skull with a sickening crack and they fell to the floor bleeding, convulsing and unconscious

"GRAB HIM-ARGH SHIT!" the amphibious Faunus Raffia had followed to this place was first reduced to screams of pain and then just as quickly silenced as the raider clutched the pipe in both hands lashing out with first his left hand and breaking the young mans' leg at the knee and then striking them across the face with enough force to send blood and teeth littering the ground. Raffia simply moved onto his next target, weaving around a wild swing of the gorilla Faunus's meaty fists and rushing passed them to the two canines, one of whom had pulled a revolver and was attempting to take aim, Raffia hurled the pipe in his hands at the one without the gun and forced them to block as he rushed the gunman, seizing their wrist and using his momentum to turn and hurl them over his shoulder to the ground before breaking the wrist of the hand still holding the revolver and wrestling for control of the weapon. Six shots rang out before the weapon was emptied, one went wide but the second canine Faunus, who had picked up the steel pipe Raffia had used was now crumpled on the floor with blood trickling through their fingers as they clutched at a wounded leg; the gorilla Faunus lay motionless on the ground with four bullets in their chest and lifeless eyes. a cruel smirk played on Raffia's face as he lost himself for a moment, indulging in what had once simply been his way of life only for it to be replaced with mild annoyance as his cheekbone cracked and the coppery taste of his own blood filled his mouth when a heavy iron chain collided with his face

"WHO THE FUCK SENT YOU?" the reptilian Faunus whom Raffia was right to assume had been in charge demanded as she swung the chain in a circle like a lasso, building up momentum for another blow

"I ask the questions" he spat, launching himself into a series of acrobatic blows which were parried even as he forced the woman back until she lashed out again, Raffia leaned back and allowed the chain to pass over him before reaching out and snatching it whilst back-flipping away; the White Fang fighter lost her improvised weapon and balance and a moment later Raffia had used his freshly stolen chain to sweep her legs out from under her

"As I said, I have questions to ask" the Axolotl Faunus all but cackled as he wrapped the chain first around her neck, then dragged her towards the fence around the building which he promptly tied her to. She looked on with horror as Raffia crossed the yard to retrieve the steel pipe and found herself desperately struggling with the chain as she saw him deliver blows to the skulls of both canine Faunus who despite their injuries had remained conscious, the blood that arced up from the impacts and spattered the walls and floor made it clear that her attacker was perfectly comfortable with killing and redoubled her efforts as he stalked towards her once more

"Don't struggle" he warned simply, the pipe hitting her hand with a clear cracking of bone

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?" she demanded

"The White Fang's plans….I want everything you know about what they're planning"

"I'll never tell you-" the defiance was silenced and the reptilian Faunus bit down on her lip hard enough to draw blood as the pipe struck a portion of her foot not covered by the steel plating within her boot, another lance of pain through her body as bone broke

"If it wasn't for the gunshots I would have had time to convince you" Raffia chuckled menacingly, Aura rippling into view as the bruising around his face where she'd struck him faded away "But now the authorities are on the way and I have to work quickly" with that chilling thought vocalised he placed the pipe over her right eye so that the rim of the metal was pressed into her cheek and eyebrow and Raffia braced himself, taking care to tread on her scaly tail before stating simply

"I have enough Aura to spare as you can see….either you talk or I will put this pipe through your skull and get answers from someone else" she remained steadfast and silent until Raffia began to make good on his threat, applying pressure as he put his weight on the pipe which began to cut into her flesh; sapping her resolve in seconds

"Okay! Okay I'll talk"

"Good choice" Raffia grinned, the predatory smile never leaving his face.

* * *

The White Fangs' attack on the Xiao Long family had caused havoc for transport in the area, both within the Kingdom and the inbound and outbound flights from the cross-Kingdom airship terminal that Blake Xiao Long had been making her way towards. The delays and the massive amounts of additional screening and security checkpoints that had caused them, in addition to the laborious and monotonous process that came with giving a witness statement and being cleared to leave the Kingdom by the Atlesian police had led to a delay of several hours before Blake finally found herself in the air; settling into a seat with a view and opening a good book, one that Felix had borrowed and finally returned, as she knew that getting any sleep during the journey would be impossible for her. As the feline lost herself in the pages of the familiar novel she was blissfully unaware that she was being watched, her superior hearing tuning out the ambient sounds of the airship and the other passengers around her; including the footsteps of Ozymandias Eldritch as he turned away and made his way into a private cabin that he'd paid for.

"It would serve no purpose" he sighed, quashing the ever more insistent voice which whispered schemes into his mind and had become a constant pulsing drone in his psyche since the events within the Toy-box; the urge to maim the Faunus felt like an old grudge and was utterly at odds with the vaguely feminine voices' usual demeanour. Putting the matter aside the treacherous scientist ensured that any and all hidden cameras and listening devices Atlas may hide within the cabins of its' commercial flights were dealt with before making his way into the small en-suite bathroom attached to his cabin; staring into the mirror with detached distaste for the sight that greeted him. Whilst the powers of the Wizard and emergency measures that he put in place for just such an occasion and had allowed him to skirt many of the barriers between himself and escaping the icy Kingdom, he had been able to avoid facial recognition technology due to the mass of bandages utterly hiding his appearance; he noted that it was perhaps a high price to pay as he began unravelling the bandages and took in the sight of what remained of his face. The damage was catastrophic, even the unnatural powers that Ozymandias had found himself with being strained by just the task of keeping him alive; his left eye was simply gone and whilst his jawbone was now fully attached to his skull his mouth was pulled into a twisted and lopsided expression by the angry red, raw and still blackened in some places sinew, slowly being covered by a mass of scar tissue which spanned from his left cheek, almost touching the corner of his mouth and encompassed much of the left side of his face and the entire side of his head.

"A suitable mask will have to be found" Ozymandias noted, whilst he had never been a vain man and didn't consider the loss of whatever physical charm he may have had to be an issue, he was aware enough to note that his current appearance would attract far too much attention and would possibly be disconcerting to people whose trust he would need. Fortunately it had not been for nothing; whilst the object that he had sought to retrieve from Poly-Techs' most secret vault, the same five and a half foot tall container he had sent the White Fang in search of, remained within the possession of Antonia Arc Ozymandias had already put plans into motion that ensured it would not remain there for too much longer. Project Snare would continue to progress without his expertise and he knew he would be able to reverse engineer whatever developments were made with ease; all in all the mad scientist knew that his time in Atlas had come to an end, it was time to move onto the next stage of his plans and oversee other ventures more directly than he had been; as he prepared fresh bandages he murmured to himself

"Let's see what New Vale brings, shall we"

 **Authors Notes:**

Okay so this one was filler, but it sets up the pieces for the finale which we'll be moving into next chapter; and gets some more groundwork laid for Vol.7-9/Third year.  
I'm beyond hyped for Vol.6 Ep12 as I type this and I'll come out and say it Rooster Teeth have outdone themselves, RWBY Vol.6 is the best it's ever been and off of the strength of this volume I'm gonna give GEN: Lock a watch when it premieres.  
Also I'd like to thank one of my readers, Garthraxxus for giving me a name for the Corvid x Onyx ship; henceforth the ship shall be known as "Air-Raid".

Anyway let's summarise:  
The different study habits or lack thereof of the different students is interesting to write, like that scene with Team RWBY in Vol.1 where you can easily see the different character of each of them.  
Car is serious about becoming a Huntsman with his team; even if he hasn't found Raffia yet and he's willing to study to get up to par on subjects he's lacking in.  
Wonder why Onyx is half asleep lol.  
Of course Helios wouldn't hold back, of course he wants Felix to go all out on him….I'm sure they'd make it up to each other after….if that's what happens and I'm not faking you out.  
They're taking their options and advanced classes, Team FADE are growing up guys; by the end of this arc we'll be half way through the story.  
I'm sending Blake back to Patch because honestly she'd tip the scales in the big finale battle; I only had her come to Atlas to give FADE another canon character to interact with and because you guys love seeing her.  
" _I'm really I happy I met you guys; I can't imagine having better friends to fight giant monsters with"_ Eagle, never change.  
Of course she saved Adams manifesto.  
Writing Celeste's scenes always forces me to get into her head; she is very much like canon Adam in that she is an utter sociopath who will always find a way to blame her victims for her own actions; with the difference being that she's an arguably more capable leader and that she uses more ideological and pseudo-religious framing for it.  
Crazy as Celeste is, she knows that taking Weiss down would be a fight; she's not delusional about her enemies abilities.  
Downward Spiral Adam executed Jacques Schnee on live television and honestly….I hope he suffers a similar fate in canon.  
Kuro died and she found herself a new Spider Faunus as an aide.  
The White Fang are going on one big offensive.  
Poor Coral.  
Gangrel originally saw a lot of "Jade" the Spring Maiden from The Downward Spiral in Coral….now he sees himself.  
" _I don't wanna be stuck in an orphanage….bad guys always go after the orphans"_ \- I needed some levity in this scene; also what the fuck pop culture, lay off the orphans.  
So, Coral and Athena-Jade are finally gonna meet.  
If you read the Downward Spiral then you know who Luna was and you know why Blake taking Felix to meet her was important.  
Blake is worried by Corvid handling things on her own; that's the pot calling the kettle Blake _(Which is something I've gotta have Yang or Corvid say now I've thought of it).  
_ You know exactly who left those marks on her neck.  
" _Xiao Long actually"_ is the final evolution of _"It's heiress, actually"  
_ So y'know how Celeste is at least smart enough to know that veteran Huntresses like Team RWBY are not to be messed with lightly….these guys aren't that smart.  
Just remember what Felix did to Rhodium Torchwick for stabbing Corvid in Vol.2  
I was imaging Blake used her clones in her fight with Adam for the fight scene, but even more experienced _(If you haven't seen Vol.6 Ep11 yet then oh boy you're in for a treat)_.  
So yeah Eagle now has a tattoo that's bigger and better than Felix's, let that sink in.  
Hellion is definitely an artist at heart.  
So yeah, Eagle just learned something about herself and what she's into lol.  
Would it be if I didn't have them get cock-blocked at least once?  
So Antonia is ready to be reasonable and all roads lead to the singles round of the Tournament.  
I wanted to have a scene that reminds people that Raffia and the rest of Team GORE are still the Shadow Cadre; they might be going legit now but they still grew up learning how to hurt people and take what they wanted then vanish without a trace.  
The fight scene was inspired by the scene in Titans where Robin takes a pipe out of the wall and fights the hospital guards; just bloody and visceral.  
Yes Raffia just killed those guys, no mercy, no hesitation….but then again, that's what Team GORE are in Atlas for.  
Also yes, he tortured her I'm not going to sugar coat it or dance around the subject, it was what it was because Raffia is not a hero or a likeable person; he just happens to be on the protagonists side because of circumstances.  
The voice in Oz's head is getting worse….Phobos heard a voice in their head as well.  
Oh yeah, his face is fucked and it's not gonna heal beyond a certain point….he's lost his left eye and his skull might have regrown but everything else is ruined; considering what he was shot with though that's still not bad.  
So, Oz was successful or at least partly; what he was looking for in the Toy-box will be leaving sooner or later.  
Of course he's heading to New Vale….I'm sure some of you can guess what his 'Venture' there is.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, iSassenach, Funlander, Ferrous, FleetOfWarships, FluffyFirefly and Garthraxxus for their reviews on the last chapter.  
I'm sure someone on the Atlesian council would rather Gangrel just used force rather than trying to negotiate….I would love to see the results of them sharing that opinion with Gangrel or Winter.  
Celeste's power is being able to control and shape the narrative.  
The rocket lockers in canon could fit Jaune in them and he's not a small guy.  
The lack of page breaks was a mistake that I have corrected.  
I see a lot of people had opinions about how Ranger handled their loss to Corvid; the only thing I can say in their defence was that Team RNBW worked just as hard as Team CLIR to get where they are and the feeling that they'd been cheated out of a win that they'd earned wasn't completely unfounded.  
It's good that I have a recognisable recipe lol.  
Sometimes showing off is the right choice, set the tone early on.  
Are you implying something about Corvid there? Lol.  
As we can see Toni was not kidnapped; it was just a matter of Poly-Techs' secret vault which some matters of national security buried in it was broken into and she can't exactly just walk out and say she's got things to do.  
"Onyx wasn't the one doing the _'Stuffing'"…_.bold of you assume that Corvid Xiao Long isn't a top who pins Onyx down and rides him like the workhorse that he is.  
I never actually realised just how badly I fuck up Scorpion Faunus until you said it.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	82. Final Round

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 82: Final Round**

Svart Frost was an Emperor Penguin Faunus with a short and stocky build and an odd waddling gait which had been mocked since his childhood. Currently he was at his place of work, the yard and loading bays of a Schnee Dust Company situated in Lower Eisenstadt Zweite, more specifically a traditionally working class and chronically under valued district of the city known as Stahlhafen. As well as being a yard marshal for the site, a position of more authority than he would have dreamed of forty years ago when Faunus would never have been promoted to a position where they could give orders to humans, it allowed Svart to supplies details of shipments and any important goings on within the SDC to his higher ups within the White Fang.

"Come on, come on" he muttered under his breath which misted in front of him as he did so; pulling his parka jacket tighter around him he cast his eyes around the yard and what little of industrial estate beyond it that he could see through the perimeter fence whilst making his way over to a secluded corner which was hidden from the view of the cameras under the guise of going for a smoke. Ever since the White Fang cell operating out of the settlement of Machen-Rustung had attacked a land-train carrying Dust, an operation which Svart himself had provided information for, the SDC had been more cautious and the Penguin Faunus was understandably concerned about what it was he had been asked to do on behalf of the White Fang today, especially on considering that he had been told little about his contact only the enigmatic reassurance that he would know them when he saw them

"This is bullshit, gonna get myself sent to a fucking gulag for this" he grumbled to himself, fishing a pack of cigarettes from his pockets and reasoning that he may as well actually smoke while he waiting; it may help calm his nerves

"I assure you that after today the prisons will be emptied and every member of the White Fang who sacrificed their freedom for the cause will be rewarded" Svart let out a stream of curses in surprise as the pack of cigarettes fell to the floor; his eyes widened and face paled as he turned towards the source of the intrusion upon his thoughts. Though she wore a long and heavy black hooded trench-coat there was no mistaking the glossy black armour visible beneath it or the matching mask adorning a thin and somewhat sickly looking face, intense magenta eyes visible behind it

"High commander" Svart straightened out and stood to attention instantly, in a flash of barely perceptible movement part of the fence separating them had been cut away and Celeste Lupus slid Wilt back into its' sheath as she stepped into the Schnee Dust Companies' premises.

"It's done?" Celeste asked simply and Svart knew that to give any answer other than the one she expected would prove fatal for him, fortunately the Penguin Faunus was as efficient and thorough in his duties to the White Fang as he was in his job; a fact that had no doubt kept him alive and free of consequences where others had failed

"Everything's ready….If I'd have known it was you coming to collect I would have shut down the cameras as well-"

"Regardless" Celeste cut across him smoothly "Show me the vehicle"

"Right this way" Svart paused before removing the high visibility vest he wore over his coat, revealing a second yellow vest under it, one that bore the logo the company that provided the gargantuan haulage vehicles that the SDC used; he handed this vest to Celeste "If you're wearing a vest people won't even see the armour and mask, you'll just blend right in" with that he turned and led the High Commander of the White Fang out into the yard and towards a nearby vehicle. The Ansturm model trucks were huge, a little under two stories tall with a frame that was more streamlined and dynamic than anything of such a size had any right to be and sporting eight wheels each a little taller than the average man; attached to the rear of the truck were a quartet of trailers of a similarly impressive scale

"It's yours to take" Svart informed Celeste, unable to keep a hint of pride at a job well done out of his voice "I've filed reports of number twenty-six here losing power and struggling to drag anything above a certain weight; since it's still under warranty you're officially here to take it for a test drive to figure the problem out then take it in for repairs. They won't even know it's gone until they ask the manufacturer for an update in about a month I can look for another job in the meantime-

"You're coming with me" Celeste's words brought Svart to a stammering halt

"High Commander? Um I'm not a fighter, I mean I'm happy to serve the cause and all but-"

"Today you become one" Celeste answered bluntly as she produced a small pistol from one of her coats' pockets and pressed it into the Penguin Faunus's hand "Unless you have doubts?"

"No" he croaked out simply; his stomach lurched and ice seemed to course through his veins as a lifetime of hiding in plain sight and acting indirectly while others bled for the cause was brought to an end, though he knew it was still better than the alternative.

"The let's go" Celeste intoned, striding towards the Ansturm "There are cells scattered throughout the city ready to move in as soon as the signal is given, but we will be the first wave. Cells from the outer Settlements travelling into the city have been competing for the honour of being among those who ride into battle with us in this truck. Svart swallowed as the idea of fighting alongside the High Commanders' hand picked elite soldiers brought a terrifying though to his mind

"Are...they going to be with us?" there was no need to specify who was meant, there was only one group within the White Fang who were discussed in such hushed tones

"My most favoured are exactly where they need to be" Celeste answered enigmatically. With no more to be said the pair climbed into the Ansturm and brought the gargantuan vehicles' engine roaring into life, finding no opposition as they simply drove away; through from their raised position both of them failed to see a small, lone figure sprint out of a small side-street as they passed; sliding under the last of the land trains' trailers and using a pair of swords to pierce the undercarriage before simply hanging onto the vehicle as it set off.

* * *

The first singles' round of the Vytal Tournament was being hosted by the Lodernder-Stolz stadium situated within Upper Eisenstadt Zweite; a truly impressive structure whose massive architecture left Team FADE staring around them in wonder, if this stadium were packed to capacity it would be a bigger crowd than they had fought in front of as a team by far

"Keep forgetting how big this place is" Arctus noted as they entered the rows of seats "Haven't been here since I was twelve"

"Of course you would've been here before big guy" Diamond rolled her eyes and nudged him playfully "You sure you want me to come with you, this is a family thing?"

"Yeah I'm sure" Arctus squeezed her hand gently and betraying the sudden nervousness that he felt about a new addition being added to his family. Felix, who along with Eagle had been made aware of the situation regarding Weiss and Gangrel possibly adopting a child who had been used by the White Fang placed a hand on his cousins shoulder

"Go say hi to Aunt Weiss for me, and don't worry this is gonna be cool"

"Thanks….and good luck out there" Arctus nodded, Diamond gently punched the blondes' shoulder

"Seriously dude, you've got this….just keep kicking ass like you always do"

"Thanks dee" Felix grinned before she and Arctus left, making their way towards the V.I.P box which Arctus's family would no doubt be occupying.

"Are you nervous?" Eagle asked as the two blondes were left alone, Felix nodded silently and ran his hands though his curly mane of hair before speaking

"Yeah" a soft chuckle escaping him "You?"

"Yeah a little" Eagle admitted "Okay more than a little….I just, I really need this to work out" Felix pulled her into a bone crushing hug which Eagle gratefully returned

"It'll be fine, you and Hellion are cute together and when your mum sees that she'll forget about what happened before"

"Thanks Felix" Eagle murmured before grinning as they broke apart "You're the one going into a fight, shouldn't I be giving you moral support"

"I mean you could let me borrow Sentinel just to make sure I win?" Eagle's only response was to fold her arms across her chest and pout in a way that left the Lion Faunus howling with laughter, tail swishing behind him as he did so

"Go on" Felix waved her off "Go find Hellion, I'll be fine"

"You're sure?" Eagle asked adding "Are you heading to the locker rooms?"

"I'm already set" Felix answered, gesturing to Hack and Slash already slung across his back "It's a little different for this round, since nobody knows who they're up against everyone is in the front row" following the direction that he pointed in Eagle saw that there was indeed a partition between the front row which would keep the competitors free from being bothered by the fans. Eagle pulled her best friend into one last hug

"You're gonna do great"

"Thanks" he grinned "If I even end up competing tonight….could have to wait all weekend. Meet up afterwards?"

"Of course!" as the pair of blondes broke apart and went their own separate ways Felix found himself taking several deep and slow breaths in attempt to calm his nerves whilst he made his way towards the reserved seats for the competing students; as he did so he was recognised by several fans who cheered and offered their vocal support which Felix found did in fact bolster him more than a little. After presenting identification to the guards manning the entrance to the reserved seating he stepped through the partition and looked around him; it was a ring of seats filled with students who had proven themselves to be the best that the Hunter Academies had to offer and the fact that he could be counted amongst them suddenly hit the Faunus, filling him with a sense of giddy pride. After taking a moment to let the fact that he had reached this point sink in he began making his way around the ring of seats, exchanging pleasantries with students he knew in passing whilst searching for either Helios or Corvid with whom he was planning to spend his time unless or until he was selected to do battle. The first of the one on one rounds varied from the rest of the tournament in that it was fought without prior knowledge of ones' opponents; each bout being randomly generated on the fly; those who were victorious would then be matched up against each other until only one remained. As Felix searched he could hear Qrow and Oobleck announcing the rules and the describing the way the event would progress, though he was distracted as he caught sight of familiar swept back spikes of deep scarlet hair and golden armour so well polished that he saw his face reflected in its' surface as he approached

"Hey" hey greeted softly, the student previously sat to Helios's right doing Felix the kindness of leaving their seat so that the Lion Faunus could take it. Felix did so happily and kissed the long scar running along Helios's cheek as he laced his fingers through the armoured fighters'

"Sorry I didn't come and look for you sooner" Helios turned and kissed Felix's lips gently "I wanted to speak to my mother"

"How'd that go?"

"I offered to act as a mediator for another meeting with Qrow. She declined" Felix winced, he knew that his great uncle would be furious that Felix had shared the information he'd been given; in the Lion Faunus's mind that was a price he was willing to pay as he refused to keep secrets of such magnitude from people he loved

"Thanks for trying anyway" Felix sighed as he leaned against Helios's shoulder, the taller young man leaning against him in turn. After a few moments Qrow and Oobleck announced the first bout

"OKAY LADIES AND GENTS!" Qrow's amplified voice boomed throughout the stadium "WE'RE BROADCASTING LIVE FROM EISENSTADT ZWEITE, LET'S SEE WHO'S GONNA BE THE FIRST TO PUT ON A SHOW IN THIS STADIUM!"

"INDEED" Oobleck added, positively buzzing with excitement as the gigantic overhead screen which was used to display the Aura of competing students flickered into life, a clear division bisecting it vertically down the centre "OUR RANDOM GENERATOR IS SELECTING OUR FIRST FIGHTER!" the right half of the screen began to cycle through the names and faces of potential candidates at a speed which left them difficult to discern and Felix found himself squeezing Helios's hand a little tighter until the algorithm made its' choice

"HELIOS NIKOS, MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE ARENA!" Qrow called out

"Oh come on I just sat down with him!" Felix called out with a furious hand gesture

"Gonna wish me luck Fluffy?" Helios asked as he rose to his feet; needing no other incentive Felix wrapped his arms around the redheads' shoulders and pulled him into a deep slow kiss, resting his forehead against Helios's as they broke apart

"Now go get 'em" Helios made his way into the arena with a confident smile and as the crowd erupted into cheers Felix was by far one the loudest among them.

* * *

Gangrel Slate gently held onto one of Coral Scylla's pincers as he led her through the stadium; a broad smile on his face as he saw the bright eyed wonder with which she took in her surroundings. The Crab Faunus had been born and raised in the White Fang settlement of Tartarus and had only ever left it when the Cult of Taurus had used her for their attack on Gerat-Handlung; when added to the time spent aboard the Gespenst this brought the total number of place that the girl had seen in her short life to three; meaning that just walking through the crowds was her first time experiencing things that she had only ever seen on the rare instances of getting to use a television

"Wow do all hot-dogs smell that good?" she gasped as the intoxicating scent of junk food hit her nostrils

"Yeah pretty much" Gangrel informed "I'll get you one later" hearing this the exuberant six year old positively skipped alongside him. She'd been given new clothes and was currently a pale blue frilly dress and lightweight white jacket, tights to keep the evening chill off of her legs and a pair of white sneakers which she had squealed in delight upon learning lit up as she walked, Coral had combed out her rose gold coloured hair as best as she could with her unsuitable appendages though she'd been a little annoyed that she couldn't do more with it. Eventually the pair made their way to a doorway guarded by a pair of security guards

"We need to see your ticket Mister Slate" one of them informed the hulking Bear Faunus

"Can't afford to take chances" the other added, Gangrel merely nodded in understanding and produced both his own and Coral's tickets before starting up the stairs that led to the V.I.P seating as the guards allowed them entry; as they reached the top of the final flight of stairs he felt a tug on his arm as Coral came to a sudden halt

"You okay?" Coral's head sunk her pale brown eyes refusing to meet his as she mumbled

"I'm scared….promise they're not gonna be mean to me?"

"Pinky promise kid" Gangrel told her earnestly, making to ruffle her hair but stopping when he remembered how hard it would be for her to fix it. With that he opened the door and led Coral into the V.I.P seating where the Slate family had made themselves comfortable. Coral caught sight of Diamond Sustrai-Black, the silver haired Huntress she had seen on the television only to balk at the sight of the young man she was happily leaning into; greatly resembling Gangrel though he was perhaps a little shorter and less muscled, a lot paler and sporting pale and bright blue eyes. As welcoming as the toothy smile on the Bear Faunus's face was Coral found herself transported back to Gerat-Handlung where after she had been left in trembling and silent terror by Alpha's sadistic bloodlust one of her more distinct memories of the event had been an ivory haired Bear Faunus creating giant monsters from glowing light.

"Hello" Arctus waved at her and Coral let out a quiet whimper before quickly looking away, catching sight of Weiss Slate, formerly Schnee; a woman whom she'd been taught her whole life was the monster under the bed, she cut an intimidating figure in her attire which was a mixture of sharply cut business suit and military uniform, the Dust filled rapier hanging at her waist and the scar running down the left side of her face; though it was offset greatly by her bright smile and the fact that frankly Coral had thought someone who was supposed to be so scary would be a little taller

"Hi!" a voice demanded her attention and Coral found herself confronted by a young girl slightly taller and presumably older than herself with ivory coloured hair, an impossibly pale complexion and bright blue eyes set into a face with a slightly snout like nose though nowhere near as pronounced as Gangrel's and a bright smile filled with teeth just a little too sharp to be human

"Hi" the girl said again "I'm Athena-Jade, you can call me AJ, I like your shoes and your hair colour is so pretty and oh wow you have actual claws that's so cool, they're way bigger than mine" to highlight the point Athena held out her hand and showed that her naturally dark finger nails could extend out into sharp claws perhaps two inches long

"Easy AJ, give her some space" Gangrel warned gently which prompted his daughter to cling to his leg in a tight hug. The Bear Faunus merely smiled before speaking to Coral

"So this is my daughter Athena-Jade" he ruffled her hear which the she still wore in a style similar to Diamond's "And that's my wife Weiss, my son Arctus and you've seen Diamond on TV"

"Diamond's so cool right?" Athena beamed

"So what am I then spare parts?" Arctus asked in mock disgust before grumbling under his breath that he'd been cool once, much to the amusement of everyone present.

"Okay looks like the first match is gonna start soon if you two wanna get comfortable" no sooner had the words left his mouth than Athena had streaked across the room to the angled floor to ceiling window overlooking the arena and pressed her face up against the glass, Coral following her quickly and timidly accepting when the older girl offered her a piece of candy. Gangrel couldn't keep the smile from his face and had no interest in trying, everything had gone exactly to plan thus far and he made his way over to Weiss, though before he could sit down the door to the V.I.P area opened revealing Cimmerian Chiffon, the scarred and grizzled veteran currently in charge of the security detail that the Specialist Branch was providing to the Vytal tournament which had admittedly been scaled back somewhat since the White Fang had failed to take the bait that had been set for them

"You know I'm technically off duty tonight?" Gangrel asked, pre-empting any matters that his first mate would try and defer to him, Chiffon merely chuckled

"Keeping him out of trouble Weiss?"

"As if anyone could" while it was rare for Chiffon to be present at Schnee Manor it was not unheard of and Weiss did in fact like her husbands' first officer. Chiffon turned his attention back to Gangrel

"The Gespenst is one of four ships we have over the mountain, Hunters backing up police on checkpoints leading to the stadium and we've got the recruits due to finish the program mixed in with the stadium's security….Think it's secure enough for me to come and keep an eye on things from here"

"Can't argue with that" Gangrel noted, the recruits were already graduates of Atlas Academy and thus fully qualified Hunters in addition to being in the final stages of becoming the next batch of Specialists. With his mind at ease the Bear Faunus made himself comfortable beside Weiss, planting a gentle kiss on his wife's cheek before whispering

"So, I think it's going well" he nodded in the direction of Coral and Athena, where the younger girl was giggling uncontrollably at something the older had said

"You've created a monster" she answered dryly, kissing Gangrel in return and flashing him a bright smile before adding in a much lighter tone "I think Athena-Jade already loves having a little sister and I don't think any of us are prepared for the mischief they will cause"

"We don't stand a chance" Gangrel agreed

* * *

Helios had entered the arena to the sound of thousands of fans cheering his name, Olympus Enforcer finding its' way to his hands in its' sword and shield form as he waited for his opponent, who had not been selected until Helios himself had stepped onto the edge of the circular arena, to enter. His opponent was a fourth year student of Atlas Academy whose name and exploits in the tournament thus far Helios was admittedly unfamiliar with but as the stepped onto the opposite edge of the arena he saw that Trench Abyssal of Team CRAG was an Angler Fish Faunus whose appearance trigged something primal and instinctive in Helios the longer he looked at the man; he stood at six foot four making him a little taller than Helios himself, with an impressive physique boasting well defined muscles though slightly more slender than the redhead. Trench's face was pleasant enough if one looked no lower than than his nose, he sported immaculately styled strawberry blonde hair and bright, welcoming eyes the colour of topaz and somewhat rosy cheeks dusted with freckles; his mouth though, which housed his Faunus attribute was an entirely different matter and was distended to such an extent that his lower jaw could almost reach his collarbones when his mouth was open, Trench's teeth were long, jagged and needle-like things which were angled forward enough that the teeth of his lower jaw protruded when his mouth was closed. Trench's attire was the odd blend of stylish and militaristic that Helios had noticed that many Atlesians favoured, faded charcoal grey and loose fitting pants sporting several pockets which were easily spotted due to their darker colour; a white tank-top with a dull black armoured vest over it leaving his muscular arms on display, a powder blue bandanna was tied around his right bicep and both forearms sported mismatched armour pieces and his hands were covered with fingerless black gloves. The crowd cheered as Trench waved to them whilst drawing his weapon from over his back, a double barrelled rifle whose barrels sat one atop the other with a long and curved bayonet affixed beneath them whilst the butt of the weapon also appeared to house some manner of blade; putting Helios in mind of a more sinister version of Diamond Sustrai-Black's weapon Lex Talionis. Without a word Trench shifted the weapon into its' close combat setting; crowd erupted into thunderous applause as he did so, barrels forming a single shaft whilst the butt formed the head of a monstrously oversized executioners' axe, the bayonet falling into place on the rear of the weapon as a scythe.

"SPECTRAL TITAN GETTING A BIG REACTION FROM THE CROWDS TONIGHT!" Qrow declared, revealing the name of the weapon to Helios

"IT CERTAINLY INCORPORATES ELEMENTS FROM SEVERAL CLASSIC WEAPONS, WHILST AT THE SAME TIME CLEARLY BEING IT'S OWN ENTITY" Oobleck added, clearly impressed. The competitors themselves however tuned the commentary out for a moment

"Saw your fights, you're pretty good kid it'll be interesting to see how this goes" Trench's voice was gravelly, baritone and somewhat slurred as if he'd never quite managed to speak normally around his Faunus attribute though his tone seemed genuinely friendly, prompting Helios to give him a slight smile

"Indeed it should, unfortunately I can't honestly say that I've seen your performances thus far"

"Yeah, I got bad luck and ended up fighting on a Sunday in the last two rounds" Trench shrugged "Team CRAG do okay though….so what's dating Blake Belladonna's son like?"

"Excuse me?" Helios gripped his weapons a little tighter, the idea that the White Fang could have someone inside Atlas Academy suddenly chilling him to the bone

"Come on man every Faunus on Remnant knows who his mum is" the almost reverent tone in Trench's voice served to put Helios's mind at rest for the moment "Hell I quoted _'Til All Are One'_ to a guy trying to justify the White Fang's shit to me in a bar the other week….thinking about it, they might have trying to feel me out and see if I'd join"

"Well if you ever see them again be sure to bury that axe in their skull" Helios noted, unable to keep the hard edge out of his voice. Their conversation ended as Qrow's amplified voice alerted them both to something important

"SO, FOR THE SINGLES ROUNDS THERE'S NO TEAM COHESION OR TERRAIN TO WORRY ABOUT; BUT IT DOES GET A LITTLE MORE THREE DIMENSIONAL!" at his words the stadium began to modify itself; a central pillar rising a few feet off the ground whilst the outer periphery of the arena detached and rose to ten feet in the air powered by a Dust fuelled anti-gravity system, creating a tiered battleground.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN LET'S START THE FIRST MATCH OF THE EVENIG SHALL WE!" Oobleck's voice boomed out, quivering with anticipation "THREE! TWO! ONE!….BEGIN!" both Helios and Trench rushed forwards towards the central pillar and Helios with his years of traversing Anima by foot reached it first with ease, leaping onto the raised platform and using as springboard from which to dive at his opponent, sword held overhead in a reverse grip whilst his dark Aura crackled around him, his Semblance magnifying gravity and propelling his descent to lethal velocity only for him to realise that he'd been expertly out-manoeuvred as Trench drove the end of his weapons' shaft into his gut, sending the redhead crashing to the ground with force amplified by his own Semblance. Helios sprung to his feet and hastily flung his shield in front of his face, being forced to one knee as the aquatic Faunus somersaulted off of the raised pillar and brought the axehead of Spectral Titan crashing down

"THIS LOOKS LIKE THE HARDEST WORKOUT ANYONE'S GIVEN NIKOS YET!" Qrow noted as Helios was sent sliding back across the smooth surface of the arena floor, frantically blocking attacks Trench pressed the advantage with wide but impossibly precise swings of both of his weapons blades until he eventually managed to find enough of an opening to retaliate; parrying with his shield before stabbing at his opponents' face with his sword and following the motion through into a low spinning sweep at Trench's legs with the edge of his shield. Trench weaved around the attacks with ludicrous ease, leaping over Helios's shield before planting both feet on its' surface and flipping away

"Poor choice" Helios grinned savagely as he activated his Semblance in its' inverted state, reducing gravity to almost non-existence and leaving the Faunus rotating slowly in the air as they fell at a greatly reduced rate

"Well that seems a little-" What ever Trench intended to say went unheard as Helios' shield collided with his gut, the redhead catching the golden disc in mid-air before landing a flying kick and releasing his Semblance, sending Trench rolling to a stop halfway across the arena whilst the crowd erupted into cheers that reached a fever pitch

"Well okay" Trench sighed, sinking the blade of Spectral Titan into the ground as he pulled himself into a crouch "Since we're doing Semblances….gimme a sec"

"Excuse…." Helios trailed off, left dumbfounded Trench began unfastening his armoured vest simply pulling it over his head and discarding it before removing his boots

"LOOKS LIKE ABYSSAL HAS SOMETHING PLANNED" Qrow speculated

"NIKOS STANDING BACK AND ALLOWING HIM TO DO IT, ADMIRABLE BUT IT MAY COST HIM!" Oobleck mused at the same moment Trench rose to his, now bare feet

"I like those boots" the Faunus offered by way of explanation; before Helios could respond Trench's Aura began to become visible around him, a deep inky violet light rippling and swirling as veins began to bulge across his body; then he began to grow. Trench's body began to rapidly expand, clothes tearing under the strain as he almost doubled in height; his twelve feet tall frame now sporting a noticeably bulkier upper body whilst his previously topaz coloured eyes shone with violet light; his baritone voice becoming a monstrous growl as he spoke though it lost none of its' incongruous warmth and good natured tone

"The trick with gravity is cool, but this is my Semblance! I call it _'Deep Sea Gigantism'_ " Helios's acid green eyes widened in shock as he was forced to conclude that he had no plan for an opponent the size of a larger than average Grimm which also possessed the ability to fight rationally and Aura, simply noting

"Well….it certainly is interesting"

* * *

"Well that hardly seems fair!" Eagle exclaimed from her place in the crowd where she was situated at the end of a row of seats making herself clearly visible from the entrance; her feigned annoyance utterly failing to hide her excitement as she watched Helios deftly avoid blows from an opponent who now dwarfed him, Trench launching attacks whose thunderous impacts shook the entire stadium

"Of course it's unfair, the idiot has no idea what he's doing….sacrificing mobility like that against the first son of the Nikosi; there's only one way this can end" Eagle turned to her right where Hellion sat watching what Eagle assumed must be a completely different fight

"Uh Hellion….he looks mobile enough to me" the blonde noted as in the arena below Trench simply plucked Helios off of the ground and hurled across the arena, clearly hoping for an early ring-out. Helios responded by using his Semblance to control his fall, landing in a crouch on the anti-gravity ring around the outer age of the arena before leaping back into the fray in a dramatic aerial attack that seemed to be right out of one of the stories Eagle's grandfather had told her as a child; only to be batted aside once again

"Admittedly the stories the tribes tell about him neglect to mention that he's a slow learner" Hellion noted with an amused tinge to her voice; speaking thought a mouthful of popcorn

"Hey!" Eagle pouted as she saw that the popcorn her girlfriend was eating was being procured from Eagle's own tub

"Old habits" Hellion gave a wicked smile that made Eagle's heart race and freckled cheeks darken

"I would've bought you something if you wanted" the blonde mumbled as she placed the tub so that it was between them

"But making you blush is so much fun" Hellion whispered in her ear as she leaned close before planting a soft kiss on Eagle's still flushed cheek; Eagle merely laced her fingers through Hellion's only to jump slightly at the sound of a throat being cleared to her left. Standing beside her and wearing a comfortable and stylish outfit which was a notable departure from her usual lab-coat, her greying blonde hair tied back was Antonia Arc

"I didn't mean to interrupt"

"No, no it's...um….hi Mum" Eagle stammered out, squeezing Hellion's hand a little tighter as she suddenly found herself struggling to find words; beside her Hellion's wings could be heard softly colliding against her seat as they buzzed with sudden tension

"Miss Arc" the Dragonfly Faunus gave a low nod, she refused to bow to anyone but the elders of her tribe as a matter of principle but still felt a need to show proper respect; a sentiment she was not alone in feeling if the inky shadow moving across the ground was anything to go by

"We have company" Hellion warned the arc women a moment before Carcharodon rose from the floor beside Antonia, his body solidifying from the viscous liquid state his Semblance converted it to; Onyx could be seen standing nearby

"Oh well that brings back memories" Antonia hissed, every syllable laced with disdain "Although I assume you don't have a getaway vehicle ready and waiting this time and there are plenty of other scientists you could make off with"

"Mum!" Eagle gasped; Hellion braced herself beside the blonde as she waited to see how the Shark Faunus would take the insult. Against all odds he smiled, a rare genuine smile rather than one of the savagely intimidating grins he gave, displaying his jagged fangs to any who annoyed or challenged him

"Arc, insufferable as always"

"What do you want?" if anything Antonia's tone was exasperated and vaguely bemused, lacking in any malice

"To apologise" the words gave Antonia, Eagle and even Hellion pause; his fellow raider sure she had misheard him before he elaborated "Our decision to kidnap you in New Vale was one that went against our peoples' beliefs and one that Hellion advised me against at the time; I wanted to apologise for the trouble my failures as a leader have caused….and also to ask that you don't take your anger out on Hellion; her relationship with your daughter has been good for her. If you need someone to hate, then hate me" Eagle's crimson eyes widened as she turned to Hellion, silently mouthing a question

"Did you put him up to this?" Hellion silently shook her head in response, as gobsmacked as anyone else by Carcharodon's sudden care for the opinions of outsiders

"I see" Antonia murmured, clearly unprepared for such a conversation "I promised my daughter I would do my best to look beyond my previous experiences with your people and I intend to keep that promise"

"Thank you" Carcharodon nodded before turning and striding towards where Onyx stood; if he heard any of what Antonia sighed under her breath he gave no indication of it; after a moment Antonia turned to Eagle

"So that was a thing" the younger blonde noted, cheery voice laced with nerves as she struggled to predict how this meeting would go. Antonia, similarly nervous decided to ease the obvious tension between the three of them with a joke

"So Hellion, since I'm almost certain Qrow hasn't bothered to ask; what are your intentions towards my daughter?" Eagle's mortified groan coincided with the crowd erupting into cheers as Helios parried another earthshaking attack below them.

* * *

Helios slid backwards across the arena as he crouched behind his shield and blocked another obscenely powerful blow; the reverberating clang of metal ringing in his ears and drowning out even the mind numbing sound of the crowds' reaction. In Trench's Semblance empowered state Helios's head barely reached the Faunus's hips and despite the more top-heavy and bulky physique he sported in this form he was still incredibly fast and capable of fighting with all the experience of a student who would become a fully qualified Huntsman in a matter of weeks.

"NIKOS SEEMS TO BE STRUGGLING THERE!" were the first words the redhead managed to hear clearly when the ringing finally stopped, noting that they seemed to be something of an omen as Trench launched himself forwards again; rushing towards him and raising a foot in a clearly telegraphed attempt to stomp Helios into the ground.

"No" the redhead snarled, utterly refusing to be beaten in such a degrading manner; his dark Aura became visible around him once more and waves of dizziness washed over him as he engaged his Semblance to first reduce the effects of gravity and slow the rapidly descending foot threatening to crush his chest, then rushing towards the leg Trench supported his weight on and stabbing at the tendons of his ankle while simultaneously magnifying gravity to obscene levels. The entire stadium shook as Trench fell

"You little fucker!" the Angler Fish Faunus snapped as he clutched his almost certainly broken ankle that had twisted unnaturally as he fell. Helios relished the moment of victory only for it to be cut ludicrously short as Trench grasped his weapon, Spectral Titan seemed almost comically small in his now giant hand and when he hurled the axe at Helios the armoured Hunter had no time to react before his chest exploded into agony and he was sent flying across the arena, hitting the ground and bouncing several times before finally rolling to a stop perilously close to the edge of the arena.

"THIS LOOKS IT'S GETTING INTO THE FINAL STAGES!" Oobleck announced

"IT'S BEEN A GOOD FIRST SHOWING FROM NIKOS" Qrow added, seemingly in agreement "JUST GETTING TO THE SINGLES ROUND MAKES YOU ONE OF THE BEST OF THE BEST, NO SHAME IN LOSING HERE" Helios made a sound of pure disdain as he rose to his feet, sucking in lungfuls of air that shot lances of pain through his entire body as he planted his feet and braced himself. He was Helios Nikos, first son of a proud tribe of warriors and to say that there was no shame in defeat was beyond absurd; he would leave this arena victorious or he would leave it unconscious.

"HE'S BACK IN THE GAME FOLKS!" Qrow noted, his voice sounding as though he could barely keep his composure, detached neutrality fighting with the urge to root for the underdog

"AS IS ABYSSAL" Oobleck noted sounding equally enthused "THE ATLAS STUDENT HAS THE ADVANTAGE HERE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, NIKOS IS GOING TO HAVE TO THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX IF HE WANTS TO REMAIN IN THE TOURNAMENT"

"They say that as if I don't know" Helios grumbled as he twirled his sword, a habit he was sure he'd picked up from Felix. His shield had flown from his grasp after Trench's attack had connected and lay a good distance away; Helios discretely kicked Trench's weapon which lay on the ground at the his feet over the edge of the arena whilst Trench himself returned to his feet, a clearly vast Aura pool already allowing him to return to his feet though the aquatic Faunus still shied away from putting his full weight on the ankle Helios had attacked.

"Nice move" Trench complimented tone turning threatening as he added "Got another one in ya?"

"That remains to be seen" Helios dead-panned as he privately tried to fathom how he could turn the tide of the battle within the next few exchanges of blows. His Semblance seemed to be an obvious component of any plan he formed but simply applying an insane amount of gravity to a single point like he had done to the Krakatoa Grimm on his last mission wouldn't work unless he could climb onto Trench's back and stay there, an unlikely proposition; likewise applying his Semblance like a blanket to the arena as a whole the way he had to Carcharodon was unworkable, Trench was simply too large and too strong.

"This would be easier with terrain" he breathed out under his breath, eyes never leaving Trench who in turn studied Helios as he looked for an opening of his own. He looked at the central pillar and anti-gravity ring intended to create a tiered arena with some annoyance before his eyes widened and he fought to keep a confident smirk off of his face lest it give away his intentions. The redhead took a single deep breath before sprinting across the stadium, taking up his shield and heading directly towards the central pillar of the arena

"NIKOS IS MAKING A MOVE!" Oobleck's voice boomed out

"IS THIS A PLAN OR A LAST STAND?" Qrow demanded, clearly enjoying the match either way. Helios paid them no mind; Trench had had taken the bait and lunged into action now all the redhead had to do was ensure that he reached the pillar first and focus the entirety of his Semblance on a single point on the anti-gravity ring, directly behind where he expected his enemy to fall.

"NIKOS SHOWING OFF JUST HOW MUCH POWER HE CAN PUT INTO THAT SEMBLANCE!" Qrow exclaimed as the anti-gravity ring began to visibly tilt and dip, sinking as Helios applied more and more pressure until it almost touched the arena floor on one side; countless warning lights flickering across its' pristine surface. Trench slowed his already hobbled sprint as he looked over his shoulder to take in the effects of Helios's latest ploy; a mistake that would prove costly as Helios never stopped running towards his target. The redhead reached the central pillar and launched himself onto it, swiftly using it as a platform from which to leap into the air and land a kick to Trench's chest which was in turn used to send him arcing backwards, his body tucked in on itself. As Helios's arc reached its' zenith he had reached a height of almost sixteen feet in the air and without warning or hesitation planted both feet on the back of his shield, kicking downwards and into the face of his opponent whist focusing his Semblance on it. Two things happened it tandem; firstly the shield was accelerated to incredible velocity, striking Trench full in the face and sending him staggering backwards; secondly the anti-gravity ring, now freed from Helios's Semblance began to rise to its' previous height only to strike the reeling Faunus as it did so, the result was that the gargantuan fighter was sent head over heels, tumbling backwards and landing firmly outside of the confines of the arena.

"AN INCREDIBLE COMEBACK!" Oobleck cheered "I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER SEEN SUCH AN IMPRESSIVE USE OF SUCH LIMITED TERRAIN!" Helios landed in a crouch and held his position for a moment, needing to take several deep breaths and wipe away the sweat dripping from his brow with a hand that trembled as much as the rest of his body after the exertion; panting for air he waited for the announcement that would make it official, make it real

"TRENCH ABYSSAL HAS LOST BY RING-OUT! HELIOS NIKOS WILL PROGRESS INTO THE NEXT ROUND OF THE TOURNAMENT!" hearing Qrow's words he exhaled slowly and rose to his feet, walking towards where Trench lay, legs shaking with every step he took. Before Helios reached the edge of the arena the Angler Fish Faunus hopped up onto the edge, revealing that the final blow of the match had broken several of his needle-like teeth

"Don't worry, they'll grow back" he assured Helios upon catching the redhead staring "Good game, really good game"

"It certainly was" Helios admitted, holding out a hand which Trench gladly shook

"But if you do feel bad about breaking my teeth….you can always try and get me a signed copy of Blake Belladonna's book; I'm sure you can work your magic on Felix"

"I will definitely try" Helios assured him with a bright smile before leaving the arena, eager to return to the Lion Faunus in question.

* * *

Blake was currently lounging on the sofa of her home on Patch whilst Yang made fresh cups of tea and snacks in the intermission between tournament matches. Whenever Blake was away from the family home for an extended amount of time due to her work she would return and immediately try to smother her wife in affection and see to it that she could relax as an apology for being away for so long; only for Yang to respond by giving Blake the exact same treatment, insisting that the Faunus relax and let the blonde take care of her now that she was home. It often led to well meaning battle of wills that amused their children to no end when they were around to see it, in this case Blake had been too tired to offer more than a token resistance.

"Hey do you wanna order out for dinner later?….or we could get the last ship to the mainland and go to a restaurant, maybe find a hotel after?" Blake could almost hear the wink that Yang added to the question as she called through from the kitchen and found her mind wandering to her first night home when she had made sure Yang understood in no uncertain terms how loved and appreciated she was and how much Blake had missed her

"We'll order something" she called back, silently reasoning that they didn't need a hotel to set the mood and frankly their own bed was probably far more comfortable. She was soon distracted from both her thoughts and the vast amount of paperwork that she had to work through now that she was returning to her position as head of the Coalition's New Vale Branch by the familiar voice of her former history professor and uncle in law as Qrow and Oobleck began announcing once again

"AND IT LOOKS LIKE OUR SLIGHTLY LONGER THAN PLANNED INTERMISSION IS COMING TO AN END!" Oobleck's voice rose above the crowd "RIGHT ON TIME AS THE BAND WHOSE PERFORMANCE WE'VE BEEN STREAMING FROM ELSEWHERE IN THE FESTIVAL IS WRAPPING UP!"

"LOOKS LIKE NIKOS'S FINISHING MOVE DIDN'T DO ANY MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE ANTI-GRAVITY SYSTEM, BUT IT STILL HAD TO BE CHECKED OUT" Qrow explained to the cheering fans

"Yang it's starting!" Blake called to her wife

"WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO THE HONOURS QROW?" neither Oobleck or the crowd had to wait long for an answer

"HUNTERS, LOOK ALIVE! THE NEXT COMPETITOR IN THE FIRST SINGLES ROUND OF THE TOURNAMENT WILL BE…." he trailed off as the computer randomly selected a student, faces of candidates flashing by on the screens around the arena before finally coming to a halt as Qrow called out "CORVID XIAO LONG!"

"YANG QUICK, COREY'S UP NEXT!" Blake bellowed urgently, a moment later Yang could be seen all but sprinting into view, vaulting over the sofa that her wife was sat before making herself comfortable beside her

"Snacks are gonna have to wait" Yang noted with a grin as both of them watched Corvid, whose eagerness suggested that she felt she had something to prove after her previous bout, enter the arena. Their eldest child vaulted over the railings around the stands and striding with her back straight and chin raised into the arena, the Omega Wing falling into place hovering beside her in its' aerial drone form

"LOOKS LIKE THE CROWDS ARE STILL MASSIVE FAVOURITES, MISS XIAO LONG IS STILL CONSIDERED LIKELY TO PLACE IN THE TOP THREE WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE!" Oobleck announced over the sound of a roaring cacophony of applause, several chants could be heard from the crowd and as the camera panned Yang was almost certain she caught a glimpse of Felix's unmistakable mane of dirty blonde curls as he stood on his seat and urged those around him to cheer louder.

"LOOKS LIKE SHE'S PUTTING ON A SHOW FOR US!" Qrow added, both Blake and Yang seeing that it was true as their daughter pandered to the crowd for a few moments with deep bows before engaging the Omega Wing, the armoured and airborne battle-suit wrapping itself around her; at which point Corvid entered a few more commands into the computerised gauntlet on her left arm before reaching over her back and removing something which she held into the air for all to see

"That last match really got to her then?" Yang sighed as she realised what it was that Corvid had removed from the Omega Wing

"More than she lets on" Blake admitted

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN THAT IS CORVID XIAO LONG'S CONTROVERSIAL SHIELD GENERATOR!" Oobleck announced, voice all but trembling with excitement, no sooner had the words left his mouth that Corvid calmly threw the generator aside, the dome shaped black and gunmetal device which had been nestled between the wings and power supply of her armour landing outside of the confines of where the arenas' own forcefield would manifest.

"LET'S GIVE HER SOMEONE SHE CAN PUT ON A SHOW AGAINST THEN SHALL WE?" Qrow demanded, clearly pandering to the crowds just as much as Corvid had been, the screens cycled through the faces of the competitors before coming to a stop and displaying a face that made the crowd erupt into a hitherto unattained level of excitement, whilst on Patch Blake and Yang were stunned into open mouthed silence

"No" Blake finally managed to gasp out, the Xiao Long family homes' living room still filled with the sound of the frenzied Atlesian audience

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN" Oobleck finally spoke when it became clear that Qrow wasn't going to, giving a pause for effect "THE NEXT MATCH OF THE VYTAL TOURNAMENT WILL BE CORIVD XIAO LONG VERSUS FELIX XIAO LONG"

 **Authors Notes:**

Of all my cliffhangers, this might just be my favourite….and trust me I've got another one planned for the next chapter.  
I needed my writing this week, work has been hell and writing and my girlfriend have just about managed to keep me sane.  
On a related note, Chapter 86 will mark the end of Vol.6 and the second year arc, which also leaves us half way through this story as a whole. With my current schedule I can finish the volume and still have a week left before I'll be absent for two weeks due to seeing my girlfriend (I'm in a long distance relationship) so the question is, do I start Vol.7/Year 3? Do I take a three week hiatus? Do I write something new? Do I add a second chapter to 'Jiminy Cricket' since so many people wanted a continuation of the story? I'm open to suggestions.

Anyway let's summarise:  
The same Penguin Faunus who gave the White Fang the info on the Dust shipment Team NEON were escorting is back.  
It's not just empty words, Celeste would definitely empty out the prisons.  
Seriously, just wear a Hi-Vis jacket and you can walk right into a lot of places.  
You all remember the Ansturm from Vol.4 right? The gigantic trucks.  
The Fang are out in force today, this isn't going to be like the co-ordinated but scattered raids during the last round of the tournament either; this is a hammer-blow that Remnant can't ignore.  
I'm sure you can all guess where the Cult of Taurus are.  
Raffia putting his raider upbringing to good use these last couple of chapters.  
" _This is a family thing"_ Diamond you're practically an honorary Slate/Schnee at this point.  
I still need to write more Diamond and Felix interactions.  
Felix and Eagle are seriously a pleasure to write.  
Little Battle-Cat moment was cute.  
When the Cult of Taurus bought Coral clothes they were black and white so that they looked _'Like a team'_ Gang bought her an outfit in white and Schnee blue….And also light up sneakers because she's six and has never had a pair.  
Coral remembers Arctus's giant Eco-Dust powered Semblance constructs, that's gonna be a hurdle to get over.  
I am perfectly willing and able to have Coral tell Weiss _"I thought you'd be taller"_ to her face.  
Okay so Arctus has a bearlike snout, just like his dad; Athena-Jade has a black, obviously not human nose but her face isn't slightly elongated like theirs, however she does have Gangrel's claws while Arctus just has fingernails that grow a little bit sharper than normal.  
Also, Athena-Jade and Coral's introduction was cute.  
The military presence has been reduced….that's not a good sign.  
I imagine there are Faunus like Blake and Sun who are essentially humans with an extra piece, then there are Faunus like Tock, Tyrian or Yuma whose extreme physical divergence, body language and mannerisms mark them out as something entirely inhuman and there are Faunus like Trench who end up squarely in the middle; a nice, normal enough guy who just happens to have a Faunus attribute that leans towards the horrific.  
That weapon is bad-ass and you know it.  
He's a Blake fan-boy; he just became someone's favourite background character.  
The stadium design was loosely based on Yang and Mercury's Vol.3 match.  
I really wanted Helios to struggle in this round and have to work and think for a win.  
Helios is the kind of guy to stand there and let the other guy power up because he wants the best possible opponent; anime logic.  
Eagle and Hellion doing commentary is something I need more of, alas the tournament is coming to a close.  
Great timing Toni.  
The first actual face to face interaction between Antonia and Carcharodon in a year.  
See, Car has some feelings in there.  
Antonia is trying lol.  
Helios does not back down, ever.  
The twirling his sword thing is definitely from Felix, he does it all the time.  
Helios is powerful, I felt like I had to explain why he can't just do some of the crazy shit we've already seen from him again.  
He basically moved the stadium around so that he could trip the guy and make their own size work against them.  
Seriously I love the idea of Blake and Yang both trying to be the one to take care of the other one when Blake comes back from a business trip.  
Corey has physically removed her forcefield generator, she couldn't use it even if she wanted to now; remember that the whole reason she has that is because the wings of the Omega Wing reach out further than she can project her own Aura.  
BOOM! And there it is, the whole Felix Vs Helios thing was a fake-out; I had bigger plans all along.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Ferrous, iSassenach, Funlander, FluffyFirefly, FleetOfWarships and Garthraxxus for their reviews on the last chapter.  
It could well be the same cell of the White Fang, just a full on collection of idiots.  
I actually meant I wanted to see Jacques Schnee die on screen.  
I think a therapist might have been able to do something for Celeste, possibly….the thing is that she's not wrong about the issues that she's identified in Atlesian society; it's her approach to fixing the problem that's the problem.  
Coral and the whole Slate/Schnee family is adorable….she hasn't even met Winter, Whitley or Bjorn yet.  
But I had to bring Luna up….the feels are essential.  
I would love to see art of Eagle's tat.  
Nope the Helios Vs Felix idea was a fake-out.  
Celeste will be there soon.  
Nope not Gamma vs Gang….you won't be disappointed with who gets to fight who.  
I can't believe we've reached a point where we're discussing which of my characters is the top in their respective relationship/hook-ups.  
Of course Raffia is going back to his people, they need each other.  
Nope; you'll see what Oz is heading to Vale for at the end of the Volume.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	83. Sibling Rivalry

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 83: Sibling Rivalry**

The uproar of the crowd was incomprehensible, the entirety of the stadium seeming to shake with the sheer tangible force of thousands upon thousands of clamouring and expectant fans. To Qrow it all sounded rather distant as he stood in shocked and numb silence, the hand holding his microphone falling limp at his side, deep crimson eyes wide as he looked down at the arena; the screen displaying the next competing students to do battle silently reinforcing the same fact that his mind was struggling to process until finally after being confronted with the undeniable truth for what seemed like an eternity he finally managed to form a single coherent thought _'This is going to be bad'_

"GOOD GRACIOUS! I DON'T THINK WE'VE EVER SEEN A FIXTURE LIKE THIS IN THE HISTORY OF THE VYTAL TOURNAMENT! SIBLINGS PITTED AGAINST EACH OTHER IN A ONE ON ONE BOUT!" Oobleck's voice positively buzzed with excitement as he commented on the unforeseen turn of events "QROW, YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT IS SURE TO BE ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE MATCHES OF TOURNAMENT?….Qrow?" Oobleck's voice was reduced to a more tolerable volume as the historian and former teacher covered his microphone upon seeing Qrow turn and begin to leave, depositing his own microphone as he went

"I can't host this one Barty" he sighed, running his hands through greying hair "There's no way it wouldn't cause arguments….I've gotta look 'em both in the face afterwards" the two exchanged a brief look before Oobleck finally nodded in silent understanding

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN FOR THE SAKE OF UNBIASED COVERAGE…." Qrow tuned his long time friend out as he left the commentators box, an amused smirk crossing his face as he noted just how ludicrous the reason sounded in the face of the openly biased coverage he'd delivered thus far in Team FADE and CLIR's previous matches of the tournament. As he made his way out of the restricted area he realised that he didn't have a set destination in mind; his first thought was too find his daughter in the stands yet the notion was quickly abandoned as he remembered that Eagle had mentioned in their messages to each other than she would be meeting her mother here today and he had no desire to intrude upon their time together, or frankly to see Antonia Arc at all. Almost predictably he found himself making his way away from the stadium and towards the festival at large; intending to find one of the many places he could get a drink to slow his racing thoughts and watch the match from a distance, he would meet with his great-niece and nephew after their match concluded. He hadn't gotten far, barely more than a few dozen shuffling steps as he used Harbinger in its' scythe form as a cane and maintained the illusion he'd kept up for years before he came to a halt, his unintelligible grumbling stopping instantly as his eyes narrowed

"You can stop skulking around now….I might not be as young as I used to be but that armour isn't easy to hide"

"Well Branwen, it would appear that there is some truth to the stories that they tell about you" Kataigida Nikos noted in a begrudgingly impressed tone as she seemed to appear out of the crowds, her black bear-pelt robe open displaying her armour and as she lowered the hood, revealing her crown and braided scarlet locks. Qrow kept his focus squarely on the woman in front of him as he spoke again

"Both of you" with an irritable huff Syneffo Nikos slipped out of the moving mass of bodies, fingers drumming against the shafts of her weapons as she fell into place beside her mother; her graceful movements offset by the effects of puberty, giving her a gangly appearance as her body grew faster than she could build the proportional muscle mass for.

"No bodyguards?" Qrow noted conversationally as he raised an eyebrow "So I assume you're not here to kill me in cold blood?"

"You assume that I couldn't do that alone if it was my intention? Bold but misguided" Kataigida retorted with an amused smile "I sent my son to New Vale as much to learn how to deal with those born in the Kingdoms and learn skills like diplomacy for when he eventually succeeds me; imagine my confusion when his first attempt at diplomacy is to try and convince to give you a second audience and chance to explain your intentions" her tone may have been bemused and she may have had more than a passing resemblance to the late Pyrrha Nikos but her vivid green eyes currently liked any of the warmth once possessed by the Mistrali champion.

"I can assure that I didn't ask him to do that, I wouldn't use your kids against you" Qrow saw Syneffo shuffle uncomfortably, her silver eyes darting around as she looked anywhere but at her mother

"I am aware of this, my son has never been able to say no to his baby sister" Qrow didn't have chance to wonder about the meaning of those words before Kataigida continued "It seems the idea of turning an already capable fighter into a weapon against the Grimm has intrigued my daughter….my son also tells me that there is a great deal more to this story than I have been led to believe, he wouldn't disclose what it was as it was not his place" Qrow's eyes widened as realisation struck

"Oum damn it Fluffy" he breathed out, realising firstly that Felix must have told his boyfriend everything about Salem, the nature of the Grimm and Qrow's own role in holding the monsters at bay; secondly he realised that Helios's position and relationship to the newly discovered silver eyed girl had presented him with a unique opportunity; though Qrow still doubted that was why Felix mad made the decision to tell him.

"So what is it you're asking?" Qrow enquired after a moment

"I'm asking you to tell me precisely what it is you want to involve my daughter in and explain to me how you plan to prevent her from joining my cousin Pyrrha in the great beyond" Qrow nodded in understanding, his gaze shifting from Kataigida to Syneffo herself

"And what about you, what do you want?….This is your choice to make kid" Qrow's tone was soft, privately he was at war with himself as his need for every available fighter to be ready and prepared for the storm he could sense was coming battled with his need to do right by those he protected, he would not offer this child a non-existent choice the way Ozpin would have"

"I want to protect people" Syneffo said simply, silver eyes almost glowing with hope and enthusiasm "The Nikosi protect all who pass through our lands, it's our way. I want to protect as many people as possible" Qrow nodded silently, forcing himself too ignore a lump in his throat as he looked at the almost fifteen year old girl before him and suddenly saw Ruby Rose, dreaming of being a Huntress before being granted her early enrolment into Beacon Academy. Qrow let out a slow breath and made his decision

"Okay let's talk….fair warning this is going to take a while and I need a drink"

* * *

Felix clenched his fists in a desperate attempt to stop his hands from shaking as he made his way into the arena, his legs threatening to give out beneath him at any moment. He thought that his daily training which had been ruthless and punishing to the point of excess had prepared him for any challenger he faced, never in his wildest dreams had he even considered having to face off against Corvid; it was obscene, his sister had been on his side and looking out for him for as long as either of them could remember even before their adoption. Even their sparring matches against each other growing up had been restrained affairs with Felix only truly knowing the extent of Corvid's ruthlessness and capabilities from seeing her face other opponents and the hushed whispers and rumours that spread around Signal Academy about her beating up school bullies and local thugs; Felix had tried to follow in her footsteps only to be caught or get himself into trouble he was utterly unprepared for on more than one occasion. Corvid was what Felix had aspired to be and now he was being asked to face her in single combat and the prospect scared him more than any Grimm could have hoped to.

"Hey bro, you okay over there?" Corvid called out to him, both of them tuning out the sound of the audience and Oobleck's amplified commentary

"Not really sis" he admitted, tail twitching nervously as he unsheathed Hack and Slash and span the blades in his hands a few times out of habit as he took several deep slow breaths in a futile effort to calm himself; a notably more subdued entrance than Corvid's crowd-pleasing arrival had been

"Yeah this kinda sucks" she admitted and though Felix couldn't see her face beneath the visored helmet of the Omega Wing he was sure she was giving him a smile

"Yeah….no way out of it now though" the Lion Faunus shrugged

"Unless you wanna just hop of the edge of the ring like the last idiot did" Corvid snorted, a sudden surge of annoyance welling up in Felix at the comment prompting a low growl to escape him which Corvid evidently noticed

"Hey Fluffy, I want you at your best for this" she warned him "No going easy on me, no pulling punches, no second guessing….you see a shot you take it. Let's give the crowds exactly what they asked for"

"You too" Felix said back simply, shifting his weight and balance as the arena began to form between them, the same tiered battleground that Helios and Trench had battled in

"Hey and I'm sorry about this, but hey you've got another shot in two years!" his sisters' casual disregard of his challenges struck a nerve and Felix brought the chainsaw blades of his swords screaming into life

"So sure you're gonna beat me?" he demanded

"THREE! TWO! ONE!" Oobleck's voice counted down as Corvid rolled her shoulders back, the scarf that had once belonged to Yang flapping in the breeze and standing out against her armour

"Course I'm gonna beat you Fluffy, I'm too hardcore-vid"

"BEGIN!" Felix shot forwards the moment the signal was given, everything beyond the confines of the enclosed arena fading away into the background as he charged towards Corvid who had launched herself onto the central raised pillar and was currently taking aim; her wide stance making it painfully obvious to the Lion Faunus that she was using her Semblance to deal with any recoil that her weapons shock absorbers couldn't handle; a feat that would also render any direct against her all but useless. Felix found himself grinning as he realised Corvid had underestimated him. Two things happened at the same moment, Felix hurled one of his swords at the central pillar with its' blade spinning horizontally and Corvid fired her rail-guns; the blade hurtled through the air and struck the pillar, cutting into its' surface almost directly beneath Corvid's foot and shearing away enough of the metal for Corvid to stagger as the surface beneath her fell away. Corvid's own attack missed and Felix was hurled forwards at even greater velocity as the ground behind him exploded, using the sudden increase to his momentum he managed to scale the central pillar in a single bound and deliver a knee strike to Corvid's chest before she could steady herself; his sisters' Semblance of immovability required her to be properly grounded before it could be used and as such she was knocked back from the pillar; Felix leaping after her as she used the Omega Wing to control her fall, the Lion Faunus using his Semblance to absorb the heat emitted by her propulsion systems and store it for later use.

"FELIX XIAO LONG HAS TAKEN CHARGE OF THE BATTLE EARLY ON!" Oobleck announced, Felix noted that the commentator sounded annoyingly shocked at the turn of events though he was too bust grappling with his sister and trying to keep her off balance to comment on it, eventually though Corvid managed to plant both of her feet on the ground block Felix's slash with his remaining sword; her elbow connected with his forearm and halted the blow with agonising force, sending the weapon flying from his grip. Corvid capitalised with brutal effectiveness, left jab to the stomach, right elbow to the temple as Felix staggered forwards, left backhand and right cross to the face in quick succession; the Lion Faunus tried to fight back only to have his blows turned against him as Corvid redirected his limbs, catching an uppercut only to twist the arm offending arm and deliver a crushing blow to the shoulder, halting an elbow strike and ruthlessly exploiting the fact that his back and kidneys were now exposed; catching an admittedly poorly-thought out spinning heel-kick and simply hurling Felix to the ground; before the Lion Faunus could rise a deafening boom rang out and the next thing he was aware of was his back colliding against the ground almost halfway across the arena and his ears ringing

"Not bad Fluffy" Corvid noted, wisps of smoke still billowing from her rail-guns "But now it's time for you to go home and Fe-lick your wounds" Felix's furious retort died on the tip of his tongue as the four wings of Corvid's battle-suit adjusted themselves and with a single powerful leap the eldest of the Xiao Long siblings was airborne and firmly out of his reach, Felix's eyes widened as he realised what was about to happen and in the absence of any form of cover he bolted, changing direction frantically as he scrabbled to retrieve his weapons while at the same time avoiding the firestorm that his sister unleashed on him; the whole while trying to convince himself that there was still a shred of hope, even if he couldn't quite see it.

* * *

"She is not holding back at all" Diamond mouthed as she watched the Xiao Long siblings face off against each other in the arena below; Arctus merely winced in sympathy as he wordlessly agreed and Diamond upon seeing this rolled her cherry red eyes and gave him a brief kiss on the cheek

"Oh come on, I've had to fight Corey before….it's not that bad" in almost comically dramatic contravening of her statement the crowd roared their approval as Corvid swooped low and plucked Felix from the floor, hurling him into the air and unleashing another salvo as he fell; the Lion Faunus managed to deflect several blasts in an impressive display of strength and skill but did so at the sake of his landing, he hit the ground crouching on one knee and was clearly in considerable pain when he rose to his feet

"You were saying babe?" Arctus chuckled

"Dork" Diamond answered simply before making herself comfortable leaning into the Bear Faunus. With Arctus staying on campus unless it were strictly necessary for him to leave due to the very real concerns about him being a high priority target of the White Fang, concerns which had only been heightened following the terrorists' attack on Blake and the Xiao Long siblings and the revelation that they had been buying weapons from a corrupt member of Poly-Tech, combined with their mammoth workload as Atlas Academy subjected the students to countless assignments as the semester came to a close it had been very hard for Arctus and Diamond to find any time to be alone together; constantly finding themselves surrounded or simply interrupted by their friends. As it was, attending the tournament was the closest thing to a real date they had been on for some time and as enjoyable as they both found it the pair both silently agreed that once back in New Vale they would need to make up for lost time, preferably somewhere where Arctus's parents weren't sat mere feet away.

"The boy's doing pretty damn well considering" Arctus and Diamond both turned to the source of the voice, Chiffon was watching from close by where he leaned against a wall and fiddled distractedly with his comms. Everyone present wore an expression that suggested that they had a response to that yet it was Weiss who delivered hers first, acerbic tone at odds with the smile on her face

"If that's what you think doing well looks like then I'm not sure I want you to be the one watching my husbands' back"

"I said considering, Corvid was tipped for the Specialists" Chiffon defended before catching sight of Arctus snickering at him "Something funny baby Slate? Tell the class or I can tell your girlfriend all the embarrassing pranks we pulled on you over the summer"

"Bold of you to assume he hasn't told me himself dude" Diamond noted dryly, the grizzled veteran paused for a moment as he clearly searched for a response and eventually settled for turning his attention back to Arctus

"So you Slate guys have a type then-"

"And what would that type be Cimmerian?" Weiss asked in a tone that was far too sweet, her use of the First Mate's first name a clear warning sign

"Women that are clearly out of their league" Chiffon answered calmly

"Pretty much" Gangrel and Arctus answered in unison, neither of them missing a beat. After a few moments the laughter died down and while Arctus and Diamond returned their attention to Felix and Corvid's bout Chiffon noted that several of the soldiers under his command hadn't checked in

"What is it?" Gangrel asked as he caught sight of his second in commands' frown

"I requested hourly reports from all units; everything on the perimeter is in order but there's a few people who're radio silent inside the stadium"

"You think there's a problem?" Gangrel's amber eyes narrowed and his tone suddenly hardened

"Not yet, this crowd his huge" Chiffon noted "Some of them are embedded with the security teams, might be that they haven't had a chance to call in without blowing cover….screw it, I'm gonna go and check in" Gangrel nodded silently and watched as Chiffon left, at the sound of the door closing Arctus turned and after a moment of roaming the V.I.P seating area his eyes widened and he was unable to keep the panic from seeping into his voice when he spoke

"Mum, Dad….where are AJ and Coral?"

* * *

Felix rolled aside as Corvid performed another swooping dive-bomb, the blades mounted on her forearms tearing through the space he had occupied whilst Felix himself took aim and opened fire, Hack and Slash in their machine pistol forms unleashing maelstroms of Dust rounds, Hack in his right hand filled with lightning Dust peppering the rear of the Omega Wing though Corvid's Aura prevented any critical damage to the battle-suit whilst Slash had been loaded with ice Dust in attempt to partially immobilise. The attempt failed as Corvid performed an impressive aerial manoeuvre, made more so by the crackling arc of electricity dancing over her body and armour; a moment later she returned fire with her rail-guns, the amount of shots that went wide led Felix to believe that his sisters' helmet had been damaged and she was currently fighting blind, a notion she soon disabused him of

"HEY BRO!" Felix had no chance to move aside as Corvid shot towards him at full speed and delivered what the Lion Faunus initially thought was a punch only to realise a fraction of a second too late was much worse, his sister was clutching a whole gravity Dust crystal in her hand; time seemed to slow to a crawl as she crushed the glassy obsidian substance against his chest with an open-palmed blow; the air was forced from his lungs and he was sent flying backwards as the effects of the raw Dust took hold.

"A MASSIVE BLOW FROM CORVID XIAO LONG!" Oobleck exclaimed as Felix bounced and skimmed across the surface of the arena with punishing impacts; Corvid however wasn't finished and chased after her brother, catching his tail and swinging him by it before releasing him and sending him sailing towards the protective forcefield encasing the arena. Felix braced himself and attempted to control the way he span in the air before he collided with the barrier; he may not have had Diamond's Semblance and ability to run along the surface of the shielding but he hoped he could at least manage to rebound off of it and back into the arena. The hasty plan seemed to work for a fleeting and painfully brief moment; Felix hit the forcefield feet first in a crouch and immediately felt the painful buzzing sensation of contact with its' surface coursing through his legs even as he absorbed the heat being produced by it with his Semblance, he sprung forwards and launched himself into a back-flip that would have seen him land safely if it weren't for Corvid taking to the air once more and driving her elbow into his back, trapping him against the surface of the forcefield

"Is that your hair starting to singe that I can smell?" she taunted and Felix let out a furious snarl before slamming the back of his head against her visored helmet in attempt to disorient her, then reaching back and wrapping his arm around the jointed armature supporting one of her battle-suits' wings and forcing the wing itself to connect with the forcefield. The reaction was instantaneous, the wing sparked and Corvid was flung to the side, though she still hurtled Felix to the ground forcefully as she spiralled downwards; the Lion Faunus taking the opportunity to recover his weapons before staring down her sister as she readied herself for another exchange of blows

"Really Corey, the tail and then the hair?….not fucking cool"

"Gonna tell….tails on me to our Mums?" Corvid laughed and Felix felt another surge of anger wash over him which he quickly clamped down, though not before he retorted with

"Y'know what, I'm starting to understand why nobody on Patch really likes you" though she didn't respond verbally the Lion Faunus saw his sister visibly stiffen before his eyes darted to the slightly scorched area of the Omega Wing's armour where he'd forced it into the forcefield and an idea struck him as he remembered exactly why Corvid had integrated the currently discarded shielding into her weapon; the wings extended further than she could project her Aura.

"FELIX XIAO LONG MAKING GOOD USE OF THE LIMITED COVER AVAILABLE!" Oobleck announced as the blonde narrowly avoided Corvid's next barrage of heavy weapons' fire, crouching behind the central pillar of the stadium; buying himself a few precious moments to frantically change the magazines currently loaded in Hack and Slash out for what he needed for his new plan

"Really Fluffy?" Corvid laughed as she landed on the other side of the central pillar, effectively trapping him against it as she aimed her weapons "Where's your…..pride?"

"Oh fuck off" he grumbled, mildly annoyed at himself for not having a better retort as he blindly fired at the ground beneath Corvid's wingspan; aiming wasn't necessary however and barely a moment later the magnetic Dust payloads of each of his bullets began to exert their force and pull the wings of the Omega Wing downwards in a stunt based on something he had seen Nyanza do in a previous bout, the armatures creaking under sudden strain; Felix seized the opportunity and lunged forwards, vaulting over Corvid as he shifted Hack and Slash into their sword forms and brought one of his blades down in a low slash

"FELIX XIAO LONG DELIVERING AN INCREDIBLE BLOW, THIS MAY JUST BE A GAME CHANGER LADIES AND GENTS!" Oobleck cheered, making little effort to remain professional as he took just as much enjoyment from the spectacle as any of the fans. On the ground Felix took several steps backwards in a hasty retreat, swords twirling in hands that suddenly shook as he realised exactly what he had just done. Corvid held the severed upper left wing of the Omega Wing in both hands and though her face was hidden he knew that his sister was staring at it in disbelief

"Sis?" he dared to ask "Corey….sis come on I'll help you fix it" seconds seemed to stretch out until the damaged form of the Omega Wing began to peel away from Corvid, reverting to a now one-winged aerial drone form which fell to the ground with a dull reverberating clang

"So what now?" Felix asked, trying to mask the sudden panic that gripped him at the sight of his sisters' murderous expression "You just gonna….Omega Wing it?"

"We are way beyond puns right now" Corvid shot back icily, her knuckles audibly popping as she clenched her fists, rolling her shoulders and cricking her neck before dropping into a fighting stance. Felix could only remember a handful of times he had seen his sister so unspeakably furious and noted with something approaching dread that none of those instances had ended well for the recipient of her temper. Readying his weapons he silently hoped that even if he could achieve a victory here that it wouldn't come at the cost of his relationship with his sister.

* * *

The various scents wafting about the seemingly impromptu food court outside of the stadium in Eisenstadt Zweite was intoxicating, even more so to someone who possessed the heightened sense of smell of a Faunus, especially if that Faunus had already been hungry upon arriving. Carcharodon made his way through the crowded streets, slipping through the crowds with practised ease as he sought out the source of a particularly enticing aroma among the plethora of mouth watering smells. Despite the most likely racially motivated assumptions many people made, the Shark Faunus did not enjoy gorging himself almost exclusively on fish the way Raffia did and had a certain fondness for the notoriously spicy Mistrali pulled pork whose scent he was currently tracking; Carcharodon hadn't tasted the dish since the last time the Frost River Tribe had arrived in a settlement along the coast of Anima with the intention to trade rather than simply ransack and he was determined to find the stall selling it before Onyx learned of its' presence and simply devoured the whole pig.

"Oh hey I saw your match in the doubles round! Let's talk!" Carcharodon was forced too pay more attention to his immediate surroundings, suppressing the urge to bare his rows of sharp teeth or hiss in displeasure as he took in the sight of the speaker; a young woman though she seemed to be most likely older than himself clad in an outfit that walked a thin line between professional and provocative whilst behind her a man crouched and held a large video camera with an integrated microphone, in addition to the smaller microphone Carcharodon could see on the woman's open collar

"And you are?" while he was utterly lacking in any form of hair the fact he had raised an eyebrow was still unmistakable; the almost casual venom in the Faunus's tone caused the cheery smile on the woman's face to falter for a split second before she composed herself; turning to the cameraman and giving him some signal to start recording

"I'm Rosetta Burgundy and this is M.E.N Sports the Marigold Entertainment Networks' sports channel; where we bring you the vital news from the Vytal Tournament!" her voice seemed to jump an octave or two and Carcharodon gave her another once over, suddenly realising that everything about this woman's attire and demeanour had been decided and forced onto her without her insight and she was essentially no more than bait to lure in the easily amused; the Shark Faunus found himself struggling with simultaneous pangs of pity and contempt, though the unfamiliar moral conundrum was made easier when Rosetta continued to speak, her voice seeming to grate on his nerves more and more with each syllable.

"I just managed to corner former competitor Carcharodon Gore for an exclusive interview!" she chirped in a bright sing-song tone; before Carcharodon could inform her that she had done no such thing she carried on talking "So Car, can I call you Car? What are you doing in Eisenstadt Zweite tonight?"

"I was following my nose, now I'm being questioned" he answered as tonelessly as possible, the reporters' expression wavered again though Carcharodon was sure he saw the corners of her mouth twitch into a much more genuine smile for a moment before her next question

"So the evening opened with Helios Nikos, the man who beat you, taking another win; care to share your thoughts?" Carcharodon wasn't sure if the needling line of question was due to her employers demands or a response to his own bluntness and merely answered honestly

"Against anyone else his opponent may well have won, they both fought well and the Nikosi firstborn is a credit to his people"

"No hard feelings then, not quite as ruthless as you were made out to be….Any predictions you'd like to make for the remainder of the Tournament?"

"That the winner will be insufferable for a decade if this is how much attention someone gets for losing" Carcharodon snorted.

"And cur" Rosetta snorted, struggling not to laugh. The moment the camera was turned off she shot Carcharodon a suggestive wink before speaking in a voice that was clearly her natural tone "So um, my employer will definitely not like this if they find out but….wanna go for a drink?"

"Not especially" Carcharodon answered simply before walking away, pulling the hood of his black cloak low over his face in attempt to avoid being spotted by more hangers-on. The woman's intentions had been painfully clear and were he in a more charitable mood he would have pointed her in Onyx's direction; he himself had no interest in any kind of physical intimacy. He returned to his original intentions and set about finding where he could enjoy some, hopefully genuine, Mistrali cuisine only to come to a halt as another scent reached his nostrils; a coppery scent that while it triggered something visceral within him was at the same time comfortably familiar

"Still fresh" he breathed out as he set off in the direction of the smell of blood, his previous goals forgotten; he soon found himself doubling back on himself and returning to the stadium, slipping into a restricted yet unmonitored hidden walkway beneath the bleachers. The smell of blood intermingled with the stench of cleaning fluids as the Shark Faunus reached what he assumed was a storeroom for the janitorial staff; wrinkling his nose as he did so Carcharodon ripped the door open with enough force to break the lock, only to stop short at the sight that greeted him. A single Atlesian soldier lay on the ground, their neck reduced to a bleeding stump and their decapitated head left in a nearby sink; the body itself had been positioned in a way that allowed the blood pouring from the wound to run into a bucket rather than onto the floor where it would no doubt have seeped under the door of the storeroom. Carcharodon stepped closer and crouched as he examined the body, he was from a stranger to death and corpses held no fear for him, a low hiss escaped him as something caught his eye; the cut that had severed the soldiers' head was remarkably clean and accurate and as he stared at the sheer tear through flesh and bone he realised that the most likely candidate for this murder was the White Fang and that there were precious few among them with this kind of skill; the same skill that had seen his sister laid low when the Cult of Taurus turned against them.

"Justice will be done" he promised himself as he rose to his feet and left the storeroom, catching sight of a security camera as he did so; noting that their was no need to waste time informing the Atlesians and possibly deny himself the chance to deliver the retribution that he had worked towards for almost two years.

* * *

The gargantuan Ansturm haulage vehicle appropriated from the Schnee Dust Company by Svart Frost made its' way through Eisenstadt Zweite without incident; any onlookers who though it odd to see such a massive vehicle travelling through more commercial areas of the city than the subterranean working class districts which housed the factories simply assumed that it was delivering something of importance to the Vytal Festival; the dozen or so cars, vans and small buses behind the Ansturm attracted no attention whatsoever, exactly as planned. Within the cab of the hulking truck Svart and Celeste had been joined by the leader of one of the White Fang cells from the outer settlements whose members had earned the privilege to be on the forefront of the attack; she was a scale-covered reptilian Faunus who made no attempt to conceal either the machete and sawn-off shotgun she carried or the contempt in her voice as she regarded the Emperor Penguin Faunus tasked with driving the Ansturm whose trailers were filled to capacity with armed dissidents.

"High Commander, the Xiao Long children are currently competing in the tournament" she addressed Celeste Lupus with utmost respect as she relayed information given to her by various members of the White Fang stationed at locations around the city as well as those watching livestreams of the tournament from inside the trailers

"I offered Blake Belladonna's son the chance to join us and right the wrongs his mother has committed against the Faunus in the name of appeasing humans and he refused….no more mercy"

"Agreed High Commander" the reptilian Faunus nodded enthusiastically before glaring from behind her mask as Svart "Though we're still too far away from the stadium to make sure we arrive before the match ends" Celeste took this information in her stride, remaining silent for a few moments as she considered her options

"There are others who will act in my stead if we do not arrive before their match concludes" the Ram Faunus stated simply before her thin lipped mouth twisted into a cruel smile "Although it seems….ill-fitting perhaps, for someone other than myself to deliver the opening attack of our crusade. Svart how far are we from the divide?"

"A few minutes away from where it used to be" the driver replied, the several meters thick Atlesian steel blast doors between the upper and lower sections of each city within the icy Kingdom; designed to be sealed in case of any emergency or social uprising had been removed over a decade ago as Atlas made efforts to reform itself; though anyone native to Lower Atlas would know that those efforts were superficial at best and that the segregation between the two halves of the Kingdom was still very real, especially if they were Faunus

"Used to be?" Celeste asked quizzically "The Atlesian military still has checkpoints in place in the exact place the blast doors stood for this tournament does it not?"

"It does High Commander" Svart admitted, Celeste turned to the reptilian Faunus co-ordinating the various cells from all across the continent currently within the city

"The the matter is settled. Tell the other teams stationed at the checkpoints to move in when we give the signal; they'll know it when they see it" the Ram Faunus turned to Svart and with her voice almost with trembling with excitement said simply "Give me ramming speed"

* * *

Specialist Commander Cimmerian Chiffon, First Mate to Gangrel Slate was a grizzled veteran of countless clandestine operations that his Kingdom would continue to deny had ever happened long after he had retired or sacrificed his live in the line of duty. With his years of experience tempering the advanced training all members of the Specialist Branch were subjected to he liked to think that he had a fairly astute understanding of the severity of an unfolding situation even without all of the details and could reliably gauge how concerned to be. Currently Specialist Chiffon was deeply concerned.

"Where the fuck is everyone" he grumbled under his breath, right hand absently moving from rubbing the greying stubble on his chin to tracing the prominent scar running horizontally from his right eyebrow along his temple to the back of his skull; a souvenir from being shot in the head when his Aura was depleted and continuing to fight on regardless. Since leaving the V.I.P seating he had been attempting to track down each of the Specialists that he had stationed around the stadium who had failed to report in and give them a somewhat less than official berating for both their tardiness and making him miss part of a good match. A few of those Specialists had been found at their posts, offering excuses such as being unable to find privacy, needing to perform the job they were masquerading as to maintain their cover or simply using the lavatory; several more however were simply missing and Chiffon was beginning to get seriously worried, noting that it was far beyond the realms of coincidence.

"Fuck this" he muttered under his breath before tapping the comm headset he was currently wearing "Control room find Specialist Misty….Control room, Control room do you copy?" when he was answered by nothing but silence Chiffon swiftly made his way towards the control room; walking briskly through restricted corridors and descending down below what guests would consider to be the bottom of the stadium and into the sprawling complex beneath it in which the various battlefields were maintained; the control room was located before this complex and as the veteran reached the entrance he found himself clutching his weapon out of habit. Opening the door with an electronic card-key he stepped inside and immediately came to a halt, blood rushing from his face as he stared at the carnage before him in horror. The control room was staffed by almost two dozen operators who surveyed the countless security cameras which covered the majority of the stadium; each and every one of those two dozen staff were now dead, their bodies slumped over desks and chairs or simply crumpled on the ground where they had fallen after attempting to run or raise the alarm. The scent of blood was overwhelming and the crimson liquid formed pools on the floor and trickled down the walls in steady streams where it spattered when projectiles ripped through bodies; Chiffon clamped down on his emotions and noted with detached disgust that the projectiles in question were a series of three foot long steel spikes.

* * *

"Sir" his words were clipped as he contact Gangrel Slate "We have a situation, code black"

Corvid and Felix exchanged blows at lightning speed, though the Lion Faunus was under no delusions as to who was currently winning this fight; since the severe damage he had wrought on the Omega Wing his sister had attacked with devastating precision, force and brutality, as was showcased when she caught her brothers' right hook and turned in the same motion, landing a punishing blow on the inside of his elbow as she swept his legs out from beneath him before using his own momentum to send him crashing to the ground.

"Lion on the ground again?" she snarled before launching herself into an acrobatic manoeuvre that caused the crowd to cheer as she slammed into the space Felix had occupied, her knee intended for his chest while her elbow would have collided with his nose. Before she could right herself she was left seeing stars for a moment by the force of the spinning kick Felix landed on her head; lashing out blindly she managed to prevent him from pressing the brief advantage as she regained her focus and balance

"Y'know what Corey, fuck you for making this harder than it had to be!" Felix snapped at her, Corvid feeling a pang of guilt as well as surprise as the way his voice wavered

"What, you thought I was gonna go easy on you Fluffy?" she laughed, pushing her feelings to the side as the made to kick Felix in the chest; only for him to catch her leg and hurl her to the ground in a reversal of their previous exchange. As Felix threw a powerful punch at her chest she managed to roll to her side and wrap her legs around his arm, forcing him to the ground as she exerted as much force as she could on his elbow and shoulder, Felix responded with a savage snarl as he rolled and landed a firm punch on Corvid's gut which caused her to release his arm. As the two of them managed to return to their feet, both panting for breath and bleeding from previous blows they had landed on each other; Felix spat out a mouthful of blood and glared at his sister with tears in his eyes

"Do you actually want to be here fighting me or something?" he demanded, his voice pained "'Cos I'm gonna be honest, if winning really means that much to you then you can have it….I don't wanna hurt you, I'll just forfeit" Corvid's stomach lurched as she realised in a single instant just how far beyond reasonable or in control she was, she'd been using attacks intended to break limbs and win by the most painful and humiliating means possible.

"THEY SEEM TO BE SIZING EACH OTHER UP FOR ANOTHER ATTACK!" Oobleck announced, clearly misreading the situation from his place above them. Corvid let out a slow breath before dropping her arms to her side and straightening her back

"Fuck this"

"What're you doing?" Felix asked, clearly perplexed; Corvid simply shot him a grin as she braced herself

"Both our Auras are low, I say there's one simple way to finish this that'll keep the fans happy" her smile widened to almost comical proportions "Let's see whose Semblance is better"

"As if it's even a question" Felix snorted before obliging; his blazing Aura manifesting around him as he channelled all of the heat he'd absorbed and stored, flesh blackening as magma like veins spread across its' surface and his eyes, hair and the fur of his tail began to glow with golden light as he entered his Balrog State. The crowd erupted with deafening cheers as they seemed to sense what was about to happen and a moment later Felix charged, covering the distance between them and crashing into Corvid with earth shattering force. The floor of the stadium cracked and cratered around her feet, its' surface beginning to glow as the heat Felix was emitting reduced to a molten state; yet Corvid Xiao Long held fast and grappled with her brother

"Y'know you look cool when you do that….well not cool, you're on fire for Oum's sake" she grunted out through clenched teeth "But it really only works if you can win with the first hit" Felix noted that while his unstoppable momentum may have been simply dissipated but Corvid had greatly misjudged the situation

"Hey Corey" his voice came out as distorted snarl, the mere act of speaking and strategic thought becoming difficult in this form "There's a 'floor' in your plan" he broke free of their grappling and wrapped his arms around her chest, pulling her into a bear-hug before simply lifting her off of the ground and rendering her Semblance ineffective as he launched himself into the air, ending the match with a move more at home in professional wrestling; their collision with the floor sending a cloud of dust into the air

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, CORVID XIAO-LONG'S AURA HAS DROPPED INTO THE RED! FELIX XIAO LONG WINS AND PROGRESSES INTO THE NEXT ROUND OF THE TOURNAMENT!" when the dust finally settled the crowds were treated to the sight of both Xiao Long sibling laid on the ground simply laughing like maniacs at the audacity of Felix's final move

"I can't believe you just did that!" Corvid gasped out as she struggled to catch her breath

"I can't believe it actually worked!" Felix snorted back

"Come on get up" Corvid returned to her feet and pulled her brother up by the arm before proceeding to hold that same arm in the air, gesturing wildly at the Faunus in a way that seemed to imply that she thought the crowds should be cheering louder. The audience obliged and their enthusiasm reached even greater heights, several chants being clear amidst the roaring cacophony; Felix found himself unable to keep the smile from his face and playfully bowed and played up to the fans with his arms outstretched.  
Then the gunshot echoed throughout the stadium.

Crowds screamed and began moving in a single panicked mass as thousands of people fled from where they each believed they sound to have come from, crashing into each other and any security personnel attempting to take the situation in hand, live-streams went blank with their final image being the horror in the arena below. Felix Xiao Long staggered forwards before dropping to his knees with his sisters' screams sounding distant to his ears, his navy eyes wide with shock and fright as a wave of cold washed over him in tandem with the deep red stain spreading across his shirt and his Aura flickering out of existence, receding away from the point of impact whilst he clutched feebly at the three foot long steel spike now protruding from just below his ribcage.

 **Authors Notes:**

Well shit, I promised you another cliffhanger did I not?  
So yeah, the Vol.6/second year finale is on, battle commencing next chapter.

Not much else to add so let's summarise shall we:  
Qrow might be a cynical old bastard at heart but you can't argue with him bracing for the worst there.  
"Unbiased" lol.  
And again, can't really blame Qrow for not wanting to be around Antonia either all things considered.  
I enjoy Qrow's interactions with Kataigida; might have to write more.  
Helios managed to get his Mum to at least hear Qrow out, so in this case Felix's honesty was the best policy….not that would honestly have been able to keep his mouth shut anyway; he lied for Qrow once before, how did that turn out.  
Qrow is trying to be a better Oz.  
Syneffo sounding like a more seasoned and capable, yet just as earnest version of Vol.1 Ruby...probably breaks Qrow's heart to be honest.  
Felix was genuinely terrified because of both how much he looks up to Corvid and always puts her on a pedestal but also Corvid is legitimately scary when she wants to be.  
There's the thing with Corvid that makes her tricky to write sometimes, she undoubtedly one of the good guys, but at the same time her teasing can easily go into bullying territory and her confidence can come across as cocky.  
Also the puns are back.  
Corvid's Semblance needs a floor to work, take the floor out from under her and you're back in the game.  
Unless of course she decides on "Death from above"  
I really want to write more cute Diamond Dust scenes, as well as the other ships.  
Weiss has no chill.  
The Slate guys type is "Taking none of anybody's shit".  
You all knew it was gonna go very very wrong when you saw that some of the security had gone missing didn't you.  
Oh no, AJ and Coral are gone….oh no.  
Both Xiao Long siblings using Dust related dirty tricks was fun.  
Felix forcing the Omega Wing into the forcefield reminded me of a part of Bumblebee and not Starscream fighting.  
Also…..she messed with the hair, and the tail.  
The comment about nobody on Patch liking her might have been a low blow though.  
Yeah, Felix basically used a modified version of the Magnetic Dust trick that Nyanza used against Onyx.  
Well, the Omega Wing is broken….that's gonna have consequences.  
Also, the fact that Felix immediately started apologising because he knew he'd fucked up.  
Rare instance of Car with his guard down a little.  
Henry Marigold, aka shitty Neptune from Vol.4….in Downward Spiral I had his family own various media outlets in Atlas; this reporter works for them.  
The idea of Carcharodon being caught by a faux bubbly reporter is honestly hilarious to me for reasons I can't quite articulate.  
Also, Car might be ace and aromantic himself but let's be honest somebody probably finds him attractive.  
So Beta is here somewhere and Car is going on the warpath alone.  
"Ramming speed" well that's one way to make an entrance.  
If you didn't expect dead bodies when the control room didn't answer then I don't know what to tell you.  
Yeah Delta cleaned the place out ruthlessly; which is why nobody spotted the other Specialists and guards being picked off.  
Corvid uses Felix's own momentum against him a lot in this fight because even back in Vol.1 I mentioned that that's how she fights when she doesn't have the Omega Wing; she's good at martial arts like Judo and submission holds.  
The sad thing is Felix wasn't joking, he would have forfeited if Corvid said it meant that much to her and I feel like realising that he was seriously ready to do that for her was the only thing that would have made Corvid see some kind of sense.  
Well that's that debate settled, unstoppable force beats immovable object because the ground around immovable object will break first.  
Felix winning with a pun, it had to happen.  
Boom.  
Please tell me someone saw that coming?

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Keromenson, Funlander, Ferrous, FluffyFirefly, FleetOfWarships and DizzyDwarf for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Oh the whole of Team GORE are gonna uncork in ways we haven't seen yet.  
Yeah the whole Immovable object meeting an Unstoppable force thing has been planned from day one….seriously, the Cult of Taurus were the first antagonist characters I came up with for this story so things have been built around them for a while.  
You though the last cliffhanger was evil….Now you know what I'm truly capable of.  
All of you who were scared for what happens next….congrats, that was the correct response.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	84. The Fang Draws Blood

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 84: The Fang Draws Blood**

Gangrel and Weiss had left the V.I.P box to search for Athena-Jade and Coral before the bout between their niece and nephew had concluded; leaving Arctus and Diamond alone in the reserved seating to wait in case the girls returned, Arctus frantically texting and calling his sister in an attempt to find out where she'd managed to sneak herself away to. This had resulted in the two members of Team FADE still being alone and watching in terrified horror as a single gunshot rang out and a moment later Felix collapsed forwards. The pair acted in unison without needing to speak or give each other any form of signal; Arctus, his face drained of what little colour it naturally held, created a Glyph and with it blasted the windows away from the V.I.P box, Diamond leaping out of the now vacant hole in the wall and engaging her Semblance to hop rapidly from one shard of falling glass to the next; making her way frantically down to the arena itself whilst Arctus rode another of his glowing Glyphs beside her. They reached their fallen team-mate at the same moment as a snowy white bird of prey swooped low and with a flash of Aura revealed themselves to be Eagle Arc in her avian form, the armoured blonde staggering to a stop and crouching beside her partner whilst Corvid was at his other side, clearly panicked beyond her ability to think rationally

"FLUFFY! FLUFFY TALK TO ME, COME ON STAY AWAKE!" Diamond rushed over to his side, she had lived in the most impoverished city with Mistral's territory as well as the capital, working alongside Emerald Sustrai in the soup kitchens, homeless shelters and other charities that her mother was involved with; leaving the sniper with enough experience to attend to a gunshot wound until a professional could take over

"Roll him over!" she ordered, trying to keep herself from panicking; Eagle and Corvid hastily did as they were instructed, eliciting a hiss of pain from the wounded Lion Faunus as he was moved onto his back. Diamond took one look at the injury and felt bile rise in her throat

"What are you waiting for?" Corvid snapped "Help him!"

"I don't think I can" Diamond mouthed, the steel spike protruding from Felix's chest being far beyond anything she'd had to try and stabilise before "If I try and take that out he'll bleed out" Felix attempted to pull himself into a sitting position only to let out a groan of pain, clutching at the spike as he collapsed backwards and lay flat on the ground, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth as he attempted to speak

"Leave me, get people out" his words were a pained and breathless croak

"Shut up Fluffy, we're not leaving!" Corvid snapped, turning to Diamond with tears streaming from her steely grey eyes and adding "Do something!"

"Where are all the medics?" Eagle demanded, clearly terrified as she scanned their surroundings; the air was filled with the sounds of panicked and screaming civilians desperately attempting to escape for fear of being the shooters' next victim whilst the security forces seemed to be disturbingly lacking. Arctus looked at the same sights and came to a bleak conclusion

"They're not coming….they're scared of getting shot the second they get close to him" Diamond let out a slew of whispered, barely intelligible curses as she realised that the only possible culprit for this attack, given the choice of weapon, could be the Cult of Taurus who would almost certainly attempt to gun down anyone attempting to aid their victims and that moving Felix would be risky in the extreme. Taking a deep shuddering breath she managed to master herself and achieve a level of detached calm before giving out orders

"Arctus I need Glyphs, get us some cover! Corvid, I know you're Aura's down but get those medics out here and cover them as best you can!"

"On it!" the Bear Faunus replied, springing into action and bringing a series of glowing constructs into existence; enough of them that he would be able to position them into a functional shield at a moments' notice without completely draining himself by enveloping them all entirely. Corvid wiped her eyes and nodded before rushing towards the damaged and stationary form of the Omega Wing, quickly activating it and wrapping the battle-suit around herself and taking it's severed wing with her as she made her way towards the opposite end of the stadium

"What about me?" Eagle asked, voice trembling

"Drop Sentinel and have him be ready to shoot back" the blonde hastily complied, the droid unfurling and sweeping the emptying stands with its' mini-gun whilst bleeping and chirping incessantly

"Sorry about this" Diamond said by way of warning as she applied pressure to Felix's wound, blood spilling over her hands as he twitched and shuddered in pain, the Mistrali turned saw that her friends' eyes were taking on a glassy and unfocused quality and quickly turned her attention back to Eagle

"I need Ice Dust, I'm trying to limit the blood loss and I can't cauterise it with the spike still in him….and talk to him Eagle, keep him awake"

"Okay, right yeah I can do that" Eagle stammered out, her usual hyperactive chattering taking on an unmistakably frantic and almost hysterical edge as she rummaged through her pockets in search of the dust in question, Arctus quickly coming to her aid

"I've got some, bottom left jacket pocket….I can't get it out without dropping these Glyphs"

"Hang in there Felix" Eagle all but begged as she made her way to Arctus "Hang in there we're gonna get you out of-" she was brought to a sudden halt by what at first appeared to be an explosion; a deafening boom that ripped a portion of the stands asunder and sent wreckage and debris flying into the air, whole seats and sections of floor clattering off of Arctus's Glyphs. As the dust settled Eagle realised that she had been wrong in her initial assumption. The source of the destruction had not been an explosion, but rather a collision and now, parked in the gaping wound torn into the structure of the stadium was one of the gargantuan haulage vehicles Atlesian companies used to ship goods to the above ground settlements in the tundra; the cargo of this particular Ansturm soon being revealed as hundreds of armed and masked Faunus burst from the various trailers the truck was towing, turning their weapons on civilians, security teams and students of the Hunter Academies alike as they leapt into the breach.

"WHITE FANG ATTACK!" She called out to her team-mates, further confirmation coming when the wind-shield of the Ansturm was blown out from the inside of the cab, allowing a white haired figure clad in black armour with horns curling around her temples to leap out on the vehicle. High Commander Lupus Celeste drew the sword which had once belonged to Adam Taurus and pointed it downwards whilst barking out a command, her voice carrying over the din of battle

"LAY WASTE TO ATLAS! SLAY THE HUMAN OPPRESSORS AND ANY WHO FIGHT ALONSIDE THEM!" she pointed wilt dramatically at where Team FADE stood, crouched and lay in the now abandoned arena "BUT LEAVE THE CHILDREN OF TRAITORS, I WILL DELIVER JUSTICE PERSONALLY!"

* * *

"No, no, no please no-" the human security guards' terrified pleas for mercy were brought to an end as Beta brought the Indominus, the twin katanas combined into their great-sword form down on the mans' skull; cleaving through armour flesh and bone with little resistance and leaving the now bisected halves of the man strewn on the ground with blood, organs and other viscera flooding from them as the Snow Leopard Faunus continued fulfilling his sole reason for being, humming the haunting melody of a piece of classical music composed in Menagerie only months before its' destruction in the Great War as he went. The Cult of Taurus had been given a simple but undeniably important task by the High Commander, having been tasked to enter the stadium and dismantle it's security in a way that wouldn't raise suspicion or alarm. They had been successful, Alpha having sent Delta in ahead of them to use their Semblance and hide in plain sight in the control room and massacre those working there when the time came, allowing Alpha, Gamma and Beta himself to stalk and hunt the rest of the security forces without fear of interference whilst the Spider Faunus moved themselves into position to open fire when the time came. The quartet of killers had still been separated when the High Commander had arrived with the bulk of the force that would be used to cull those within the stadium, the rest of the force that had followed her breaking off and spilling into the rest of the festival, cutting down any who attempted to flee. Delta was no doubt taking the opportunity to indulge in their cruelty as they picked off civilians, almost exclusively targeting those who were parts of a group so that each victims' friends and families could see their fate. Gamma had surmised several points where the Hunters and security teams would attempt to muster their forces and counter attack and informed his allies that he would position himself at one of them in order to engage the best the enemy had, Beta was unsure of precisely where Alpha was, knowing that the Lionfish Faunus had her own goals. His musings were interrupted by a primal roar of fury as a group of less than half a dozen security guards rushed at him, emptying their weapons as they charged. Beta was unharmed, his Semblance combined with speed and agility honed over years of brutal training allowing to deflect each and every bullet with his weapon, now in its' twin katana form, without giving an inch of ground. The counter-attack was predictably brutal, the first guard the reach him finding her throat opened, the second having their belly opened and gutted; the horror and comprehension that dawned on the rest prompted to try and fall back to no avail and within seconds they lay dead at Beta's feet.

"Simply disappointing" he mused to himself before stalking onwards in search of a more promising opponent, one whose death he would have to earn; a distraction from this task coming in the form of a group of Faunus clearly attempting to escape, Beta made his way towards them in slow deliberate steps, a feral smile visible beneath his mask as he held his open as if offering an embrace whilst fully aware of the blood of his previous kills dripping from him and staining his clothes

"Brothers and sisters rejoice!" he called out to the group of Faunus, now huddling closer to each other and sharing terrified expressions "Rejoice for you have been given an opportunity to see our race forged in fire and rebuilt, come! Join us and slay the humans and the Faunus will never be subjugated again!" the Faunus backed away until they hit a wall, exactly as Beta had anticipated; they were either cowards or traitors which in the Snow Leopard Faunus's mind was a meaningless distinction, either one was willing to butcher the enemies of the cause or one was an enemy of the cause. He prepared to combine Indominus into their rail-gun form and execute the group of Faunus in a single attack, finding them so far beneath his contempt that he couldn't even bring himself to engage them in proper combat, though before he could do so something collided with him and in a manner that defied all he knew of science and common sense Beta felt himself vanish. A wave of cold washed numbness washed over him and he was sure he would be shivering uncontrollably were it not for the fact that his body seemed to be utterly absent and disconnected from his consciousness, rendering him blind, deaf and panicking until the sensation came to an end just as abruptly as it had started, Beta's first sensations upon regaining feeling and control of his body were falling and the thud of his back connecting with the ground. Quickly righting himself and readying his weapons he noted with some surprise that he was clearly nowhere near the stadium or the body of the White Fang forces, finding himself on a bridge somewhere in what was clearly lower Atlas, a cursory glance revealing that the distance between the bridge and the eventual bottom of the subterranean city was so vast that the ground below couldn't be seen.

"Show yourself!" Beta demanded, searching for any sign of whoever had transported him through the floor of the stadium and several levels down into the depths of Eisenstadt Zweite; his eyes honing in on an unnatural shadow which moved of its' own accord before rising out of the ground and solidifying into a robed and hooded figure who treated Beta to a smile filled with jagged fangs

"You!"

"Me" Carcharodon Gore replied, shedding the cloak he wore and deploying the Crimson Waves along his forearms

"Well boy" Beta sneered, readying his katanas "You've evidently improved somewhat since your band of filth tucked their tails and ran; I do hope it's enough to make your death entertaining" Carcharodon didn't rise to the taunt and rush in the way Beta had hoped he would, simply bowing his head and solemnly intoning

"You have been found guilty of the murder of Mizu Gore, Captain of the Despoiler Kraken and head of the Shadow Cadre of the Frost River Tribe….My sister; I sentence you to death" he fixed Beta with a cold stare before adding "Would you prefer to fall upon your own sword, or face me in single combat?"

"Oh bravo boy!" Beta applauded "If only there were an audience here for that….I'll humour you, combat it is" Carcharodon strode forwards slowly

"I have all the audience I need, my ancestors are smiling on me today. Perhaps yours are as well, you'll meet them soon enough" the Shark Faunus gave a slight bow of the head, enough to satisfy custom before launching himself at Beta and preparing to enact retribution or die in the attempt.

* * *

When the White Fang force had begun spilling from their vehicles into the crowd in dozens of places, including close to the tavern in which Kataigida had been speaking with Qrow Branwen, their weapons being turned on anyone who was not wearing a Grimm mask regardless of species or heritage. Kataigida had been quick to act, gathering up the Nikosi fighters and launching herself headlong into the fray and cutting a bloody swathe towards the stadium itself, intending to give those fleeing a clear line of retreat where they would not be harried by the attackers. As she drove her spear through the skull of a tusked Boar Faunus who had been attempting to piece her armour with a kitchen knife, her people fighting furiously around her, she noted that it was certainly odd but not exactly unpleasant to have a member of the Frost River Tribe fighting alongside her. Onyx Ursabane had been drinking nearby and the moment the fighting had started he had become a rampaging force of nature against the White Fang, currently the Puma Faunus was perhaps two dozen feet a way from Kataigida herself and was ploughing through enemies with brutality that, even to a seasoned warrior such as herself was a little unnerving to watch

"FIGHT BACK YOU BASTARDS!" the furious roar escaped him as he swung Jotun fang in a wide arc, blood spraying across walls and leaving the crimson fluid pooling on the ground around him as he cleaved a trio of masked Faunus in half in a single swing before shifting his battleaxe into its' artillery piece mode and firing at a White Fang fighter taking aim with some kind of Dust based energy weapon, no doubt obtained through their alliance with Ozymandias Eldritch. Onyx fired and the weapon exploded, reducing the user and those stood around them to a fine red mist; another rushed at him at the Puma Faunus easily sidestepped and dragged the blade of his weapon across the back of their legs in a single fluid motion before grasping their neck in a single meaty paw and proceeding to squeeze and twist until they went limp as a sickening crunch sounded from between his fingers. Two more Faunus charged him, whoever was commanding this particular cell having identified Onyx as a key threat to be neutralised; the first hit the ground gurgling and choking on their own blood as Jotun Fang was buried in their neck and chest; Onyx let the weapon fall as he took the other attacker by the scruff of the neck whilst placing a fiery red Dust crystal between his teeth; their begging and calls for help were soon replaced with screams that would haunt all who heard them as Onyx engaged his Semblance, using the Dust to transform his concussive sonic roar into a raging inferno spewing from his mouth. He dropped the charred skeleton of his latest kill to the ground and ripped his weapon free of the chest it was lodged in, a manic look in his eyes as he searched for another White Fang fighter to unleash himself upon.

"Control yourself!" Kataigida snapped, delivering quick and comparatively merciful deaths to a pair of Faunus taking aim at one of her people; slashing a throat and piercing a heart with fluid grace "You're behaving like an animal; remain composed even in war!"

"THEY KILLED MY FAMILY!" Onyx roared back, clearly too consumed by rage and grief to listen to anything outside of his own bloodlust. Turning away from the leader of the Nikosi without a second thought he hurled Jotun Fang across the impromptu battlefield the street filled with stalls and vendors had become where it ripped through the skull of a Faunus readying a Gatling gun for use on fleeing crowds. As Onyx waded through the violence to retrieve his axe he plucked a small Faunus off of the ground and paused to hold them overhead so that the entirety of the White Fang force could see as well as hear when Onyx shattered their spine with a horrifying snapping sound. Kataigida couldn't concern herself with that at the moment, she followed the flight of the Puma Faunus's weapon and seen that protecting the fleeing civilians nearby was her daughter. Syneffo fought valiantly, the blades of the Harpies Claws stained crimson though it was still seemingly not enough as the teen was being forced back, deflecting attacks with her axes while another Nikosi warrior fell close by, their sword and shield being little threat to an enemy armed with a laser weapon

"NO!" Kataigida shouted desperately, hurling her spear across the battlefield she impaled a winged Bat Faunus before drawing a sword and making her way towards Syneffo, slaughtering any who stood between them with ruthless efficiency, though as her blade burst through the back of a cat-eared feline Faunus who fell limp against the hilt of the weapon she saw another masked Faunus positioned on the open bed of a pickup truck hoisted a rocket launcher onto their shoulder and took aim at the group of civilians that Syneffo was attempting to see to safety and knew that she wouldn't make it in time to prevent her daughter being consumed in the blast.

"CAW!"

A red eyed crow swooped low and in a flash of crimson Aura the Faunus wielding the heavy weapon was hoisted from their feet with the blade of Harbinger protruding from their chest, Qrow Branwen hurled them aside and shifted his weapon into its' ranged mode, returning fire while directing civilians to safety

"Now would be I good time to tell me the secrets to my powers Branwen!" Syneffo noted pointedly

"Not really, they're not Grimm" Qrow answered "Oh Oum damn it I'm getting too old for this" he noted with some annoyance as he hopped off of the pickup truck and straightened out his back with noticeable discomfort; the surviving Nikosi fighters and a blood-soaked Onyx forming up around them

"We have to make our way into stadium" Kataigida stated bluntly

"Agreed, there are bound to be people who can't get out and the White Fang aren't taking prisoners" Qrow nodded, shifting Harbinger into its' sword form as he spoke

"Precisely" the redhead nodded before quietly adding "Besides, that's where my son will be"

* * *

The White Fang were everywhere and the claustrophobic environment in which the battle within the stadium was taking place was the antithesis of what Helios Nikos knew; yet he still led Team NEON on a determined counter-attack through the cramped space beneath the ascending rows of seating, which many of the tournament attendees had flocked towards upon realising that there were several fire exits located around the stadium that would allow them to escape faster. Helios had still been recovering from his tournament bout when the attack had commenced but had quickly led his team into the thick of the fighting. Nyanza, Ether and Olivine fought calmly and efficiently but were clearly only seeking to wound and incapacitate; Nyanza breaking arms, crushing hands that held weapons and knocking White Fang fighters unconscious with his tonfa, Olivine found herself unable to activate Buster Bravo in such a confined space without risking their own lives and those of any civilians yet to escape; instead she made do with using the cybernetic brace around her right arm which allowed her to wield her weapon to deliver superhuman punches which shattered ribs with ease whilst Ether used his Semblance to find openings and punish the Faunus attackers harshly. Helios himself was another matter entirely, he was a warrior and this was war; he fought to kill and did so without hesitation, driving the edge of his shield into an avian Faunus's throat with enough force to pin them against a wall, desperately gasping for air until their eyes widened and then dimmed as the redheads' sword found its' mark. Helios wasted no time in pulling his sword free and combining it with the shield component of Olympus Enforcer to form his Tommy gun and open fire into the White Fang still bearing down on them. An insectoid Faunus whose mask had been modified to account for their compound eyes managed to avoid being riddled with bullets at close range like her allies by scuttling along walls and support pillars only to be simply ripped apart and reduced to a crimson stain adorning the nearest wall; Helios pressed this newfound advantage whilst turning and noting that it was Corvid Xiao Long who had killed his attacker. His blood felt as though it had frozen in his veins when she spoke, voice trembling with fright far beyond anything he had ever heard from her

"Fluffy's hurt; I can't find a medic!" Helios's first response was a furious roar as he separated his weapon, ploughing his sword into the thigh of one of the few remaining members of this group of attackers and leaving them vulnerable to his follow up slash at their neck; then he turned to Nyanza

"The civilians?"

"All out….not that it's any safer out there!" he called back

"With me!" without waiting to see that his orders were followed, simply trusting that they would be he turned and sprinted towards Corvid, noting that the Omega Wing was heavily damaged as he silently conveyed that she should take him to Felix immediately. The five of them were soon rushing out into the stadium itself, only to find it an open war zone; a gargantuan truck whose design Team NEON were familiar with had been ploughed through the stadium wall and soldiers, security guards and students did battle with White Fang wherever the two groups encountered each other; their attention however was drawn to the arena where a severely injured Felix lay motionless and bleeding whilst Arctus, Diamond and Eagle did their best to slow the advance of a Ram Faunus clad in black armour which was clearly augmenting their abilities to unnatural levels. High Commander Celeste Lupus was a force of nature, deflecting the storm of bullets that Sentinel unleashed without breaking her stride and simply breaking through the Glyphs Arctus created one after another in a war of attrition that it was clear the Bear Faunus would lose; Diamond aimed Lex Talionis in its' sniper rifle form and shot at the Faunus's face with every intent to kill her, Celeste caught the Dust fuelled armour piercing round and crushed it in her palm with enough force for the volatile substance to ignite and leave smoke trailing from her grip. Helios's fists trembled with silent rage as he took in the sight before giving out orders

"ETHER, ASSIST ARCTUS! NYANZA FOLLOW ME IN AND USE YOUR SEMBLANCE FOR ANYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF! OLLIE….INCINERATE THAT WOMAN!" Team NEON launched into action, Ether's Semblance bringing him to Arctus's side within seconds where he proceeded to ready Ghost Reverie in its' guitar with its' solid Dust crystal picks to bolster the defence the Faunus was mounting. Using Celeste's distraction as an opening Olivine unfurled Buster Bravo and unleashed everything that compact weapons' battery had to offer with terrifying precision. Helios rushed towards the arena itself with Corvid and Nyanza beside him; skidding to a halt beside Team FADE

"Felix! Felix can you hear me?" Helios pleaded as dropped to a crouch beside him, gently taking the Lion Faunus's hand and squeezing

"Help me up" Felix ground out, blood flecking his gritted teeth as he rolled onto his hands and knees despite the steel spike still stuck in his abdomen.

"Fluffy no!" Corvid insisted "Just stay down, we've got-" she found herself halting, standing in slack jawed disbelief behind her visored helmet as Celeste strode out of the smoke filled crater that Olivine's attack had ripped into the stadium, her armour burned, warped, sparking and stripped of its' outer layer in several places; revealing the dull gunmetal and advanced mechanical components below. In a snap decision Corvid decided that she would rain death on this monster from above; even damaged the Omega Wing would still fly so long as she didn't attempt any form of manoeuvring. Readying her weapons she made to leap into the air only to find herself pulled back down to the ground by Felix who had clamped his hand around her ankle and resolutely refused to let go

"Heely, hold her in place I've got a plan!"

"FLUFFY WHAT ARE YOU-" Corvid was cut off by Helios wrapping his arms around hers, pinning them to her sides as he pulled her free of the arena; the whole time Celeste Lupus made her inexorable advance towards them, cutting through every defence mustered against her with cold determination

"Arctus" Felix ground out as he dropped to one knee and readied his swords despite the clear pain every movement he made caused him "Let her come" it was a testament to their trust in his leadership that none of Team FADE questioned the order, despite the concerned looks they shared.

"This was inevitable Xiao Long!" Celeste announced as she made her way onto the raised arena, Wilt at the ready "From the moment your mother betrayed Adam Taurus and the moment Slate's father laid with a Schnee your deaths were promised"

"You dumb bitch" Felix wheezed out, wishing that he could have responded with something more poignant before bringing Hack and Slash screaming into life and reaching over the edge of the arena to destroy one of the control panels for the arenas' forcefield; bringing it flickering into life and trapped both Team FADE and Celeste inside

"FLUFFY NO!" Corvid screamed as she realised what her brother had done, beside her Helios stood in mortified silence before dropping his sword and pressing his hand against the surface of the intangible barrier despite the pain it caused him; Felix saw this and with fear evident in his deep blue eyes silently mouthed

"I love you"

"I love you too" Helios managed to croak back. Within the arena Arctus, Diamond and Eagle took up position around Felix; protecting their injured friend as Celeste prepared herself for an attack. Outside of the arena the stunned silence was intruded upon by the sound of Corvid's Scroll cutting over the din of battle which seemed distant to those Felix had attempted to spare Celeste's wrath.

"Corey answer it!" Nyanza snapped, shaking her by the shoulder when she didn't answer "Corey it could be your team!" that thought pierced the fog she been losing herself in and she quickly answered her Scroll though the comms system of the Omega Wing which was mercifully still intact

"COULD REALLY USE SOME HELP OVER HERE FEARLESS LEADER!" Lux's voice greeted her, snapping Corvid back into the moment and the mantle of commander that the situation demanded she be

"I've got your location, what's your situation Lux?"

"A few of the student Teams formed up and tried to make a big push back; one of the psychos from our last mission showed up and cut us off" Corvid's eyes widened in horror at the news, only for her blood to run cold at her partners' addition "It's the big one with the arm and the spikes!" Corvid screwed her eyes shut and forced herself to make a decision that she would hate herself for

"Helios, Team CLIR need reinforcements; you're with me!"

"Understood" Helios nodded, taking up his sword once again as the five Hunters rushed into the thick of the fighting once more; Helios noting that for reasons unknown Nyanza had paused to retrieve the forcefield generator Corvid had ejected from the Omega Wing whilst Corvid propelling herself one faltering leap of her damaged battle-suit at a time while silently vowing that when she saw Felix again she was going to hug him until his eyes popped, because the alternative was too much for to consider.

* * *

Antonia Arc was cornered and the sickening terror that came with the realisation was only intensified by the knowledge that she only had herself to blame for the predicament. When Felix Xiao Long had been so brutally gunned down in the middle of the stadium in front of the audience Eagle had launched herself into action seemingly on instinct, were she in any frame of mind to do so Antonia would have commended her daughters' decisiveness and swift action. As it was Eagle had frantically ordered Antonia to stay near Hellion before using the Semblance she had inherited from her father to fly to her partners' side. As the panic had set into the crowd and mob mentality took over, thousands of people forming a fearful stampede towards every available exit, Antonia had felt her hard fought and tightly maintained self control wavering only to utterly shatter the moment the Ansturm haulage vehicle had been used as a battering ram to breach the stadiums' walls, killing an untold amount of civilians. These were the White Fang, they had taken part in the razing of Vale and she had lost her brother in their occupation of Lower Atlas during the war and the only person between herself and the attackers was a member of another group of violent Faunus, a group whom she had previously been a prisoner of; Antonia made the only choice that seemed sensible in her terror addled mind, she turned and ran. Her panic had carried her away from the bloodthirsty mass of Faunus swarming over the crowd and murdering all they came across, she had sought to get away from the civilians who were obviously being targeted and made her way down a side corridor that had been overlooked, upon seeking for somewhere to hide herself until the fighting was over she realised that the corridor led to nothing that could help her with many of the rooms it led to being locked.

"Well look at who we found" the voice of someone obviously attempting to sound sinister hissed out prompting Antonia to turn in wide-eyed fear and come face to face with a pair of masked and armed Faunus, one sporting antlers atop their head and the other with a long serpentine tail flexing and coiling behind them

"The C.E.O of Poly-Tech" the Deer Faunus noted as they cocked the shotgun they held "Think she'd be good as a hostage?" a sibilant noise that conveyed pure unfettered hatred escaped their companion

"My whole family have been laid off because of Poly-Tech automating everything they can get their hands on….I say we just solve the problem right now" as the Rattlesnake Faunus spoke they reached into their jacket and produced a box cutter, deploying the blade as they stalked closer to Antonia who retreated until her back collided with the wall of the corridor

"Come on, beg!" the reptilian Faunus snapped as they drew closer "Beg, tell me you'll pay me and give me anything not to kill you! That's what you rich fucks-" the tirade came to a stop with only gurgling escaping from them as their weapon fell from their grasp and they fell to the ground, blood gushing from the exit wound in their throat where the tip of the blade of a throwing knife protruded, the rest of the blade being lodged in a now severed spine.

"WHO THE-" the Deer Faunus turned and fired their shotgun only to hit nothing but air as Hellion Eudialyte ducked low to the ground, gossamer wing flat along her back before rushing close and tackling the remaining White Fang grunt and slamming them into the wall and weaving around the butt of the shotgun being swung at her skull whilst drawing another pair of her seemingly limitless supply of knives. The fight that followed was bloody and brutal in a visceral and primal way with the Dragonfly Faunus stabbing and slashing at her adversary until they finally fell to the ground limp and lifeless, staining the ground with blood that leaked from dozens of wounds to their limbs, face and chest.

"Miss Arc" Hellion's tone was firm, businesslike as she stepped close to Antonia who was now cowering

"Antonia" her voice softened as she sheathed her knives, though she kept her hands on them for a quick retrieval "Eagle wouldn't let anything to happen to you and for her sake neither will I"

* * *

Athena-Jade had just wanted to be a good big sister. She and Coral had been watching Felix and Corvid face off against each other in the tournament when the younger girl had casually mentioned to her that she had never tried cotton candy before; Athena-Jade with some spare Lien in her pocket had decided that this was an injustice she could not allow to stand and had managed to sneak out of the V.I.P seating without her parents, Arctus or Diamond noticing and taking Coral with her towards the food stalls, planning on treating her.

Then the screaming had started and in a moment of quick thinking she had laid on the floor and slipped under a nearby mobile food stall, pulling the Crab Faunus with her before either of them could be crushed underfoot or separated by the stampede caused by the fleeing crowds. The moment Athena had heard the sound of gunfire the calm and collected facade she was trying to portray to keep Coral calm came crashing down around her and she bolted from her hiding place, clutching onto one of the smaller girls' pincers and pulling her along behind her as she ran back towards the V.I.P seating as fast as she could, in her mind the place where her parents and older brother were most likely to be was the safest place on Remnant, even if it was in the same direction that the ear-splitting crashing sound had come from

"Come on, just a little further and it'll all be okay!" the Bear Faunus insisted, voice trembling as she pulled Coral after her, desperately trying to urge her to move faster; one of the entrances to the stadium was in view and almost within reach, as they drew closer to it Athena realised with a surge of hope that there was no fighting taking place in the area and that she would hopefully be able to sneak both herself and her new adopted sister to safety. Those hopes died as the pair stepped within a few feet of the entrance only to be halted by a lone woman appearing in the doorway; tall and slender and clad in an outfit that was predominantly black but featuring a sleeveless tailcoat that had once been white but was now spattered with blood, her face was hidden behind a pristine white and angular but streamlined mask with a red-tinted visor over her eyes, a pair of mechanical gauntlets adorning her forearms and raven black hair with the toxic spines of a lionfish interwoven with it.

"Hello Omega" Alpha cooed in a musical voice that forced both girls to direct their attention towards her as she stepped out of the doorway and towards the pair "I never imagined seeing you here; we've missed you" upon hearing this Coral took a step backwards, tugging on Athena-Jade's arm as she let out a low whimpering whine of fear. Athena-Jade, despite her heart hammering in her chest and the fact that her legs were shaking to such a degree that they felt as though they would give out at any moment, saw the way the Crab Faunus reacted to the presence of the newcomer, saw that they were dressed like one of the White Fang whom her parents had warned her about and proceeded to do the only thing she could.

"Get away from her, she isn't going anywhere with you!" she barked with as much ferocity as she could muster whilst planting herself firmly between Coral and Alpha who now loomed over her. The Lionfish Faunus stepped closer and regarded Athena-Jade in silence from behind her blood red visor before speaking again in the same hypnotic voice

"The youngest child of the Schnee and the traitor….you've done very well Omega" Alpha paused, seemingly considering something before continuing "You should be rewarded….you were gifted with weapons, use them and strike the first blow against this abomination; the High Commander will praise you Omega" Athena turned, eyes wide with shock and fear until she saw the younger girl brace herself firmly on the ground and hold her head high, clearly emulating Athena herself before gently grasping the Bear Faunus's hand with her pincer as she addressed Alpha

"My name is Coral Scylla" Alpha understood the statement for what it was, a rejection of the Cult of Taurus, the White Fang and the ideology they stood for in the most succinct terms the six year old could give

"You disappoint me" Alpha sighed before simply flexing her fingers and activating her weapons, _Judgement_ unfurled around her hands and deployed its' many drills, blades and saws which each came whirring and buzzing into life as the murderous fanatic made to lunge at both Athena and Coral; before she could do so her advance was brought to an abrupt and graceless halt as she collided with a barrier of glowing white light. The two young girls turned with awed expressions as Weiss Slate, formerly Schnee strode between them with Myrtenaster drawn and held in her extended arm and a fierce expression on her face. Alpha made to readjust her balance and make another attempt only for Weiss to shift the revolving Dust chamber of her rapier and fuel her Glyph with the Gravity Dust she selected; allowing her to send the would be attacker crashing into the stadium wall with a blast of concussive force. A berserk scream of hatred escaped the normally composed Faunus as she leapt back to her feet and made to charge back into battle, finding herself halted once again; this time by a dull booming crack which reverberated unnaturally and served as just enough warning for her to avoid a wide swing of a blade that could best be described as the unholy union of a hook-sword and a machete. Gangrel Slate wasted no time in positioning himself between the murderer and his family; amber eyes never leaving Alpha whilst he spoke to his wife

"Weiss, get the girls out of here. Help my people clear a path out; I'll find Arctus"

"Are you sure you don't need my help for her?" Gangrel bared his teeth at Alpha in a feral snarl before answering

"I've been looking forward to this"

* * *

Eagle and Celeste fought at blinding speed, their blades clashing against each other faster than the eye could see and sending sparks flying with each connection; with Sentinel's ranged weapon being depleted the battle had soon moved into closer quarters and whilst Eagle was a prodigy with a sword, trained by the many world renowned Hunters her family had produced in various styles the simple fact was that with her armour aiding her Celeste was simply too strong; a fact that the Ram Faunus made apparent as she blocked the downward slash Eagle had aimed at her her snowy haired skull, holding Wilt in a single hand before throwing her opponent of balance with an almost casual flick of the wrist and aiming a spinning, leaping kick at Eagle's chest; the Huntress thankfully managed to raise her Shield though she still found herself sliding backwards across the stadium floor. She had a brief moment to take in the fact that Sentinel had been notably dented by the force of the attack despite the droid being well within the confines of her own impressive Aura, a fact that seemed to serve as an omen.

"This is manifest destiny human" Celeste sneered "It cannot be prevented" with that she lunged forwards, crossing the distance between them in a moment only to be forced back before she could reach Eagle by a fiery red and glowing construct

"EAGLE GET CLEAR!" Eagle did so with haste and watched as the summoned Minotaur Grimm, over a dozen feet in height scooped Celeste up in a crushing embrace; the Ram Faunus forced its' arms wide enough apart that she could stab upwards with Wilt and send the blade through its' intangible skull, exactly as planned. The Minotaur, summoned from a Fire Dust infused Glyph exploded a booming flash followed by roaring flames that washed over much of the arena.

"Thanks" Eagle panted out as she readied her sword and shield once again, entirely unconvinced that the fight would be over so easily. Arctus and Diamond stood behind her with their weapons at the ready, protecting Felix who was still unable to stand and currently sporting a worryingly pallid complexion as he continued to lose blood. Eventually the thick, pungent smoke began to clear and Team FADE were not surprised, yet still filled with an inescapable sense of dread as the silhouette of the katana wielding fanatic became visible; Celeste Lupus striding back into full view a moment later with armour that was now clearly damaged, having lost most of its' original black colouring and a mask that had been cracked and broken around her right eye which left the manic determination in the magenta orbs on full display

"Arctus, cover Felix" Diamond intoned as she shifted Lex Talionis from its' rifle form into its' two handed glaive move; her tone detached and unusually cold as she prepared to rush into the battle

"No!" Eagle snapped "Both of you cover Felix, if she wants to hurt any of you she's gotta go through me!" Celeste let out a deranged cackle at this and raised her crimson blade

"Gladly human" she shot forwards at incredible speed though Eagle was ready for her, the Ram Faunus leapt onto the blondes' raised shield and flipped off of its' surface as she kicked Eagle backwards with as much force as she could muster

"LIGHTNING CLAWS!" at Eagle's command Sentinel, while still in shield form launched pincer like appendages on retractable cables which sunk into Celeste's armour before unleashing a surge of electricity that arced across the surface of the battered battle-suit and sent sparks showering from it in several places. The moment the claws retracted, dragging Celeste back down to the ground with an unceremonious crash Eagle pressed the advantage by triggering her Semblance and soaring overhead before swooping low and shifting back into her true form behind her opponent, stabbing at her with incredible momentum. Celeste however had seen Eagle fight at Gerat-Handlung and had been prepared for such an attack; time seemed to move in slow motion for Eagle as she found herself unable to prevent what happened next, Celeste turned and in a single motion whose fluidity was testament to her skill considering the condition of her armour, hurled Wilt into the blondes' left arm tearing though flesh but more importantly to the Faunus damaging the stabilising system built into Eagles' own armour which allowed her to hoist Sentinel with ease; in the same graceful arc Celeste grabbed the blade of Eagle's sword in her left hand before bringing her right palm down on its' blade and shattering the steel with a single devastating blow before spinning and slamming her elbow upwards into her nose. Eagle hit the floor with blurry vision which regaining its' clarity the moment Celeste pressed a foot down on her chest and ripped Wilt free of her arm, sending a fresh wave of agony through the limb

"A human with convictions….I'll tell them that your last words were something heroic" the Ram Faunus informed her solemnly as she readied her blade for a killing blow only to be forced back on the defensive as an entire pack of summoned Beowolves lunged at her; no sooner had she dismembered the last of them than Arctus and Diamond leapt into the fray; the former sporting a trickle of blood from his nose caused by the strain of overusing his Semblance, the latter using one of the Bear Faunus's Glyphs as a means to position herself behind their adversary. Arctus and Diamond were each incredibly gifted fighters in their own right and worked with the co-ordination that only those with total implicit trust in one another could have; but Celeste was a force of nature powered by unshakeable belief and a bottomless well of hatred and bitterness and countered every attack they levelled against her, eventually catching Diamond's ankle midway through an aerial assault that would have seen her glaive buried in Celeste's back; she slammed the silver haired Mistrali into the ground with enough force to make the arena tremble before sidestepping Arctus as he made to tackle her away from his partner, following up by kicking his legs out from beneath him and ploughing him face first into the surface of the forcefield; the smell of burning flesh reaching her nostrils whilst pained hisses through clenched teeth reached her ears as she exerted her augmented strength and pressed his face into the protective barrier harder whilst preparing Wilt in her free hand

"This is the sword of the great Adam Taurus; how fitting that it should be what kills an abomination such as yourself" Arctus struggled in vain, desperately attempting to get free before Celeste could impale him from behind; he was given a stay of execution in the form of a spray of bullets colliding with the arm she held him in place with, coolant and other vital fluids spraying from her scorched and damaged battle-suit. As Arctus put some distance between them he saw that Celeste's left arm hung limp and twitched periodically as she struggled to wrest control back from its' now critically damaged systems; the Faunus herself wore an unhinged expression which was equal parts murderous and euphoric as she stared passed the Bear Faunus

"So you chose to die on your feet?" Arctus found himself turning, much like Eagle and Diamond who were rising to their own feet and feeling a wash of both hope and icy fear at the sight of Felix Xiao Long who had returned to his feet; smoking machine pistols in hand whilst his Aura which had been recovered somewhat by the heat of Arctus's exploding construct glowed and stemmed the tide of blood from his wound

"Aim for the joints in her armour, I doubt she can fight without it" he growled out, clearly pained but remaining defiant

"Team FADE" he shifted Hack and Slash to their sword modes "Let's break some...Fangs"

 **Authors Notes:**

BOOM! Finale is officially underway, two chapters left of this Volume/Arc to write then we move onto third year (After my hiatus due to being in London with my girlfriend for a few weeks)  
It's been an eventful week for me, I thought I might have to delay this chapter  
Work has been mental, but (as of Thursday) I'm no longer on my six month probationary period; full time, salaried, well paid and stable work.  
And...the one I've been saving til last, as of Wednesday morning I am now "Uncle Warren" to an adorable niece; those of you who follow me on social media, if you haven't seen posts yet then trust me you will soon enough.  
Still deciding what to write in the week between finishing Vol.6 and going to London, I've got a few ideas though.

Anyway let's summarise:  
Yes the chapter title is a reference to Celeste's slogan/motto/war-cry that she's used a few times.  
So Gang, Weiss and Qrow weren't present when the attack started….Oobleck was but he's also retired and probably decided to help the unarmed civilians instead armed and trained students; bad choice to have to make but needs must.\  
In my head Diamond using individual fragments of glass as platforms for her Semblance was cinematic as hell.  
Diamond has seen some shit and learned useful skills from it.  
Every injured hero has to have a "Leave me behind" moment.  
To be fair to those medics that were scared to help Felix, they weren't military medics in any sense, they were there for a sporting event and nothing more.  
Diamond taking charge, I'm probably gonna give you more of this.  
You didn't really think it was gonna be easy did you?  
Celeste has got the theatrical bad-ass shit mastered, I mean if you're going to make that kind of speech then there's not much better of a position to be in for it than where she was.  
I had the guard begging at the start of the scene because I felt like it played into what the Cult of Taurus are for; they don't fight people, they hunt people down and make an example.  
Also, Alpha & Beta; classical music buddies because why not be classy when butchering people _(Also it's an homage to their basis in the Decepticon Justice Division from the IDW Transformers comics).  
_ Delta is a sick fuck.  
Okay now that everyone has seen the Blake & Yang Vs Adam fight; that after image thing that Adam did was exactly how I imagined Beta's Semblance looking when I first wrote it.  
The Cult of Taurus can be a stand in for pretty much any extremist ideology in the way they attack their "Own" for not falling in line with their doctrine.  
Nice save from Carcharodon.  
Car's dialogue seemed to write itself in this scene and for some reason I feel like I can see him become more devout in whatever the tribes' religious beliefs were; something for me to consider for later.  
So Car Vs Beta in a one on one….or is it.  
Kataigida does this shit for a living, she knows how to get panicking civilians to safety under fire.  
There's something visceral about the White Fang as well as having the military grade gear Oz gave them, also just using literally whatever they could scavenge the night before.  
I wanted the Onyx was fighting to be horrifying, easily in par with the Cult of Taurus; hate for the White Fang was what kept him going for pretty much the entirety of the first year arc and he's always been a little heavy handed….He needed this.  
Also the difference between the Frost River Tribe and the Nikosi is pretty clear to see here.  
The Nikosi aren't playing, even Syneffo is a trained killer if the situation calls for it.  
Kataigida knows her boy well.  
Surely you didn't think I'd leave Team NEON out of this did you?  
Also none of Team NEON saw the Xiao Longs' match due to being with Helios while he was being checked over.  
Looks like Celeste has had her armour upgraded since the Vol.5 finale.  
Diamond was ready to kill, that is definitely a new development.  
Felix without a doubt saved Corvid's life there; if she'd attacked Celeste directly Celeste would have seen an Aura-less daughter of Blake Belladonna using a broken weapon….that's not a fight that would have ended well.  
Locked inside the Forcefield…..Does anyone remember the fight with Darth Maul in Episode One?  
So Team NEON + CLIR Vs Gamma….and Nyanza picked up a forcefield generator.  
Antonia Arc should probably see a therapist if we're honest.  
Could it really be anyone other than Hellion who did that?  
Athena-Jade was trying so hard.  
Alpha was most likely looking for Weiss and Gangrel.  
Omega….that is all.  
Athena-Jade is most definitely her parents' child.  
And Coral Scylla backing up her new big sister would be heart-warming if it wasn't so terrifying.  
Weiss's entrance would definitely be in slow motion and cinematic as hell.  
Boom, Gang Vs Alpha….Neon will be avenged.  
Eagle is beyond just good with a sword, she is genuinely a prodigy and I felt like I needed to remind everyone of that.  
Also we haven't seen Arctus's remote detonating constructs for a while.  
Haven't seen Sentinel use the claws for a while either.  
Celeste might be a maniac but she's far from stupid; she knew who she wanted to target, she knew who would come to their aid and she knew how those people fight well in advance.  
Eagle's gonna need a new sword….Now if only there was a Dragonfly Faunus with a fondness for making her own knives.  
What if I told you that the fact Celeste's armours' coolant system was damaged is actually vitally important?  
Also come on, we all knew Felix was going to have that heroic moment where he gets up and saves someone.  
I suppose that last line could be considered something of a pun; he's coming around to them slowly.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, iSassenach, Funlander, DizzyDwarf, FluffyFirefly, FleetOfWarships and Garthraxxus for their reviews on the last chapter.  
I suppose I deserved the insults.  
The amount of Key-smashing I received was hilarious.  
Well the "Anyone in a straight line between Helios and Felix" comment was pretty spot on, red does not hold back.  
A few hundred competing students at most, a few thousand unarmed civilians at least.  
I keep making taller cliffs and eventually one of my readers is going to throw me off of one one them.  
It's Team FADE's story; think of it less as Corey losing and more of a passing of the torch.  
I can now add _"Stunned my readers into silence for two solid days"_ to my achievements, right under _"Made them cry over characters they don't even like"_.  
Your concerns about Onyx were misplaced.  
We'll see just how well this scenario fits Delta next chapter.  
Re-reading Downward Spiral as well? You must be a sucker for punishment.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	85. Onslaught

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 85: Onslaught**

With the carnage unfolding in and around the stadium hosting the Vytal Tournament much of the rest of the rest of Eisenstadt Zweite had been placed into lock down; though the effectiveness of this was debatable as police and military resources and personnel were pulled from elsewhere within the city to reinforce those defending against the White Fang. One clear result of the lock down however was that major roads and thoroughfares throughout the sprawling subterranean metropolis were silent, with many people having abandoned their vehicles when the news that a curfew had been placed into immediate effect had reached them; as a consequence of this Carcharodon Gore and Beta were free to face off against each and fight unrestrained without any trespassers.

The battle was a terrifying display of superhuman strength and abilities, coupled with skill and ferocity both participants had spent years honing to perfect lethality. Carcharodon was an undisputed master of the lightning strike, attacking and pressing his advantage before slipping away at the perfect moment to leave his adversary overextended by their failed counter-attack, ripe for another attack. Beta was simply an artist and a savant, showcasing a mastery of more styles of combat than most fighters would ever encounter in their lifetime and blended them together seamlessly; both Faunus would have freely admitted that the other was a worthy opponent were the circumstances different; as it was each of them found the existence of the other an affront to the natural order of things that they sought to correct.

Beta saw Carcharodon rushing in for another attack, the rippling black silhouette of the Shark Faunus's Semblance slithering across the ground at great speed before rising and reforming; blades of the Red Waves poised for a backhanded slash at the Snow Leopards' neck. Without hesitation Beta activated his own Semblance; sending a translucent copy of himself rushing forwards to meet the blow, the moment their blades clashed another clone emerged, then another and another, each of them pushing Carcharodon back several feet as he was forced to defend against several blades; each copy of Beta wielding a pair of Katana and each copy remaining present for a few brief moments after the creation of the next. The few seconds where Carcharodon was preoccupied were enough for Beta to combine his twin Katanas into their rail-gun mode before aiming and firing the Indominus; the Shark Faunus had not been as distracted as he had seemed however, kicking one of the translucent copies of his enemy into the path of the attack before sinking into the ground once again. Beta let out an uncharacteristic snarl, his vigilantly maintained calm and aloof demeanour slipping for a moment as he succeeded only in gunning down a portion of his own Aura; shifting the Indominus into its' broadsword form he performed an overhead and two handed downward swing as he turned one hundred and eighty degrees, hoping to cleave the raider in half when he rose from the ground behind him. Carcharodon suddenly appeared lunging from the right and pinning Beta's arm to his side before driving an elbow into his masked face, the curved and serrated blade running along his forearm scoring a diagonal gouge into the pristine surface of the mask and leaving a thin trickle of blood leaking from the dark skinned mans' upper cheek. Beta separated the Indominus into its' two halves and slashed wildly at Carcharodon's chest, only to leave his own torso exposed and unprotected against a flurry of short and precise slashing attacks from the Red Waves; shredding his clothing and leaving his Aura rippling as it protected him, Beta was briefly aware of a hand dipping into one of his pockets before he saw Carcharodon holding a Fire Dust crystal that he had stolen

"You don't have a gun" Beta noted with mocking contempt only for the Shark Faunus to flash him a predatory smile before crushing the crystal in his hand and simply leaping at him; Carcharodon activated his Semblance once more and as the effects of the Dust Crystal took hold the liquid state that his body became began to rapidly heat up, when Carcharodon's body washed over and around Beta's it was boiling and the feline was left howling in pain and clutching at eyes that had been seared by the attack. Carcharodon solidified behind him and quickly resumed his onslaught by driving the blades of the Red Waves into his kidneys' and dragging them across his back before turning Beta to face him and driving his knee into his opponents' face. Beta blindly flailed and struggled before finally snapping

"ENOUGH!" with a surge of blinding light and pure manifested Aura Carcharodon was thrown back, dozens of copies of Beta bursting into existence at once in a series of protective circles around the feline, each of them moving and seemingly thinking independently for a few moments before flickering out of existence leaving the two fighters several dozen feet apart, both struggling to catch their breath and compose themselves. Carcharodon rose to his feet from the crouch he had landed in, his face typically expressionless as he studied Beta whom he noted had seemingly recovered from his blindness judging by the way his icy blue eyes narrowed and tracked the raiders' movements. Without warning Beta charged, seeming to realise that Carcharodon would always have the initiative if the fight were allowed to continue as it had been; the Shark Faunus easily blocked the first blow, Beta swung the Katana in his right hand upwards from his left hip in a wide arc which was stopped short by Carcharodon's right arm, Beta's next attack was a reverse gripped downward stab with the blade in his left hand which Carcharodon halted by catching his wrist. The pair grappled for a moment in this awkward position before a wave of cruel and vicious instinct took over the raider; swinging his right arm counter-clockwise he broke free of the tangle of blade while at the same time pulling his left arm back and dragging Beta off balance, his right arm collided with the Snow Leopards' shoulders and the blade of the Red Waves sunk into his back whilst Carcharodon gripped his opponents' now extended arm by the wrist and shoulder before bearing his rows of impossibly sharp teeth and biting into the older mans' forearm. Beta screamed in pain and Carcharodon relished the coppery taste of blood filling his mouth as he ripped into his enemies' flesh, tearing through muscle and cracking bone with the force before finally pulling back, plucking the katana from Beta's now trembling hand and dismissively throwing it over the side of the bridge leaving him with only half of the Indominus and no way to form either his broadsword or rail-gun. Beta readied his remaining blade whilst casting furtive glances at his clearly severely injured left arm which twitched and shook as blood spilled freely from the countless wounds Carcharodon's teeth had inflicted; with a primal roar the Snow Leopard charged forwards, blade held horizontal and perpendicular to his eye as he made end this battle in a single decisive blow. Carcharodon used his rapidly depleting Aura to tap into his Semblance once more, his body rippling like water as Beta's furious attack simply passed through him and sent him crashing into the barrier wall of the bridge on which they fought with enough force to break through it. Beta flailed instinctively reaching out with his empty hand to try and grab onto something, only for his left hand to utterly fail to respond to his wishes; he felt his balance failing as his momentum carried him too far forward; he began to fall only to grabbed unceremoniously by his bushy and spotted tail before another rough hand gripped him by the back of the neck and a moment later Beta was hurled forcefully back onto the bridge and frantically scrabbling to his feet after rolling to a stop.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, cultured tones slipping and revealing the Lower Atlesian accent Beta had long tried to bury "You'd won!" Carcharodon stalked towards him, fists clenched, blades of the Red Waves glinting in the dim lighting and his black eyes filled with contempt

"You slipped. To defeat you in such a manner would be lacking in honour….I prefer to beat my opponents the old fashioned way" he gave a terrifying smile "Brutally!"

* * *

"EAGLE TAKE THIS!" Felix bellowed as he hurled one of his swords to his partner; his fellow blonde catching it whilst shedding her shield; Sentinel weighed more than the average shield and with the stabilising system built into her armour damaged and her arm injured the droid would be more of a hindrance. With their leader joining the battle, despite his grievous injury the rest of Team FADE found themselves filled with fresh hope and confidence and without needing an order to be given the four students charged in tandem and crashed into the waiting Celeste Lupus with righteous fury. The Ram Faunus saw that Eagle would reach her first and readied Wilt, preparing to duel with the admittedly talented human; Eagle stopped short and Celeste found her first attack halted by the glowing form of the hereditary Schnee Semblance courtesy of Arctus. The soft buzzing of countless small impacts against the forcefield enveloping them reached Celeste's sensitive ears and without thinking she turned just in time to parry the blow from Diamond that would have torn into her right shoulder. The silver haired woman had been using her own Semblance to run along the surface of the forcefield itself before leaping into action and attacking from behind, then Celeste's sword collided with her glaive Diamond simply swung the other end of her blade upwards into the Faunus's right hip, finding a weak point in the armour around the joint; as sparks sprayed and fluids poured from the damaged armour Diamond carried her momentum through into a spinning heel kick which caught the unprotected chin of her opponent; when Celeste prepared to counter-attack it was with blood trickling from her mouth

"When I take this Kingdom I will hang your corpse at our borders for all to see!" she spat before lunging once more only to again be halted by a Glyph, this time one of the spinning buzz-saw like varieties which served as a herald for Arctus Slate, face still burned from where she'd pressed it against the forcefield, rushing into the fray. The Bear Faunus swung wildly at her neck forcing Celeste to weave beneath his glossy black blade and take the opportunity to deliver a light slash to his flank. He span and slashed low which Celeste easily parried only for Diamond to somersault over her partner and land an axe kick to her skull before perching on Arctus's blade, using it as a springboard from which to launch herself forwards and bring her glaive to bear once more. With a roar of fury Celeste sunk Wilt into the floor and responded to Diamond's next attack by turning her own momentum against her, turning at the hip and throwing the sniper to ground before stomping on her chest with enough force to reduce the surface of the stadium around her to a spiderweb of fractures whilst Diamond herself gasped and wheezed for air due to the sudden tightness of her chest and lances of agony from her now cracked ribs. Arctus was predictable in his response and Celeste batted him aside with an almost casual combination of backhand and haymaker to the side of the skull that sent him crashing to the ground

"Slate I want you to watch her-" the taunting threat was interrupted as Celeste ripped Wilt free of the ground, fully intending to make the son of her enemy and a traitor watch as she pierced the heart of the woman he loved; only for Eagle who had been hanging back to rush in simply shoulder barge her away before swinging her partners' sword at the Ram Faunus's chest. Metal screeched against metal as Celeste blocked and forced the blades of their swords downwards, the chainsaw component of Eagle's borrowed weapon unable to move began sparking and smoking before finally failing entirely

"EAGLE NOW!" the pained voice of Felix Xiao Long ordered as Celeste felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her and pin her arms to her sides and leaving her seemingly helpless as the armoured Huntress readied her sword, hesitating for a moment as if considering whether simply taking the Faunus's head here would be right; Celeste was pinned after all. As she watched the blonde prepare to strike her across the temple with the rear of the weapon the demagogue was filled with white hot fury and through raw force of will alone she forced her damaged armour to comply and broke free of Felix's grip before knocking Eagle's feeble blow aside and promptly kicking her in the chest, sending her sailing back through the air before colliding with the central pillar of the arena with her armour partially collapsed, then she turned her attention to Felix. The Lion Faunus fought well, opening with a punch to the face that entirely shattered the left half of Celeste's mask before readying his remaining sword and going on the offensive despite the clear toll his injuries had taken on him; blades clashed at frightening speed before Celeste decided enough was enough and blocked a telegraphed slash at her shoulder, intended to cripple a joint, before reaching out with her free hand and grabbing the steel spike still jutting from the Lion Faunus's abdomen; the sound that escaped Felix was indescribable as she twisted Delta's harpoon and forced it deeper into him until she saw blood darken the back of his shirt where it had emerged when he slumped over, letting out gagging retching sounds as he desperately tried to suck in air as his entire body convulsed. Celeste took great pleasure and slamming her fist between his shoulder blades and forcing him down to his hands and knees with a crushing blow

"Don't you dare run coward!" she all but screamed as Felix attempted to crawl away, she clutched his tail and dragged him back and as she did so a cruel notion struck her "You're a disgrace to Faunus and the child of a traitor to our people….you don't deserve this" Wilt flashed out invisibly fast and even in his agonised state Felix's deep blue eyes widened in shock as a fresh wave of pain washed over him.

"SENTINEL GET HIM OUT OF THERE!" Eagle screamed through tears; the droid was mercifully quick to obey, unfurling itself from its' shield form and firing its' claws forwards on cables that were quickly retracted. Felix saw the streak of blood along the stadium floor that lead back to where Celeste had stood over him; with her mask removed the insane glint in her magenta eyes was plain to see and only highlighted by the blood spilling from her mouth and the sweat pouring from her brow, a product of both the exertion and the steadily climbing temperature of her armour now that it's cooling systems were damaged. In one hand she held Wilt whilst in the other, blood soaking its' golden fur was a little over half of Felix's tail.

"DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?" Celeste screamed "I AM THE SPIRIT OF ADAM TAURUS REBORN, I AM THE RAGE AND VINDICATION OF MY PEOPLE! I AM THE WHITE FANG AND WE ARE THE FAUNUS! THE TRAITORS AND OPPRESSORS MUST BE SLAIN AND YOU WILL BE FIRST AMONG THEM!" Team FADE looked on, each of them struggling to rise as they took in the scope of the unhinged fanatics' power whilst her Aura crackled around her. With cold sinking dread each of them seemed to realise that there was little chance of them escaping this fight alive, all that remained was to buy as much time for everyone else to diminish the rest of the White Fang.

* * *

"WHERE IN TARNATION IS COREY?" Rusty demanded as he, Iris and Lux fought against Gamma. They were all that was left, the monstrous juggernaut of the Cult of Taurus had rampaged through those who had rallied against him with contemptuous ease and sadistic pleasure. The ground and walls were slick with blood and Team CLIR saw many of the students they had come to know during their time in Atlas lying unmoving on the ground around them, many of them sporting horrific injuries.

"She's on the way!" Lux called back as he combined his twin rapiers together into their bow form and produced one of his many collapsible arrows from a hidden pocket inside his jacket, tipped with lightning Dust; he nocked and loosed the arrow with incredible speed and precision though it drew nothing more than an annoyed grunt from Gamma as it sunk into the elbow joint of his right arm, just below where discoloured and rippling crimson flesh met the cybernetic forearm and sending arcs of crackling electricity crackling over his body, primarily the sharpened keratin spines coated in Atlesian steel that adorned the Pangolin Faunus's back, shoulders and remaining forelimb.

"Well hello there runt" Gamma growled, spittle flying from the gaps in his cage like mask as he turned his attention to Lux, voice a distorted rumble that sparked some primal fear in the stomachs' of those who heard it. Lux separated his bow and prepared himself with his twin blades as Gamma lumbered towards him at a disturbingly leisurely pace; in his Semblance powered form the Pangolin Faunus towered over the students, keratin plates extended and fanning out behind him to give him a more vast profile and his cybernetic limb unfurled to reveal the four pronged claw tipped with modified fracking drills it contained

"DARLING GET OUT OF THERE!" Rusty called as he watched the eight foot tall muscle-bound behemoth draw close and pull his arm back. Lux however remained still, flicking his shimmering purple hair out of his golden coloured eyes and shooting his boyfriend a confident wink

"Iris, now would be good!" he called to the third member of their team present; Iris's own cybernetic arm was still absent, a replacement for the one damaged in Team CLIR's last encounter with the Cult of Taurus still incomplete though that had not stopped the white haired and dark skinned young woman from doing everything in her power to help. Iris had spent the majority of the battle using her telekinesis to subtly redirect blows that would have been lethal, drag White Fang attackers into the path of attackers or move civilians and the defenders to safety, using her power sparingly in small bursts to conserve it; now she readied Venus Rising, the oversized mace was unwieldy with only one hand but she detached the spiked and dense head of the weapon and used her Semblance to levitate it into position. Gamma turned and regarded Iris for a moment before it was too late, Lux unleashed his own Semblance and the Faunus was left blind and deaf for long enough for Iris to fire the head of her mace directly at his unprotected stomach in a collision that would have ended a fight with a lesser opponent. As it was Gamma merely slid back several feet on the blood-soaked ground before letting out a bestial roar and swinging his clawed appendage around wildly in the hopes of at least preventing his opponents from presenting the advantage

"Aww hell" Rusty grumbled as he watched the scene unfold, having been prepared enough to cover his eyes and ears before Lux used his Semblance "Nothing for it" with that he sprinted forwards and narrowly avoiding a grisly end courtesy of the rapidly spinning drills already coated with the blood of Hunters he managed to wrap his arms and legs around Gamma's right arm and press his hands firmly onto to the metallic surface of his prosthetic

"Corey would say something about me disarming ya" Rusty noted as the greenish brown mist of his Semblance began to swirl around his palms "I'm not one fer jokes when I'm kicking ass" as he spoke the surface of the limb began to visibly corrode and cause the monstrous Faunus extreme discomfort which only worsened when Rusty ripped away the rusted and ruined panelling of the limb and began using his Semblance and brute force in tandem to rip away at the inner workings

"Aint that sweet" Gamma snarled as he reached out with his left arm and simply plucked Rusty off of him, gripping the Vaccuan gunslinger by the head and squeezing "Maybe you'll rot my teeth if I eat you….let's find out"

"PAN-GO FUCK YOURSELF!" the distinctive Patch accent announced the arrival of Corvid Xiao Long, Team NEON close behind her; Gamma saw the shoulder mounted rail-guns being levelled at him and wisely decided to throw Rusty to the ground in favour of blocking the opening salvo, buying time for Ether Arashi to use his Semblance to materialise behind him, swinging Ghost Reverie in its' axe form at the monstrous Faunus's leg before getting Rusty out of harms' way. As Gamma searched for an opponent Helios Nikos gladly presented himself; the golden armoured fighter had seen the body of Trench Abyssal and been consumed by sudden fury, his former opponent had been impaled with his own weapon and stuck to the wall like some obscene hunting trophy at some point in Gamma's onslaught. Helios leapt into the air and hurled his shield downwards whilst activating his gravity warping Semblance

"Puny little-" Gamma was cut off and left stunned as his attempt to pluck the shield out the air with his damaged prosthetic failed, instead the shield with its' boosted momentum ripped through the already compromised Cybernetic, reducing it to a barely recognisable mass of twisted metal and smoking components. Helios wasted no time in continuing his attack, slipping beneath Gamma's now one-armed guard and proceeding to slash and stab before ripping his shield free and using it to block as Gamma used the steel covered blades of his remaining arm, raking them across Helios's shield before kicking the redhead back; as robust as Helios's opening had been his Aura had had little chance to recover since his tournament bout and the fighting thus far had sapped its' fair share. Gamma would be able to overpower him in moments and everyone watching them battle knew it

"Cover me!" Nyanza snapped to his team-mates, pale mint green eyes glowing as he summoned all the good fortune his Semblance could muster and sprinting forwards with the shield generator of the Omega Wing tucked under one arm whilst he cocked one of his pistols in his free hand. The bushy tailed Faunus didn't always fully understand why he did the things he did when he used his Semblance, a notion simply occurred to him and it yielded good results; learning to trust that instinct had been in Nyanza's opinion one of the defining moments of his life, he hadn't known why his Semblance had whispered in his mind that he should take the discarded piece of Corvid's battle-suit at the time but now, seeing Helios engage in an unwinnable battle it made perfect sense to him

"HEY ASS-HOLE!" Nyanza called out, getting Gamma to pause for long enough for the much smaller Faunus to slide along the ground and pass between his feet, dropping the shield generator as he went

"What are you-" Nyanza cut Helios off, instead simply pulling him clear as he trusted in his Semblance and fired; the bullet struck the shield generator and it sprung into life. Gamma looked down and there was a fraction of a second where he seemed to realise what would happen before it did; then a dome of intangible energy rippled into existence and expanded outwards, shearing away Gamma's flesh with disturbing neatness until nothing below the middle of his ribcage remained and the smell of burning flesh, fresh blood and molten molten metal permeated the air.

"Holy fucking Oum" Olivine breathed out as the eight students regrouped, none of them wanting to stand too close to Gamma's remains

"Thank you" Helios clamped a hand down on Nyanza's shoulder before pulling him into a hug

"Come on, we've got work to do" Corvid barked sternly, refusing to let herself feel anything other than cold determination until she knew that her brother was safe.

"Agreed" Helios nodded "I know my mother will be leading the Nikosi and attempting to create a safe line of retreat, I suggest we regroup with my people"

"Good idea" Lux nodded before turning to his partner "Corey if you can fly then I'm pretty sure everyone could do with some air support"

"I can jump and hover for a few seconds, that's all" Corvid admitted "I can still give you all a heads up though" she quickly readjusted the various sensors of the Omega Wing and waited for information to filter into the various displays of her battle-suits' helmet

"Okay, I can see people regrouping that way; Fang's got 'em almost boxed in let's go help out" she'd made it no more than half a dozen paces when something caught her eye, a lone figure moving from one secluded vantage point to another

"I'll catch up" she informed her allies, her tone brooking no argument "I spotted something that I need to check out"

* * *

Outside the V.I.P seating, unbeknownst to either of them painfully close to where Team FADE battled with Celeste, Gangrel Slate and Alpha were engaged in their own battle; one that was fought with the skill and ruthlessness that only killers of the highest calibre could imagine.

"I will make you suffer in ways you can't imagine!" Alpha promised as she slashed through the space Gangrel had occupied only a moment before, striking nothing but wisps of acrid smoke as he teleported away. With a savage snarl the Specialist announced his presence behind her before swing his monstrous sword at her back only for Alpha to back-flip over the blade an impressive display of athleticism; the multitude of whirring blades and other implements of torture adorning her gauntleted hands sending a cascade of sparks into the air as she gripped onto the sword, exactly as planned. Behind her mask Alpha gave a smile of cruel satisfaction when her opponent recoiled in pain, sparks from the screeching metal striking his fierce amber eyes; the Lionfish Faunus threw his sword aside as he relinquished it and simply lunged at him. Gangrel avoided a wild backhanded strike from her right hand, saw blades and drill-bits passing a hairs' breadth away from his snout like nose as he leaned back; inadvertently allowing Alpha to follow through by driving her left hand into his gut with a sickening tearing sound as blood sprayed from the wound she ripped into him. Hissing in pain the towering Bear Faunus responded with equal ferocity, reaching out with his cybernetic left hand and grabbing Alpha by the scruff of the neck whilst knocking her arm away with his right before simply rocking forwards and hoisting her off of the ground to deliver a headbutt that left the visor of her mask cracked almost to the point of blinding her and her legs wobbling with the dizziness, he then capitalised with a menacing chuckle

"I can do that too" Alpha attempted to free herself as Gangrel extended the impossibly sharp retractable claws built into the fingers of his Cybernetic limb; she succeeded in saving herself from having her throat slashed open though the claws still ripped into her collarbone and shoulder, leaving a crimson stain steadily expanding across the pristine white of her sleeveless tailcoat. Alpha lashed out on instinct alone and fanned the toxic spines interwoven with her hair out as far and wide as they would reach as she thrashed, forcing Gangrel to teleport back to safety. The Bear Faunus promptly drew the ludicrously oversized hand-cannon that had belonged to his late partner and opened fire with Breaker in its' rapid fire configuration; ripping through their surroundings as Alpha lowered her head and charged towards him, she weaved around gunfire with ease and leapt into the air as Gangrel shifted the weapon to its' high impact setting, kicking the barrel away and sending an explosive round tearing through a nearby merchandise stand before driving her knee squarely into Gangrel's face. The Bear Faunus was forced to collapse his weapon as the fight returned to close quarters once again and instead relied on decades of combat experience to weave around blows and return them with force and precision; short combinations of punches punctuated with the booming crack of teleportation as he evaded counter-attacks and sought better angles from which to strike.

"Listen!" Alpha's voice echoed in his mind and ears unnaturally, leaving the Bear Faunus dazed and wary as his field of vision was forcibly narrowed to the featureless mask his opponent wore

"This is what your death sounds like" Alpha cooed, melodic voice still reverberating with the power of her Semblance; the moment the words ceased echoing Gangrel felt his chest erupt into pain and let out an agonised howl as he felt 'Judgement' the weapon the professional sadist he was facing used tearing into him. Looking down revealed that she'd slipped beneath his guard. and simply grabbed at his ribs and let the countless devices mounted around her hands do their work. He kicked her away and attempted to follow up with a frantic slash of his clawed left hand only for Alpha to prove her agility once again by weaving around the attack and sinking Judgement into the workings of the mechanical arm, starting with the relatively unprotected inner elbow joint. Struggling to think clearly despite the situation and the intense pain he was suffering with due to his cybernetic arm seeming to set fire to his nerves as it was torn apart Gangrel swiftly redrew Breaker, setting it to its' high impact configuration once again and desperately trying to shoot Alpha without blasting a hole through himself in the process. Alpha wrenched his prosthetic around and managed to manipulate his body enough to narrowly avoid a quartet of explosive rounds before deciding to end this fight in a truly spectacular fashion. Ripping one her hands free of Gangrel's now mangled arm and collapsing her gauntlet she reached into folds of her jacket and withdrew a small dagger, one she had plucked from the corpse of one of the Frost River Tribe whose skull she had splintered with her bare hands; she waited for Gangrel to fire again and flung the blade into the path of the round, relishing the way his eyes widened in terror as he realised that the blade of the primitively made weapon was fashioned from a sharpened Fire Dust crystal. The explosion flung them apart and obliterated a section of the stadiums' outer wall close to them; When Gangrel managed to drag himself to his feet with his ears ringing and entire body screaming in protest he realised first, with a sigh of relief that Breaker was still functional if a little scuffed then secondly that his Cybernetic Arm was simply gone, ripped away above the elbow revealing its' twisted and smouldering inner workings. The sound of coughing brought Alpha to his attention, the Lionfish Faunus had taken as much of the blast as he had and her burned and blackened clothing bore testament to the fact whilst her left gauntlet sparked uncontrollably.

"Perhaps it's not the will of Taurus for you to die today" she choked out as she struggled to stand upright; Gangrel briefly considered exchanging witty banter with her until her next words purged the thought from his mind

"After all" Alpha cackled, usual composure utterly forgotten "If you die now then you won't be able to see what I have the Cult do to your wife and children" Gangrel forgot everything else outside of that moment, for a brief flash of time all that existed was himself, a threat to his family and the undeniable urge to hurt. With a guttural snarl Gangrel surged into motion, teleporting within inches of Alpha and choosing his target before teleporting again; reappearing several feet in the air directly above a fragment of wall that been torn loose in the explosion, more importantly they were directly above the steel beam that had been exposed and was now jutting directly upwards. The seemed to leave Alpha in a single stunned gasp as the steel beam burst through her body, though through sheer hatred alone she clung to life and spat a final challenge to Gangrel Slate; blood flecking the inside of her mask as she spoke

"I AM ALPHA OF THE CULT OF TAURUS, RIGHT HAND OF THE HIGH COMMANDER-"

"No you're not" Gangrel wheezed out, clearly suffering from his own injuries as he loomed over here; expression cold as he did so

"I have access to a lot of information and while you've been showing up all over Atlas trying to terrorise Faunus into compliance I've been doing some research" her informed her, reaching down and cupping her chin with his remaining hand and forcing her to look at him before ripping her mask away. Her face was anticlimactically normal with no scars or disfiguring to speak of, nothing to serve as an explanation or justification for the horrors she had inflicted; just eyes of a pale orange colour like some summer fruit and rosy, freckled cheeks and a button nose.

"You're not a martyr, you're not a hero of the Faunus people and you're not special. You're gonna die here and be forgotten about" he continued icily "No titles or mystique you're gonna be executed like any other mass murderer and die with your real name….Crimson"

"No!" the Lionfish Faunus screamed before Gangrel gripped her skull like a vice and snarled

"This is Neon Katt you sick fuck!" blood erupted outwards as Gangrel teleported almost a dozen feet away and carried the head of Alpha, the Faunus who had once been known as Crimson with him.

Only her head.

* * *

The fight between Carcharodon and Beta continued, the force of their Aura fuelled blows shaking the bridge they fought on, threatening to send them tumbling into the vast expanse of darkness below. Beta was wounded and had clearly lost control of the pace and flow of the battle though the Snow Leopard was by no means defeated; his remaining katana clashing against the blades of the Red Waves whenever his adversary launched another of his calculated and merciless attacks. The next attack came from below, Carcharodon's liquid state making its' way across the ground before he reformed his right arm and nothing else as he drew close, allowing the blade running from his wrist to his elbow to protrude from the viscous liquid his body had become like a serrated fin.

"Don't demean us both with such infantile tricks" Beta sneered as he parried the attack with a flourish before somersaulting away and perching in a crouch on the damaged barrier wall of the bridge as Carcharodon emerged from the ground, chest and shoulders heaving with laboured breathing and clearly exhausted but compelling himself to fight on through sheer force of will and spite

"There is artistry and then there is pandering" Beta noted conversationally, cultured tones and aloof composure firmly reasserted "You are clearly delving into the latter" Carcharodon gave no reply other than a low and sibilant hiss as he braced himself, knowing better than to allow his enemies' renewed talkativeness rile him and instead simply made a 'come' gesture with his hand. Beta launched himself into the air, pouncing from the barrier wall and slashing downwards with his katana; Carcharodon naturally used his Semblance to melt into the structure of the bridge and reappear behind the feline though he felt his Aura flickering with the strain of the overuse of his abilities and the protracted fight as he did so, Beta wasted no time in flipping his sword into a reverse grip and slashing at Carcharodon's face and while the Shark Faunus avoided the blade he found himself unable to evade the follow up spinning kick to the chest. Beta pressed the advantage in a sudden surge of renewed fervour, swinging his injured left arm into the bicep of Carcharodon's right with as much force as he could muster to pre-emptively halt any attempt to block; there was a moment where time seemed to slow and the raiders' bottomless obsidian eyes widened in a rare display of emotion before Beta lunged downwards and buried the remaining half of the Indominus in his left thigh, the blade of the Katana bursting from the back of his leg. Beta debated ripping the blade free and gloating but decided that now was not quite the time for that, instead he engaged his Semblance and unleashed scores of rapidly vanishing, barely tangible copies of himself at the wounded Faunus. Carcharodon blocked what he could but the end result was that he was left sprawled dazed and unmoving on the ground close to the point where the bridge ended, his pale lilac Aura flickering before finally failing altogether as he bled from countless injuries.

"This has been entertaining" Beta admitted as he stalked forwards, twirling his blade and sending the blood that coated spattering across the floor and barrier walls of the bridge "But we both have our beliefs and mine calls for me to kill you now, slowly, horribly and in a way that will make you beg for death a long time before it finally comes" Carcharodon ripped the blade out of his own leg and tried to stand, desperate to at least die on his feet and meet his ancestors as a warrior, safe in the knowledge that he had fought his tribes' enemies until his last breath and that no more could have been asked of him. Then confusion battled with his grim determination as he saw a miniscule figure, barely five feet in height creeping silently along the opposite end of the bridge

"This is far from over" Carcharodon stated with a calmness that he didn't feel, the cruel smile he treated Beta to soon being replaced by a much more genuine one as relief welled up in his chest. Beta merely raised an eyebrow before sensing that the Shark Faunus wasn't looking at him, rather at what was behind him. He turned to the source of Carcharodon's misplaced confidence at the exact moment Raffia Dirge gave up stealth in favour of rushing in with a berserk scream of fury. The Axolotl Faunus's initial onslaught was mind-numbing in its' ferocity and the now unarmed Beta was in little position to counteract it when Raffia drew _'Blazing Avenger'_ in its' paired sword form, slashing wide with the larger blade before using his own small size to slide in close and plunge the smaller blade into the felines' gut. Beta's eyes widened in shock before he disciplined himself and reached out to grab Raffia's skull with both hands and twist until his neck made a sickening crack

"A momentary distraction" he wheezed out as he made to cast the now limp and lifeless body away from him, only for his previous shock to be magnified a hundredfold as the supposedly dead Faunus's hand clenched around his wrist, Raffia's pale pink and viscous swirling Aura rippling and bubbling over his body as his Semblance restored him. Beta felt a deep and primal part of his mind screaming in fearful protest as Raffia's broken neck snapped back into place and the diminutive raider treated him to a truly murderous smile before releasing his wrist, only to grab the short sword still buried in Beta's gut and twist before taking his larger sword and connecting the two halves of Blazing Avenger together and forming their experimental laser weapon form, muzzle pointing downwards.

Carcharodon watched on, dread slowly seeping into every fibre of his being as he realised what Raffia intended to do; his comrade, shipmate and brother in everything but blood confirmed his fears as he turned and bowed his head in respectful acknowledgement before speaking; voice uncharacteristically solemn as his words carried

"I have returned from exile….White Fang filth" Raffia gripped his weapon a little tighter as Beta struggled to clamber off of the blade "In the name of Carcharodon Gore, unchallenged and rightful leader of the Frost Rive Tribe; I sentence us both to death"

"RAFFIA NO!" Carcharodon's anguished scream was drowned out as Blazing Avenger discharged, a flash of blinding light forcing the Shark Faunus to protect his eyes and do nothing but listen in disbelief as the portion of the bridge around where Raffia and Beta had been was blasted apart sending the two of them, along with vast amounts of debris falling into the abyss below.

* * *

Delta watched events unfolding below with cruel satisfaction; ever since they had been the one to commence the attack by shooting the Xiao Long whelp, an honour they were indescribably grateful to the High Commander for, the sadistic Spider Faunus had been taking up sniping positions and gunning down escapees and any Hunters that attempted to rally people to them with impunity; the handful of armed robots present having been dealt with in short order, giving them time to take perverse pleasure in snatching away whatever meagre morsels of hope the enemies of the White Fang tried to cling onto. Eight waxy brown eyes narrowed with displeasure as they continued to watch the proceedings, true hundreds of civilians were dead and the injured must have numbered in the thousands by their reckoning, to say nothing of the Atlesian police, military and Hunter Corps whose number was bolstered by the students Hunters representing each of the academies that had been cut down. Now however it seemed that despite a concentrated effort to keep them acting irrationally through fear the defenders were managing to co-ordinate themselves more effectively. Delta aimed and fired Prae Dolore, relishing the way the weapon that could only truly be described as a sniper harpoon gun kicked in their hands; a spray of gore erupted from a soldier whose skin was hidden behind a layer of greasepaint though their expression of surprise, quickly morphing into agony and delightful terror was still plain to see. Delta was denied the opportunity to properly enjoy the soldiers' dying moments as return fire ripped through their vantage point; a scarred and grizzled veteran whose bearing and personalised uniform identified him as a Specialist had fired an experimental death-ray at where he assumed the attacker to be, prompting Delta to scuttle away along walls and ceilings in search of fresh targets. The Spider Faunus ghosted through the now all but abandoned stadium, clambering through several access panels to the roof and outer wall of the gargantuan structure as they scanned the battle still taking place throughout much of what had been the Vytal Festival at large before finally settling on a position close to where they new Gamma to be brutalising any Hunters that attempted to congregate and pool their efforts into landing a decisive strike. It seemed that the monstrous Pangolin Faunus had been remiss in his duties; the men and women in Golden Armour were joined by one of the sons of traitors that the Cult of Taurus had massacred and unless Delta was very much mistaken Qrow Branwen, in the task of creating a clear line of retreat that the police and military, under the command of the retired Huntsman Bartholomew Oobleck could use to evacuate civilians. A contingent of several teams of Hunters mostly comprised of students were holding off the bulk of the remaining White Fang forces at considerable cost to themselves, Delta felt a rush of exhilaration as he watched a young woman with spiked bubblegum hair fall to the ground with her Aura failing around her as she screamed and clutched at her face, blood trickling between her fingers.

Delta fingered the trigger of their weapon as they chose their target carefully, the Puma Faunus whose mere existence was an insult to the Cult of Taurus was the natural choice but Qrow Branwen would be a remarkable kill to add to their tally, there was also the knowledge that the High Commanders' cybernetically augmented spine had been partially based on Oobleck's own prosthetics; something that the High Commander would no doubt wish to be kept silent. The choice was soon made for him however as a target whose presence banished all other possibilities from the sadistic arachnids' mind appeared. Weiss Slate, formerly Schnee burst into the battlefield and tore the White Fang forces asunder; the towering knight construct surrounding both her own body and those of the two young girls she had with her was seemingly impervious to all damage whilst at the same time capable of simply overrunning the Faunus militants with ease.

"Perfect" Delta noted in their usual stilted manner of speaking as Weiss lowered her construct and created a wall of Glyphs to protect the students and civilians whilst at the same time pushing her own daughter and, Delta realised with some shock, Omega onto a vehicle that would get them to safety; unaware that she was presenting her unguarded back to a sniper the entire time. The sound of echoing and lumbering mechanical footsteps in the distance drawing closer signalled the end of the White Fangs' superiority however; the High Commander would doubtless give the order to fall back and have her army vanish into the darkness of Lower Atlas's deepest recesses and proclaim a victory as she knew that terror tactics would be of little use against unfeeling machines. Delta saw the first wave of heavily armed Atlesian Knights of the latest model striding towards the battlefield in perfect synchronisation; a dozen of the transforming walker and stealth fighter hybrids dubbed _'Baba-Jaegers'_ behind them, already unleashing their powerful long range weapons on the White Fang

"One shot, one kill" Delta noted coldly, realising that this would be their last action of this engagement and taking aim at the back of Weiss Slate's head; hoping to pierce her skull in time for her child to witness her death.

"Hey itsy-bitsy" Delta's frantic attempt to whirl around and dispose of whoever had managed to sneak up on them was cut short as a trio of blades ripped into their flank; breaking free they unleashed their Semblance in full force, enough to not only mask them from view but completely purge all memory of the incident from their attackers' mind. It didn't work.

"How?" they demanded as they felt another trio of blades rip through their chest before being hoisted from the ground and slammed against a wall back first; the featureless black visor that greeted them, a yellow scarf just beneath it revealing their attacker to be Corvid Xiao Long who tapped at her helmet with one hand whilst keeping her grip on Delta with the other

"Your Semblance doesn't work on machines" she surmised, voice seething with cold hatred "I can't see you….but my targeting system can" she punctuated her statement by deploying her twin shoulder mounted rail-guns. Delta made no attempt to beg, they knew that to do so would be futile after he had gunned down the humans' adopted brother; instead they simply relished the feeling of being in the helpless position that they had placed so many lives in. Delta felt alive with the rush of terror, they felt refreshed, they felt electric and then a pair of rail-guns were discharged into their body at point blank range and they no longer felt anything at all.

* * *

Celeste was simply unstoppable; a rampaging force of nature and hatred made manifest as she battered through the best defences Team FADE could muster; each of the teens had been pushed far beyond their limits and were now running on blind panic and desperation as the extreme likelihood that they would most likely all die within the confines of ruined and bloodstained arena and the fact that their time was running out became more painfully apparent with every passing moment. Felix was down, the Lion Faunus lay unmoving and face down with a pool of blood from his various wounds leaking from beneath him; Eagle and Arctus had been succinctly crumpled and cast aside by the Ram Faunus's last furious attack and while both of them were still alive and conscious they were unable to stand, which left the unenviable task of attempting to fight Celeste Lupus alone to Diamond.

"Stop struggling and embrace your fate" she sneered as she blocked Diamond's latest attempt to leap overhead and slash downwards, as she landed in a crouch Diamond frantically looked for anything that could turn the tide; the only real scenery to speak of was the anti gravity ring still hovering safely above them, though Diamond knew that to take up a sniping position on the ring would be to abandon her friends to their fate and blowing a stray strand of her silvery hair out of her eyes she braced herself and charged once more. Their blows were exchanged with speed that left them all but invisible to the naked eye, Diamond weaving around her opponent and searching for better angles of attack whilst Celeste remained rooted to the ground and deflected her opponents' glaive with the minimal amount of movement, each strike perfectly timed and incredibly powerful; eventually Wilt and Lex Talionis clashed together and Diamond found herself staggering off balance, prevented from falling by the Ram Faunus's hand closing around her windpipe

"Struggling feebly against destiny….you're a perfect metaphor for your species right now" Celeste chuckled darkly as Diamond kicked out flailed in vain, the Faunus's magenta eyes wild as she paraphrased something once said to an opponent by Adam Taurus in the heat of battle whilst readying Wilt for the killing blow. Almost predictably at this point she was interrupted, this time however the attack that halted her was far more substantial; a burst of heat and pain which drew a gasp of pain from Celeste and forced her to drop Diamond as her power armour was engulfed in turquoise flames and white hot agony

"YOU!" She spat as she caught sight of Arctus, the traitors' son had returned to his feat and was wielding Gefroren-Erbe in its' plasma gun mode; using such a weapon against a living enemy was considered a war crime though before she could taunt the Bear Faunus the moral bankruptcy which clearly ran in his bloodline Arctus attacked with everything he had. Celeste was set upon by a pack of over a dozen summoned Beowolves, snapping and tearing at her whilst an equally translucent Ursa carried Diamond away to safety; the moment she managed to tear through the last of the conjured Grimm Celeste was forced back several paces as Arctus himself collided with her, using a Glyph positioned over his left forearm as a shield and shifting his weapon back into its' sword mode whilst Celeste held her ground with gritted teeth, sweat dripping from her brow due to both the exertion and the fact that her suits' crippled cooling system was utterly inadequate for dealing with a plasma weapon. She made to slash only to find her arm locked in place by another Glyph, Arctus however was exhausted almost to the point of collapse, blood trickling from his snout-like nose and ruptured blood vessels in his eyes showing just how much he had over-exerted his Semblance; refusing to be beaten by such a weak opponent, lacking the fortitude to stay the course Celeste focused her Aura about herself and, body glowing with bloody crimson light unleashed it in a wave of raw power that could not quite be called a Semblance

"ENOUGH!" she roared as the wave washed over Arctus, hurling him back to where Diamond still struggled to rise; the Bear Faunus's Aura broke as he collided with the ground and as Celeste stalked towards them both he and Diamond reached out to each other, silently agreeing that if these were to be their final moments then they would spend them holding onto one another. Then Eagle rejoined the battle, Celeste had only a moments' warning before the movement in the corner of her eye hit her like a juggernaut; Eagle had lost her sword and instead merely swung the edge of Sentinel in shield form, her downwards swing ripping into Celeste's flesh and carving a vertical slash over her left eye which would have horrified her if she had been able to see it for no reason other than its' resemblance to the iconic scar of Weiss Schnee; between this injury and the blood trickling from her mouth since Diamond's earlier kick to the chin the Ram Faunus now fought with a mask of wet crimson coating her face.

"I AM AN ARC!" Eagle bellowed as she battered the terrorist leader, tears falling freely from her eyes as she did so "AN ARC PROTECTS WHAT IS IMPORTANT! YOU WILL NEVER HURT ANYONE ELSE AGAIN, YOU WILL NEVER HURT MY FRIENDS AGAIN!" each word was punctuated with an earth shattering blow that left Celeste's crimson Aura flickering even as she deflected the brunt of the impacts away, eventually Eagle simply lunged at her and grabbed her wrists, forcing Celeste back one step at a time until her back collided with the surface of her power armour, the current passing through the Ram Faunus and into Eagle's own armour and causing her brilliant white Aura to ripple until something unexpected happened.

Celeste screamed in agony

Eagle held the Ram Faunus in place, fighting against her wild thrashing until something seemed to fall into place in her mind; this was the same Faunus that her mother had introduced her to in the museum that the White Fang had bombed, the wheelchair bound Faunus in the process of having a prototype augmentation grafted into their spine. Before Eagle could use the information Celeste wrenched her right arm in a way that put tremendous strain on Eagle's already wounded left and forced the blonde to relinquish her, the Faunus wasted no time in delivering a furious over-handed punch that left Eagle sprawled on the ground, seeing stars and utterly at the Ram Faunus's mercy

"I'm not going to skewer you" Celeste informed her in a cruel tone that her panting for breath as she composed herself did nothing to lessen, before placing a foot on Eagle's throat "If you're so determined to struggle until your last breath then so be it"

"You're not gonna skewer her" a pained but furious voice agreed "You're not gonna touch her, you want someone to fight; I'm right here!" Celeste looked at Felix Xiao Long in disbelief as the Lion Faunus challenged despite his bloodied and battered form

"Felix" Eagle choked out from beneath Celeste's boot "Her spine is a Cybernetic, hit her back-" she was cut off as Celeste stamped down before charging, intent to deny Felix any chance to use the information he had been armed with; her slash was wild and uncoordinated in her frenzy which allowed Felix to weave under it and wrap his arms around her

"This again?" she snarled "Must I remove your hands as well?"

"You don't catch on do ya?" Felix's tone was cold, seemingly fitting as the temperature seemed to drop inexplicably; the heat leaving her body in a unified direction as if being siphoned off. A golden light emanating from behind filled Celeste with sudden dread

"My Semblance works by absorbing heat and converting it into raw power" Felix informed her with almost sadistic pleasure "And your amour's been heating up for at least ten minutes" Celeste's eyes widened though Felix couldn't see them, Felix himself unleashed all of the Aura he'd regenerated in a single blow; his body darkening whilst his hair and the fur of what was left of his tail blazed with golden light as he entered his Balrog state for just long enough to rear back and punch the Ram Faunus squarely between the shoulder blades. Celeste's scream was a silent one as her body crumpled, unable to support itself as the interface between her armour and her own body, a series of connections installed into her cybernetic spine, was destroyed and the bone beneath it splintered. The neural backlash left her convulsing and shaking on the ground as her body ceased responding to her commands. Felix used the last of his power to finally rip the steel spike free of his gut and cast molten projectile aside before his Aura failed, revealing that his Semblance had gone some way to at least cauterise the wound if not heal it.

"ARCTUS NO!" Diamond's frantic yell as she tried to hold her partner in place drew the attention of all present to them, the Bear Faunus had his plasma weapon at the ready and his intent to kill Celeste was written plainly on his face and the look of someone who had been pushed too far in his sapphire eyes

"Arctus don't do it" Eagle pleaded "You'll be no better than she-"

"YES I WILL!" he spat furiously "WE'VE ALL SEEN THE THINGS SHE'S DONE, THAT SHE'S MADE PEOPLE DO! I'M ENDING THIS RIGHT NOW!"

"Arctus please" Diamond slipped her hand into the one that he was not holding a weapon in "We don't need to kill her, we've won. Let the authorities handle it"

"She's still got followers….I don't wanna risk her getting out of prison" Arctus's voice was hesitant now, his doubts catching up with his determination. Felix staggered into the path his cousin would have to take

"This isn't happening" he said bluntly, each word coming with a pained and laboured breath "If you kill her she becomes the next Adam Taurus….you give her exactly what she wants"

"DO IT BOY!" Celeste howled out with deranged glee "KILL THE HIGH COMMANDER OF THE WHITE FANG, MARTYR ME FOR MY CAUSE AND SHOW THE COURAGE THAT YOUR PARENTS LACKED! THE WHITE FANG WILL-" whatever else she wished to say went unheard as Felix turned and kicked her directly in the temple, knocking her out cold. Their was a tense silence between Team FADE as they slowly realised what they had just done and everything that it had cost them, the moment ending when Felix sunk down onto the stadium floor in a way that lacked any sort of grace

"Guys….I think I need a doctor" he mumbled out groggily before exhaustion and blood loss finally took their toll and he passed out. The last thing he heard before the darkness washed over him being the sound of Corvid yelling that they should stand back.

 **Authors Notes:**

And here we are, the climactic battle is over; only Chapter 86 left and then we'll be onto third year and officially over the half way point of this story.  
After Chapter 86 there is going to be a hiatus of a few weeks while I'm in London with my girlfriend; writing will continue when I get home.  
Antagonists were planned out for all four years of the story in an overarching plot from day one, Phobos was a precursor for something yet to happen; Team GORE lead to the cult and by extension Oz. Oz will naturally be important to the story as we progress beyond this point.  
Also, spoiler warning I'm going to end the next chapter on a cliffhanger; remember at the very end of Vol.3/First year how I name-dropped the Cult of Taurus….something like that.

Anyway, let's summarise:  
Just Car & Beta on an empty bridge with no interference, exactly the way they'd want it.  
Also you know damn well Atlas would lock their cities down in the event of an attack.  
Trying to figure out how their different fighting styles would work against each other was interesting.  
Beta's first use of his Semblance was basically that after-image thing Adam did in Vol.6, except his clone go ahead of him.  
Rummaging through their opponents' pockets mid fight seems like something the Frost River Tribe would do….and that boiling liquid body trick was great.  
Nice response from Beta though.  
I realised that Carcharodon, the Shark Faunus with shark teeth has actually never bitten down on someone in a fight.  
Beta tried to do the samurai charge for the Aesthetic, didn't work.  
Okay so the _"_ _You slipped. To defeat you in such a manner would be lacking in honour….I prefer to beat my opponents the old fashioned way….Brutally!"_ is a direct quote from the 90s Transformers series 'Beast Wars' specifically the character of Dinobot; I have been waiting to have Car use that line since I decided against having him use it in Vol.3.  
Good thing about dual wielding swords; you've got a spare if your partner loses hers.  
Team FADE's coordination is great.  
Arc's and their noble streak; sometimes you've gotta shoot the enemy point blank in the face.  
Yeah, the spike wasn't sticking out of his back before….it is now.  
Also in the spirit of Adam Taurus she's taking a Xiao Long's body parts; with her own twist of having Faunus traits removed from her victims thrown in.  
There's a key part of Celeste's ideology the White Fang don't just represent Faunus, in her mind they ARE the Faunus and anyone who doesn't side with them is a traitor by default.  
Yeah Gamma will turn his surroundings into an abattoir in a fight.  
Lux and Rusty still need a ship name.  
Even missing a limb Iris can cause havoc; she's probably one of the best support role Hunters at Halo Academy.  
Not Corey's best opening pun but she's under a lot of stress.  
Helios with the cinematic entrances.  
Trench, the likeable Angler Fish Faunus…..Gamma stuck him to the wall with his own weapon.  
Nyanza doesn't know why he does things, Nyanza just hopes for the best and manages to survive, Nyanza is a millenial.  
Gamma has the worst luck with forcefields.  
Gangrel Vs Alpha could only ever be bloody, dirty and visceral.  
Ah even after twenty years, Gang will still headbutt a motherfucker.  
Alpha's Semblance is basically just a free hit in those circumstances.  
It's a bad day for people with Cybernetics.  
Alpha is definitely the sort of person to take trophies from her kills and she would have kept something of the Shadow Cadre's; one of them had knives similar to Hellion's.  
She should have shut the fuck up and not mentioned his wife and kids….Gang would still have killed her but he might have been less brutal about it.  
I've said plenty of times that the Cult of Taurus are based on the Decepticon Justice Division; consider Gangrel taking Alpha/Crimson's mask and naming her an homage the the way the DJD died.  
"Only her head"…..I have waited a long time to deliver that line.  
Beta; a hipster of sadism.  
Nobody expects Carcharodon's Aura to be lilac.  
You didn't think I'd forgotten about the little maniac did you?  
"A momentary distraction"….NAH BITCH!  
Boom. That's three down.  
Delta is a very sick bug.  
That was Chiffon who shot back at them.  
Yes that was Razzmatazz of Team GRAY, Diamond's old friend and Nyanza's girlfriend who went down holding her face.  
Seriously, Weiss is OP.  
I don't think Delta ever spoke in full sentences the entire time they were present in this story; they have a distinctly stilted and detached way of speaking, really highlighting the utter lack of feelings they have.  
The White Fang's attack was always destined to be a hit & run on a grand scale; the second the mechanised elements turn up and they don't have Oz helping them it's game over.  
Corey just saved her Aunt Weiss's life and neither of them will ever know.  
And that's why Delta destoryed the robots first; they can see them the same way Corvid's sensors can.  
I imagine that Celeste is relatively stationary when she fights just out of habit after being in a wheelchair for so long.  
Celeste paraphrased Adam is a callback to The Downward Spiral where Adam said something similar to Tai.  
Yeah, Arctus just commited a war crime to save Diamond….again.  
I said that the cooling system was gonna be important.  
I'm sure Arctus and Diamond trying to hold hands because they thought they were both going to die is gonna have people feeling things.  
Eagle just picked up her shield with an injured arm and split Celeste's face open with the edge; damn.  
Also, Celeste and Weiss now have matching scars….irony.  
You all forget that that's where Felix and Eagle first met Celeste didn't you?  
"This again" well….pride before the fall.  
Felix Xiao Long: undisputed king of comebacks.  
I think that while we can all agree that Felix is right, we can all sympathise with Arctus's position.  
Corvid has two rail-guns….Corvid is going to get that forcefield down if it takes her all night.

Thankyou to SumoSnipe, iSassenach, DizzyDwarf, The Man With A Thousand Names, FleetOfWarships, CanadianCavalier and GarthRaxxus for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Oh yeah, when Onyx gets going he wrecks everyone's shit.  
I would describe that as "Saving" Alpha all things considered.  
You were on the right path with the armour overheating, but not quite.  
It was an accidental theme, but the snipe being second in command kinda makes sense to me; they need a level of detached calmness for that job.  
Was she mauled to your satisfaction?  
The thing is Eagle doesn't just know Grandpa Arc's style, she knows ALL of her aunts' and uncles' styles as well.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	86. School's Out

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 86: School's Out**

Everything hurt, or at least every part of his body that Felix could still feel as he gradually regained consciousness. A dull of buzz of dozens of conversations, each held seemingly exclusively in tense and frantic murmurs reached his ears whilst a distinctly medical scent overpowered his sensitive nose in a combination that bombarded his senses and made the prospect of actually opening his eyes an unappealing one; though eventually open them he did as the various conflicting sensations of numbness, dull throbbing aches, shooting pains and a tenderness that enveloped much of his body became too much to ignore.

"What happened?" he mumbled out as the world came slowly into focus, Felix saw that there were people surrounding his bed in what he realised was Atlas Academy's medical wing, though he had never seen the facility so crowded before. Arctus, Diamond and Eagle were all battered and bruised, bandages visible below Diamond's tank top suggesting that her ribs had been broken whilst Arctus massaged a spot on his right side and Felix could see that several of his teeth were in the process of regrowing and Eagle's upper left arm was bandaged. There was a fourth person whose presence Felix's currently addled mind couldn't account for

"Mum?" Yang Xiao Long swept forwards with a tear-stained face and pulled her son into a crushing hug, only to pull back as a wince of discomfort escaped him.

"It's gonna be okay Fluffy, it's gonna be okay" the Lion Faunus forced his thoughts into something vaguely resembling order, heart suddenly racing and throat suddenly dry as the glimpses and flashes of memories from the Vytal Tournament and the White Fang's attack came rushing back to him, suddenly areas of his body where he suspiciously couldn't feel any pain made far too much sense and the Faunus found his hands trembling and gripping the sheets of the hospital bed as he took in several deep but shaky breaths and desperately sought out something, anything else to focus on. Casting his eyes wildly around the medical wing he saw several students he knew by sight if not more personally with various degrees of injury, ranging from mild cuts and blunt force trauma that Aura would correct up to missing limbs and the sort of grievous wounds that left the students in question connected to various life support machines. Eventually, after following the concerned glances Diamond was shooting in their direction he caught sight of Nyanza Angora and Grease Thunderbird, his fellow natives of patch were attempting to console Razzmatazz; Felix's stomach lurched as he realised that the spiky pink haired girls' right eye had been reduced to a sightless orb of milky white. His eyes lingered on Nyanza a moment longer before a thought occurred to him with chilling clarity

"Where's Helios? Dee, Arctus, Eagle where's Heely?"

"He's okay" Eagle assured him, moving a little closer and patting her partners' shoulder lightly "Well, not exactly okay but…."

"Eagle what happened?" Felix demanded suddenly panicked

"His people were clearing a path to get people out" Diamond explained "Helios wasn't hurt but….look not all of the Nikosi survived and Helios isn't in a good place right now" the way her cherry red eyes were cast downwards spoke volumes, though Arctus attempted to offer some consolation

"He's been here while you were out" the Bear Faunus informed him "But he had to go, his Mum needed him for some funeral rites"

"Oh" Felix mouthed simply, he knew that he should do something but at the moment he was too numb, everything that happened and the disjointed and hectic way his mind was processing the information was just too much for him at the moment

"What about Corey?" he eventually asked, voice heavy with sudden dread as he realised his sister was absent "Mum where's Corey?"

"She's safe" Yang assured her son "Blake and I saw what happened….all of Remnant did, when the feeds were cut off we called in some favours with Atlas and got ourselves here as fast as we could. Blake's with her now"

"She got you out dude" Diamond added "She brought down the stadium's forcefield herself and got you to a medical evac even with the Omega Wing damaged and no Aura left" Felix couldn't help the swelling of pride at his sisters' bravery that washed over him before the weight of his concern quickly quashed it

"So why isn't she here?" Felix's voice was timid and small and the looks his team-mates and mother exchanged amongst themselves at the question only cemented in his mind that something was drastically, terribly wrong.

"Guys?" he implored, voice wavering

"She freaked out" Diamond admitted, clearly not comfortable being the one to deliver the news but seeming to sense that nobody else was willing

"When she saw your injuries" Arctus admitted with a shake of the head "She said she couldn't be here….Once the doctors made sure you were stable she took off"

"Fluffy I want you to know that none of this is your fault" Yang cut in sternly, determined to head off any chance of him blaming himself before it could take root

"How bad is it?" the Lion Faunus asked, no longer to ignore the tightness in his chest and the terrifying lack of feeling where his tail should have been, as much as he would have liked to. When no reply was forthcoming he kicked the covers off of himself and began the process of pulling himself to his feet on shaky legs, gratefully accepting Eagle's hand as he found his balance.

"Holy Oum" he whispered out, voice cracking as he took stock of his injuries. Below his ribs was an ugly mass of reddened and angry burns and scarring which, while he knew that his Aura would heal them, were still enough send shivers down his spine at the thought of what would have happened if the sniper had aimed only a few inches higher. Then he saw his tail, or more accurately the third of it that remained and the bandaged stump that covered the point where it had been severed.

"Felix" Yang's voice was soothing though it seemed to fall on deaf ears "Felix look at me, I know it looks bad right now but it's okay" she gestured at her own cybernetic arm

"Yeah" Eagle added, gently nudging his shoulder "Poly-Tech are still working on their Faunus specific line of prosthetics. I'll talk to my Mum and get your name at the top of the list"

"Like what the High Commander had?" Felix's tone was icy, though it rose in volume and fury with each word as he all but roared in Eagle's face "YOU THINK I WANT THAT? YOU THINK I WANT TO BE PUT BACK TOGETHER WITH THE SAME PIECES AS THE PERSON THAT DID THIS TO ME?"

"Hey!" Diamond snapped, stepping between them as Arctus gently pulled Eagle away. The silver haired woman met his glare with an equally fierce expression which her own cuts and bruises only added to

"Not cool dude" she breathed out gently "She's trying to help" Felix caught sight of Eagle and the tears welling up in her crimson eyes and slowly sank back onto the bed with his head falling into his hands

"I'm sorry, Eagle I'm sorry….I just….everyone just go" his shoulders began to shake uncontrollably as he sobbed "Just go, please"

"Fluffy…." Yang trailed off, her unspoken concern apparent

"I don't want people looking at me right now"

"Okay" his mother nodded in understanding "We'll be here whenever you're ready" as if to highlight the point Arctus nodded silently whilst Eagle gave him a light hug

"If you need anything then just let me know" Felix didn't respond, unable to even muster up the willpower to wipe the tears from his eyes as they rendered his vision blurry; though as his friends and family left him he did motion for Diamond to stay behind

"I need you to do something for me"

"Go ahead" she braced herself, unsure of what Felix was about to ask of her

"Take over Team FADE" her eyes widened in shock as Felix continued "I can't lead the team….not right now, maybe not any more"

"Felix I-"

"Dee please….You've always been the best at handling pressure out of us" Diamond closed her eyes for a moment before sitting beside Felix and making a counter offer

"I'll handle things over the summer. I can deal with setting our advanced classes if everyone is okay with that; when we have to give debriefings to General Schnee and Professor Goodwitch I'll handle it"

"Thank you-"

"But" Diamond cut across him "When we start third year I want you to go straight to Counsellor Vasilias and get some therapy for PTSD….Team FADE needs it's real leader; but I can fill in for you until you're ready"

"Thanks Dee" Felix finally breathed out with a watery sigh "And….you and Helios are gonna be on the same airship home right?"

"I can pass on a message if you don't want to see anyone….I think you should message him and let him know you're awake yourself" Diamond offered as she rose to her feet

"Yeah" Felix nodded, still clearly shaken but managing to compose himself somewhat "Tell him I love him and I'm sorry about his people" Felix collapsed onto his back as she left, acutely aware of the space where his tail should have been pressing into his back but wasn't until he rolled over and buried his face in his pillow in an attempt to hide from the world in the hope that when he re-emerged it wouldn't be crumbling down around him.

* * *

Four Nikosi had fallen in battle; four men and women whom Helios Nikos had known his entire life had been violently snatched from the world and their pyre's had been built out in the tundra beyond the walls of any Atlesian city. That they should be sent into the great beyond so far from Nikosi lands and with so few of their people present was a tragedy that left Helios feeling hollow inside as he watched his mother conclude the funeral rites, a solemn affair that was conducted entirely in the language of the tribes. The pyre was lit and Helios finally allowed himself to cry as the need to be a stoic battle-brother to those whom they were here to remember passed; beside him Syneffo was in much the same condition and whilst it was true that the Nikosi; through their regular dealings with the Kingdom of Mistral and much to the distaste of the other tribes of Anima, were largely ambivalent towards religion and chose to honour their customs and traditions above any deity, at that moment however Helios prayed to the Old Gods of his people in his native tongue that the Nikosi fallen would find their way safely to their ancestors. The surviving Nikosi remained like this observing the pyre until nothing but ash and smoke remained at which point they began to file back to encampment they had made for themselves and would proceed to dismantle at sunrise in preparation to return to the vast swathes of wilderness that they called home. Helios felt a hand on his shoulder and knew by the touch alone that it was his mother

"Come" she said simply, motioning for Syneffo to do the same. The three of them made their way a short distance from both the Nikosi encampment and the pyre to a point in the snow with no discernable landmarks or significance; the question of what they were doing here was answered before Helios could voice it however as a red eyed and black feathered bird swooped low and in a flash of crimson Aura revealed the worn and sombre form of Qrow Branwen

"I'm sorry for your losses….may they be remembered as the heroes they died as" Helios's acid green eyes widened a fraction at the use of a translated phrase from Nikosi burial rites, only to narrow as he surmised what must have happened

"You dared?" his voice trembled with rage "You dared spy on our peoples' funeral?" he took a single step forwards with his hand flying to his sword before his mother placed an arm in front of his chest and barred his way

"He kept a respectful distance and did not intrude; I called for this meeting" Kataigida explained.

"Oh and kid" Qrow nodded towards Helios "Eagle and Yang have both told me that he's awake….he was asking after you" Helios nodded silently, there was no need to ask who Qrow was referring to

"Now let's attend to the matter in hand, we break camp at dawn and there's little time" Kataigida took a slow breath as she steadied herself in a way that surprised Helios, he couldn't recall seeing his mother so visibly uncertain before "I've made a decision regarding Syneffo's training"

"What's going on?" Helios asked quickly, a sense of inexplicable unease washing over him. Syneffo herself merely turned to her mother with a hopeful expression and her silver eyes wide

"Answer me honestly Helios" Kataigida spoke softly "Can you ever see yourself returning back to us fully? You've made the Kingdoms your home and you've flourished there"

"I…." he began to protest but found himself unable to as he thought of Felix and the many friends he'd made "I don't know" he answered in a worried murmur, suddenly unsure of his place in the world. Suddenly his mothers arms were around him and when she spoke it sounded as though she were fighting back tears

"Then I release you from your duties to the Nikosi" she pulled back and met his stunned gaze "You will always be a Nikosi and you will always be my son whom I love deeply….but for your own sake I will name Syneffo as my heir so that you may follow your own destiny"

"I…." Helios searched desperately for something to say to his mother but could find no words, instead he turned to Syneffo "Is this what you want?"

"I want to protect our people, if that involves leading them one day then yes" the armoured Hunter had never been more proud of his sister than in that moment.

"Thusly" Kataigida breathed out "When the time comes Syneffo will attend one of the Kingdoms' academies as you have. Though the unique circumstances regarding her silver eyes will require additional arrangements….Branwen, have they been made?"

"Not yet" Qrow admitted "I'm sure you can understand that my own family have been dealing with the attack. Ruby will be more than happy to teach your daughter though"

"Then it's settled" Kataigida nodded "Syneffo, when the time is right you will follow Helios to New Vale and study under an experienced Silver Eyed Warrior….Helios, promise me you'll watch over your sister"

"Of course" Helios nodded, swallowing a sudden lump in his throat. Qrow understood that their business was concluded for the night and gave a respectful bow to the ruler of the Nikosi before taking his avian form and vanishing into the night

"I have preparations to make" Kataigida noted softly before turning and leaving her children alone in the snow; Helios and Syneffo stared at each other in a tense, fragile silence for an indeterminate amount of time before Syneffo finally spoke

"I don't want you to leave us" the admission came as a whisper tinged with deep sadness

"I've been away for almost two years" Helios noted

"But you were always supposed to come back" Helios felt fresh tears welling in eyes and privately refused to start crying again, instead he sought a way to lighten the mood between them

"You could always order me to stay, Princess" he gave her a mocking and ludicrously deep bow

"Ingrate; you learned this from the idiot cat" she snorted; playfully punching his armoured shoulder as she compared him to Nyanza "But mother was right, you smile more now….this might just be where you belong"

"I will always be here for you, never doubt that" Helios assured her as he wrapped an arm around his sisters' shoulders

"Thank you" with that the two of them began to make their way back to the encampment, Helios giving his sister a tired smile

"So which will be the first tribe you go to war with when your iron-fisted reign begins?" Syneffo merely rolled her silver eyes and laughed.

* * *

Blake had found the dormitory Team CLIR had been assigned for their stay in Atlas with little trouble and stood at the door for a moment debating whether to knock or simply let herself in. While Corvid was a grown woman at twenty years old and Blake respected her privacy the fact remained that these were not normal circumstances; eventually she settled on the compromise of first lightly knocking and then opening the door without waiting for a reply.

"Corey?" she stepped into the dorm and found herself letting out a breath that she hadn't been aware she was holding as she saw the rest of Team CLIR gathered around her daughter and whilst Corvid was clearly not in a good place mentally, sat on the floor with her back to the wall and hugging her knees, with dark rings around her eyes, bruises all over her body and a generally unfocused and lost air about her; the fact that Lux and Rusty were sat either side of her protectively flanking their comrade whilst Iris seeming to be drifting in and out of consciousness as she sat on her nearby bunk eased Blake's mind. She also noted that in a cruel twist of irony Iris's new prosthetic had been shipped to Atlas Academy during the Vytal Tournament, a storage case much like the one Yang's arm had come with lay on her bed close by.

"Sorry if I'm intruding" Blake offered gently "I just wanted to make sure she's okay"

"Hey Mum" Corvid croaked out without looking at her; a subtle gesture from Iris had Lux and Rusty on their feet and following their team-mate out of the dormitory

"We'll give you some space" Lux explained as he passed Blake, Rusty turning back to their leader

"We're gonna go to the mess hall, you want anything?" Corvid simply shook her head in silence. The door closed and Blake simply crossed the room without speaking and sat on the floor beside her daughter

"So how soon before you start modifying that arm?" she asked with a grin as she motioned to Iris's prosthetic, Corvid merely shrugged indecisively and remained silent as she stared straight ahead. Blake reached down and gently squeezed her hand

"Wanna talk about it?" Corvid continued her silence for almost a minute before finally whispering

"It's my fault" Blake's head jerked around to face with such speed that her neck audibly cracked

"What?"

"It's my fault" she repeated "I'm such an idiot; I had to show off, I had to fucking win….If I hadn't gone all out, if I hadn't kicked the crap out of Fluffy then-"

"Then it would be you in that hospital bed" Blake snapped, refusing to hear any more of this "Corey look at me, look at me and listen; this is not your fault. You didn't force that monster to pick up a sniper rifle, you didn't force them to modify it to shoot steel spikes, you didn't force them to join the White Fang and you didn't march them into the stadium and force them to aim at your brother"

"I just-"

"Felix had his Aura left, you didn't" Blake noted "Which means that that sicko deliberately chose to shoot someone and make sure that it wouldn't kill them right away….you are not to blame, not for any of it" Corvid was still clearly unconvinced, head sinking into her hands

"I should have just stayed and brought that shield down straight away….what if Felix hates me mum?"

"He doesn't" Blake assured her "He's awake right now, Yang messaged me….he asked for you and I think he could use his big sister right now"

"I can't" Corvid admitted, wiping her steely grey eyes as she did so "I don't think I can face him right now….I'm sorry I-"

"It's okay. I understand" Blake soothed her as best she could "I'll tell him you were asleep….but promise you'll at least get one of your friends to pass on a message, he needs to know you're still here for him"

"Thanks Mum" Corvid croaked out before pulling Blake into a tight hug "Go and see him, I'll be okay"

"Promise?"

"I promise" Corvid nodded whilst freeing her dark hair from it's customary ponytail "I need to freshen up anyway" she gestured at the black flight suit she'd been wearing since the battle and the scarf which had once belonged to Yang and was currently covered in various stains

"Okay" Blake nodded, hugging her daughter once more "Yang will probably come and see you later" Corvid nodded in understanding and watched her mother leave before shedding her fur collared jacket and rummaging through her pockets for her Scroll, finding that it was mercifully undamaged; opening the device she saw that she had several unopened text messages, a small tired smile crossing her face at the sight of at least half a dozen from Onyx. Ignoring the messages and deciding that she would deal with people later, after she had slept and scrubbed the stench of the battle off of her skin; instead she opened a blank text message and selected her brothers' contact details, there were a dozen things she needed to say but couldn't find the courage or words to do so and none of her usual jokes and puns seemed to fit right now. After staring at the screen in silence for a while she finally settled on a short and simple message

' _Hey Fluffy, you okay? I love you'_

* * *

Upon leaving the medical wing Yang had merely waited outside until either she received news from Blake or until Felix decided to speak to her. Arctus and Eagle had parted ways, the exact location of Atlas Academy was technically classified and despite her many joint ventures with the military she was not cleared to enter the school; a state of affairs Yang and Blake had avoided due to being former members of Winter Schnee's black-ops unit from the war against Salem. Whilst Eagle had returned to Team FADE's dorm after promising the Bear Faunus that she'd be okay and she would spend the time either trying to sleep or packing for their return to Halo Academy Arctus had made his way towards his Aunt Winter's office and personal quarters where, through the same reasoning Blake and Yang had used as well as family ties Weiss was waiting with Athena-Jade and Coral. Diamond had caught up with him a little way before the office and alone in the corridor, with no one to judge her except someone she knew with utter certainty wouldn't she had allowed herself to show just how much the battle and the day that had followed it had taken from her and how tenuous the calm she portrayed really was; simply melting into Arctus's arms and sobbing into his shoulder. Eventually though, the couple wiped their eyes and entered General Schnee's office where they were at once pounced upon by Weiss who wrapped an arm around each of them only to pull back when she received a pair of pained winces in response

"Oh I'm so sorry, I didn't think" she admitted, hands flying to her mouth "Are you both okay?"

"Broken ribs" Diamond explained "Aura's working on 'em but they're still sore"

"Slashed" Arctus answered simply whilst gesturing to his side. The young Faunus removed his sword from his back and propped it against the nearest wall whilst casting his eyes around the office in search of his sisters, both blood related and adopted; he found them in a far corner of the Spartan room almost hidden in the shadow of a filing cabinet. One look at Coral made it obvious that this was her attempt to hide, the girl was curled in on herself as much as possible and covering her face with the pincers that she had in place of hands, which in turn clacked continuously as she trembled. Beside her was Athena, the Bear Faunus gently holding onto Coral's arm and making a valiant attempt to appear brave; an attempt which finally ceased when Arctus made his way across the office and crouched down in front of them

"I'm so sorry" her voice was uncharacteristically small as she bodily flung herself into her brothers' arms "I promise I'll never sneak off again, I just wanted to be a cool big sister and I'm sorry"

"Hey" Arctus gently ruffled her hair "It's okay, it's over and everyone's okay"

"But Felix got-"

"Felix is…." Arctus trailed off, not quite sure if he could bring himself to tell that lie

"Felix is awake right now" Diamond assisted "We were talking to him right before we came here"

"And Aunt Yang and Aunt Blake are here" Arctus offered before turning to his mother "Aunt Yang says hi"

"I'll try and see them both as well as Felix and Corvid before any of us leave" Weiss noted. Arctus turned his attention back to the children and noticed that whilst he had been comforting Athena Coral had remained silent and was at risk of simply vanishing into the background

"Room for one more" he offered holding his free arm outstretched, the Crab Faunus declined with a silent shake of the head and retracted further into her self, eyes darting around the room frantically as if searching for an escape.

"Arctus can I talk to you for a moment please?" Weiss waited until her son gently set Athena down and made his way back over to where she and Diamond were stood before continuing "I hate to ask you this because I know you had plans to visit Diamond in Mistral over the summer-"

"You want me at home" Arctus surmised, having been expecting something of the sort

"I need you at home" she corrected, voice dropping to barely a whisper as she continued "It was always going to be difficult to bring Coral into our lives, with the attack and everything that happened….those monsters showing up, they're both going to need all the support we can offer them"

"Yeah, yeah I'll stay" Arctus nodded, giving Diamond and apologetic and forlorn look only for her to lean over and gently kiss his bruised cheek

"It's fine big guy" she promised him "Everything's a mess right for everyone right now, it's gonna be rough but we'll make it work; what else can we do" Arctus, overcome with a fresh wave of awe for the calm determination and unshakeable conviction that the love of his life carried herself with, fought the urge to simply pull her close and kiss her fiercely right then and there. Instead he turned to his mother

"Mum, would you mind Diamond visiting over the summer?"

"Honey I will get her a key to the manor cut" Weiss replied nonchalantly before turning to Diamond herself "You're a part of this family now" the moment was both underlined and robbed of its' poignancy by Athena-Jade letting out an enthusiastic but whispered _'YES!'_ in the background. As his soft chuckling at his sisters' seemingly unbreakable enthusiasm tapered off the older Faunus reached over to his weapon and with a few moments of careful manipulation removed the plasma cell from Gefroren-Erbe before presenting it to Weiss

"Can you make sure Dad gets this" he asked, looking away from his mothers' questioning expression and offering only the vaguest possible of explanations "I almost did something stupid out there….I'm gonna rework my sword"

"I'll see that he gets it" Weiss assured him, giving an understanding nod and prying no further; she understood that things were done in the heat of battle that could not be undone and those who played the part of monsters had a unique ability to drag even the strongest willed Hunters down to their level.

"Thank you" Arctus gently wrapped an arm around his mother, pulling her into a hug whilst avoiding putting any pressure on his injured side "Where is Dad?"

"His arm was destroyed, he wants his ships' chief medic and engineer to work on replacing it" Weiss answered before following up with an explanation that Arctus wryly noted that he should honestly have expected at this point in his life

"Winter needs him working right now, Atlas need him. He's working but he promises he'll be home as soon as possible"

* * *

Gangrel made his way through the corridors of the Gespenst in a manner that could best be described as stalking, long predatory strides and a stern face filled with cold fury; he cut an intimidating figure and the loss of his cybernetic arm had done nothing detract from this fact, nor had the bandages wrapped around much of his torso or the stitches holding together various segments of his battered, bruised and bloody flesh.

"Sure you don't want me to handle this?" the request was made by Donner, her customary Mohawk and Specialist uniform back in place as she had been cleared for active duty once more; having led the Atlesian reinforcements into the stadium. A Cybernetic eye could be heard whirring faintly as it adjusted itself and a pale blue light could be seen beneath the eyepatch she still wore, breaking the illusion that she was still partially blind.

"No" Gangrel snarled "They targeted my kids, my wife and my nephew. This one's mine" the conversation died as the pair drew close to their destination; the soldier guarding the entrance to the brig of warship stood a little straighter as his commanding officer arrived and whilst Specialist Commander Slate was usually comfortably lax with certain aspects of protocol, this evening the guard felt a distinct need to a salute and address him properly

"Sir….I take it you're here for….her?" Gangrel gave no verbal answer, just a hardening of his expression as he used the access panel to confirm his identity and step into the maximum security prison that the brig of the Gespenst served as; Donner following him in and guarding the door from the inside as the Bear Faunus sought out his quarry. The brig was filled, each of the cells had been locked down so that the White Fang fighter within was monitored but unable to see or communicate with the outside world and a forcefield hummed around the solid walls of each cell in case any prisoners attempted to damage the cells themselves without the use of their Aura or Semblance. The prisoners aboard Gangrel's vessel were those who had been identified during the battle as leaders or ranking members in some capacity; Celeste Lupus had naturally been placed in deepest darkest recesses of the brig and sealed away the moment the chief medical officer of the ship had deemed her fit to leave his presence. She would never walk again; the combination of the sheer power Felix had unleashed in the blow that had ended their battle combined with the trauma that the destruction of her experimental cybernetics had caused irreparable damage to her spine and nervous system; a prospect that gave Gangrel an amount of pleasure he was a little ashamed of. Putting his feelings aside he lowered the forcefield around the cell and stepped inside, though he chose to keep the rest of the lock down protocol in place.

"This cell won't hold me forever, the White Fang-"

"The White Fang are gone" Gangrel cut across her coldly "The leaders of the individual cells are either dead or captives. The Cult of Taurus are dead, I killed Alpha myself. Without the threat of your personal hangmen over their heads some of your people have already started selling information for leniency that they won't get; I have the location of the boltholes your people are going to hide in….the Freelancers are going to have fun picking off the last of the people who killed Neon Katt. And then there's you, you're finished" Celeste would have been a pitiful sight to one who didn't know the deeds she was responsible for; her pale flesh had been burned in countless places by her armour and her entire body was riddled with cuts and bruises that ranged from deep purple to sickly yellow whilst her left eye had narrowly avoided being removed and instead a deep gash ran down the flesh above and below it in a twisted parody of Weiss's iconic scar; she had also been dressed in a prison jumpsuit with holes made to accommodate the various medical devices that had been transferred to her cell whilst Celeste herself had simply been strapped to the cold steel slab that served as a bed, it would keep her broken back straight while it healed as much as her restrained Aura would allow, if nothing else.

"If this is your attempt to scare me, to force me to betray my beliefs then you're going to fail" she stared directly up at the ceiling and whilst her tone was sneering her magenta eyes had long since lost their crazed gleam

"I don't care" Gangrel gave a one armed shrug "I don't need you to fear me and as for your beliefs….I know you won't believe this, but I actually knew Adam Taurus; he spent the last day of his life in a cell just like this rethinking everything he thought he believed and stood for, then he went and sacrificed himself fighting alongside the Atlesian military to save Faunus lives; I was stood next to him when it happened"

"Lies" Celeste breathed out "Lies to keep the Faunus race docile, all of it" Celeste's voice had dropped to a terrified whisper as the prospect of being robbed of her beliefs along with everything else sent chills down her ruined spine

"And I need you to understand Celeste, you will never get the chance to be a martyr like him" Gangrel growled, refusing to acknowledge her title. Sienna had been the High Commander of the White Fang, Adam Taurus in his more sane moments, before the bloodlust had truly tipped him over the edge, would have admitted that he was merely holding the line in her absence; Celeste Lupus was a pretender who had never understood the cause she bastardised.

"You came to kill me then?" the Ram Faunus seemed almost serene at the prospect before choosing to add what she presumed would be her final insult "I offered your son the chance, let's see if he inherited his cowardice from you"

"I'm not gonna kill you" Gangrel stepped closer, towering over Celeste's prone form and glaring down at her with a truly terrifying expression "I don't need to"

"You don't have the-"

"You're not going to die on your terms" Gangrel interrupted "You're going to get a trial, just like any other criminal, just like the rest of the White Fang we've captured. A lot of them are going to get the death sentence, I doubt the Council will give anyone less than fifty years….but you, you're a special case. I'm going to dig up all the dirt and find every skeleton in every closet just to make sure they don't kill you; you're going to get life without the possibility of release in a maximum security prison, this one right here. You're never gonna hurt anyone again Celeste, you're never gonna poison another Faunus's mind and the next psychopath to come along won't be able to hold you up as an icon….You're going to die alone and forgotten about, in this cell and I will do my best to make sure you live a long and miserable life before that happens" Gangrel had said what he came to say and simply turned and left, Celeste's mouth worked silently as her eyes widened in stunned horror at the prospect of what was to become of her. The Bear Faunus exited the cell and reactivated the forcefield, though a moment before its' dull buzzing drowned out any sounds from within the cell he clearly heard Celeste Lupus let out a blood curdling scream of rage and terror. He walked away, informing Donner that she and Chiffon had the ship and that he would be returning to his family.

* * *

Team GORE had been brought aboard the Gespenst, each of them individually though Carcharodon, Onyx and Hellion had been brought together by Specialist Chiffon who had found himself with the unenviable task of having to debrief the trio of raiders, each of whom were still emotionally high-strung from the battle with the knowledge that they were so close to being reunited with their missing member driving them to pace the briefing room, snarl in irritation and distractedly toy with their weapons. Eventually Chiffon had, to their great displeasure, confiscated their weapons; the sight of Onyx Ursabane sharpening his double bladed battleaxe whilst the blood of his conquered enemies still dripped from his clothes, hair and skin onto the floor was enough to make even the grizzled veteran concerned. Finally however it had been done, the herculean task of making them dictate a succinct report of what had happened so that the Kingdom of Atlas could confirm that some of its' most wanted criminals were in fact dead and Team GORE were free to go.

"I've never seen him take this long to heal, or need help" Hellion murmured, wings buzzing in frustration behind her "Are you sure he'll make it?"

"Of course he'll make it" the reply came from the Chief Medical Officer of the Gespenst, a gruff and greying man whose hands had been augmented with cybernetics which allowed them to move with superhuman levels of speed and precision

"Nobody dies on my watch" the Doctor, known by the crew of the ship simply as _'Doc Ratchet'_ grumbled mostly to himself "I once patched up a man who'd been sawed in half…. _vertically_ "

"Never really realised how small he is" Onyx noted as he gazed down at Raffia's unmoving body. When the Axolotl Faunus had destroyed the bridge that he and Beta had been fighting on Carcharodon had channelled what little remained of his Aura into his Semblance to make his way to the lowest depths of Eisenstadt Zweite where the fall had taken them. Beta was unmistakably dead, the Snow Leopard Faunus's body, burned and mangled beyond recognition; Raffia was in a similar condition and Carcharodon's fear had been immeasurable when his friends' regenerative Semblance flickered and failed as his Aura reserves proved insufficient for the task. Through sheer force of will alone Carcharodon had slung Raffia's wounded form over his shoulder and used the forearm mounted blades of the Red Waves to climb through the Hive City until he reached aid.

"He'll make it" Carcharodon said simply but with utter conviction; even as he spoke Raffia's Aura continued to work, bolstered by the cocktail of Aura stimulating drugs and sedatives that the Atlesian medic had pumped into his body; his skeleton had almost fully reformed with only hairline fractures remaining where shattered and utterly destroyed bones had once been, his missing caudal fin and blinded eye had seemingly healed and the majority of his internal organs were recovering steadily, leaving only the burned and blackened skin which had been stripped away to expose the flesh and sinew below in several places as a fading testament to the ordeal his body had been through.

"I have other patients to attend to, try not to disturb anyone" the Doctor stated bluntly, his way of giving the group the privacy they so obviously sought. Carcharodon waited until the man was out of earshot before crouching down and whispering in Raffia's ear

"The poison they call medicine doesn't work on you….I know you're awake" as he rose back to his full height Raffia's eyes slowly flickered open

"Come to make sure the death sentence sticks?" he croaked out, voice sounding as broken and defeated as his body appeared

"I've come to welcome you home" Carcharodon replied, swallowing a lump in his throat as he spoke. Raffia's eyes widened in shock and his fins lay flat along his skull as he sat bolt upright as fast as the many medical instruments still invading his body and the considerable pain he was in would allow, Carcharodon pulled the smaller Faunus into a crushing hug the moment he was upright with Onyx and Hellion quickly following suit

"Welcome back" Onyx chuckled as he cupped the back of Raffia's skull "You did well"

"And if you ever do that again I swear I will skin you" Hellion huffed

"I….what?" Raffia's mind seemed unable to catch up with what was happening "But….I was exiled, I came back-"

"All is forgiven" Carcharodon said gently "If you can do the same" Raffia paused for a moment before finally returning the hug in earnest

"Did we win?" he hissed, the ghost of his ruthlessness making itself known "Are they dead?"

"All of them" Carcharodon assured him "And not one of them died a warriors' death on the end of a blade"

"Good" Raffia hissed as he extricated himself from the tangle of limbs and returned to laying on his back, a somewhat less painful position

"Now what?" he murmured "Our arrangement with Atlas is over, where do we go from here"

"We already had arrangements made" Hellion informed him "But we need you with us for them to take shape"

"Atlas Academy is sending the exchange students home early, the tournament is being discontinued this year" Onyx added "Commander Slate saw fit to pay us handsomely for working with the Atlesians….I think our first port of call should be the Frost River"

"Agreed" Carcharodon rasped, a genuine smile on his face at the notion

"We're going home?" Raffia asked

"Briefly" Carcharodon nodded "If only to say our goodbyes to it….in your absence we decided that the only way that our culture will survive is to adapt and that we should continue training as Hunters"

"We can prowl the seas without reprisal from the Kingdoms so long as we focus our attentions on other raiders and kill any Grimm that lurk in their waters" Hellion explained, hoping desperately that Raffia would see the truth of the matter and the appeal that the notion held.

"Headmistress Goodwitch has already accepted us as students for the next two years" Carcharodon informed him bluntly "All we need is the fourth member of Team GORE….what say you?" Raffia looked up at the last vestiges of what he had in place of a family, saw the faces of the people he had been fully willing to die in battle for and weighed them against the notion of taking part in what the elders of his tribe would no doubt have called a perversion of their ways; after a moment of silence he gave the only answer he could.

"I'm with you, always….whatever comes next"

* * *

The black luxury car was a far cry from the levels of ostentatious that Rhodium Torchwick had made himself used to but could still hardly be described as nondescript, especially in its' current surroundings. The redhead mobster sat in the rear of the vehicle with his former cellmate, the Weasel Faunus known to most by his nickname of 'Tricky' sat beside him whilst the two of them were chauffeured by a more recent addition to the inner circle of Torchwick's ever expanding criminal empire; a street criminal and local rapper by the name of Vert, more commonly known by his street name of _'Uzi'_ who had come to Rhodium's attention when he bought the record label that the younger man was being exploited by, the mobster saw that the boy had the potential to be very useful and a wealth of experience with organised crime relative to his age and had quickly made the decision to recruit him; in truth the matte black car with tinted windows and glistening rims that Vert was driving had been a gift from Rhodium.

"This is the place" Rhodium noted calmly as the car entered an industrial estate close to the freight docks, slowing to a stop in the yard of a firm whose business involved manufacturing components for the large ships that frequented those docks

"Why do they always pick the most cliché places" Tricky sighed, beady eyes peering through the window of the vehicle but failing to detect anything "Seriously, we're running how many businesses now? If they wanna meet somewhere discreet them talk in a back corner of a bar or something….this is just bullshit" Rhodium rolled his eyes whilst Vert let out a snicker, thus attracting the attention of the redhead

"Uzi go see if you can find anyone" the younger man seemed to consider complaining before thinking better of it; he was tall with a wiry physique that was obscured by a baggy black hoodie and artistically ripped and faded designer jeans held up by a belt with a needlessly embellished buckle and tucked into an expensive pair of hi-topped trainers which were a combination of glaring white and vibrant acid green, his dark-skinned face was framed by dreadlocks that had been dyed the same colour and reached to his shoulders. Rhodium watched him climb out of the car and produce an oversized handgun that had been tucked into the back of his jeans and begin prowling the area

"Level with me Rhodey" Tricky breathed out with clear apprehension "You think this is a set up?….this isn't our turf"

"They're playing one hell of a long game if it is" Rhodium answered calmly "Besides, this isn't Malachite's turf either" the two of them sat in silence as they waited for answers, Rhodium silently considering his options. After his escape from prison the mysterious contact he knew only by the moniker of _'Dunwitch'_ had re-established contact and the steady flow of the Eco-Dust that was a key component in the narcotic _'Booster'_ , easily one of the most lucrative ventures Rhodium was involved in; especially when one considered the uses one could find for a force of dependant and drug addicted Hunters whose abilities had been artificially enhanced. Recently however shipments had ceased and there had been no word, Rhodium would have simply assumed that Dunwitch had simply been apprehended were it not for the fact that no news outlet from any of the Kingdoms were reporting what would have surely been a major bust by the authorities. Then a few nights ago he had received a message, delivered through the usual convoluted and intricate channels that Dunwitch used stating that they would like a face to face meeting to discuss further business arrangements, which Rhodium had naturally agreed to.

"Hey!" Uzi barked out, prompting both Rhodium and Tricky so spring out of the rear doors of the vehicle on opposite sides; the redhead reaching into the trench coat he wore and retrieving Melodic Cudgel

"Ah Mister Torchwick, a pleasure" a voice seemed unnaturally distorted, as if it were a record played at every speed but the correct one and seemed to come from every direction at once

"Dunwitch?" Rhodium called out, frantically scanning his surroundings

"Indeed" the voice came from a single direction this time and the source of it seemed to manifest suddenly; a tall and spindly body clad in all black garments that could best be described as a combination of business attire and plague doctor, a well tailored and clearly expensive black three-piece suit, dress shoes, shirt and tie were offset by leather gauntleted gloves that reached back almost to the elbows, a flowing and hooded black cloak which hung open with the hood obscuring what little of the mans' features were left unhidden by their mask; a distinctly avian thing of deep matte black with a thin and curved beak and a pair of prominent goggles integrated into it, goggles whose lenses moved and adjusted themselves ceaselessly and seemed to faintly glow the exact same shade of red as the eyes of the creatures of Grimm.

"But enough with formalities" Dunwitch all but purred as they lowered their hood and began removing their mask "You can call me Oz"

"Holy fucking Oum" Vert gasped at the sight of Oz's face, the left side of his head still a skinless and twisted mass of exposed and burned sinew and horrific scar tissue whilst the eye socket remained empty. Tricky elbowed him firmly in the ribs whilst Rhodium remained utterly unperturbed

"So why the face to face….come on we've all got shit to do, you didn't come here just for a dramatic reveal"

"No, I came here because my operations in Atlas have had to be relocated, I decided it would be beneficial for both of us to offer my services in a more permanent capacity whilst also pursuing my own interests"

"It got too hot for you in Atlas now you wanna set up shop in my turf, you're looking to join the crew so you don't get scalped in protection fees?" Rhodium surmised, translating the scientists' words into something more easily understandable to a man of his upbringing and experiences

"Indeed" Ozymandias Eldritch nodded with as much of a smile as he could manage

"That can run" Rhodium nodded "Let Tricky know what you need to set up and we'll get hold of it. You'll get your cut of the profits from Booster….but I might have other jobs for you. This is an exclusive deal, I hear that you're working with any other crews and I'll put your body on the side of the road" Ozymandias merely listened to the terms before asking

"Am I to presume that these other jobs would involve maximising the effects of Booster to help deal with these other crews?"

"Got it in one" Rhodium flashed a savage grin, pleased to be working with someone who seemed to share his vision and scope "I'm done playing with Malachite, it's time to start preparing for war"

"A war you say?" Ozymandias chuckled "Oh I have a friend who will be most pleased to hear that"

* * *

Deep in the bowels of the Poly-Tech headquarters, in the classified storage facility known as the Toybox whose existence had been made more widely known by the exploits and subsequent escape of Ozymandias Eldritch a pair of security guards moved through the seemingly endless hallways; a Poly-Tech security team member who tried desperately to start a conversation with their new co-worker, an Atlesian soldier who had been considered but ultimately rejected for the Specialist Branch. The security teams were a new protocol, Antonia Arc had insisted on a living breathing presence in the vaults ever since Ozymandias's betrayal; she knew intellectually that the security robots had been so thoroughly examined that it was illogical to even consider that any potential backdoors into their systems remained, it made no difference and she insisted on the guards regardless.

"Damn….that guy was not playing" the security guard muttered as they passed the spot where Ozymandias had massacred the team sent to apprehend him, it may have been the guards overactive imagination but they were almost sure they could still see traces of blood on the walls and floor; the harsh glare of their companion however was most assuredly real and the two continued onwards without another word. Behind a door in the centre of stretch of corridor stood a steel container almost five an a half feet tall with a small section towards the top of the container removed and replaced with a transparent substance which, while resembling glass, was durable enough to withstand an Aura fuelled blow from the outside or a small explosion. The room was dark save for the light being cast by the dozens of advanced computers and other devices connected to the container monitoring things that the untrained eye could only guess at. What went unseen however was the fruits of Ozymandias's labour, the scientist despite appearances had been successful in finding his prize before being apprehended and even now the swarm of nano-bots modified the readings taken by each of the various machines and coursed through the connections into the container itself.

If one were to glance into the clear section of the container they would be shocked to see pale and lightly freckled flesh and faint wisps of coppery hair and if they were wise they would feel an unmistakable sense of dread as they realised that one of the machines sported a timer which was steadily making its' way down to zero.

 **Authors Notes:**

And that ladies and gents is the end of Vol.6/Second Year  
We've reached the halfway point in the story and I cannot thank the people who've stuck with me this long enough.  
However, due to me being with my girlfriend for a couple of weeks soon I may post something unrelated to FADE next week but this story will be on hiatus until March 29th….I hope you're all still here when I return with Vol.7

Anyway let's summarise:  
See Felix is….well not quite fine but he'll live.  
Yang and Blake would have torn Atlas down if Winter didn't let them in….and Winter knows it.  
Yang went to Felix because she has experience with losing a limb, Blake went to Corvid because she knows exactly what it's like to blame yourself for the White Fang's actions.  
Yeah some students got absolutely fucked up.  
Razz is still alive….but ouch.  
I can't stress enough that Helios was at Felix's side until duty forced him to leave….do with that angst what you will.  
Honestly Felix's mental state hanging on by a thread in this scene was hard for me to write, especially when he realised Corvid wasn't there.  
So yeah, I'm leaving the possibility of Felix getting a robot tail later on open but it won't be weaponised like Yang's arm is.  
So Diamond being the _'Unofficial'_ second in command just became official.  
Kataigida brought Syneffo and twelve of her best people with her, four died….it might not seem like much but she brought her elite and a third of them won't be going back to Anima; that is crushing.  
Helios is also not in a good place….I mean it's honestly fair to say that nobody is at this point.  
So Helios is no longer the heir to the Nikosi, which does mean that all of his worried about having to leave Felix and return to his people one day are now over; also this is clearly not an exile like what Carcharodon did to Raffia but it will most likely change his standing in the Nikos tribe somewhat.  
So yeah, Syneffo is coming to New Vale to train with Ruby, Penny and Qrow….things are gonna be fun.  
" _I don't want you to leave us"_ was honestly heartbreaking.  
'The idiot cat' Syneffo and Nyanza will probably adopt each other as siblings.  
Yep, the whole time that fight was going on Iris's new arm was just lying on a bed waiting to be used.  
Blake makes the case well and firmly.  
Delta really was a sick fucker.  
Onyx low-key spamming Corvid's Scroll to make sure she's not dead.  
I was going to give Eagle solo scene in this chapter but honestly I'd rather push further character development for her into Vol.7 when we're back in Vale where her closest family are.  
Weiss immediately goes for the hugs. It's canon.  
Athena and Coral should not have had to see any of that.  
Coral is low-key terrified of everyone right now but especially Arctus.  
Diamond is an honorary Schnee/Slate until she becomes one officially.  
Athena's reaction to this fact is perfect.  
So yeah, Arctus is done using a Plasma gun….I'm thinking double barrelled laser hand-cannon with the same transformation; it's the same weapon just reworked.  
I think this is the most angry I've ever written Gangrel, normally when he loses it he reacts on the spot….this is different, he had a day to let this fester.  
He sicked the Freelancers on the remains of the Fang; fun thing about the Freelancers is that they aren't part of any chain of command….whatever they choose to do to anyone they capture, Gangrel has complete deniability.  
Yeah my Adam Taurus in Downward Spiral was unmistakably unhinged but it was in a different way to canon. Canon Adam is a sexual predator and a power hungry egomaniac using whatever rhetoric is convenient; Downward Spiral Adam believed in the cause to the extreme and it made him a Faunus supremacist, ethnic cleanser and despot….But he still had some beliefs that he abided by.  
Now I'm sure what Gangrel just did breached the Geneva convention….But Atlas is a very fucked up place.  
Can you imagine having to debrief Team GORE under those circumstances?  
Doc Ratchet, if you know me then you know I had to throw in a Transformers reference.  
Also, I love the _"Vertically"_ line because while it was a nod to the Transformers MTMTE comic, it could also be canon because of Ironwood.  
Seriously Raffia is tiny, he's probably a touch shorter than Ruby.  
Raffia was an absolutely broken mess of a body, so badly injured that he needed to have his Aura artificially regenerated and boosted so that he could recover himself.  
So yeah, side effect of Raffia's Semblance is that he can metabolise poisons, drugs and things like sedatives unnaturally fast; they don't work on him...it's why he never takes painkillers when he uses his Semblance to grow arms and legs back.  
And like that Team GORE is whole again.  
It's official, they're real students now.  
Uzi Vert….I couldn't not lol; also he was actually referenced in Vol.5, he's gonna be one of Rhodium's regular sidekicks in Third Year.  
Remember Tricky, Rhodium's cellmate in Vol.3….he makes a good point about the cliches.  
Dunwitch = Eldritch….I honestly hope at least one of you saw that one coming  
And yes he's dressing up as a fucking plague doctor now….Thank Ephemeral Rift ASMR for that.  
I love that Rhodey gave no fucks about the dramatic reveal.  
So yeah, Third Year is gonna involve an 'Alliance' between Rhodey and Eldritch and Rhodey kicking his turf war up a notch or several.  
Freckles, coppery hair and a timer…..I told you I was ending this volume on a cliffhanger I fucking told you I'd do it.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Aruachu239, Funlander, iSassenach, FleetOfWarships, DizzyDwarf, CanadianCavalier, FluffyFirefly and Garthraxxus for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Oh indeed, if you remember there was a scene in Downward Spiral where Winter gave Mercury a very small example of what a pair of gravity Glyphs can do.  
I've honestly never thought of Felix using his Semblance to freeze everything around him by draining all of the heat in one go.  
It might only be a handful of belligerents….but that's all it takes to start another revolution in another twenty years time.  
A couple of interesting potential ship names for Lux & Rusty but nothing that jumps out at me yet.  
You didn't really think I'd kill Gangrel surely?  
I'm glad you all enjoyed the battle.  
I mean it was always gonna be Car versus whoever decapitated his sister.  
It wasn't just because Trench was capable, it was because he had already declined an offer to join the Fang _(By quoting Blake Belladonna's book)_.  
Yeah Raffia can be killed, but it takes some work and planning out….he's taken point blank shots to the face and survived.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	87. It'll All Be Okay (Vol7)

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 87: It'll All Be Okay**

"NO!" Felix sat bolt upright in his bed, cold sweat clinging coating his body and causing the sheets to cling to him as he kicked and thrashed desperately. After several seconds of frantically scanning his surroundings and gasping for breath the Lion Faunus realised that it had been a nightmare, just the same nightmare that had haunted his sleep since Atlas; images of his friends laying lifeless on a cold stadium floor whilst a black armoured figure, far larger than Celeste Lupus had actually been, loomed over him with a glowing crimson blade in hand and fiery magenta eyes that blazed beneath her mask, in Felix's dreams his blows did nothing and the tightness in his chest caused by terror mingled with the inability to breathe caused by the steel spike puncturing his body until the inevitable happened and his ominous opponent would strike him down; at which point Felix would jolt awake.

"Oum damn it" the Lion Faunus whispered, his hushed voice cracking as his emotions threatened to overwhelm his exhausted mind. Collapsing back into his bed he found himself staring at the ceiling for the relatively short amount of time his eyes needed to adjust to the pre-dawn darkness, at which point he reached for his Scroll which had been charging at his bedside table only to cast it aside with more force than was probably wise and an annoyed growl upon realising that he had no new messages or missed calls. After fuming to himself for a while he gradually allowed himself to accept the fact that it was hardly fair to blame anyone considering the time, though it didn't change the fact that he desperately wanted to talk to someone and felt as though there was nobody to listen. Corvid had been spending as much of her time on the mainland as possible of late and was currently staying with one of her team-mates in New Vale, Arctus was in Atlas helping his family settle into a new normal with the addition of an adopted sister to the Slate family, Diamond was in Mistral shouldering responsibilities that Felix felt like a coward and a weakling for not handling himself and Eagle was spending the summer with her large extended family meaning that Felix wasn't precisely sure if she was in New Vale at the moment; his fellow Patch native Nyanza Angora was also unavailable due to leaving the island for Mistral to visit a girlfriend whom he was now in a long distance relationship with. Felix rolled over and buried his face in his pillow to muffle a sound of unfettered annoyance as he thought of Helios Nikos; arguably the one person whose company he wanted the most had been unreachable for weeks, with the Nikosi being out in the vast plains and forests of Anima that they claimed dominion over Helios had obviously had no chance to charge his own Scroll and the lack of contact was beginning to thoroughly aggravate the Lion Faunus.

"Fuck this" Felix rolled off of his bed with feline grace despite an utter lack of co-ordination caused by being unused to his own bed after so long away from home; he'd grown so accustomed to having the top bunk that his own bed felt too low and the bedroom he'd grown up in felt oddly alien to him. Looking around a room that could most generously be described as organised chaos and was decorated with posters for bands that he hadn't listened to in over a year and blueprints for weapons designs he'd scrapped and forgotten about Felix contemplated his next move; his parents were both home, he could wake one of them and ask to talk or he could try and call one of his friends; both options appealed to him but he found himself chastising himself sternly and refusing to burden them with his problems. With that in mind he began dressing himself, finding his old bedroom suddenly far too small for his liking despite its' generous size. Felix's choice in attire had changed somewhat, while he still wore pale and faded jeans that were ripped and distressed he'd acquired a new pair of knee-pads which were far more armoured than his previous pair and shared the dull gunmetal colouring of the shin guards he'd bought to accompany them. His latest pair of trainers was black in colour and favoured functionality over style and he wore a form fitting black tank-top with a sleeveless black hooded jacket over it which left both his toned and muscular arms and the stylised lions' head tattoo he'd gotten at age fifteen much to his parents' annoyance on display. Dull gunmetal armoured bracers adorned his forearms and fingerless black gloves covered his hands whilst Hack and Slash, which had been lovingly and painstakingly repaired over the summer were sheathed in their customary place in a harness over his back; said harness had been modified to give Felix more room to carry additional ammunition, Dust and other supplies across his chest whilst extra pouches were fastened to his belt. Felix caught sight of himself in a full length mirror that had been covered in dust when he had returned home and scowled, just catching sight of the small metallic cap covering the stump of his severed tail was enough to make him instantly aware of how odd it felt to have clunky and dead weight where there should have been part of a limb. He'd also cut his hair a little shorter, the mane of messy dirty blonde curls still reached a little passed his shoulders but it was a distinct difference from the luxurious mass it had been previously and not for the first time the Lion Faunus was keenly aware of a change in himself that he didn't like but didn't know how to reverse. It wasn't the hair, it was the hardness in his deep navy blue eyes and the fact that none of his smiles felt genuine; it was the fact that he'd chosen this new darker wardrobe with no ornamentation save for a few pins and badges bearing rainbow flags adorning his jacket because his more colourful attire felt like it belonged to somebody that Felix didn't recognise. With a slew of muttered curses he turned away from the mirror and towards a course of action that would at least take his mind off of things for a few hours; he knew he was avoiding his problems and fully intended to speak with the student counsellor Neptune David-Vasilias once he returned to Halo Academy, though that offered him little comfort at that particular moment. Felix opened his bedroom window and breathed in cool night air for a moment before climbing out onto the ledge and locking the window behind him as he had done many times as a rebellious and often grounded teenager, then casually jumping down to the ground and landing in a crouch with a dull thud before rising to his feet and making his way to the garage with his car keys already in hand. Felix was self aware enough to understand that his current mental state would draw Grimm towards him like a magnet if he ventured too far into the vast woodlands of Patch; however he also knew that there were several places along the border of those trees where smaller packs of Grimm would hunt if they were especially daring or hungry and Sun Wukong simply did not have the time and resources to tend to every single issue on the island.

"I can do this" Felix muttered as he slid into the drivers' seat of the Killer-Bee, the engine giving a deep purr that was both familiar and comforting as he brought the muscle car to life

"I can do this" he repeated, more firmly this time as he drove slowly away from his family home and prepared to do his job as a Hunter and convince himself that however bad Atlas had been, he was not completely broken.

* * *

"Hey! Hey! Hey wake up! Hey! Wake up!" the constant stream of words, whose meaning was utterly lost on a mind still struggling with the idea of being awake, were accompanied by a series of nudges, prodding and tugging at Arctus Slate's arm.

"Alright, I'm up….what do ya want?" Arctus grumbled as he begrundgingly accepted that sleep was no longer an option and rubbing his bleary eyes, quickly noting that he was not in his bedroom.

"You worked all night….Weiss asked us to come and get you, she said you'll sleep all day and miss breakfast and probably lunch if we didn't" the sound of chitinous pincers clacking together nervously followed Coral's words and Arctus pulled himself up off of the work bench he'd fallen asleep slumped over and rose out of his chair, cracking his neck and shoulders whilst turning his attention to his sisters. Athena-Jade looked much the same as ever, bright eyed and full of energy though she'd grown noticeably taller; Coral however looked much healthier than she had before being brought to Schnee Manor, her cheeks had more colour to them and she seemed to have grown a few inches just over the summer whilst putting on enough weight to no longer look malnourished, her hair had been styled by Athena-Jade in ways that the Crab Faunus would never have been able to manage herself. Her eyes still spoke of constant nightmares though and there had been more than one morning where she'd been found curled up in Athena-Jade's bed, curled up next to the older sister she'd taken to clinging to and following around as much as she physically could.

"Thanks Coral" Arctus beamed, hoping that this might be the day that she returned the smile and didn't visibly fight the urge to turn and run whenever the older and larger Faunus spoke to her; unfortunately it was not to be, though any awkwardness was quickly averted by Athena-Jade

"Besides I wanted a sneak-peek at your new weapon" she declared boldly "You must've finished it by now!"

"Just about" Arctus chuckled "Still gonna need to test it though-"

"You suck!" Athena exclaimed with a dramatic sigh and exaggerated eye-roll

"I-"

"The suckiest, you so suck so bad….you've been working on it since Diamond left and that was weeks ago!"

"I'll remember this when you build your weapon" Arctus grumbled with a playful wink before carefully removing the weapon from the workbench he had fallen asleep at. Gefroren-Erbe had been dismantled and redesigned and while it retained its' signature glossy black and slightly curved broadsword blade and its' transformation process remained largely the same it now sported a pair of cylinders set between the guard and false edge of the weapon that extended out into the barrels of a twin laser-cannon capable of dealing with any opponent he could reasonably expect to face

"Are you gonna give it a new name?" Coral asked timidly, though being the one to initiate conversation was undoubtedly a step in the right direction "You should, it's not the same sword any more" Arctus paused for a moment and considered, finally agreeing with his adopted sister and racking his brain for something suitable in the language of old Mantle; a dead language which was nevertheless still taught at Atlas's most prestigious private schools, much to Athena-Jade's disdain as she utterly detested the subject

"Grimmiger-Henker" Arctus finally decided

"It sucks" Athena-Jade told him bluntly

"It means….y'know what, never mind. You're a pest" Arctus sighed as he sheathed the weapon over his back "I'm gonna test it out on the grounds after breakfast, wanna come and see?" Coral shook her head with gusto and Athena looked between her and Arctus before making a decision

"Maybe" she shrugged "I'm gonna help Coral with her homework first though, she's gonna be going to school with me soon"

"No problem" Arctus shrugged as he left the workshop, situated in an otherwise rarely used part of the manor located behind the built in garage filled with the several ludicrously expensive sports cars owned by Whitley Schnee, more subdued but equally expensive luxury cars and limousines and a single experimental Dust powered armoured ATV with the moniker _'Stardust'_ which Weiss Schnee had used to great effect during the war and had belonged to Arctus's great grandmother before that. Coral and Athena made their way passed him, giggling to themselves at some unheard comment as they returned to the main body of the manor. As he followed them the Bear Faunus was halted by the feeling of his Scroll vibrating in his pocket and the few seconds it took him to find the device in the many pockets of his new outfit. Arctus had paid a visit to the eccentric and highly sought after designer Edna Mauve to replace his combat gear, his previous outfit having far too much emotional baggage attached to it now; he now sported a new pair of armour plated black boots reaching up to his calves and a pair of dark grey combat pants replete with several pockets which had been picked out in snowy white, a black sweater which highlighted his large chest, shoulders and arms and was comfortable despite the armour plating below its' surface; over this he wore a sleeveless white jacket with a silvery grey faux fur collar, the jacket whilst less militaristic in its' design than Arctus's previous choices was still functional, featuring a built in harness for his sword on the back and dozens of pockets and pouches at the front, the Schnee family emblem sat over his right breast where one would expect to find medals on the dress uniform of a soldier. Arctus had taken up his old habit of immaculately styling his naturally shaggy and pristine white hair, something he had found himself giving up on in New Vale and all in all, whilst the new look was largely similar to his previous appearance it was enough for the Bear Faunus. Finally he found his Scroll and continued walking towards the dining room where he expected to find the rest of his family, opening the device and smiling to himself as he read a _'Good morning'_ text from Diamond as he did so; he typed out a reply and as he neared the dining room he felt the Scroll vibrate once again, Diamond this time asking how everyone was doing; especially Coral. Diamond had managed to spend a few weeks at Schnee Manor over the start of the summer, leaving just after her nineteenth birthday, and had seen first hand that the Crab Faunus's transition to her new home and lifestyle was not going as smoothly as hoped. Arctus sighed softly and debated typing out several paragraphs detailing the challenges that integrating the orphaned child into the family had presented; from the vast amount of education she needed to catch up on, to the lack of appropriate socialisation and most importantly her mental state, the girl seemed to oscillate between immense shyness, sullen and moody silences and fits of uncontrollable and often violent anger at an alarming rate. Though when Arctus reached the dining room he saw something that brought a warm smile to his face and made him reconsider; Athena-Jade was talking animatedly to both of their parents whilst Gangrel ruffled her hair with a cybernetic arm that had been replaced and extensively upgraded from the military standard, Coral however was being helped with the task of using cutlery never intended to be gripped by pincers by Whitley Schnee. He and Coral seemed to have formed an immediate bond upon first being introduced to each other and whilst the Crab Faunus was adamant that she would not refer to Weiss and Gangrel as Mum and Dad, a position they respected, the tall, slender and bearded man was already _'Uncle Whitley'_ in Coral's mind. Arctus absently scratched behind Scruff behind the ears as the ageing mastiff plodded over to him, tongue lolling out of his mouth; whilst at the same time texting Diamond and sending a message that read _'Coral's gonna be fine, I think we all are'_ he didn't have to wait long for a reply, grinning to himself as he read the words _'Until we get to Halo….I did not go easy on us when I picked our classes dude.'_

* * *

Diamond sent another text message and lay back on her bed; her room in her parents apartment was small, Mistrali cities were far smaller than New Vale's capital or the seemingly bottomless hives of Atlas meaning that whilst money was never an issue in the Sustrai-Black home and the apartment was in a comfortably affluent part of town, space was always at a premium as it was for most Mistrali citizens. As she lay back she felt the edges of paperwork that originally been neatly ordered but was now haphazardly strewn on her bed and several other available surfaces brushed against her skin and reminded her of its' presence; she gave a slight frown and considered reorganising the various documents for a second before eventually deciding against it and simply grasped her bass guitar which lay beside her and pulled it onto her abdomen, fingers dancing over the strings and playing chords from memory.

The paperwork she had chosen to postpone dealing with was all related to Team FADE's continued training at Halo Academy which, with the consent of her team-mates, she was making the final decisions on in Felix's place whilst the Lion Faunus recuperated from the events of the Vytal Tournament in Atlas. Diamond still winced at the memory of Eagle's upset voice when the subject of dropping history, taught by her honorary uncle Lie Ren, was broached. Team FADE were however continuing with Combat Training taught by Nora Ren, Dust handling taught by Professor Peach and had chosen to expand and specialise into Grimm combat meaning that they would be seeing more of Professor Bronzewing, a fact that was almost enough to make them reconsider. They were also intending to take lessons in survival and first aid in order to be more self-sufficient when hunting the creatures of Grimm beyond the safety of the Kingdoms and had elected to take a class that had been dubbed _'Unconventional tactics and ungentlemanly warfare'_ upon learning that it took aspects of the approach to Hunting used by groups such as the Atlesian Freelancers and made them more accessible. Eventually Team FADE decided against taking Bull-Head piloting and maintenance classes, reasoning that they had their own means of transport already and it was something they could learn at a later date when they weren't already struggling with a gargantuan workload.

Eventually Diamond's fingers stilled and she blew strands of her silvery hair out of her eyes before setting the guitar aside and rising from her bed with a wide stretch, deciding that she'd cooped up in her room for far too long she made her way out into the apartment whose open planning allowed her to catch sight of her father in the kitchen almost immediately

"You stopped right as I was about to start headbanging and singing" Mercury snorted as his daughter drew close, currently he wore simple black jeans and t-shirt with thick thermal socks intended for much colder weather on his feet to muffle the sound of his prosthetics against the floor and stop them from scuffing its' surface

"Part of being a Huntress Dad….I'm protecting the world from your singing voice" Diamond shot back without missing a beat

"Ah for reasons that escape me I've missed this" Mercury chuckled "Heading out tonight Dee Dee?"

"One day you'll stop calling me that" Diamond huffed "Not sure yet, why?"

"It's gonna be cold, you'll want something warmer than that"

"I've got a new jacket" she shrugged as her father indicated to her current outfit. Diamond too had decided to update her wardrobe over the summer and currently wore an outfit that could best be described as 'Peak Mistrali street fashion' which included a pair of comfortable and somewhat loose fitting black pants adorned with a pair of pale green braces which simply hung unused at her sides but could also be modified to serve as a harness for her weapon, the pants were tucked into a pair of white high topped sneakers with green laces and straps and she wore a slightly baggy white vest which showed a fair amount of skin and was complemented with a black bandoleer over her left shoulder which contained a plethora of Dust based ammunition. The outfit was completed with the light jacket hanging up in the hallway nearby, a pale mint green varsity jacket with black sleeves and buttons which reached to just above her hips. Diamond had allowed her hair to grow out a little and a silver ponytail now reached down to a little below the tops of her shoulder-blades whilst her bangs reached a little below her jawline, almost entirely hiding ears that had been pierced half a dozen times with black and silver hoops that hugged the skin close. Her diamond studded nose piercing and the ornate necklace Arctus had bought for her caught the light whenever she moved and Diamond herself asserted that the look worked for her, despite her fathers' teasing. Before the conversation could go any further a soft buzzing and chiming sound could be heard throughout the apartment, indicating that someone was trying to gain access to the apartment complex and had rung their doorbell to do so.

"I'll get it" Diamond said as she hastily made her way across the apartment towards the small video screen and speaker which were connected to the security camera and microphone at the main door of the building; activating them brought the flickering and somewhat grainy image of her old friend Razzmatazz and Nyanza Angora of Team NEON into focus

"Hey Dee" Razzmatazz smiled "We're heading into the city tonight. Some of the old Sanctum crew wanted to hang, you coming with?" it was an easy decision to make, Diamond quickly nodded to confirm that indeed was coming with them and threw her jacket on as she called out to Mercury

"Hey Dad, I'm heading out….Might not be back until morning!"

"Have fun, stay safe!" Mercury called back "Watch your drinks, let me or your Mum know if you're staying at a friends' place and call me if you need anything" the words were familiar, having been repeated to Diamond since she was in her pre-teens. She paused, one hand on the handle to the front door of apartment when an idea struck her; with a broad smile of her face she quickly made her way into her bedroom and opened the window before promptly throwing herself out of it. Her Semblance took effect the moment her feet connected with the vertical wall and allowed her to jog down the surface as though it were a straight road until she leaped away and landed on the crouch close to where her friends stood

"Oum I've missed being able to do parkour everywhere….it's just not the same in Hive Cities" she declared as she rose to her feet

"And there's probably more cameras so they'll spot you sneaking into concerts" Razzmatazz countered with a snort, indeed using her abilities to enter venues for free and without having to talk her way passed security guards when she was too young to enter legally had been one of Diamond's favourite pass-times when she was younger. Currently she simply rolled her cherry red eyes and pulled Razzmatazz into a loose one armed hug, whilst privately noting that her friend seemed to have changed her hairstyle specifically to hide an injury; where previously there had been a mass of bubblegum pink spikes there was now an equally gravity defying sweeping fringe which kept her blinded right eye hidden from view

"How've you been dude?" she asked as she bumped fists with Nyanza

"Enjoying my first actual holiday anywhere….I mean I've got great company" he gently squeezed Razzmatazz's hand and Diamond fought the urge to tease the two of them; Nyanza seemed to have had an unfortunate upbringing and deserved happiness as much as anyone whilst Razzmatazz clearly needed every available source of comfort; Diamond had known her long enough to know that she wasn't coping with the fallout of the White Fang's attack in Atlas as well as she pretended.

"Dude you two are so cute together" she finally laughed "Figured out how thing's are gonna work when school starts again?"

"Talk every day and see each other when we can….a bit of good luck and things should work out" Nyanza shrugged though he wore an expression that made it clear that he would be leaving nothing to chance "Speaking of school though, have you heard from Felix lately?"

"Yeah, spoke to him a couple days ago" Diamond assured the bushy tailed feline, neglecting to mention that she, Arctus and Eagle had stayed in regular contact with each other and agreed to each make regular efforts to contact their friend and stop him from isolating himself completely

"How's he holding up?" Nyanza asked "I would've stayed on Patch and hung out with but y'know…." he trailed off and prompting Diamond to nod in understanding

"Yeah I get it….Just, call him when you get a minute. He'll appreciate it" it was Nyanza's turn to nod in understanding

"Will do….in the meantime though, it's probably gonna be our last chance to do anything together so let's go have some fun!" she found herself chuckling as she trailed after Nyanza and Razzmatazz, privately noting that they were great for each other whilst being somewhat annoyed that Arctus couldn't be here.

Being the third wheel was not an enjoyable experience.

* * *

Eagle surveyed herself in the mirror situated in her bedroom, it had once been pushed into a corner of the room and covered; allowing Eagle to avoid looking at a body she was unhappy with and had no confidence in, and had only been pulled to the fore so that she could thoroughly examine herself in her new outfit. After visiting her mother and several of her aunts and uncles over the summer with her grandparents she had finally arrived home at the village of New Hope, one of the many farming settlements which were beyond the walls of the capital city but were still considered part of New Vale's territory, only to be met by her Aunt Hellebores and Aunt Daisy who had promptly taken her into the city for some, in their opinions, much needed retail therapy

"Eagle can you give me a hand please?" the voice of her Grandfather, Craven Arc called up to her

"I'll be down in a second" she chirped back, giving herself one last approving once over in the mirror. Eagle had come to be comfortable with her height and broad shouldered, well muscled physique; she would never be curvy and athletic like Diamond and that was fine with her. Her new attire consisted of a pair of heavy black combat boots and deep blue jeans which featured deliberate tears that had been patched over with a green flannel-like material, a thin and comfortable dark grey hoodie with the pristine white armour that adorned her chest and thighs thrown over them; the major difference came in the form of a wide collared, figure hugging and ludicrously expensive leather jacket that Aunt Hellebores had first had the Arc family emblem added to the back of in stark white and then insisted looked better on Eagle than herself, with her armour for her shoulders and forearms, as well as the mechanical bracing system that allowed her to carry her shield as though it were weightless all placed over the sleeves of the jacket. In conjunction with her new hairstyle, her previous loose and somewhat messy ponytail having been replaced by a golden yellow spiky undercut Eagle cut a striking figure that her her slightly round cheeks, freckles and almost constant smile were just enough to stomp from being intimidating. Eagle found herself grinning from ear to ear as she decided that she looked unequivocally _cool._

"Eagle!" Craven Arc called again

"Coming!" she left her bedroom and hurried downstairs as she replied, making her way into the living room where her Grandfather and Aunt Daisy were waiting, along with her uncle, Flax Scarlatina

"Hey kid" Flax gave her a casual wave which Eagle didn't return

"Hey" she replied tonelessly, as much as she had adored and admired her Uncle Flax as a child he had been one of several members of her family to pre-emptively disapprove of her relationship choices, something Eagle had not forgiven or forgotten.

"Woah! Eagle looks awesome!" the awed and childish voice came from behind her and belonged to her younger cousin, Honey Scarlatina, whom had grown immensely since the last time Eagle had seen her and with the rabbit ears adorning her head almost reached Eagle's shoulders

"Hey honey" Flax grinned "Can you go help your Aunt Hellebores? Grown ups are talking"

"I was" Honey shrugged "They asked if I could get one of you to give them a hand setting up all the tables outside" Flax made to rise to his feet only to find the iron grip of Craven Arc clamping down on his shoulder and Eagle upon seeing this could instantly tell what was about to happen next

"I think you've got something you wanted to say before you go anywhere" the old man delivered the words with a cheery tone to avoid upsetting Honey, but the menace behind them was unmistakable.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry" Flax breathed out "I shouldn't have spoken to you the way I did whilst you were in Atlas and we all know you're more than capable of making the right choices for yourself. Who you date is your business and I shouldn't have stuck my nose in your business"

"Apology accepted" Eagle assured him, fidgeting nervously as she spoke. Craven promptly released Flax's shoulder and both he and Daisy left the living room, following their daughter out into the Arc family homes' expansive back yard to help setting up for dinner

"You don't have to keep doing this" Eagle mumbled as she plucked her empty sheathe from the family weapon rack above the fireplace and fixed it to her belt

"I'm inclined to disagree" Craven grunted as he hobbled over to her, his prosthetic foot being an inflexible dead weight that hindered his movement and his once powerful physique bent and withered by old age "We nearly lost you….I lost my only son in Atlas and I almost lost my first grandchild there as well Oum damn it. There won't be any bad blood in this family, not when we're the ones on the front line of every war; we're never promised another chance to make amends" Eagle flung her arms around his shoulders and pulled him into a tight hug, pointedly ignoring the lump in her throat. Her Grandparents had apologised to her profusely the moment she had returned home and Craven Arc had seen to it that each of his daughters and their families that had spoken against her did the same; whilst Eagle couldn't honestly say she approved of him effectively shaking down the family she could on some level understand his motives.

"So….is this to impress your woman, or did you just feel like a change?" Craven asked as the two broke apart, he was a gruff and obstinate old man of a generation that did not discuss feelings openly and as such was clearly looking for small talk that would lighten the mood

"I mean I hope Hellion likes it" Eagle found herself blushing "I hope you like her as well"

"I promised you that Ivory and I would meet her with an open mind, if Antonia says what happened is in the past then it's in the past….and this Hellion girl saved Antonia from the White Fang in Atlas, that has to count for something"

"Thank you" Eagle suddenly felt the urge to pull her grandfather into another crushing hug to try and convey how much the sentiment meant to her.

"You look like you're missing something though" Craven pondered before his eyes settled on her empty sheath "It's a shame the Atlesians kept your sword"

"It was broken anyway. I can make a new one at the Academy" Eagle shrugged, she was far less attached to her sword than she was to Sentinel, who was currently hung up on the Arc family weapon rack which had been modified to include a charging port for the automaton

"Ah, Halo that reminds me" Craven noted "I called you to ask for some help in the kitchen. Ren and Nora are coming over for dinner and keeping Nora fed is more than a one person job for us mere mortals"

"Awesome!" Eagle chirped happily, almost skipping into the kitchen alongside Craven at the thought of getting to spend some time with her honorary aunt and uncle outside of Halo Academy.

* * *

The Frost River was situated in the northernmost reaches of the continent of Anima, flowing from a snow-capped mountain filled with natural Fire Dust deposits which created geysers on hot-springs in its' otherwise barren surface; from there the river ran the great distance out to the sea between Anima and Solitas and had for centuries been home to the tribe who had taken the name of the river for themselves and turned to piracy and violence at some forgotten point in their history when what meagre ecosystem their bleak homeland boasted was no longer enough to support them.

In the widest part of the river which was flanked by mountains on either side the Frost River tribe had once gathered their many ships around a single structure, little more than a simple log cabin whose owners had ideas of grandeur; the hut had once been the neutral ground in which the elders of the tribe collectively known as the Captains of the Fleet gathered to debate and plan and was completely inaccessible by land. Currently there was only a single vessel anchored at the cabin and a group of four people who watched the sunset from atop the roof of the cabin; as the sun dipped below the narrow horizon created by the mountains and the last tendrils of light were replaced by starry night sky the river itself began to glow, bioluminescent bacteria in the water giving the area an eerie yet majestic feel as electric blue, deep turquoise and jade green lights flickered beneath the rippling surface. It was beautiful, in a harsh and primal way, especially when viewed from the air as it currently was

"She's going to be like this all night" Raffia noted with a huff that was equal parts amusement and irritation as he gestured to Hellion whose body was unnaturally still whilst her eyes were pure milky white orbs which seemed to be faintly lit from behind as she used her Semblance, known as _'Warg'_ , to see through the eyes of Marauder whilst the foul tempered bird of prey soared overhead.

"Let her have this" Carcharodon murmured, whilst the Shark Faunus's voice was the same haunting rasp and his face was as unreadable as ever his body language and attire spoke volumes; he was more open and relaxed than anyone had seen him in years, having discarded his cloak, armour, weapons and shirt leaving his grey-tinged flesh littered with old scars on display and exposing the rarely seen tribal markings adorning his back and chest

"It may well be the last time any of us see it" Carcharodon noted, suddenly melancholy "Onyx, Raffia, you know neither Hellion or I will ever sire children….if neither of you chose to continue our peoples' legacy then promise me you'll return here one last time and burn this place until nothing remains. My soul wouldn't rest easy in the afterlife knowing that our home was free to be taken"

"You're asking a lot" Onyx admitted, the Puma Faunus in his customary place at Carcharodon's right hand, examining the recently stoned blade of his axe

"No more than I would be willing to do myself" Carcharodon countered

"Then rest assured it will be done" Hellion announced her return to true consciousness, eyes regaining their natural jade colour as Marauder swooped down onto her forearm. Carcharodon watched as the sun sank almost entirely out of view and the broken moon rose to replace it, eventually speaking again

"We make for the capital tomorrow, we travel to New Vale from there"

"Could we not simply sail?" Raffia queried, instinctively trusting travel by sea over any alternatives.

"That boat wouldn't survive the trip" Onyx grunted distastefully; whilst the Atlesian military had paid Team GORE well for their services Carcharodon had decided against spending the entirety of the somewhat unexpected boon on a vessel befitting their status, instead being forced to consider things such as budgeting and living expenses for his people and suffice with a barely seaworthy, cramped and unarmed former fishing boat that could be afforded with what was left

"Fair" Raffia admitted "It's always a shame to see a good ship sunk…..as for that boat, I'll breach its' hull myself" he punctuated his words with a bout of gleeful giggling which his crew-mates shared bemused glances at until Hellion noted that the sky was now entirely black, lit only by the moon and stars

"It's time" she noted

"It is" Carcharodon agreed before reaching into a wooden crate perched precariously on the roof beside them and withdrawing dozens of ludicrously oversized fireworks that would be illegal in any city within any Kingdom half a dozen at a time and sinking the metal spikes they were loosely affixed to into the roof of the cabin.

"In honour of our good fortune, may the seas always favour us and may our enemies find no solace in the cold" the saying was traditional, as was the act of creating the most ostentatious possible firework display after a successful raid; the celebration being Frost River Tribes' way of assuring no Grimm could follow a trail of residual negative emotions. The Cult of Taurus were all confirmed dead and the Shadow Cadre, the vanguard of the Tribe, had been avenged; a cause to celebrate in Team GORE's eyes. The fireworks were lit and for several minutes the sky was set ablaze with incandescent lights and the air and mountains seemed to tremble with the thunderous explosions they produced. As the last echoes of the last firework died out Carcharodon made to leave the roof of the cabin, addressing his people as he did so.

"Sleep well and be ready to move at dawn. Our travels will take us through the territory of other tribes….there are many who would gladly see the Frost Rive tribe truly extinct"

"I still have work to do" Hellion noted "I won't have chance to use a forge until we arrive at Halo Academy if I don't complete this tonight-"

"How many throwing knives do you need woman?" Raffia demanded incredulously

"How many swords can you lose?" she shot back acidly, to which the Axolotl Faunus visibly bristled and fought the urge to clasp the weapons currently hanging from his hip.

"She's not making knives….she's making something special" Onyx chuckled as he gave her a knowing look. The gossamer wings gracing Hellion's back buzzed and fluttered in embarrassment and agitation before she finally rose to her feet and hopped gracefully off of the roof directly onto the deck of their pitiful boat, intending to use its' Dust powered engine to work steel into a gift for someone who truly deserved it.

* * *

The scent of woodsmoke and slowly cooking meat filled the fresh night air elsewhere on the continent of Anima, where in the only truly permanent settlement the Nikosi tribe had built within their vast domain Helios Nikos sat at his mothers' left hand side; his customary place at the right hand of the Nikosi ruler having been willingly abdicated to his sister. Currently the redhead scratched behind the ears of his short-snouted, well muscled and dark furred hounds, named Milo and Akuo, as he watched a pair of younger Nikosi settle their differences in a bout of ritualistic unarmed single combat; using it as a distraction from the subtle yet undeniable distance between himself and the rest of his tribe since the knowledge that the former heir had become a _'_ _Chamenos Paimi'_ or a _'Lost child of the Nikosi'_ in the common tongue; the distraction was thankfully rather effective owing to the fact that one of the combatants was his own sister.

"She's improved" he noted as Syneffo weaved around and leaped over powerful Aura fuelled blows from an eighteen year old boy who had recently been inducted into the Nikosi pathfinders like his father before him, only to immediately form something of a rivalry with Syneffo whom he believed had not earned her place within the tribes' elite scouts fairly or on her own merits, the tensions between them finally spilling over into the current bout which had thus far left them both bloodied and bruised

"She's losing" Kataigida countered bluntly and Helios was forced to frown and silently agree as the two teens continued to trade blows within the clearing in which ceremonial combat took place. Syneffo was easily the more agile and incredibly skilled for her age, her opponent however was far larger and physically stronger as well as being a skilled fighter himself. After spitting out a mouthful of blood, caused by Syneffo's elbow colliding with his face and being swiftly followed by a spinning backhand, the older teen managed to simply tackle her to the ground and place her in a choke-hold until she yielded. The two rose and bowed, respecting custom if not each other and left the simple but almost sacred arena to the sound of cheering and congratulations on a battle well fought

"Perhaps he'll remember my fist in his teeth the next time he questions my abilities" Syneffo grumbled as she attempted saunter over to where her brother and mother sat, failing to convey her bravado fully due to a slight limp

"Perhaps in New Vale you'll learn the ancient technique known as blocking" Helios snorted, earning himself a harsh glare from the silver eyed girl

"Helios don't torment your sister" Kataigida sighed before turning her attention to Syneffo "Though he makes a valid point….if you insist on wearing lighter armour then at least defend yourself adequately child"

"Yes mother" she replied with a solemn nod before turning to her brother "When do you leave for the capital? Father finished working on your armour"

"Tomorrow at sunset" Helios answered "Hopefully I'll see you soon after….and I'll thank him properly before I leave"

"Good. He misses you when you're not here" Syneffo told him pointedly "Anyway, I need to eat….come" the last word was spoken to Helios's hounds and accompanied by a snap of the fingers that had the dogs trailing behind her, much to Helios's annoyance. For a while the redhead sat in silence, his thoughts turned inwards; whilst he and Syneffo had different fathers' and there was no official marriage ceremony within the Nikos Tribe after spending so long living in the Kingdoms Helios had come to consider the word 'stepfather' an accurate, if somehow inadequate, description of his relationship with the man who had treated him with as much love as he would his own son. Kataigida saw her sons' expression change and the way his shoulders, unburdened by his heavy golden armour, sagged

"Something troubles you" it was a statement rather than a question "If you wish to stay with us then all you need to do is say" her tone was unusually gentle, hinting at her own unwillingness to see her eldest child leave the Nikosi

"It isn't that" he assured her

"Then what?"

"I worry about Felix" he admitted with a slow exhale "He was wounded in Atlas and I wasn't there when he woke up….we haven't spoken in weeks. I know you think I'm being a-"

"Whatever insult is on the tip of your tongue can stay there" Kataigida chastised him "You're right to worry, his injuries were grave….but you give him far less credit than he deserves"

"I-"

"Did he not-" his mother continued undeterred "Stand and fight the leader of the White Fang after they attempted to kill him from the shadows like cowards? His resolve is as strong as his body, it almost makes the fact we're losing you to a pretty face tolerable to the rest of our people" Helios found himself chuckling softly at his mothers' idea of a joke

"Thank you"

"Now go, eat something and ready your things….I'll have an escort readied for you before you leave" whilst Kataigida knew her son to be a capable and accomplished warrior in his own right the idea of sending him trekking through the wilderness and to the Kingdoms' capital alone was unthinkable to her all the same. She watched him rise and make to leave and added

"And give my regards to Qrow Branwen and his nieces"

"I will" Helios assured her, ever since learning the Ruby Rose and her wife Penny were not only willing to take in Syneffo for months at a time in order to train her in the use of her silver eyes, but had also named their own daughter for the late Pyrrha Nikos, Kataigida had felt a distinct sense of kinship and fondness for the legendary Huntresses.

"And offer my terms to Yang Xiao Long" she gave a wicked smile to her sons' retreating back "If only for my own vanity, I wish to test my skills against her in single combat before I'm too old to fight"

* * *

Felix had been out of the house for longer than he had originally anticipated. He had planned to leave, kill a satisfying amount of Grimm and return early enough that he could easily explain away his absence with some excuse such as not being able to sleep and deciding to visit an all night fast food vendor that he had been craving during his time in Atlas. What had in fact transpired was that he had drove to the edge of the forests that had once been a regular training ground for Yang Xiao Long and Ruby rose and that he and Corvid had inherited along with every other alumni of Signal Academy, only to have to venture deeper than expected into their depths to find any trace of the creatures of Grimm. When the monsters did appear however it was in a far greater tide than Felix had been expecting and rather than a simple workout to relieve stress the Lion Faunus had been forced to use his Semblance to its' fullest extent to clear the area, then expend a great deal of Ice Dust in order to prevent a forest fire; after defeating the Grimm Felix had returned to his car and drove to the clifftops that overlooked the sea and faced away from the mainland, he had been exhausted, his skin dry and flaking away whilst the coughing fits that had followed each use of his full power ever since Atlas took far too long to subside. Eventually Felix had simply fallen asleep as the sun rose, not waking up again until late afternoon by which time he already had several messages and missed calls from both of his mothers' asking where he was; he'd quickly replied that he was fine and would be home later.

Later had arrived and as Felix left the garage after parking the Killer-Bee inside he noted that whilst Blake's motorbike, dubbed _'Fairy Blue'_ was absent, most likely due to Blake having to work late on the mainland, the Bumblebee was in its' usual place at the gate of the Xiao Long property and a light could be seen in the kitchen window.

"Hey Mum" he greeted Yang Xiao Long with a tired smile as he entered the kitchen, Yang herself merely sat on the edge of the counter with her arms folded

"Don't you _'Hey Mum'_ me Felix Ghira Xiao Long" she huffed, cracking a soft smile before she continued "Fluffy I know it's hard to be living with your parents for a couple months again after being so independent, but can you at least let me and Blake know if you're going to be leaving in the middle of the night or vanishing for a day or so?….you know we've been worried about you"

"Sorry Mum" he sighed "And don't worry I'm fine" he assured her, though he looked away and feigned searching the cupboards as he couldn't quite bring himself to meet her eyes as he said it

"Your knuckles are bruised" Yang observed

"Not what you think" Felix pre-empted, easily able to sense where his mothers' mind was headed and not blaming her one bit, her assumptions were fair ones

"I haven't been fighting with anyone" he assured her "I don't really do that any more….Just a late night training session in the woods. Couldn't sleep, didn't wanna wake anyone up" Felix, still facing away from his mother tensed a little when he felt Yang's mechanical hand on his shoulder

"Well I'm awake now, wanna talk about it?….I understand what you're going through, so I understand if you don't-"

"You don't" Felix muttered, honestly not intending for the words to be filled with as much venom as they had been "Mum you lost your arm because Adam Taurus needed to stop you from breaking his skull open….I lost my tail because Celeste Lupus decided I wasn't enough of a Faunus to be allowed to keep it. Imagine if someone tried to cut off Blake's ears?"

"I don't need to imagine" Yang breathed out "Adam Taurus cut off Velvet Scarlatina's ear in the same battle I lost my arm in Fluffy….if you don't think I can help then do you want me to get in touch with Velv-"  
"Mum I didn't mean it like that!" Felix finally turned around and met Yang's eyes "Mum I love you, but this is different….she, she cut my tail off!" his voice trembled and Yang quickly pulled her son into a hug and gently played with his hair

"It gets easier" she promised him softly "It really does. And nobody, listen to me Felix, nobody thinks you're any less of a Faunus or anything else because of what that monster did to you"

"Thanks Mum" he sniffled out, there were a few moments of silence in which Yang privately debated broaching the subject of a prosthetic tail, a topic that Felix had been quick to shut down without making any real decisions either way so far, despite the manageable but noticeable affect his injury had on his balance when he trained. The opportunity was stolen from her by the sound of something landing in the back yard

"Corey's home" Felix noted, pulling away and wiping his eyes quickly; whilst the Omega Wing flew almost silently the thud of Corvid's landings, which were always dramatic affairs even when she had no audience to watch her, coupled with the sound of the battle-suit peeling away from her body and transforming into its' aerial droned form made it obvious who the newcomer was.

"Hey Mum-"  
"Don't you _'Hey Mum'_ me Corvid Ruby Xiao Long"

"I got the same thing" Felix snorted

"Please" Yang sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose "Please for the love of Oum Corey, tell me you haven't been drinking and then flown back here from the mainland"

"Haven't been drinking" Corvid assured her as she shrugged off her jacket. Felix noticed that she wore a slightly different flight suit, this one a pale grey with a golden brown fur collar worn over a form fitting white vest rather than her previous all black, the scarf that had once belonged to Yang herself currently draped loosely over Corvid's shoulders; his eyes widened a little as he saw that the Omega Wing had been repainted, its' glossy black colour scheme now highlighted with shades of bright, gleaming gold.

"Iris's been back in New Vale for a couple weeks, she went to Menagerie at the start of the summer to see her old man" Corvid continued, helping herself to a beer out of the fridge since the subject of alcohol had been raised "I've been working on her arm, Lux's place has got a nice little en-suite workshop….kinda borrowed some ideas from a few of your designs Mum, hope you don't mind"

"Not at all" Yang beamed proudly

"Oh" Felix mouthed, suddenly feeling stupid "I just thought you'd been avoiding me" the kitchen was instantly filled with the sound of Corvid choking on her beer

"What?"

"I thought you didn't wanna see me-" the explanation was cut short as Corvid all but tackled him as she pulled him into a one armed hug

"Idiot" she hissed whilst ruffling his hair "If you wanted to hang out all you had to do was say and I would've made time….I just, I thought you blamed me for not getting you out of that forcefield….Hell, I blamed me for it-"  
"Then you're a bigger idiot than I am" the Faunus snorted

"Glad that's settled" Yang noted "Are you two both packed for New Vale?"

"Yeah" identical replies came from both of her children and she found herself forced to ask another question that she knew could potentially sour the mood

"Fluffy….are you planning on taking back command of Team FADE when you get to Halo? I understand if you don't feel up to it but your team needs to know what's going on"

"Yeah" Felix breathed out "Yeah I am….It'll all be okay. It has to be"

 **Authors Notes:**

It's been a while hasn't it?  
Regular updates will resume as of now.  
Welcome to third year.  
Not much to say here so let's summarise:

Well, that's one way to start off a volume.  
Seriously, those dreams where you're trying to throw a punch and it does nothing are the worst.  
Ever done that? Rolled out of a bed and only realised that you'd forgotten to accommodate for the distance from the ground when the floor isn't where you expected? I have.  
Felix wants to talk but keeps unintentionally isolating himself….Blake's kid everyone.  
Fluffy looking a little more hardcore….his pride shirt got soaked in blood but he still has some badges and pins, also I noticed that all of Team FADE's new gear is a little darker this volume; kinda fitting after what they went through.  
If you've got kids or younger siblings then you've been woken up like that.  
Schnee/Slate/Scylla family dynamic….they're getting there.  
" _Suckiest"_ is practically Athena-Jade's slogan at this point.  
" _Grimmiger-Henker"_ = Grimm Executioner, it's the blade of Gefroren-Erbe but with a new gun component, one that isn't basically a portable war-crime.  
Coral at an Atlesian prep school….should be fun.  
' _Stardust'_ , yes everyone who read Downward Spiral, it's still there.  
I'm thinking of Arctus's sweater and just hearing the line from Archer _"The tactical turtle-neck...the tactile-neck".  
_ Uncle Whit is probably all of the Slate/Schnee kids' favourite.  
So, Team FADE's new classes sound fun….Also I'm pretty sure that the British Government actually had a _"Ministry of ungentlemanly warfare"_ in WWI or something very similar.  
I love writing Diamond and Merc interacting.  
Diamond's outfit is based on Japanese street fashion _(I just saw those jeans/harem pants with the braces hanging from the sides and thought she'd love them)  
_ I will always headcanon that Merc & Em make good-parents because they know exactly what the cost of not being good parents is.  
Diamond canonically used to use her Semblance for sneaking into gigs.  
You didn't really think Team FADE would just let Felix isolate himself did you?  
I believed I mentioned this on Tumblr as a sneak preview, but Third Year Eagle has the most powerful lesbian energy.  
So yeah, Grandpa Arc first apologised to Eagle himself and then made every other member of the Arc family do the same….Or else.  
If you read Downward Spiral you'll remember that Craven Arc was originally a dick, Jaune's death changed him….he's still got some issues with his approaches to things but his heart's in the right place.  
Atlas probably kept Eagle's broken sword as evidence.  
I knew I'd actually show the Frost River at some point.  
Hellion did not use her Semblance enough in Atlas.  
The tat Car has down the side of his face isn't his only one, he just rarely takes his shirt off.  
Team GORE having to use a fishing boat is like Bruce Wayne having to use Ford Focus.  
I'm not even being subtle about where Eagle's getting her new sword from.  
I wrote the Helios scene twice, because I wrote it and it didn't save when I closed it.  
Seriously though the tribe must hate the idea of losing Helios, as much as they respect his choice to leave.  
Nice call back to the start of second year when it was Helios fighting on Syneffo's behalf, she's growing up.  
Helios's relationship with Syneffo's dad isn't quite stepson/stepfather but it's close enough.  
I feel like Kataigida comes off as distant sometimes but there's no doubt that she loves her kids, she just has to juggle everyone else's lives as well.  
Mama Nikos, and the Nikosi as a whole approve of Felix….which is nice.  
So, Felix has coughing fits after going Balrog now….obviously because he got impaled and then melted the spike while it was still stuck in him.  
Both kids got full-named, it's never a good day when that happens.  
I don't think Yang and Blake's wanting to know if Felix was coming and going at odd hours of the night was unreasonable, and considering that Felix was canonically notorious for getting into fights at Signal, can you blame Yang for seeing his knuckles and making a guess.  
Obviously I'm referencing the Downward Spiral version of Fall of Beacon events; and I think it's important that Yang understands the difference in what happened to Felix, with his Faunus attribute being specifically targetted there's an added layer of trauma.  
Yes Corey gave the Omega Wing a touch up….In Felix's colours.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, iSassenach, DizzyDwarf, Ferrous, FleetOfWarships, CanadianCavalier, FluffyFirefly for their reviews on the last chapter.  
You say "Handle" as if Syneffo wouldn't love being the older sibling for a change.  
Yeah sorry for making you cry….Fluffy was not in a good place at all.  
Penny 2.0 or Penny's younger sister…..Perhaps.  
I mean it's obviously gonna be easier to fit a weapon into an arm than something like Felix's tail….He's a Lion Faunus it's not exactly prehensile like Sun's.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	88. Together Again

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 88: Together Again**

"This has kinda lost it's appeal now I'm old enough to just go to a bar" Felix noted with a gentle sigh as he made himself leaning against a cliff face; Nyanza, who had arrived back on the island from Mistral's capital, merely shrugged before speaking in a voice that was clearly intended to parody some wise and ancient teacher from a trashy movie

"But the ancient traditions must be honoured, oh grumpy one" Felix snorted at this and conceded the point. The pair had made their way down to a spot along Patch's coastline far away from the cliffs beyond the forests where the creatures of Grimm roamed; an alcove of sorts with a sandy beach which was somewhat shielded from the elements by cliff faces on three sides that could only be reached by making ones' way from the islands' harbour. The place had been used for underage drinking, camping out, barbecues and all manner of other activities legal and otherwise by the teenagers of Patch for generations and was currently the venue for a small impromptu party being thrown for the students of Signal Academy who had graduated to either Halo or one of the other Hunter Academies, Felix and Nyanza had been invited to the gathering by Amethyst Wukong who had naturally been the one to provide the alcohol, which she seemed to have drunk a little too much of if her current state was any indication

"Is she wasted or just showing off?" Felix enquired

"Yes" Nyanza snickered before finishing his own drink. Amethyst Wukong had gotten taller and her muscles even more toned since the last time Felix had spent any amount of time on his island home, the ebony haired Monkey Faunus with mint green eyes now easily rivalled his admittedly unimpressive height and looked every part the Huntress she aspired to be; currently she wore a pair off cut off denim shorts which reached to just above her knees and were held up by several black belts which sported several pouches presumably filled with Dust crystals. Black shin guards were tucked behind the tongues of a pair of scuffed white high topped sneakers with bright purple laces and she wore a white tank top which left her midriff bare and showed off her impressive abs, with a purple shirt unbuttoned over it whilst her wavy and glossy black hair cascaded down her back and her tail flexed and curled behind her as she moved. Her hands were wrapped in several layers of tape and what Felix assumed was the collapsed form of her weapons adorned her wrists, a pair of thick and obviously heavy bangles comprised of a black material that seemed have a purple sheen when the firelight struck it and a light silvery metal as well as glimpses of various Dust crystals currently loaded into them shining in various colours. Amethyst had been one of Yang Xiao Long's best and brightest students, a fact that was easy to understand as the girl played up for the small crowd around her and showcased her skills despite her inebriation, performing several acrobatic manoeuvres whilst the purple glow of her Aura crackled and shimmered around her

"Oh shit, she's got her Semblance figured out?" Nyanza noted, suddenly paying a little more attention

"Either that or she thinks cranking her Aura up might burn through the alcohol quicker" Felix joked, Amethyst's Semblance had always been something of a sore spot for her as she knew in rough terms how her abilities worked but could never quite seem to master them completely; that she had seemingly overcome this obstacle was good news and explained some of Amethyst's exuberance. After watching her show off for a while Felix gave a wide stretch and yawn before calling over to her

"Hey Ammi, I'm heading home!" he received a few waves and drunkenly mumbled goodbyes before Amethyst herself all but leapt over to him

"Really? It's not even midnight yet?" she pouted a little as she pointed this out

"Yeah, yeah I'm getting old" Felix chuckled "Besides, you should probably be heading home soon yourself….you don't want a hangover when you get to Halo for orientation; then there's the initiation itself" by this point he was already walking away from the party, making his way along the coastline back to the harbour and Amethyst barely needed a moment to consider before following along behind him, a mischievous smile on her face

"Well how about you hook a girl up and tell me about the initiation?" she gently nudged him to make sure he was listening "Come on Felix your mum wouldn't tell us anything, she went to Beacon and Halo is run by the same teachers….it won't hurt"

"I'm not gonna tell you how the initiation process works" Felix asserted "Besides I don't actually know, they've changed it since my first year because of the breaches….they can't use the exclusion zone as a testing ground"

"Holy shit" Amethyst breathed out, apparently the fact that the ruins of Beacon Academy and old Vale were where the final test before one became a student of Halo Academy took place was not common knowledge; seeing the stunned look on her face was enough for Felix decide to give her something, not enough to give her any clear advantage, but something nonetheless

"Yeah and teams are randomly selected" he informed her "First person you see when your in the testing area is your partner for four years…..so use those Faunus senses and if you see anyone you wanna team up with try and work it so you get deployed near 'em. That's all I'm giving you"

"Awesome, thanks" Amethyst beamed, the crafty smile of someone privy to secrets and the two of them made their way towards the harbour from which they would make their way home in peaceful silence until their destination came into view

"Want me to walk you home?" Felix offered "It's a Friday night and you live in a bar" Amethyst merely laughed at the implications

"I can look after myself" she assured him "Besides between everyone on Patch knowing my folks and everyone on the mainland knowing my Aunt Mel we don't get any trouble"

"I can imagine" Felix growled, his own meetings with Melanie Malachite were more than enough to make him understand exactly why nobody would willingly cross her

"Yeah, we haven't had any trouble in….wow it must be a couple years now, not since I got this" she pointed to a scar along her left eyebrow which she had acquired when a pint glass was thrown in a bar fight that Felix realised with a start that Onyx Ursabane of Team GORE had started.

"Okay cool" he shrugged, quickly pushing the possible issue aside "I'll see you at Halo….provided you survive" the last words were spoken in a faux dramatic tone that got a laugh from Amethyst and the two went their separate ways, Felix grumbling to himself as he went when the realisation of just how much packing he still had to do hit him.

* * *

"Hey Big Guy….wake up dude" Arctus was denied the opportunity to progress from quietly dozing to full, blissful sleep by Diamond adjusting her weight as she leaned against him and gently nudging him until his sapphire eyes opened.

"I'm fine, I wasn't sleeping" he slurred, words barely coherent as he removed the arm that had been around Diamond's shoulders and rubbed his bleary eyes

"Uh huh" she gave him a pointed look, utterly unconvinced. The two of them had met at the Cross-Continental Airship terminal on the outskirts of New Vale's capital in the early hours of the morning and rather than book a hotel for the sake of a few hours rest had agreed to simply make their way across the sprawling hive city on foot towards the much smaller airship terminal dealing with local flights, mostly to settlements on the fringes of New Vales' territory but also handled the task of ferrying students to and from Halo Academy. To say Arctus was tired at this point was an understatement, he'd been awake over twenty four hours and was emotionally exhausted after having to say goodbye to a tearful Athena-Jade and Coral the day before.

"What time is it?" Arctus eventually asked

"Too late for you to get any sleep" Diamond chuckled, sensing what the Bear Faunus was thinking; Arctus gave a sigh before a thought occurred to him and a soft smile crossed his face

"Hey….you know what this reminds me of?" Diamond cocked her head for a moment before her cherry red eyes seemed to light up when the realisation hit

"Oh my Oum, this is where we first met!" she exclaimed before adding with a giggle "Except this time you're the one that's barely awake"

"And I promise not to put you in a choke-hold" Arctus promised earnestly, Diamond merely gave him the finger before leaning close and gently brushing her lips against his

"Such a dork" there was a tender moment between them, Arctus gently brushing strands of silvery hair away from Diamond's face as she leaned into him, neither of them paying any attention at all to their surroundings until those surroundings forced them to do so when a loud, impossibly cheery and immediately recognisable voice called out to them

"HEY GUYS!" both Arctus and Diamond had just enough time to rise to their feet and brace themselves for the inevitable before Eagle Arc barrelled into them with enthusiasm that translated into incredible force and pulled them both into a crushing hug "How have you guys been, I've missed you, I mean I know we've been calling and texting and stuff but it's just not the same and I've wanted to hang out with you"

"I know what you mean" Diamond agreed before giving the blonde a once over "Damn, you're looking good"

"Aww thanks" Eagle's cheeks coloured a little at the compliment "You guys wanna wait outside? Our flight is gonna be ready soon"

"Sure" Arctus shrugged as he glanced upwards at the digital displays overhead and saw that Eagle was correct and thus sleep was truly out of the realm of possibility

"Sentinel come on" Eagle motioned happily to her automaton which chirped and bleeped happily in response and both Arctus and Diamond noticed that Sentinel, which had been trailing behind Eagle was actually the one carrying her luggage. They made their way out into the waiting area for departing fights soon enough, a massive and dusty open space surrounded by fences and security cameras where half a dozen or so gargantuan airships were currently docked and in various stages of resupply and refuelling; one such vessel was clearly their destination as it's idling engines cast an eerie green glow on the ground beneath them and teens and young adults carrying luggage and an assortment of unique weaponry milled around it.

"Now we've just gotta find Fluffy" Arctus noted

"We'll hear him before we see him" Diamond pointed out in what turned out to be an accurate prediction; before much longer the sound of thumping bass and a growling, powerful engine caused heads to turn as the Killer-Bee rolled into view through a rear entrance to the terminal and stopped for just long enough to allow Corvid Xiao Long to climb out and grab her belongings, before continuing on its' path towards Team FADE

"Hey guys" Felix greeted his friends with a cocky smile as he rolled the window down, clearly no matter what problems the Lion Faunus faced the effect his car had on any crowd it drove passed would always be enough to cheer him up.

"Had to make an entrance?" Diamond asked as she rolled her eyes, catching sight of Nyanza in the back of the car as she did so "Hey Dude"

"Hey, thought you'd be with Heely….he's already onboard, managed to get a monorail from one terminal to the other this morning"

"Why in Oum's name didn't we do that?" Arctus lamented

"More importantly, what're we waiting for?" Eagle asked, much to her friends' amusement

"I'll catch up" Felix's expression darkened and wavered a little as Nyanza climbed out of the car "I've gotta get the Killer-Bee docked first, just wait around somewhere I can find you"

"You sure, we can wait with you?" Eagle offered, suddenly acutely aware that Felix looked nervous for some reason

"Nah it's cool, I'll be with you soon"

"Okay" Eagle accepted before turning and making her way towards the entrance to the airship the would be taking, Diamond, Arctus and Nyanza alongside her

"Where's Helios?" she asked the bushy tailed feline

"He said he'd be in or near the canteen which this ship is not big enough to actually need; he needed to charge his Scroll" satisfied with the answer the group made their way towards their new destination and were not disappointed when they reached it; Helios's golden armour gleamed beneath the overhead lights and beside him sat Ether Arashi and Olivine DeGrasse, Ether seemed to have put on a notable amount of muscle over the summer whilst Olivine's weapon had clearly been modified to some degree, she wore a new set of camouflage overalls and her customary afro had been braided into dreadlocks which reached to her shoulders. The trio waved the newcomers over and pleasantries were exchanged between the now complete Team NEON for a few moments before Helios turned to the members of Team FADE that were present

"Where's Felix?"

"Parking his car, he'll be here soon" Diamond assured him before leading Arctus towards food and coffee in an attempt to stop him from simply falling asleep where he stood

"Good summer?" Eagle asked

"A busy one" Helios answered

"I figured, I was visiting some of my Aunts in Mistral; it's a shame we couldn't meet up"

"Indeed it is" the low and husky voice came not from Helios, but from behind and Eagle found herself instinctively biting her lip before turning and being confronted with the forms of Team GORE who had obviously been lured with the promise of food after a long journey

"H-Hey" Eagle croaked out, throat suddenly dry

"Hello little canary" Hellion Eudialyte cooed, there was a brief moment where the two stared at each other which seemed to stretch out, shattering when the Dragonfly Faunus lunged forwards and scooped a flustered and blushing Eagle into a tight embrace, Marauder flying from her forearm and landing on Marauders' cranium whilst the two young women shared a public display of affection that led to several mutterings and looks being cast their way. Their friends and team-mates, obviously in search of a distraction shared glances amongst each other until Carcharodon caught Helios's eye; the fact that beside the Shark Faunus Raffia Dirge wore a maniacal smirk a clear indication that something was wrong

"Nikosi" Carcharodon rasped out, lowering his hood as he stalked closer "My people had to travel the plains….we heard some interesting stories from one of your peoples' scouts we crossed paths with"

"Oh?" Helios raised an eyebrow, utterly unimpressed and privately certain that if there had been any confrontation between the Shadow Cadre of the Frost River Tribe and the Elite Pathfinders of the Nikosi then Carcharodon Gore would not be here talking to him

"Ones that paint you as the worst kind of deserter" the grey skinned Faunus continued, mouth splitting into a wide smile and display of fangs whilst Helios visibly tensed

"Be careful what you accuse me of bandit" Helios snarled back "I may have abdicated my position but I am still a Nikosi"

"You gave up your birthright and turned your back on your family all for a pretty face….You're an insult to every orphan on Remnant" Carcharodon hissed "You disgust me" in a blur of motion Helios had vaulted the table at which he sat and made to grab Carcharodon by the throat only to find his way barred by the towering form of Onyx Ursabane who, like almost everyone else present, had reached for his weapon

"Okay no" Olivine snapped, fingers drumming on the collapsed form of Buster Bravo "We're not doing this here. Just go" Raffia seemed to consider pitting his own weapons' destructive abilities against hers', fortunately Carcharodon was not willing to sacrifice an airship to his team-mates' aggression and simply turned to leave, gesturing for the rest of Team GORE to follow.

"I'll see you at the academy little canary" Hellion murmured as she nibbled on the shell of Eagle's ear

"You can stay-"

"I think it's been made clear that I can't" the Dragonfly Faunus made to extricate herself, pausing only to whisper in the blondes' ear "Meet me in the workshop….I have something for you" with that Hellion slunk off, Marauder flying to her arm as she did do; leaving Eagle staring after her in amazed silence at just how easily her girlfriend could turn her into a flustered or excited mess.

* * *

"Your concerns are noted Mister Vasilias"

"Which is just a polite way of telling me to shut up and remember my place isn't it!" the temperature in the headmistresses office of Halo Academy seemed to drop suddenly by several degrees as student counsellor Neptune David-Vasilias and Glynda Goodwitch stared intently at one another from opposite sides of Goodwitch's desk in a silent battle of wills which after a few moments Neptune lost, but still refused to concede the argument.

"Glynda I mean no disrespect but surely you can appreciate my concerns" Neptune found himself pacing as he spoke

"I can appreciate them" Goodwitch admitted, hands clasping behind her back as she exhaled slowly "I just don't find them to be severe enough to call off a necessary mission and fulfil part of our duties to the Kingdom of Vale" Neptune forced himself to remain composed, a talent he'd honed over many years, as he considered the severity of the mission into the Emerald Forest that Goodwitch was proposing

"These aren't normal circumstances Glynda" he finally breathed out "Yes we have a routine sweep of our initiation staging ground every year but you must no that this is different, we don't even know the full scale of what's in the Forest any more-"

"There are prospective First Years in that forest as we speak" Glynda countered "Surely you don't believe them to be more capable than our own second, third and fourth years?"

"They have oversight" Neptune shot back, the initiation was closely monitored with Ren and Nora, Professor Peach, his own husband Scarlet, Professor Bronzewing and half a dozen other Hunters which may or may not have included Qrow Branwen or Ruby Rose herself among their number any given year

"And that's not the point" Neptune continued, refusing to allow himself to be derailed "This year is different; you know as well as I do that those students returning from Atlas will draw Grimm to them like a magnet"

"And I am confident that they will be more than adequate to deal with any enemy that presents itself" Goodwitch asserted calmly

"You're putting our students at risk needlessly Glynda!" Neptune snapped "They should be given a psych evaluation before they're allowed anywhere near a combat situation!" Goodwitch readjusted her glasses before slowly and deliberately making her way around the desk

"Mister Vasilias" she breathed out "The Grimm cannot be allowed to go unchecked and build their numbers so close to our Kingdoms' walls ever again and our students are not children or civilians; they are Hunters, the first line of defence against our destruction….however if you have ever seriously thought I would willingly put those in my care at undue risk then I'm forced to ask you why you are still working at this academy?"

"Are….are you threatening me?" Neptune gasped, disbelieving

"No, merely questioning" Goodwitch answered calmly "It's odd to me that you've decided to paint me as the monster after so many years, simply for continuing to do what we all must-"

"This. Is. Different" Neptune reasserted "Those students are likely traumatised-"

"Every Hunter is traumatised" Goodwitch snapped, finally irate enough to lose her own cool "If you'd completed your own training you'd understand that!" there were a few moments of tense silence where their eyes bored into each other before Glynda cleared her throat

"That was uncalled for, forgive me. I had no right to get personal"

"No offence taken" Neptune growled through clenched teeth

"However" she sighed "The fact remains, as tragic as what happened in Atlas was it cannot be allowed to define us or prevent us from fulfilling our duties to the Kingdom. The students will be sent into the Emerald Forest tomorrow morning"

"Will you at least put some sort of safety measures in place?" Neptune demanded as Glynda made her way passed him; hearing his request she turned and gave him a quizzical expression

"Mister Vasilias what on Remnant gave you the impression that they wouldn't be?"

"I-"

"As I said, your concerns are noted….now if you'll excuse me I have some final preparations for are new incoming students to attend to"

* * *

The third year students were among the crowds filling the many rows of seats within Halo Academies amphitheatre, Team FADE sitting in the row behind Team NEON and just close enough to them to be able to hold brief and hushed conversations whilst Team GORE could be seen several rows away, unique in their lack of interest in the proceedings which the other gathered students watched with rapt attention. The team formation ceremony was something that every Hunter had been through regardless of which Academy they attended and over the last century the affair had become a rite of passage for the fledgeling students and something of a ritual within the subculture and community that Hunters across Remnant formed, one that the older students considered themselves honoured and privileged to be able to see each year. Thus far the first two teams of First Year students had been formed, the first being Team BLAQ which Diamond had cheered impressively loud for and jokingly stated that she would make them all under her protective wing; the second being the somewhat unfortunately named Team MUCK, led by a shifty eyed individual named Moss who had seemed thoroughly uncomfortable with the amount of attention that was suddenly directed at them.

"The third team this year, who retrieved the clubs cards" Glynda Goodwitch continued the speech, following the familiar formula "Are Wisteria Plum, Obsidian Bone-"

"Definitely named after Blake's boss" Felix muttered, the fact that the first year student was a Faunus seemed to lend some credence to the theory that they'd been named for the famous Faunus and workers rights' activist"

"Light Mocha" Goodwitch continued, the team being formed turning to their fourth and final member as they realised what was about to be said before it did "And their leader Gaudy Vibrancy"

"What a fucking name" Diamond snorted, just loud enough for not only Team FADE to hear but for several students sat around them to be forced to hastily muffle their laughter; fortunately none of this was noticed by either the First Year students or more importantly, Goodwitch herself, who cut just an imposing figure as always despite her advanced age and whatever trials the students had faced in their time at the Academy.

"Okay everyone shut up, I've got a friend on this team" Felix insisted with some urgency as the last remaining team of new students made their way to the forefront of the stage from which Goodwitch was conducting the ceremony, directly into the centre of the spotlights where all eyes naturally gravitated towards them; Felix was happy to see that Amethyst looked like she belonged, clearly worn and exhausted but equally triumphant and defiant as she stood flanked by her new team-mates

"The fourth and final team to complete the initiation process and be formed this, retrieving the heart cards are; Nova Violette" at Goodwitch's announcement a young black teen with light brown skin and curly, vibrant orange hair seemed to puff up with pride; Felix frowned as he tried to place the familiar surname, he was almost certain that Yang had introduced him to a Huntress by the name of Violette before.

"Iridescence Lustrous"

"Now that's a name" Arctus muttered playfully nudging Diamond before joining with the cheers and applause offered to the petite and prim looking young woman who curtsied to the crowd

"Redshank Bronzewing"

"Holy shit, Professor Bronzewing fucks?" Diamond demanded

"And their leader" Felix had already begun cheering at this point "Amethyst Wukong" Amethyst herself was clearly stunned as the entirety of the amphitheatre erupted into cheers, hands covering her mouth before Redshank Bronzewing who was presumably her partner simply lifted her into the air and onto his shoulders. Professor Bronzewing's eldest child was far from what the students would have expected, sporting a deep scarlet Mohawk comprised of a series of swept forwards spikes, visible tattoos and a weapon slung over his back that toed the line between fearsome and preposterous. Redshank was clearly ecstatic for his new friend and Felix watched Amethyst almost unconsciously wrap her slender tail around his forearm, indicating that she was immensely pleased with both her new partner and position as a team leader; Felix's rapidly forming plans to find the First Year dorms and congratulate his fellow native of Patch were cut off as the cacophony suddenly died down when the headmistress raised a hand, politely indicating to her students that she still wished to speak.

"To our new students and perhaps to those who have been away from this Academy for some time I would like to issue a reminder that classes begin at nine o'clock tomorrow morning and tardiness will be frowned upon; breakfast is served from five o'clock; your new schedules will be sent to the Scrolls you were issued with" she paused for a moment allowing the information to sink in before continuing "For our returning students I also have an announcement, I would like to speak with the leaders of Teams SNST, and VYLT from Second Year, NEON and FADE from Third Year and SMKE and CAMO from Fourth Year please report to my office before returning to your dormitories for the evening. That will be all, I suggest you all sleep well" seeing this as the dismissal that it clearly was the assembled crowd began to rise from their seats and file out of the amphitheatre, the dull buzz of conversation filling the air

"Want me to take this?" Diamond offered, seeing Felix's suddenly apprehensive expression; the Lion Faunus considered for a moment then caught sight of Helios waiting expectantly for him to follow and simply shook his head

"Nah, but thanks" with that he hopped over a row of seats and fell into step beside the armoured redhead whose hand he instinctively reached out for, some of the weight that Felix carried with him dissipating as he felt Helios brushing his thumb over the back of his hand

"Fluffy….Felix" Helios's tone was laced with concern, enough to make Felix turn and face his boyfriend "Are you okay? You seemed bothered by something the whole flight?"

"It's nothing" Felix replied automatically, a little too fast to do anything more than fuel Helios's concerns and so the Faunus gave a nonchalant shrug and continued "I was worrying about some stuff….It's dumb, it'll be fine, don't worry"

"You know I'll be here for you, whatever it is that's bothering you?"

"I know" Felix nodded, the offer of being able to just let out everything that was troubling, let all the doubts and worries that had been allowed to fester in the back of his mind all summer see the harsh light of day was undeniably tempting, almost tempting enough to risk it

"It's just-"

"Hey Fluffy!"

"For Oum's sake" Felix hissed, the furious syllables more felt than heard as Corvid sidled over to him from where she'd been sat, evidently having waited for brother to pass

"Just wanted to give you a heads up" she offered by way of an explanation "Goodwitch is probably gonna put you on cleaning duty, a little test run to see how Team FADE function after being away"

"Great" Felix growled

"Yeah yeah, I know it sucks…..could be worse though, could be a Monday morning lesson with Professor Peach"

"She makes a point" Helios admitted

"Anyway, see you two lovebirds later. Fluffy make sure you bring Helios to Patch soon….Yang is just gonna badger me if you don't" with that Corvid slipped passed them, taking care to playfully ruffle her brothers' hair as she did so, something which would have sparked a lifelong feud with almost anyone else if they dared attempt it.

"So, what were you about to say?" Helios asked as the two continued on their way towards the Headmistresses' office, seeing many of the other students whose presence was requested ahead of them; Felix paused for a moment before reconsidering

"It's nothing Heely, don't worry about it"

"I find myself compelled to" he sighed.

* * *

Rhodium Torchwick watched operations from an overhead gangway in the repurposed warehouse he had obtained through a convoluted series of proxies and fake identities with a satisfied smirk on his face; however the smirk didn't last long, they never did. As addicted to drugs as his customers were Rhodium was equally addicted to the drug trade in of itself and the money, power and prestigious infamy that it brought. He made his way down rusting and rickety stairs from the gangway which had originally been intended to operate an overhead crane, the machine itself sitting idle at the far end of the warehouse. Making his way across the vast ground floor Rhodium was lit from beneath and all sides as he made his way through between several opened crates and containers which glowed with the eerie green light of the synthetic Eco-Dust

"I thought you said we'd be running low on this stuff?" the mobster demanded of the only other occupant of the warehouse floor who amounted to anything more than a drug mule.

"We will be, which is why I plan to use what we have in an effort to reverse engineer the compound" Doctor Ozymandias Eldritch explained with a grandfatherly smile that Rhodium knew better than to trust for an instant, the doctor had a brilliant mind but it was undeniably twisted

"In the meantime I've made several batches with various ratios of the Schnee's synthetic Dust to the genuine article….trial and error with different varieties of Dust naturally"

"Trial and error?" Rhodium demanded, tone low and dangerous

"Of course, the majority of science comes down to testing" Ozymandias beamed, grin turning somewhat maniacal as he did so.

"How many testers did you kill this time?" Rhodium breathed out, the redhead was possessed of a ruthless streak of his own and had no qualms and cutting the drugs he sold with questionable substances, nor did he oppose his workers from using the most down and out of the customers, those who had spent every Lien to their name and still craved more, as test subjects for each batch; though the practice had began to accrue casualties at an alarming rate ever since Ozymandias had joined the operation. Scores of dead junkies were bad for business after all and the only reason Rhodium hadn't reigned in the mad scientist was that the sheer volume of product he seemed to be able to produce at short notice more than made up for it.

"Enough to ensure the product is viable" Ozymandias answered somewhat cryptically, giving Rhodium an idea of just how high the mortality rate for this batch was.

"For fuck's sake, I know they're only junkies but eventually someone is gonna start caring….or pretending to and use it to put us all in jail" the redhead spat furiously, gripping the weaponised cane that had once been his fathers' and taking several breaths to compose himself before continuing "Classes at Halo Academy started today, the next few weeks are gonna be important. Within a month business will slow down to normal and then we can worry about making our own Eco-Dust and new ways to cut the product down….right now we need to focus on the plan" Rhodium allowed himself a small grin at the thought of the next stage of his plan to wrest control of New Vale's criminal underworld away from Melanie Malachite and her Black Bear Syndicate; starting his own security firm had provided an opportunity to scatter the various street gangs that answered to him across the capital city whilst also allowing him to recruit former militia fighters and washed up Hunters and soldiers from the war, now he wanted to recruit the next generation of Hunters to form the elite of the criminal enterprise that was slowly coming to resemble an army; he already had a man on the inside

"Rhodey!" his thoughts were interrupted by the panicked voice of Vert, the thug turned rapper whose record label Rhodium happened to own, more known by his alias of _'Uzi'_

"What is-" he trailed off as he turned and caught sight of his accomplice, whilst Uzi seemed unharmed his clothes were soaked in what was unmistakably blood, his breathing was ragged and he was clearly panicked

"Who got hit? What happened?" the mobsters' tone was cold, his fury balanced out with a calculating ruthlessness that his ventures into legal businesses had forced him to foster

"The Syndicate" Uzi gasped out, still breathing heavily "Two guys on a motorbike rolled up to the corner of Tower forty-four; by the Mistrali place; one of 'em pulled a semi-auto out and emptied it on Ash and Silky"

"Fuck" Rhodey spat, barely aware of the fact that he'd begun pacing and that his knuckles were now white as he clenched the shaft of Melodic Cudgel "That's Moss's usual corner….they still alive?"

"Intensive care, no one knows if they're gonna make it" Uzi answered and Rhodium seemed to consider for a moment before stalking over to the latest batch of the narcotic known as Booster and palming a sizeable amount, more than enough for several people.

"Get your people together and drive out to that upmarket place Melanie runs a few levels up in block nineteen…..make a fucking a mess of everyone there"

"You got it" Uzi snarled savagely, growing up in the poorest parts of the city had given both young men a keen appetite for revenge and a clear understanding of what would happen if they allowed this attack on their worker, and therefore their own reputations to stand, though Uzi still paused "But what's the Booster for?"

"In case your boys can't fight as well as you think they can" the redhead shot back dismissively before turning his attention back to Ozymandias who had been listening with some interest

"And you!" Rhodium barked "Where the fuck is this heavy hitter contact of yours? You told me you had someone who would love a war, that was about two months ago!"

"They are….somewhat waylaid in Atlas at the moment" Ozymandias admitted "Though I have no doubts that they'll be able to join us soon enough"

"They're in a fucking Atlas jail….fucking great" Rhodium forced himself not to give in to the sudden urge to hit something and simply allowed himself to feel powerful and in charge in another way, by continuing to give orders "Get a hold of Tricky, usual routine. Tell him I want this batch packed up and on the street by tomorrow night….We got a fucking war to win and the bitch Malachite just decided to start it on her terms"

* * *

The darkness was little hindrance to Onyx Ursabane as his vibrant greenish yellow eyes quickly grew accustomed, slitted pupils dilating as he greedily took in the sight of his prize. Beyond the wall that constituted the end of Halo Academies' campus proper was the airship docks which students used to travel back to the Kingdom itself, a little beyond them at the edge of the gargantuan aerial platform whose sheer size and mass still baffled the Puma Faunus was a small hangar housing a dozen or so Bull-Head transports intended to teach those students who wished to learn to maintain and fly the craft as well as providing a more reliable means of rapid response than the gyroscopic cannon Onyx had heard stories about. It had taken him far longer to convince his team-mates than he had anticipated and taken all of his wit, charm and guile but eventually Onyx had managed to bring Carcharodon and in turn Hellion and Raffia around to the idea of learning to fly; they were the vanguard of their people and it was only right that they be able to strike at a time and place of their choosing, even if it was from the air rather than by sea.

"I wouldn't recommend joyriding one of those" a voice from behind him advised with a hint of laughter in the feminine voice.

"And yet you're here?" Onyx snorted back as he easily recognised the familiar voice of Corvid Xiao Long; in his mind the woman was a genius as well as an extremely skilled and daring fighter with a penchant for showmanship and the Puma Faunus had found his thoughts idly wandering to Corvid on several occasions whilst in Anima, the fact that she was undoubtedly attractive with a wicked sense of humour no doubt having some influence.

"My mother was one of the tribe but my father was a metal worker in Atlas before he joined the White Fang" he admitted as Corvid made her way to his side "He used to tell me about the technology the Kingdoms have and when he realised I thought it was magic and fairy-tales he showed me how to make it or break it apart myself"

"Sorry toe-beans but I can't really bring myself to have any warm fuzzy feelings for the White Fang" Corvid growled

"That's fair" Onyx accepted "Although I want to point out that he was killed by the same people who attacked your brother"

"Onyx-ly I really don't wanna talk about this right now" she sighed, quickly changing the subject "So I take it you're taking Bull-Head lessons?….I've got some bad news for you"

"Oh?" Onyx raised an eyebrow as the two of them continued to draw closer to the nearest Bull-Head, the one that he had been examining with something akin to hunger "I suppose you're going to tell me that they spend weeks going through paperwork before they let us learn to fly?"

"Well there is that" Corvid admitted as she leaned against the hull of the craft, standing almost under its' wing "But the main problem is that this is Team CLIR's crate, we've called dibs"

"I don't think that's how this works" Onyx purred with a grin, deciding to humour her

"Gonna have to disagree" Corvid answered, voice turning silky "This was the one we picked out last year before we went to Atlas; Team CLIR reserved it….You're gonna have to fight me for it" her steely grey eyes were mischievous until they widened as she found herself pinned against the exterior of the craft, Onyx's large and strong hands around her wrists while his stubble brushed against her skin as he leaned down and growled in her ear

"I like that idea" a whispered curse escaped the brunette whilst a shiver travelled down her spine before she wrapped her arms around the back of Onyx's neck, meaning to pull the Puma Faunus into a kiss but struggling with the fact that he was roughly a foot taller than her and instead pulling herself up and wrapping her legs around his waist, throwing her head back and gasping his name as he kissed and nipped at her neck whilst she allowed him to support her weight and pin her against the exterior of the Bull-Head, her hips slowly grinding against him

"I've missed you" Onyx murmured into her neck between kisses, his words coming in a far softer tone than either of them had anticipated

"I've missed this too" Corvid panted out as she returned to the ground, though standing on legs that trembled a little as she began unfastening her customary flight suit "Especially missed those toe-beans" Onyx simply renewed his attention on her neck whilst sliding one hand beneath her tank top and the other below the waist band of her pants, both seeking sensitive flesh upon which to put his talented hands and the padded fingers that Corvid enjoyed so much to good use.

"Oh, oh fuck….right there, Onyx….wait, hold on a sec" words tumbled out of Corvid between moans and gasps whilst Onyx brought her closer and closer to release with two fingers, stopping the moment he heard the request to wait

"What is it?"

"Might be cameras" Corvid admitted with far less shame than most would have had in such a situation, instead she simply reached out to the panel beside the hatch beneath the Bull-Heads' wing and treated Onyx to a cocky smirk as the hatch slid open once her fingerprints were recognised

"Told you I had dibs on this one" she stuck her tongue out and Onyx wasted a moment resisting the urge to reply with a lewd comment about exactly what she could do with that tongue; in that wasted moment however Corvid had decided that she would much rather be the one to set the pace and wasted no time in dragging the Faunus inside the Bull-Head and promptly pulling him down onto its' cold metal floor, pinning his wrists down in a reversal of their earlier roles as she straddled his waist

"Now, where were we"

* * *

Eagle found herself unable to help walking on tiptoes as she made her way into Halo Academies' workshop; she was no stranger to the place and had worked late into the night or the early hours of the morning on several occasions, but this felt unmistakably different somehow; as though being here before classes had even begun made the activity illicit and sneaky somehow

"Little Canary" Eagle almost jumped out of her skin at the sound of Hellion's low and husky voice somewhere close by.

"Hey" Eagle attempted to sound confident and in control even as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, she and Hellion had been dating for months but the fact remained that they had been apart for far too long in Eagle's mind and the fact the Dragonfly Faunus seemed to be making an effort to seem as seductive as possible was leaving her flustered and barely able to form coherent thoughts or words.

"Why are we in the dark?" Eagle asked as she heard Hellion move somewhere behind her "Are we technically sneaking and breaking in?"

"I have no idea, but I can see in the dark" Hellion's amused answer came from much closer and Hellion whirled around to face the source of the noise only to be no closer to actually seeing her girlfriend

"And besides" Hellion breathed in her ear, hands gripping Eagle's hips just enough to be considered forceful "I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy teasing you"

"Not fair" Eagle managed to whine, grateful at least that she hadn't been reduced to wordless whimpering by nothing more than her girlfriends' charisma and the memory of their earlier make out session on a secluded corner of the airship to the academy.

"But I did say I had a surprise for you" Hellion's voice took on a playful edge before suddenly turning commanding "Close your eyes"

"I-"

"Close your eyes" she repeated and Eagle complied, though she kept one eye open just a crack

"You're peeking" Hellion chided and with a huff the blonde did as she was asked, deep crimson eyes closing and a moment later she sensed that the lights of the workshop had been turned on, their glare visible even through her eyelids

"You can open them now" Hellion told her after a moment and when she did so she was treated to the sight of the Faunus with her wings fluttering gently behind her and wearing a soft smile that almost distracted Eagle from the item in her girlfriends' hands

"I hope you like it" Eagle's mouth hung open as she took in the sight of the sword Hellion held and had obviously crafted herself

"It's beautiful" the blonde breathed out as she gently took the blade and examined it in the light, the handle and guard of the weapon were an almost perfect replica for the sword that had been broken by Celeste Lupus in Atlas, save for what appeared to be sizeable emerald set into the pommel of the weapon; the blade appeared to be the exact same size and shape of her previous sword and Eagle suspected that if she were to try then the sword would easily fit into the empty sheath that hung at her waist; though the blade was something different entirely, it was constructed of a pitch black metal with a glossy and a sheen that appeared jade green one moment and violet the next as Eagle inspected its' surface. After staring at the weapon for an indeterminate amount of time she gripped it and gave a few experimental swings, stunned to find that the sword handled arguably better than her old weapon

"It's an alloy made from Atlesian Steel and _Ag_ _ri_ _os-Akri_ ….the tribe that mines it in the mountains infuse their metal with trace amounts of Dust, they say it makes every slash more powerful" Hellion's words became hurried as she explained, not realising that this particular way of showing her enthusiasm was one she had picked up from Eagle herself

"I love it" the freckled blonde said simply, slashing and stabbing at the air a few more times before sheathing the weapon with a satisfying sound "And I love you"

"I love you too" Hellion whispered as she leaned up to kiss Eagle's lips, tenderly at first though as her calloused hands cupped freckled cheeks both women grew bolder and within moments were panting for breath as the Faunus ran her hands along Eagle's sides, trailing down to the armour of her thighs and simply hoisting her onto a nearby workbench before distractedly attempting to unfasten the armour whilst still teasing the blondes' lower lip between her teeth.

"What if someone comes down here?" Eagle gasped, breaking away from Hellion for a moment

"They won't, they have no reason to" Eagle considered the answer for a moment before deciding that as risky as it was, what she thought was about to happen was something she wanted very much and in response simply unfastened the armour of her arms which allowed her to slide her leather jacket off of her shoulders and brace herself against the workbench. Hellion's response was immediate; her wings lay flat across her back as she hungrily kissed and bit at every inch of Eagle's neck and collarbones she could reach and ran her hands over the blondes' body, cupping her breasts through her hoodie before pulling both it and the t-shirt beneath it up to trail soft kisses along a flat and toned stomach as she busied herself unfastening her girlfriends' belt and removing the armour from her legs before slowly pulling the jeans she wore down and reduced the blonde to whimpering gasps of pleasure with a single slow and deliberate kiss to the inner thigh

"Tell me you want this" Hellion purred "I need to hear you say it" words were utterly outside of Eagle's capabilities at that moment and in a display that surprised even her she ran her hands through Hellion's hair and desperately tried to return her to her previous task with a pleading look; mercifully Hellion took this as the answer she wanted and kissed, nipped and teased along Eagle's thighs until the blonde threw her head back and was forced to lie flat on the bench, no longer able to support her own weight and needing her hands to muffle her moans. She felt her breath catch in her throat as Hellion pushed her underwear aside, a moment of anticipation that was rewarded with sensations that left Eagle writhing in ecstasy as she was teased with fingers lips and tongue until the tension building within her demanded release

"I'm, Hellion I'm gonna-" her words were cut short by a groan of pleasure as her thighs trembled and her back arched off the workbench, her fingers digging into its' surface as stars and colours exploded beneath her screwed shut eyelids. After a few seconds Eagle lay still and Hellion planted gentle kisses on her soft skin as she caught her breath, eventually speaking with a voice that dripped with smugness

"I suppose I don't need to ask if you enjoyed that?" she crowed, a satisfied smirk stretching from ear to ear only to falter when she received no response "Eagle….Eagle?" the Faunus's hands flew to her mouth whilst a giggle that few would have believed could have come from the former raider escaped her as she realised what had happened; Eagle had passed out from the intense stimulation and Hellion took in the sight for a few moments before a thought occurred to her

"Well….getting her back to a dorm, armour and all is going to be challenging"

 **Authors Notes:**

So we're back at Atlas.  
And I feel I have to say this after every chapter that gets a little steamy but, this is not smut nor will it ever become smut; I will space these scenes out sparsely when I think they fit.  
However Cyberpet shippers….you're welcome.

Not much to say here so let's summarise:  
Seriously, hanging around the old drinking spot when you're old enough to just drink legally has none of the appeal from when you were younger….be suspicious of people that do that.  
Amethyst definitely gets her fashion sense from Sun.  
You don't tell newbies what the initiation entails, it's tradition.  
So, Amethyst is obviously gonna see Onyx at Halo….how do you think that's gonna go?  
Let Arctus sleep.  
Of course Eagle gets Sentinel to pull her suitcase around for her.  
And so Team FADE are reunited, if only briefly.  
Ether and Ollie spent the whole damn summer toughening up.  
Shy flustered Eagle….look at her now, she's come so far.  
Considering Team GORE have collectively lost their families I can imagine they all find Helios giving up his position within his tribe effectively leaving the Nikosi for good as especially galling; he had everything they want and just gave it away.  
In the argument between Glynda and Neptune they both had valid points, Neptune is right that sending students who were in Atlas and may be traumatised into the Emerald Forest is dangerous, Glynda is also right in pointing out that every single mission the students will ever take is dangerous and potentially lethal….I also imagine the old guard like Goodwitch, Tai and Qrow to be part of a generation that had a "Just get on with it" mentality in regards to mental health, which would explain a lot about the older characters in canon.  
The comment about Neptune being a washout was below the belt though.  
The new teams are BLAQ, MOSS, GLOW and RAIN.  
Remember that Halo uses cards rather than chess pieces.  
Nova Violette is the adopted child of Nebula Violette of Team NDGO and her wife; it will probably be mentioned but won't be a plot point, they're also non-binary.  
 _Professor Bronzewing canonically fucks.  
_ If you have a Tumblr account then you've most likely heard of a different Team RAIN before, the user Neopoliitan has their own OCs who star in their own web-comic which I highly recommend reading.  
Of course FADE and NEON are both going into the forest, it gives Felix time to finally talk to Helios about whatever it is that's bothering him.  
You wanted Oz and Rhodey, you got 'em.  
Letting junkies test a batch to make sure it's cut right is a thing that happens….never let your life get so bad that you're the guy being given testers.  
Rhodey hasn't given up on his dreams of being the boss of all bosses, the security firm at the end of first year was just the start of the army he's building….which is of course why Oz went to him, he's a replacement supply of grunts now that the White Fang are gone.  
Moss's corner, as in Moss of Team MUCK.  
Tit for tat attacks are just part of gang culture, because if you let a violation slide once then you're just inviting everyone else to do it.  
We know that Oz's 'contact' isn't in jail but Rhodey doesn't need to.  
Hope y'all air-raid shippers liked that…..also, it wasn't just for the sake of it; Onyx and Corvid being 'something' will actually help move the plot forward in a couple chapters.  
But everyone loves the toe-beans though.  
 _Ag_ _ri_ _os-Akri_ _= Fierce Edge._ It won't be a plot point but for the sake of world building, I'll say that one of the other tribes on Anima has an ancient art of infusing their weapons with a mix of magnetic and gravity Dust that they mine from the mountain they live on, really small amounts but enough to alter the way a sword balances making it really easy to handle and feel lighter than it should.  
It's also a really nice sword and Hellion worked hard on it.  
Yes, Eagle's first time ended with her orgasming so hard she passed out….because of course it did.  
You're welcome shippers.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Ferrous, Jmiff, Dizzydwarf, Funlander and CanadianCavalier for their reviews on the last chapter.  
At this point I don't know if I want to show an honour duel between Yang and Mama Nikos or just let it be a running joke.  
I'm giving serious thought to paying comissions of Team FADE Fanart.  
I have plans for Felix's prosthetic.  
I have delivered Dr. McEvil and Ginger Hat Man.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	89. Down To The Woods

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 89: Down To The Woods**

They had awoken and organised themselves at an ungodly hour of the morning with no opportunity to eat breakfast before departing, the sun still partially below the horizon when they had filed into the Bull-Head that would take them to the Emerald Forest. The transport felt far too small and uncomfortably cramped with the presence of second year Team SNST joining them and bringing their own weapons and gear; the younger students memorable mainly due to their being trained by Carcharodon Gore for a brief period of time seemed somewhat awestruck and utterly unable to hide the fact as they travelled with the now famous Team FADE. Despite these inconveniences Team FADE themselves had managed to make the most of the situation and were managing to wake themselves up with their usual banter and good natured bickering.

"We're getting woken up to mow the lawn….not even getting an allowance for it" Felix grumbled, describing the mission they had been assigned with the disparaging term most students given the task used

"Suck it up" Diamond snorted "Would you rather be in class right now?"

"Classes don't start for hours, I'd rather be in bed right now" Felix countered, the sniper shrugging and silently conceding the point.

"So how're we handling this?" Arctus asked, whilst their mission was simple in essence it was still best to have a solid plan of action beforehand. The teams being sent into the Emerald Forest had each been tasked with with covering a specified amount of ground and eliminating any Grimm they encountered along with replacing the power supplies for the hidden cameras that were used to monitor students during their initiation and observe the forest during the rest of the year, as well as check them for any undue damage; a proposal that had caused Team FADE to share concerned glances as each of them was forcibly reminded of the seemingly intelligent Alpha Beowolf that had spoken and named itself Phobos during their first year.

"Team SNST take the east, we'll head west" Felix answered after a moment "We fan out and cover the ground faster, keep comms open and stay close enough that we can regroup at a moments' notice. Shine, if your team run into trouble contact Eagle first; her Semblance will get her to your location before the rest of us"

"Okay, I can do that" Eagle agreed, contributing something other than a yawn to the conversation for the first time in a while

"You okay?" Felix asked

"Just tired"

"Where did you sleep last night?" the Faunus's question was accompanied with a toothy grin that made it clear he knew exactly what the answer would be

"Bold of you to assume there was any sleeping involved" Diamond snorted, knowing that Eagle had departed to meet Hellion after the team naming ceremony

"Oh my Oum! Shut up you jerks!" Eagle gasped, burying her face in her hands as her freckled cheeks flushed scarlet

"Not to sound too much like Corey…..but I guess you two got it Helli- _ON_ " Felix added, only for his proud expression to falter when his team-mates turned and gave him exasperated sighs in unison

"Dude….no" Diamond shook her head "Just no"

"Whatever man, don't even like the puns anyway" he grumbled; glancing over to the younger students they shared a transport with when a giggle escaped one of Team SNST

"Holy Oum they speak!" hearing this caused the second years to collectively fall silent once again, intimidated by the presence of the older students

"You guys okay?" Diamond enquired, concerned that Team SNST were worried about the mission and that the worry would become a self fulfilling prophecy when it lured Grimm to their location

"We're good" Shine Jua, leader of the team assured her "Didn't wanna admit it y'know, but it's kinda cool to be working with you guys"

"Is it true that the Ruby Rose is your Aunt?" one of Shine's team-mates added

"Yeah it is" Felix grinned "But seriously though, we're just students the same as you are….working with us is nothing special"

"No way, you guys are awesome" another member of Team SNST objected "You kicked ass in the Vytal Tournament….hey is it true that you guys held off the leader of the White Fang on your own?"

"I don't wanna talk about it" Felix stated flatly, expression darkening as he looked away

"Come on bro, it must've-"

"I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP!" the Lion Faunus was already unfastening the harness of his seat and making to lunge at Shine when he felt Arctus and Eagle grab him by the shoulders; Felix stilled and forced himself to reign in his temper though the damage had been done, Team SNST sat in petrified silence except for a single stammered apology which went unacknowledged and the atmosphere within the transport grew oppressive and icy as silence reigned until the co-pilot of the transport stepped into the rear compartment

"We're coming up on the drop zone in the western clearing"

"Let's move" Felix snarled, tearing the harness away and leaping to his feet

"Stay safe down there" the co-pilot gently rested a hand on Felix's shoulder, he was about to violently remove the hand when he saw that the middle aged woman's uniform was decorated with a handful of medals; one of which was an award only given to those who had served in the militia that had retaken Vale from the Grimm during the war; seeing the medal Felix merely nodded silently whilst fishing a sizeable Fire Dust crystal from one of his pockets before positioning himself at the hatch beneath the crafts' left wing, Eagle stood beside him whilst Arctus and Diamond took the right side

"Coming up in three! Two! One" the co-pilot announced before the lighting within the rear compartment shifted from red to a vibrant grin and wind howled around them as the hatches slid open

"GO! GO! GO!" Felix leapt and was briefly aware of Eagle taking a position behind him, then he was falling and the treeline rushed up to greet him at tremendous speed. Time seemed to slow as he watched Eagle swoop passed him in her avian form, rotating as he fell he saw Arctus and Diamond sharing a Glyph that the Bear Faunus had summoned; the silver haired sniper having shifted Lex Talionis to its' ranged form and was clearly preparing to leap into the trees. Felix exhaled slowly and crushed the Dust crystal in his hand whilst activating his Semblance, it didn't provide enough energy for him to enter his Balrog state but it did cause his golden Aura to become visible and allow him to plummet through the trees, shattering any trunks or branches he came into contact with before finally rolling to a stop on the ground utterly unharmed.

"There's gotta be an easier way for you to do that" Eagle sighed, announcing her presence as she reverted to her true form in a flash of brilliant white Aura

"Probably, but sometimes I just wanna smash things" Felix grumbled

"And let every Grimm within twenty miles know we're here" Diamond's low voice hissed down to him; alerting him to the fact that the sniper had indeed set up a vantage point in the canopy. Arctus lumbered into view from where he'd landed, using a small Glyph that span like the blade of a buzz-saw to cut away any foliage in his path

"Everyone got spare batteries for the cameras?" Felix asked his assembled team

"And a map showing where the cameras actually are?" Diamond added; both questions received positive answers and the Lion Faunus drew Hack and Slash from the harness on his back and cricked his neck

"Let's fan out and get the job done then….We're hunting Grimm in a forest, this is the easy stuff"

* * *

Helios landed in a crouch, the edge of his shield colliding with the spine of a Beowolf; despatching the monster with a sickening sound of shattering bone. He wasted no time in leaping to his feet and joining the fray in earnest only for the nearest creature of Grimm to him, a towering Ursa, to be reduced to nothing but wisps of smoke by Olivine who had taken the opportunity to display just how effective the newly upgraded Buster Bravo was. The golden armoured Huntsman wasted no time finding another target and began his rampage through the tide of Grimm with fresh vigour, acutely aware of Ether and Nyanza working together in tandem, the guitarist using his Semblance to flit around the impromptu battlefield that their landing zone had become and using himself as a distraction which created openings for the bushy tailed Faunus to gun down scores of Grimm, showcasing his impressive marksmanship as he did so. The skirmish was brief and brutal, ending with the small hill surrounded by trees upon which Team NEON had landed being enveloped in a fine mist comprised of deceased Grimm

"Ever wonder if breathing this shit in all the time is bad for us?" Nyanza asked conversationally as he reloaded, his team-mates turning and giving him disbelieving stares

"What?" he demanded in an amused tone with a shrug as he spun the Pharaoh Mafdet in their pistol forms around on his fingers by their triggers, miraculously not firing the weapons by accident

"What the hell happened, I thought you were supposed to be lucky?" Olivine demanded with some irritation she as removed her goggles and wiped sweat from her brow. They had been the second team from their transport to deploy, fourth years Team CAMO having preceded them and landed in the forest proper; the Grimm had seemingly taken notice of the Bull-Head at some point between deployments causing Team NEON to be beset on all sides from the moment their feet touched the ground

"Hardly fair to blame me" Nyanza protested with an annoyed scowl, prompting Helios to cut off the bickering before it could gain any momentum

"Enough….Olivine, reload whilst Ether and I scout ahead, Nyanza contact Team CAMO and make sure they landed without being overrun" the redhead gripped his sword and shield a little tighter as he began down the small hill and towards the trees, many of which had been been broken or uprooted by the Grimm that had swarmed them

"Think that little of the fourth years?" Ether murmured with an amused smirk as he fell into step with his team leader

"The first impression was unimpressive" Helios admitted; the rabbit Faunus named Carat and his team were almost certainly capable fighters but had carried themselves with such a lax and carefree attitude that the redhead had seemingly had to restrain himself from reaching over and shaking sense into them, especially the older teams' self proclaimed heavy hitter, a man named Maroon who seemed eager to point out that his name rhymed with doom.

"So what's the plan?" Ether asked, resting Ghost Reverie over his shoulder in its' axe form "Fan out and cover more ground?"

"Eventually….I don't know this forest, better we stick together until we have a more accurate idea of just how many Grimm are in it and then decide on splitting into pairs"

"Makes sense" Ether nodded in agreement, turning and slowing to a halt as Olivine and Nyanza rejoined them; the feline pausing as something in a bush caught his eye, crouching down he reached into the mass of thorns and leaves and pulled out what was obviously a weapon of some kind

"Huh, guess I am still lucky after all. One of the fresh meat must've dropped it….guess I'll give it back" it was a testament to Nyanza's growth that he hadn't elected to sell the weapon, some kind short sword that doubled as a ranged weapon, back to its' owner

"Good, but focus" Helios reminded his partner

"Team CAMO are fine" Nyanza informed them, getting back on track "They actually saw some Nevermore heading our way and took 'em down for us"

"I'll have to thank them later" the redhead was pleasantly surprised at the admittedly more experienced teams' decision, fully aware that fighting airborne Grimm in addition to the monsters they had already had to combat would have been difficult on the hilltop which afforded no cover.

"Yeah, they said they caught sight of the Bull-head Team FADE were on as well; the one with the old Vale Flag pained on the wing" this caused Helios to visibly stiffen; he had already been well aware that Team FADE had been given an identical mission to his own but suddenly the reality that Felix, about whom he was already growing concerned, was in this very forest filled with Grimm and possibly acting as a lure to the monsters made his blood run cold; the sinking feeling in his stomach must have shown on his face because Nyanza gave him a knowing look before speaking

"If you wanna go look for him then fine….just keep your comms open and don't try any stupid hero shit. We've got your back"

"Pass me your gear" Olivine sighed "We'll handle the mission if this can't wait until we get back"

"I….I don't know if it can" Helios admitted, unable to fully articulate his concerns "Thank you"

"No problem" Ether gently nudged his shoulder, his brow furrowing as a thought occurred to him "How're you gonna find him though? I doubt he's gonna be able to give you any landmarks to reference" Helios merely gave a confident smirk at the question, obviously his team-mate had forgotten just who he was talking to

"I'll find him" he assured Ether "I'm a Nikosi, this is what we do"

* * *

"This feels a lot easier than last year" Nero Pyre noted, struggling to be heard as he continued the task of clearing out the Deathstalker nest Team SNST had stumbled upon by aiming his flamethrower into the cave that the Grimm were pouring out of and simply unleashing the weapons destructive capabilities'; whilst beside him his partner, Seashell a tall young woman slender enough to risk being on the wrong side of spindly, decimated any of the arachnid horrors that survived the flames with her own weapon, a Gatling-gun that her team-mates were still occasionally surprised that she could lift. The task of covering the pair from any Grimm that had already escaped the cave or that had been drawn to the violence fell to Shine who wore his heavy goggles over his eyes and flashed between the trees with his weapon in its' ranged form, riddling the carapaces of the Grimm with bullets wherever he appeared and Teal, the final member of the second year Team holding Grimm at bay with a double ended trident.

"Not saying much, last year was a fucking nightmare" Shine noted as he blinked into view in a flash of blinding light which his team-mates were luckily prepared for; landing on the back of a particularly large Deathstalker and shifting his weapon into its' gigantic pincer form and seizing the skull of the Grimm between the claws, sending fractures across the surface of the bony armour before finally twisting and ripping the creatures' head away. Eventually the fighting ended and a volley of Ice Dust rounds from Seashell brought the flames that threatened to spill from the mouth of the cave out into the forest under control, leaving Team SNST to take a few moments to collectively catch their breath before continuing

"Think they're all gonna be like this?" Teal asked with a grimace as he sunk his trident into the ground and leaned against it. Nero snorted from where he was replacing the power supply on the monitoring equipment that they had come to this cave in search of

"I think they're all gonna be exactly like this, that's exactly why they sent so many teams down here"

"He's got a point" Sunset sighed as he ran his hands through his bleached blonde cornrows; not truly relaxing but still giving his team a few moments to recover from the latest of what promised to be many such encounters whilst inwardly beaming with pride at just how far they'd all come in the last year.

"Okay" he eventually breathed out "Come on, let's go" with only a few groans of dissent to be heard Team SNST readied their weapons and began following their leader who had opened his Scroll in the arm unencumbered by his weapon and found the location of the next piece of monitoring equipment; finding themselves coming to another unplanned halt after only a few minutes as Shine raised a hand in warning and gestured for them to be quiet

"You hear that?" his voice was hushed and urgent, the rest of the second years strained their ears and eventually realised what it was that had caused their leader to stop; the unmistakable sound of gunfire and trees being shattered in the distance.

"We helping?" Nero asked gruffly

"Obviously" Shine answered bluntly before taking off in the direction of the fighting, Team SNST following close behind with their weapons at the ready. Eventually the reached a clearing that had obviously been created recently as the splintered forms of broken tree trunks littered the ground, some of which lay dozens of feet away from where their stumps still resided and Team SNST came skidding to a halt as they processed the sight before them; Arctus Slate and Diamond Sustrai-Black facing off against what could only be described as a gigantic sentient ball

"What the hell?" Teal demanded as the thing swerved around a Glyph Arctus had created to block its' path; the ball was roughly twice the height of the average man and seemed to be comprised of several overlapping plates of bone white armour adorned with fist sized studs that ripped into the ground as it moved. Shine realised that he was looking at the armoured exterior of some kind of Grimm that had curled up to defend itself

"It's a Demolisher!" Diamond called down to the second years from her current vantage point "Armadillo Grimm!" seemingly drawn by the sound of her voice the Demolisher turned, sending vast chunks of earth into the air as it continued to spin before racing towards the tree which Diamond was currently shooting at it from

"DON'T THINK SO!" Arctus roared, leaving Team SNST stunned as he performed a feat they had only seen on television and summoned a glowing pearly white Ursa which proceeded to charge the spherical form of the Grimm, robbing it of at least some of its' momentum before being crushed and providing the Bear Faunus with enough time to shift Grimmiger-Henker into its' twin laser cannon mode and open fire, the newly redesigned weapon leaving a pair of burning gouges across the Grimm's armour but failing to pierce through its' reinforced hide

"What do we do?" Seashell demanded, the answer came to Shine seemingly of its' own volition

"Force it to uncurl!"

"On it!" Teal barked rushing towards the Demolisher as it began to pick up speed once again, circling the clearing and crushing anything that fell beneath it; he loaded a compartment within his trident with Gravity Dust and sunk it into the ground at an angle and at that moment Shine realised what his partner was attempting. The Demolisher rolled towards Teal and collided with the trident, only to be sent hurtling into the air by the Dust infused weapon which acted as a ramp. Shine used his Semblance to teleport into the air and seize the Grimm in the mechanical claw of his weapon and send it crashing to the ground on its' side with an earth shaking impact

"Wasn't so-"

"GET CLEAR!" Arctus roared, Shine teleported aside just in time to Teal by sent crashing through several trees as the Demolisher unfurled itself at an impossible speed; its' skull was thin and tapered, adorned with oversized ears and several pairs of beady glowing eyes; its' limbs were weak and atrophied, ending in curled claws hardly suited to walking, the tail that had struck Teal however was a mass of dense and corded muscle ending in a mass of spiked and studded bone resembling a mace or club

"IT'S GONNA RIGHT ITSELF!" Diamond bellowed as the monster scurried and scrabbled on the ground, letting out a stream of ear-splitting shrieks as it did so

"NO IT'S NOT!" Seashell surged forwards as Diamond, Arctus, Shine and Nero opened fire on the Grimm; her Gatling-gun shifting and reshaping itself into a two handed war-hammer with which she struck the Grimm in the side, cracking its' bony armour and sending it skidding across the clearing on its' back

"QUICK!" Shine bellowed as the Demolisher struggled "TAKE IT OUT-"  
"CAW!" everything seemed to move in slow motion as Team SNST watched an ivory feathered bird of prey soar into the clearing, tucking its' wings flat against its' body and diving towards the Demolisher before vanishing in a flash of light to be replaced by Eagle Arc who fell towards the Grimm with her dark bladed sword drawn, the blade pierced through the lower jaw of the Grimm and erupted through its' skull as she crashed into its' unprotected underside and as she rose to her feet the Demolisher began to fade away as it died

"Nice save" Diamond congratulated as she hopped down from the trees, quickly turning to Shine "Is your team-mate okay?"

"I'm good!" Teal called out, announcing his return as he limped back into the clearing "I'm still saying we helped, we definitely helped take that thing out"

"Sure you did" Arctus grunted, casually creating a Glyph above the boy to stop a branch that had been about to fall on his head. The euphoria of winning a hard fought battle was short lived as Eagle spoke in an obviously worried tone

"Where's Felix?"

"He should have regrouped when he heard the fighting" Arctus noted

"Unless he's too far away to hear it?" Shine's suggestion caused the third years to turn their attention to him; a sensation that he was not entirely comfortable with, after a moment that seemed to stretch out for far too long Arctus, Diamond and Eagle turned to one another and spoke in unison

"Oum damn it Fluffy!"

* * *

Felix hit the ground and came rolling to a stop, a furious snarl escaping him as he did so. He had managed to cover a considerable amount of ground alone, growing up on Patch having made him accustomed to moving through Grimm filled woodland and he had been able to maintain several pieces of monitoring equipment before he had encountered any creatures of Grimm worthy of note; unfortunately however he had obviously strayed too far from his team-mates as evidenced by the fact they were yet to arrive and the Grimm in question happened to be one of the horrific but mercifully rare species known as a _'Vale Devil'_

"Not bad, let's see if you can do it again" he growled as he twirled Hack and Slash in his palms whilst sizing up the monster that had beset him by lunging down from where it had been hidden in the treetops. The Vale Devils' body was the same inky black as any other creature Grimm, its' jagged and malformed ribs wrapping around its' narrow chest to give it a sickly an emaciated appearance, its' posture was hunched though the tops of its' haunches still reached above Felix's head and a muscular tail trailed on the ground behind the monster, tipped with a fork of sharpened bone; its' rear limbs ended in cloven hooves whilst the forelimbs were overly long and thin, ending in disproportionately large hands and thin, many jointed fingers. The skull of the Vale Devil was easily larger than its' chest, broad and tapering down to a rounded snout with the overall appearance of a skull belonging to some monstrous deer save for the rows of needle like teeth filling its' maw; the head sported a pair of antlers which each branched off into a twisted mass of half a dozen swept forward bony spears, its' neck sported a row of swept back spines jutting from beneath the Grimm's flesh which led to a pair of bat-like wings which were currently curled around the Vale Devil's hunched form, the membrane of flesh between each digit a deep crimson. Whilst the monster couldn't truly fly it could most certainly glide from tree to tree and was capable of moving at terrifying speed on the ground

"Come on you ugly son of a bitch" Felix spat, knowing that taunting the creature was useless but still hoping that the Grimm would give him an opening to exploit; after regarding him with its' malevolent red eyes for a moment longer it let out a deafening and blood curdling scream, a high pitched wail that sounded like a chorus of agonized screams and echoed throughout the forest unnaturally before the Vale Devil lunged forwards, its' long limbed and loping gait given haste by flaps of its' sinewy wings. Felix rushed forwards, his Semblance absorbing the sparks that his swords spat as their chainsaw blades came screeching into life and as the Grimm leapt in a clear attempt to pounce onto his chest the Faunus dropped to his knees, his momentum carrying him beneath the Vale Devil in a slide as he thrust his blades upwards; quickly scrabbling back to his feet he saw that whilst the Grimm's wings had remained attached the translucent membrane of skin had been utterly ruined, rendering them unusable. The satisfaction Felix felt was fleeting, the Vale Devil proving itself to still be more than capable of retaliation when it simply leapt and clutched at the trunk of the nearest tree, its' spindly fingers sinking into the bark as it scuttled upwards and into the canopy, remaining unseen despite its' considerable size and the incessant rustling of branches.

"Oh for Oum's sake" Felix muttered to himself, making a quick decision he shifted his weapons to their machine-pistols forms and began opening fire with short volleys of rounds with small explosive payloads; not enough to risk causing another forest fire but still enough to allow him to charge his Semblance a little more with each shot. It was for nothing however as Felix's back exploded into pain and he found himself sailing through the air for colliding painfully with a tree and ricocheting off of its' trunk to land face down in a heap, weapons knocked from his grasp by the attack. Felix slowly struggled to his feet, noting that the Vale Devil hit far harder than one would expect as the muscles of his back and shoulders protested against each laboured breath. The Grimm paced, sensing that it had the upper hand but also that its' prey was not wounded enough to simply move in for the kill; with another primal shriek it made to leap into the trees once more, only to be sent tumbling downwards as the trunk its' forelimbs buried themselves in was broken in half in a shower of splinters by a glistening golden shield being hurled through its' surface with incredible force.

"Heely?" Felix mouthed out in stunned confusion as the redhead came barrelling into view, his left shoulder smashing into the snout of the Grimm as he charged it, followed by a backhanded blow and an overhand, downwards stab of his sword which ripped into the creatures' shoulder.

"Stay back, I'll handle this!" Helios called out as he weaved beneath a wild swipe of the Grimm's clawed forelimb and rolled out of the path of its' antlers as it charged; as he rose he buried his sword in its' flank he saw Felix rush forwards and reclaim his weapons from the ground, shifting them back into their sword modes as he leapt into the air, intending to skewer the Vale Devil from behind but instead having to parry its' tail as it whipped around and lashed out at him.

"FELIX, FIRE DUST!" Helios barked, having used the brief opening to retrieve his shield and change Olympus Enforcer into its' ranged form, the flames spewing from each shots' impacted being consumed by Felix's golden Aura. The Vale Devil, deciding Helios was its' greatest threat at that moment rushed towards him, its' slender body slithering low to the ground before surging upwards and smashing its' antlers into his chest, thrashing its' head back and forth to free itself of the redhead, its' antlers having become caught in his golden armour until eventually Helios hit the ground with a thud, making to rise but clearly winded as the Grimm stalked towards him. It never made it, Felix saw Helios flying through the air and in an instant his world seemed to melt away to nothing but himself, his target and the clear straight line between them; the familiar raging heat from within built up and boiled over as Felix entered his Balrog state, body becoming wreathed in golden flames and magma as a monstrous roar left his lips. The Vale Devil hadn't managed to fully turn around before Felix reached it and one of its' already damaged wings was utterly crushed by the impact, this was merely a precursor to the now berserk Faunus grabbing the Grimm's antlers and planting a foot against the back of its' skull, ripping the antlers away and casting them aside before he reigned down earthshaking blows on the skull of the monster until the light flickered from its' eyes and its' body was reduced to an acrid black mist rising from the now cratered and fractured ground. When the Vale Devil finally expired Felix released his Semblance and sank to his hands and knees, head spinning as a coughing fit racked his body and made every gulp of air that stung his lungs a challenge

"Oh my Oum what happened?" Eagle's voice announced her arrival, Felix was vaguely aware of more footsteps and assumed that Arctus and Diamond were with her but everything was too blurry to be certain.

"Grimm" Helios explained as he drew close to the Lion Faunus, gently cradling his head as Felix leaned against him "As you can see we dealt with it"

"I think I dealt with it if anything" Felix coughed out with the cockiest grin he could manage; from what he could see Helios did not look amused

"Get him to safety, he can't fight in this condition"

"Hey I'm fine, gimme a minute to catch my breath"

"You are certainly not fine" Helios breathed out, the concern in his voice tinged with hurt that only served to make Felix's stomach clench as a cold dead weight settled in it

"Come on" Eagle offered softly as she pulled her partner to his feet "We'll get you on a Bull-head out of here and meet back at the Academy" before he could be led away Helios placed a hand on a shoulder that was still sore though Felix refused to show the discomfort

"We'll talk about this tonight" the only thing that eased Felix's nerves was the gentle kiss Helios planted on his forehead before making to contact the rest of Team NEON. As Team FADE retreated back to a clearing from which their leader could be extracted Felix caught a brief movement from between the trees out of the corner of his eye and tensed, bracing himself for an attack that never came. Team FADE chose not to investigate, reasoning that it was merely some woodland animal that had somehow survived in the Grimm filled forest though if they had done they might have noticed the rose petals littering the ground.

* * *

"Thanks for coming over" Qrow's voice was as gruff as always, the tiredness that was plainly written on his face only adding to it. Ruby merely gave him a smile and a gesture that conveyed that it was no problem before she emptied the glass of milk currently in her hands. The two of them were situated in the base of operations beneath Qrow's home which Ruby had always managed to find impressive despite the perfectly ordinary house above it giving the place an incongruous air that bordered on ludicrous. Ruby had been enjoying dinner with Penny and the twins after returning from her relatively brief mission of covertly overseeing teams of students operating within the Emerald Forest when Qrow had contacted her requesting that she report in person, she had agreed and made her way to her Uncles' nearby home though was in no way completely happy with the situation

"It's fine" she assured him, her tone promising that their would be an addition "But can we make this as quick as possible? Summer's into baseball now, she's on the school team and TJ wants to play guitar; it feels like the only time I actually see my kids is taking them to school and training them"

"I get it" Qrow sighed, whilst he had never raised his own daughter the knowledge of how much time he had lost with her and the experiences they would never have weighed heavily on him "Speaking of training, when should I send word to Anima about-"

"We'll let you know when we're ready" Ruby sighed "I agreed to this because it's going to be safer to train this Nikosi girl than training the twins would be; it doesn't mean either Penny or I are exactly happy with the idea of having a stranger in our home and around our children. The twins are gonna need some time to adjust to the idea as well….besides we haven't even decorated her room yet"

"It's okay, just the sooner the better" Qrow assured her in an understanding tone "And she might be a teenager but I doubt Syneffo Nikos will give you too much trouble, she'll be acting as a representative of the entire Nikosi Tribe" Ruby allowed herself a few moments to consider this whilst absently playing with the frayed and tattered edges of her cape before finally speaking

"It's okay, we all agree that this is something that needs to happen. So, what did you really call me over for?"

"A quick briefing…..should be right about _now_ " Qrow's final word coincided precisely with a notification appearing on one of the many screens of his vast monitoring system; he ageing Huntsman made himself comfortable in his seat before moving the notification to the central screen before opening it, so that when he did so he and Winter Schnee were speaking to each other face to face through the connection

"Winter; Commander Skye" he gave a curt nod to Matte Skye, Winter's former first mate and the current head of the Atlesian fleet whom was currently stood at the Generals' right hand side, their closeness betraying that their relationship was far more than purely professional despite their mutual agreement to keep it private and away from the public eye.

"Qrow, how's the basement?" Winter gave a slight grin, the light verbal sparring between them irresistible as always; Winter herself was clearly in her office aboard her personal airship

"Comfortable, I can't be court marshalled here" he replied with a grin "But let's talk business, it's a school night"

"Indeed" Winter nodded before indicating to Matte that they should speak

"Atlesian ships have performed reconnaissance over several sites of former battles with exploratory teams being sent below ground as needed; several Grimm spawning pools have been eliminated across the continent….as yet we've had no sightings of any subjects displaying intelligence above that of an Alpha designation"

"My agents have been taking on similar missions" Qrow informed the Atlesian duo "Ruby was in the Emerald Forest today"

"A Vale Devil gave me some suspicions" Ruby admitted "But it was brought down by second year students; honestly I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be looking for….all we have as a reference is second hand accounts of what Team FADE saw in the Breach and Salem herself, are we looking for a Grimm that monologues at us?" this opinion was met with a disgruntled huff from Winter

"What of Team CFVY?"

"They'll report back when they can" Qrow assured her "Scroll signal still isn't great on Menagerie and there's a lot of ground to cover on that island; besides they have other duties to attend to" his words seem to carry an accusation which Winter picked up on and rebutted

"The people and resources I promised them to help build an Academy on Menagerie will be delivered, but it will take time" she sighed before allowing herself a lapse in professionalism by simply reaching back and removing her ivory hair its' customary ponytail and allowing it fall freely down her back "Regardless; the latest iteration of Project Snare is complete and we're confident that it will be able to contain any Grimm smaller than an Ursa Major or Manticore"

"Snare?" Qrow demanded, suddenly incensed "The thing that son of a bitch who sold guns to the White Fang was working on?"

"You haven't found him yet?" Ruby demanded, more shocked than enraged

"I assure you if we had we would have broadcast his trial and subsequent execution to the world" Winter growled "I will not have traitors in my Kingdom"

"Project Snare has been vetted by our best minds" Matte added, seemingly eager to get the conversation away from an unproductive topic that would only sour moods

"Indeed" Winter nodded "There are no backdoors by which Eldritch could remotely access the project, it's a completely isolated system so it won't be able to affect anything else around it and there are no signs of sabotage….it seems that whatever else he wanted, Eldritch at least wanted us to be able to capture and study a sentient Grimm"

"Then we'll let you know when we have something for you to test it on" Qrow murmured, privately trying to decide how concerned he should be at the fact that they seemed to be playing into the hands of a madman whom he suspected was far more of a threat than anyone had realised.

* * *

It was late afternoon when Felix found himself laying back as comfortable as possible given the plethora of aches and pains his body was currently suffering with, soaking up the last of the setting sun from atop the roof of Halo Academy. Following his return from the Emerald Forest he had been sent for a medical evaluation, only to be declared to be suffering from nothing more than fatigue and slight Aura strain caused by the use of his Semblance; meaning that he had been free to attend classes during the afternoon and be treated to a taste of just how obscenely gargantuan the workload promised to be. The Lion Faunus idly entertained the idea of making a start on one of his assignments but quickly decided he was in no mood to do so; he was already stressed and nervous due to things outside of his schoolwork and didn't see a reason to add to his problems right away, truth be told he would rather have been in the gym distracting himself but too exhausted for it to be of any benefit to him. After laying with his eyes closed in the warmth for a while longer he sensed someone standing over him, the light that penetrated his eyelids becoming obstructed before a familiar voice spoke, somehow leaving him both butterflies and a cold knot of worry in his stomach at the same time.

"Mind if I join you?" Felix opened his eyes and found Helios's vibrant green boring into him

"Sure" he croaked out, throat suddenly dry as he pulled himself into a hunched sitting position with his arms wrapped around his knees and the stump of his severed tail tucked beneath where it couldn't be seen.

"Felix" the redhead sighed as he took a seat beside the blonde "We need to talk"

"Oh" for a moment that was all Felix could manage as dread robbed him of his ability to articulate his thoughts and a dull buzzing in his mind rendered it blank; finally he managed to speak and force his voice not to waver "Is it gonna be one those _'We need to talk'_ talks?"

"I'm honestly not sure what you mean by that" Helios replied with a quizzical stare as the cultural reference sailed over his head

"Are you breaking up with me?" Felix demanded, suddenly forceful

"What?" Helios's expression was one of genuine panic and confusion, a look that was both out of place and mercifully rare for him; he quickly followed the question up "No. I'm just worried about you Felix….you were distant yesterday and today you overexerted yourself and left yourself open to attack-"

"So you think I'm a rookie?"

"Not what I said" Helios shot down the objection calmly but firmly "I said I'm worried about you Felix; I love you and something is clearly bothering you….talk to me" Felix seemed to curl up and retreat himself a little tighter; before taking in a slow and shaky mouthful of air and laying his worries bare

"Do you think less of me for what happened in Atlas?" Helios merely stared in open mouthed silence, needing several moments to process what he had just heard before finally whispering

"What on Remnant has made you think that"

"I don't know" Felix huffed burying his face in his hands "It's just, you're Helios Nikos; heir to the Nikosi, raised in a warrior culture and bad-ass supreme….I got cut apart and lost my tail-"

"I'm no longer the heir to the Nikosi, I abdicated my position to my sister" Helios answered, the words escaping him without any thought on his part and leaving Felix blinking in silent shock which granted the redhead a chance to be as open as possible with his own feelings.

"Yes, I was raised in a 'warrior culture' as you said….and I watched you rise to your feet after an assassination attempt and proceed to trap yourself inside a forcefield with the leader of an attacking army so that civilians could escape, a battle that you must have known you were likely to perish in; which you then went on to win" Helios cupped Felix's cheeks and made sure that he had the now utterly stunned Faunus's complete attention "That was without question the single most heroic thing I have ever seen and my only regret is that I couldn't have been inside that arena fighting alongside you….I love you Felix and I am with you for as long as you will have me" that was more than the blondes' fragile mental state could handle and he simply buried his face in the crook of Helios's neck and wrapped himself around his boyfriend as tears trickled from his eyes; after a moment Helios gently raised Felix's head up so that their foreheads were touching before leaning in for a kiss; he was slow and tender and then suddenly he wasn't, fingers curling in blonde hair while he took Felix's lip between his teeth until the Faunus's gave a shuddering groan into his mouth, Helios turned his attention to his boyfriends' neck and collarbone, forceful enough to leave a mark as he pushed him backwards; coming to a halt when Felix let out a hiss of pain the moment his back collided with the academies' roof

"Wait, stop" he sighed with a pained grimace "Back's still all bruised up from that Grimm-"

"I'm sorry I should have-"

"It's fine" Felix sighed, pulling Helios close and nuzzling into his muscular chest "Honestly I don't really want to do this right now anyway….we're on the roof for Oum's sake; wine and dine me first Heely I'm a classy bitch" the blunt delivery left Helios doubled over howling with laughter and as the two of them regained their composure and cuddled as they watched the sunset, he decided to return the favour and leave Felix cackling until he was gasping for breath by commenting

"It would have been an interesting way to deal with my fear of heights"

* * *

Arctus, Diamond and Eagle had been present for most of the afternoons' classes; Goodwitch deeming their mission brief enough that they shouldn't require a days' rest following it and as such they had been subjected to a mountain of assignments and required reading identical to the one that their team leader was currently on the roof ignoring. The three of them were having marginally more success in motivating themselves and focusing on the task at hand, having elected to work in their dormitory rather than the library however had resulted in the somewhat predictable situation of them also listening to music whose tempo and latent aggression were perhaps not the most conducive to studying, especially not when played at a volume that caused each bass note to be felt through the floor; a choice made by Diamond who was currently using a pair of pens as impromptu drumsticks to play along, tapping against the pages of the textbook she was allegedly reading whilst Arctus sat beside her obviously fighting the urge to dance and remain focused as he scribbled notes in the margins of the pages. Eagle watched them from Felix's bunk, which she had commandeered until he returned, with a bemused expression on her face; she had paused her own studying due to the growling of her stomach becoming impossible to ignore any longer and was only refraining from heading directly to the canteen in search of a hard earned hot meal because an idea had occurred to her

"Hey guys, can you turn it down for a sec? I wanna call my Mum"

"No Problem" Diamond answered quickly, pausing the current song for the brief time it took her to remove the speaker currently plugged into her Scroll and replace it with earphones which she proceeded to share with Arctus. Eagle silently mouthed out a thank you before searching for her Scroll and opening her mothers' contact details; her own hunger suddenly reminding her that Antonia Arc was most likely working at Poly-Techs' primary facility and was almost certainly neglecting food and sleep as usual, reverting to her old habits of subsisting on a diet of caffeine and pure willpower. After a few rings the call was answered and Eagle's mother came into view as the video call began; the bags around Antonia's eyes and the fact that the sleeves of her lab-coat seemed to be charred immediately lending credence to Eagle's concerns

"Hey Mum"

"Hello Eagle, is there something I can do for you?"

"Go and eat something and take a nap?" she replied faster than she could stop herself, privately amazed at how easily the sarcastic tone seemed to come to her; the Eagle Arc that had arrived at Halo Academy in her first year would never have dreamed of it

"I'm at home, I just called it a day" Antonia gestured to her surroundings, revealing that she was indeed in her apartment within Poly-Tech; Eagle's expression softened and relaxed

"I just wanted to say hi, it was the first day back at Halo-"

"Oh I thought you would've spent it with Hellion" Antonia noted, since Atlas their relationship had improved vastly and Antonia seemed far more accepting of Eagle's girlfriend if sometimes a little overeager to please or occasionally prying a little too much; this comment in particular causing Eagle to flush scarlet at the memory of exactly how she had spent the previous evening

"I've got assignments and they sent my team out for a mission this morning-"

"How did it go, are you okay?"

"I'm fine Mum" Eagle assured her, seeing the concern etching itself into Antonia's expression "Took out a Demolisher-"

"Helped" Arctus interjected "You helped take out a demolisher, we had it under control" Eagle's only response was to throw a pillow at the Bear Faunus before returning her attention to her mother

"I'm planning on spending this weekend with Hellion though, I want her to meet my D….Qrow, I want her to meet Qrow"

"You can call him your father in front of me Eagle, I won't be mad" Antonia assured her, Eagle however needed a moment to process her feelings; while she wasn't averse to calling Qrow her Dad she had only done so a handful of times so far and making it the norm seemed to change their relationship somehow in her mind; she was pulled from her musings by the sight of the image on her Scroll flickering and becoming grainy for a moment, immediately followed by the sound of blaring sirens on the other end of the call

"Is everything okay?" Antonia didn't answer for a moment, obviously distracted; eventually she turned to the screen and stated

"Eagle I'm sorry, I've got to go" with that the call ended, leaving Eagle to consider the suddenly worried edge in her mothers' voice.

* * *

On the other end of the call Antonia Arc stalked swiftly across her apartment towards the front door, stopping only to pull a shotgun loaded with Ice Dust rounds from behind a coat rack close to the doorway. She recognised the alarm that had begun screeching immediately, it signalled a containment breach somewhere within the storage facility below the building, known as the Toy-Box; Antonia cocked the shotgun with a scowl, she had been kidnapped by a bandit tribe, targeted by the White Fang and taken advantage of by a man who wished to use her company as a weapon of terror; Antonia Arc had personally vowed that she would never be the victim in her own life story again and if that meant heading into the lowest reaches of this facility and facing this latest thief or attacker herself then that was what she would do.

"I'm an Arc, Arc's defend what's important" with that she prepared to summon the elevator that led to her apartment.

It wouldn't come.

Again and again she pressed the buttons to no avail, her mind needing a few moments in its' adrenaline fuelled state to recognise the obvious answer; an emergency lock-down was in place. Retrieving her Scroll again she promptly tried to contact the head of her secondary security division, the group comprised of Atlesian soldiers, her own security team and veteran Hunters sworn to secrecy who patrolled the seemingly endless corridors of the Toy-Box.

"Sargent Noir! What on Remnant is…." she trailed off, mouth hanging agape at the middle aged, but still powerfully built mans' appearance. Sargent Noirs' face was smeared with blood and sported a pallid complexion and sheen of sweat that made it clear that he had lost far more than was visible; he was also breathing heavily and his eyes had a wild unfocused look for a moment before he managed to compose himself and gasp out something of an explanation

"Ma'am you need to evacuate the facility immediately, it got out!"

"It?" Antonia questioned, needing far more precise information to form a response to this apparent threat

"It opened it's container from the inside, started attacking….it picked off the Hunters first-"

"Noir, what is-" Antonia apparently went unheard as the security guard rambled

"The rest of us split up, the soldiers tried to hold it off….they'll be dead by now. The security team are trying to make sure it can't get out of any of the exits, gonna blow 'em up"

"Noir, what escaped. Which, NOIR BEHIND YOU!" there were perhaps a handful of seconds which seemed to pass in slow motion is which a lone figure strode into view behind the man, the corridors too dimly lit to provide more than a silhouette; then the figure raised an arm and whilst Antonia couldn't see a weapon there was a gathering of light which culminated in a flash and the line going dead and whose impact Antonia could faintly fell as the entire building seemed to shudder; far from enough to risk the structural integrity but enough for it to be very clear that something was attempting to leave.

"Oh my Oum" she whispered to the empty apartment as terror seeped into every fibre of her being, quickly contacting General Schnee; the military needed to know that Project Lineage had gone rogue.

 **Authors Notes:**

So, I paid off a cliffhanger in the Vol.6 finale with another cliffhanger….Oops.  
Two boss battles in one chapter though so it's all good.  
Next chapter will see the return of a first week at Beacon/Halo tradition; I'm sure my long term readers can figure it out.  
Also, I want to say congratulations to everyone at Ao3 for the Hugo Award.

Not a great deal to say here so, let's summarise:  
Being up before the sun is and skipping breakfast, Team FADE are getting a taste of my morning routine.  
You guys remember Team SNST right? The team that Carcharodon beat the stuffing out of and then trained for a bit.  
" _Mowing the lawn"_ keeping Grimm numbers down after a particularly large emotional event that would have drawn more/agitated the Grimm, things like initiation, a festival or major sports event like a Vytal Tournament are the usual reasons.  
The teams are being sent to do what was actually Team NEON's second mission of first year, the difference being that no first years are being sent and there are more teams being sent so they can cover more ground quickly.  
Damn, you know it's gonna be a long day when even Felix is making puns.  
Team SNST were so close to making friends with Team FADE….and then they goofed by trying to talk about Atlas.  
Felix's landing strategy is still _"Bulldoze anything in the way"_.  
I don't know why but Helios in the thick of all those Grimm made me think of Jon Snow in the Battle of the Bastards, that part where he's trying to find somebody to face off against but they're all getting mowed down by cavalry before he can get close.  
Seriously though, someone at a con needs to ask the CRWBY if there are any long term health effects associated with Grimm mist?  
Team CAMO, Corvid had a sympathy date with their leader once and their 'Heavy hitter' is an homage to Team Four Stars' parody of the Ginyu Force.  
That weapon Nyanza found will probably show up next chapter.  
Seriously, was there ever any doubt that Helios could find someone in a forest.  
If you want to imagine the cave Team SNST were fighting near as the same one that Jaune and Pyrrha went into during their initiation then go for it….I certainly will be.  
Seriously RT, the dragons and griffins and stuff are cool….but give us more animal Grimm, they're a goldmine.  
Team SNST did okay, but they're all gonna be gushing over how cool Team FADE are after this though.  
Obviously Eagle's new sword was gonna get used.  
Yep, it's a Jersey Devil Grimm….I was genuinely debating a giant Sloth Grimm but I just couldn't bring myself to write it.  
Helios is bad-ass, but sometimes I have to remind people that he isn't unstoppable.  
Felix went ham, but his Balrog State is basically a finishing move and using it too early is gonna cause problems.  
Yes Ruby would have stepped in if it looked like things were gonna go south.  
I only threw in the little details about the twins to make them seem more like real kids, rather than just being there as adorable plot devices.  
Ruby isn't being needlessly cruel, just honest. Training someone with silver eyes to use them is going to involve having them around Grimm; which is less likely to go wrong when the student is a member of a nomadic tribe already used to killing Grimm than a pair of suburban children under the age of ten.  
Also yeah, Syneffo will be coming to Vale at some point.  
So yeah, Qrow and Winter are still co-ordinating the search for another sentient Grimm; Ruby kept an eye on the Vale Devil because she thought it could potentially be something like Phobos, it wasn't.  
In Downward Spiral Menagerie was Salem's base of operations; the reason there's a lot of ground to cover on menagerie isn't because the island is big but because literally any part of it that isn't a settlement, which is still at least two thirds, is effectively Grimm infested.  
And Coco, Velvet and Yatsu are still building their own academy.  
They're still gonna use Project Snare to capture a sentient Grimm….what could possibly go wrong.  
Helios and Syneffo missing idioms and pop culture references has to be a thing that I bring back.  
And that's what's been bothering Felix; lack of communication and PTSD have been making him worry about his relationship.  
Honestly I was originally going to have a Battle-Cat sex scene in this chapter but decided against it, it didn't quite feel right.  
Helios is still not a fan of heights.  
It's good to see how far Eagle's come from Vol.1.  
Taking out a Demolisher is obviously the kind of job that you don't let somebody else take credit for, it's hard work and you earn your own bragging rights.  
Antonia is taking no shit from anyone any more.  
Y'all knew Sargent Noir was gonna die the second you saw him right?  
Obviously "Project Lineage" is what Ozymandias was looking for and found, from the cliffhanger at the end of Vol.6  
I'm pretty sure you can figure out roughly what Project Lineage is and how bad it's going to be.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Funlander, DizzyDwarf, iSassenach, CanadianCavalier and Garthraxxus for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Yeah Glynda is as tough as old boots.  
Oh the team dynamics are going to be interesting _(Cough, next chapter, cough)  
_ Rhodey is from the hood, in a universe populated by people-eating monsters and legit superheroes; he's used to people dying, hell his dad's dead and he's killed a cop before….remember Brindle from First Year.  
Moss is going to become relevant quickly and probably become very irrelevant very quickly after that if you get my meaning.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	90. Become The Teacher

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 90: Become The Teacher**

The first week of classes seemed to have flown by in an instant for First Year students Team RAIN who seemed to have collectively made themselves feel quite at home at the academy, already involving themselves in the social life of the campus; any doubts or concerns Amethyst Wukong may have had upon being named the leader of her team seemingly proven to be unfounded. Such was the Monkey Faunus's state of mind as she made herself comfortable in her seat before the first lesson began on Friday morning began. The first year students had been a little confused when they had arrived at the hybrid of lecture hall and arena in which Nora Ren taught combat classes only to find a handwritten note affixed to the door informing them that today's lesson would be taught in the larger coliseum like training area located to the rear of the campus. Amethyst had already decided on the first day of classes that the diminutive, hammer wielding professor was going to be her favourite teacher for the next few years, partially due to Nora's apparent devil may care attitude and dislike of homework and partly because combat classes were something she had excelled at whilst attending Signal Academy where she had been one of Yang Xiao Long's star students; it was then in her mind almost guaranteed to be a great lesson if Nora had something special planned. This opinion was apparently not shared by everyone, as was made clear as she took a seat beside her partner and made herself comfortable a little closer to him than was strictly necessary.

"Is it just me that thinks it's gonna be a long day if we're starting it with surprises from Nora?" Amethyst half turned in her seat to respond to the speaker, a fellow first year by the name of Moss; she noted that he wasn't precisely unpleasant in appearance, he had a face that could have been attractive were it not for the slightly malnourished quality it had and the way his perpetually narrowed eyes darted around as if expecting an attack at any moment; his physique was tall with a notable amount of muscle which was somewhat wasted by his bad posture, a constant slouch which bordered on hunching over to appear smaller.

"Yeah, it's just you" Amethyst replied with a roll of her mint green eyes "What's the matter, think you're gonna get your ass handed to you….again?" those students near enough to hear the comment collectively sniggered, Amethyst counted the fact that her partner was among them as a small victory. Moss made a sound of annoyance but took care to keep his expression one of calm and aloof smugness

"Oh please, I didn't get my ass handed to me" he replied with a shrug, referencing his sparring match with the leader of Team GLOW on the first day of term "I lost yeah but I didn't get clowned, it's two different things"

"Sure Moss" she snorted, she may have privately agreed with his assessment of the match but that was currently besides the point

"Besides" he continued "I don't really wanna deal with surprises. I've got things to do tonight, I'm heading to a party in Block Twenty Four….wanna come?"

"We've got a load of assignments to work on" Redshank reminded her, turning in his own seat to join the conversation

"Fucking nerd" Moss laughed "Come on Ammi, first Friday as a Halo student and you're gonna spend it doing homework with a teachers' kid, you're better than that….it'll be an experience" Amethyst's face morphed into a scowl, pale green eyes suddenly piercing; Moss had crossed the line between playful banter and outright hostility the moment he had chosen to insult her partner, there was also the matter of the invite to the party; it was no secret that Moss was a relatively small time drug dealer within the hive tower was being held in and that, when combined with his general attitude was enough to tell her exactly what kind of _'experiences'_ he was hoping to have with her. Her smile was one that somehow managed to be sweet yet utterly predatory at the same time as she delivered her rebuttal

"Or you could hang out with me; you wanna party I'll take you to meet my Aunt, Melanie Malachite….you've heard of her right?" Moss's face paled instantly as he realised that if reputations were to be believed his attempt at flirting could have cost him his life, or certain body parts whose removal he firmly refused to think about. He was freed by the sudden awkwardness by an explosion below, Nora had arrived

"Good morning class!" their professor began, turquoise eyes promising mischief as she spoke, twirling Magnhild in its' grenade launcher form whilst the bubblegum pink mist from the round she'd fired to get their attention dispersed "Well done, you've all completed your first week as Halo students; you should all be proud of yourselves…..but, now I have something special planned for today's lesson. Today one team is going to be serving as an example of just how far you all have to go as Hunters and how fast you need to get there, helping make sure that none of you ever get overconfident in the field where it could cost you. How will that team be doing this you ask?….by getting the crap kicked out of them!" the were a few bursts of laughter around the coliseum like training area which quickly trailed off as it became very clear that the professor wasn't joking

"Besides" Nora added with a bright smile "It's tradition"

* * *

"She's enjoying milking this way too much" Arctus noted as Team FADE shared amused glances between themselves as they took in the spectacle that was Nora putting on a show for a captive audience

"Ammi's team" Felix noted as Team RAIN were selected to be the students thrown to the proverbial wolves; the Lion Faunus's face betraying a modicum of concern which was quickly brushed aside as he told himself that things would be fine

"Go time" Diamond noted as it became apparent that the signal Nora would give for them to make their entrance would be coming at any moment; beside her Eagle almost bounced with excitement as she shifted her weight nervously from one foot to the other, it wasn't the match that concerned her but rather the prospect of putting on a convincing performance for the lesson that was an integral part of the Halo Academy experience

"AND THEIR OPPONENTS WILL BE!" Nora's voice carried to where they hid out of view, behind pillars of the coliseum like training area "TEAM FADE!"

"Now" Felix breathed before stepping out into view and marching towards Nora, stopping half a pace behind her and at her right hand side with his team behind him; each of them stood to attention and wearing neutral expressions, trying to radiate silent menace and authority; if the ripple of mutterings that passed through the audience were any indication they had succeeded in their goal.

"They look like they're gonna try running for it" Felix murmured, doing his best to keep a smirk from his face

"Oh please, I remember our first year when Team CLIR stepped out; you looked like you were gonna cry" Diamond countered, to which Felix had no response

"TEAM RAIN!" Nora called up to her students "MAKE YOUR WAY DOWN TO THE ARENA AND CHOOSE YOUR FIRST REPRESENTATIVE!" to their credit they did so, Amethyst leading the way and holding her head high as her team followed her into what would could be considered their first real test since their formation.

"This should be fun" she noted to her fellow patch native with a wink and a confident wink

"For half of us" Felix agreed as he popped his knuckles, Nora stepped away to begin preparing the arena forcefield for use to prevent any injuries to those observing which allowed Amethyst to whisper conspiratorially

"Come on Fluffy, we know each other….you're good but Professor Nora can't really use you to scare me" Team FADE turned to their leader expectantly, utterly refusing to believe that Felix would ever let such a comment stand

"Then pick one of your people" the remains of the Lion Faunus's tail swished from side to side as he squared his shoulders. Amethyst's expression faltered for a moment before she turned to her partner

"Red, wanna go first?"

"Uh, yeah….yeah sure" despite some clear misgivings and uncertainty Redshank Bronzewing stepped into the area and Felix turned to his cousin

"Arctus….make an example" with a silent nod the towering Bear Faunus stepped into the area, rolling his shoulders back and reaching back to grasp the hilt of his weapon; an action that Redshank mimicked.

"Just so you know kid" Arctus muttered "This is bad for everyone, don't take it personally" the first year nodded in understanding and Arctus sized him up whilst tuning out Nora's explanation of the rules of the battle, he'd heard them enough times. Redshank Bronzewing stood at a little under six feet tall if one neglected to include his swept forward Mohawk of deep crimson spiked hair, sheared down to nothing at the back and sides which easily added at least an additional half a foot to his height; he had an athletic and somewhat wiry build and lightly tanned skin and a face that was perhaps just a little too thin, with bright golden brown eyes and a plaster across his nose presumably from an injury he'd sustained during initiation; his outfit consisted of a white t-shirt sporting the blood red and garish logo of a band that Arctus was sure Diamond listened to, a sleeveless tan jacket which featured a plethora of pockets and a cream coloured fur collar, the jacket left his arms bare to display the tattoos that appeared to depict stylised birds on both of his upper arms; ripped black jeans were tucked into heavy brown combat boots with red laces and leather gloves with studded knuckles covered his hands whilst the boys' knees, shoulders and forearms were covered with armour plating that had been hastily painted red if the visible gunmetal where it had flaked and chipped were any indication. Slung over his back was a sword that seemed frankly ridiculous, even when Arctus compared it to his own weapon which incorporated a double barrelled laser cannon; the weapon featured an extended grip suggesting that it may be intended for two-handed use, which also included the trigger and stock of its' ranged form above a wide cross-guard were two blades, the first a somewhat traditional double edged sabre which tapered outwards towards a roughly diamond shaped tip, running alongside the outer edge of the weapon was a curved scimitar blade

"Has that sword ever killed a Grimm is it just for show?" Arctus knew it was a needlessly rude comment but after being taught the art of swordplay by Weiss since he was a child the design irked him on a personal level; before Redshank could reply the forcefield crackled into view around them and Nora's voice boomed out

"BEGIN!" Arctus wasted no time, hurling a glowing and rapidly rotating Glyph towards his opponents' face with one hand whilst drawing Grimmiger-Henker with the other. To Arctus's mild surprise Redshank Bronzewing had remarkable reflexes and managed to draw his own sword from his back and slash the Glyph, reducing it to countless rapidly fading fragments

"Redeemer Scion is definitely not just for show!" he assured the Faunus as he carried his momentum into a downward swing that coincided with the weapons' transformation, the sabre blade folding back along its' side whilst a barrel emerged and the scimitar blade collapsed in on itself to form the pump of the shotgun that Redshank now wielded and wasted no time in firing half a dozen times in quick succession; a small smile crossing his face as the explosive rounds he'd loaded the weapon with reduced his opponents' side of the battlefield to a shower of debris.

"Not bad kid" Redshank's face fell as Arctus marched from the smoke in slow and deliberate steps, a large Glyph hovering above his left forearm like a shield clearly unaffected by the attack "My turn" Redshank barely had time to widen his eyes in stunned disbelief as Arctus retaliated in brutal fashion; an Ursa comprised of solidified light crawling out of the Glyph at his arm before barrelling towards the younger student with a roar. Redshank saw the Grimm construct rush to attack him and began unloading his weapon into its' incorporeal hide, shimmering fragments being blown away to no discernable effect until it had closed the distance and he was forced to aside from monstrous paws and a crushing bite; he was far from done however as rose back to his feet and shot the construct in one of its' rear legs, blowing away a knee which he followed up by shifting Redeemer Scion back into its' sword mode and slashing at the Ursa's gut in a single motion; the construct made to clamp his skull between its' jaws, Redshank spun aside and stabbed blindly over his shoulder; the cheering of his team-mates assuring him that his blade had found its' mark in the summoned Grimms' skull. He then turned his attention back to Arctus just in time to see the older student create a Glyph with a surface of shimmering darkness, fuelled by Gravity Dust which he then proceeded to use as a platform to launch himself forwards. Their swords met with an echoing clang and Redshank was forced back several feet as Arctus bore down on him, seemingly with little effort as he held the younger students' blade in place and pushed him closer and closer towards the edge of the arena and the crackling forcefield that encased it. As the dull buzzing of the forcefield crackled in his ears Redshank let out a slow breath as he made a daring play and simply released his grip on his weapon, allowing it to fall and himself to slip passed Arctus as the Faunus staggered forwards a step, whirling aside he managed to catch his weapon before it hit the ground and let out a primal roar as he made to swing at his opponent; only to be brought to a halt as Arctus caught his wrist and twisted it before pressing the barrels of the now transformed Grimmiger-Henker against his chest and forcing Redshank back against the forcefield before firing.

"Mister Bronzewing's Aura is in the red, match goes to Arctus Slate" Nora's voice seemed distant and the fact that she was working her way through a large tub of popcorn was lost on Redshank as he crawled out of the arena until Arctus pulled him to his feet and handed him over to a now ashen faced Amethyst Wukong whose tail reflexively wrapped around her partners' wrist

"Red? Red, you okay?"

"Chest hurts, can't breathe" he managed to gasp out

"Heat from the laser" Arctus explained "Chest muscles are too tight….he'll be fine, put some Ice Dust on it" the gentle tone did nothing to help calm Amethyst who was torn between panic and an all consuming, fiery rage.

"Ammi" Felix's voice demanded her attention and as she looked up at her childhood friend she found that she didn't recognise him any more and a chill went down her spine as he spoke again, in the same calm and detached tone

"So….who's next?"

* * *

The audience of their fellow first years were beginning to mutter restlessly between themselves and Professor Nora was giving their team a questioning look as Amethyst Wukong failed to make a decision as she glanced indecisively from the beaten Redshank to her opposite number on the Third Year team. Seeing this the remaining two members of Team RAIN, partners Iridescence Lustrous and Nova Violette glanced to each other

"Is our esteemed leader is planning on attending to her duties at some point in the foreseeable future?" Iridescence demanded, her desire to appear above such trivialities betrayed by the annoyed edge to her voice which would have made it clear, had she not already done so, that she would be a more suitable candidate for team leader.

"Relax" Nova drawled, their Vaccuan accent enough to make Iridescence's nose wrinkle; Nova paid her no mind and simply stepped forwards whispering in Amethyst's ear as they did so

"I've got next, looks like it's gonna be interesting" they entered the arena and found Diamond Sustrai-Black waiting them "Caught your tournament matches ma'am, can't even say there's any shame in losing if you beat me"

"Depends how bad I beat you, but I thanks for the compliment" Diamond chuckled as she took stock of her opponent. Nova was perhaps an inch taller than Arctus and boasted a well muscled physique though their shoulders were noticeably narrower than the Bear Faunus; with light brown skin and a curly loose afro of striking coppery orange hair. They wore a simple black shirt with several buttons unfastened and what appeared to be a hybrid of waistcoat and bulletproof vest worn over it, light grey pants tucked into black boots that reached up to the calves; over their shirt was a long and billowing pale grey coat with several decorations in shades of orange and purple; the whole thing made Diamond think of some kind of pirate or captain of the seas, the mystique was promptly shattered when they reached into the folds of their coat and produced a pair of short swords, held in place by an ornate and decorated pair of holsters and harness which Diamond snorted upon recognising

"Didn't you lose one of those in the Emerald Forest?" she gestured to the weapons, one of which Nyanza Angora had recovered during their mission.

"Didn't lose it, I knew exactly where I dropped it" Nova beamed in response

"So you have a history of reckless behaviour and bad choices" the sniper dead-panned, blowing strands of her hair away from her eyes and readying Lex Talionis as she spoke. Nora seemed to decide that there had been enough talk and in a booming, yet still distinctly nasal voice she declared the match had started. There was a whooshing of air around Nova which served as Diamond's only warning and allowed her to promptly bury the blade of her glaive in the ground and engage her Semblance, leaping onto the very tip of the blade and balancing as with booming rush, as if something had broken the sound barrier Nova appeared in the space she had occupied with their elbow extended and streaks of incandescent light trailing from their body in a clear attempt to smash into her face.

"Missed" was Diamond's only retort before she leapt from her weapon, tearing it out of the ground and launching herself forwards with a maelstrom of blows and slashes which Nova could only offer a token defence against. After a particular heavy blow across the face which caused their Aura to ripple Nova decided to change tactics, ducking under Diamond's next swing they shifted their short swords, named _'The Rip-tides'_ into their heavy duty pistol modes and firing, the Gravity Dust rounds currently loaded propelling them straight up into the air where Nova became wreathed in light as air gathered around them in preparation for their Semblance; the First Year had the ability to manipulate the air around them though had thus far never managed to use it with the finesse of his adopted mother Nebula Violette's former team-mate Dew Gayl; who could create whirlwinds at will, Nova merely built air pressure around themselves until they were fired like a cork from a bottle with destructive effects. Releasing their Semblance Nova broke the sound barrier with a dull booming noise as they were launched back towards the ground, a shock wave rippling across the battlefield which they saw with some satisfaction managed to knock Diamond from her feet, though Nova was somewhat disappointed when she managed to stand before them.

"Thanks, that's all I needed to know" Diamond informed them tonelessly as she shifted Lex Talionis into its' Sniper Rifle mode and took aim

"What that I hit like a truck?" Nova joked, before being blasted back several feet and left clutching their chest in pain on the ground, arcs of electricity crackling over their body courtesy of Diamond's Lighting Dust round

"No, I just needed to get an idea of your reflexes" another shot as Nova tried to stand, this one to the leg

"See if you had a Semblance that could counter me" the next shot hit them in the gut

"Once I saw you launch yourself the first time" another shot "I needed to see how long it took you to charge up and recover" Diamond stalked towards them and calmly pressed the barrel of her rifle under their chin

"Tap out and I don't have to shoot you in the head" Nova promptly slapped their palm against the ground three times and Nora declared that Diamond was the victor by default, at which point Diamond's demeanour swiftly changed

"Dude, you good? Sorry about all that but it's tradition y'know"

"Hey it's cool I get it" Nova laughed "The balancing act on your own blade was sweet, we've gotta have a rematch sometime" Diamond found herself smiling as Nova limped out of the arena; deciding that the kid would probably be okay and might just be the kind of dumb that manages to survive.

* * *

Amethyst found herself trembling slightly as Iridescence stepped into the arena, her usually aloof features marred by an irritated scowl. The Monkey Faunus may have found the daughter of millionaire socialites hard to deal with in the limited time they had been acquainted, but the fact remained that Iridescence was her team-mate and Amethyst had no desire to watch her receive what would most likely be an utterly one sided beating in front of their peers, yet there seemed to be no way to halt or even dely the inevitable and so she consigned herself to her fate of having to watch, refusing to look away out of respect if nothing else.

Inside the ring Eagle Arc, waved across the arena at Iridescence Lustrous until it became apparent that the younger student had no interest in reciprocating or even acknowledging the gesture; ignoring it as deliberately as she was her team leaders' obvious concern

"Um….are you okay?" Eagle asked gently "It's fine to be nervous, just-"

"I want to get this over as quickly as possible. It's bad enough that I was lumbered with a team of imbeciles, being made a fool of in some primitive ritual for this buffoon of a teachers' amusement is an insult too far" the younger woman's words were snapped out in rapid succession, almost a twisted mirror image of Eagle's signature nervous rambling. Eagle herself scowled at the insult to her honorary Aunt.

"I was going to offer to go easy on you but, if that's how you want to act" she let the implication hang in the air as she drummed her fingers against the pommel of the sword Hellion had crafted for her and sized up her opponent as she did so. Iridescence Lustrous stood at a little less than five and a half feet tall, her size complemented by a slender and petite frame that could have made her seem younger than her age were it not for the make up she wore, dark and bold colours which stood out against her pale skin and highlighted a pair of vibrant aquamarine eyes; what Eagle could see of her hair was a blueish light grey colour with a sheen to it that made it seem like some precious metal and reached down her back to beneath her shoulder blades in a pair of pigtails. Iridescence wore clothes that seemed to have been designed with style in mind rather than functionality in combat, with several necklaces adorned with beads and pearls left visible by a low cut sundress which ended a little above her knees and whose colour could either be described as pale blue or green depending on the lighting, black knee height socks and black gloves that reached back to her elbows with countless jewel encrusted bracelets, bangles and wrings adorning her hands and forearms whilst her shoes were a pair of stylish white flats, Iridescence at least having enough sense to not wear heels into battle. Atop her head was a wide brimmed felt hat of the same colour as her dress, decorated with blue and green bows and Eagle's eyes caught the glint of metal beneath the brim in the morning sun, revealing where Iridescence hid her weapons.

"Oh do save the bravado for a more receptive audience" Iridescence huffed, reaching beneath her hat and unfolding her weapons; a pair of small khopesh swords whose arcing blades reflected every ray of light that struck their brilliant platinum coloured surfaces.

"BEGIN!" Nora's voice barked out, unhindered by a mouthful of popcorn and both women launched themselves forwards; Iridescence flipping her weapons, named the _'Precious Fury'_ in her hands and shifted them into another of their three modes, the blades repositioning themselves and forming guards for her hands as the pommels broke away, revealing the tightly coiled Atlesian steel wire within; allowing the weapons to function as whips. The Dust filled tips of the weapons ripped through the space Eagle had occupied but hit nothing but empty air, Eagle herself having used her Semblance to draw close to her adversary with an avian shriek; returning to her true form with a flash of Aura and bringing her shield crashing into the side of the first year students' skull with a powerful backhand. Iridescence let out a wordless howl of fury as she launched into a series of wide sweeping attacks with her whips which, while Eagle managed to avoid easily with the use of her Semblance, succeeded in creating some distance between them before she retracted the lashing weapons and combined them into their third form, the handles rotating at the blades and connecting to create a single, circular bladed projectile which she proceeded to hurl at the older student, the Gravity Dust within propelling it to incredible velocity.

"You just saw Arctus's Glyphs!" Eagle exclaimed as she used the flat of her shield to deflect the attack, the circular blade ricocheting off of the forcefield and back towards its' owner, who caught it deftly

"Like literally only a few minutes ago; did you think I've never sparred with my team-mate?" Eagle continued, not wanting to seem as though she was bullying the girl but inescapably baffled nonetheless. Iridescence simply returned her weapon to its' paired sword form and rushed forwards; only to find herself outmatched by Eagle who found the close quarters exchange so devoid of challenge that it was almost saddening, the first year was clearly trying so hard to restore her teams' shattered pride and it simply wasn't going to be enough.

"Okay, that's enough" Eagle sighed as she parried Iridescence's latest attack and used her own far greater size and muscle mass to all but hurl her aside. The blonde had decided that she couldn't in good conscience let this farce continue any longer

"Sentinel" she spoke softly to her droid as she deposited her shield "Let's make this quick" she was treated to the sight of Iridescence's expression cycling from scornful to shock and blind panic as the automaton unfolded itself with a series of chirpy and enthusiastic bleeps, the compact mini-gun mounted on the droids' shoulder homing in on the first year. Eagle pursed her lips and decided that since Team FADE had been specifically instructed to make an example of their opponents there was no reason not to make her displeasure at the girls' comment regarding Nora known.

"Sentinel use Ice Dust rounds, fire at will"

* * *

Felix stepped into the arena, Amethyst following suit across the arena with a petrified expression on her face; the sight of Iridescence's frozen body needing to be rapidly thawed out by Nora before any permanent damaged could be done, followed by the first year being promptly sent to receive medical attention had shaken the Monkey Faunus to her core in a way that even Redshank and Nova's losses had failed to, the fact it had been delivered by such a warm and likeable Huntress making it worse in some hard to define way.

"You good?" Felix asked with genuine concern "We're still friends after this right?" the Lion Faunus had concerns of his own which had been steadily clawing their way forwards from the back of his mind as the exhibition matches between the first years and his own team progressed; stomach tightening each time the scent of ionised air reached his nostrils with the activation of the forcefield. His friendship with Amethyst, he was ashamed to admit, less of a priority than it could have been but it was something he could control to an extent.

"Yeah, yeah we're good" she assured him as she exhaled slowly and bounced on the balls of her feet; Felix's own discomfort with the situation evidently lessening the fearsome presence Team FADE had been projecting since their arrival.

"READY YOUR WEAPONS!" Nora instructed and the two students readily complied, Hack and Slash finding their way to Felix's hands in an instant; the Lion Faunus twirling the blades several times in a display of nervous agitation. Amethyst's weapons were already in place and were brought to life as she bumped the knuckles of both fists against each other in a display that she had subconsciously learned from her previous combat instructor, Yang Xiao Long; she wielded a pair of gauntlets known as the _'Gemini Kong'_ their glossy black surfaces reaching back to her elbows as they formed rough cylinders around her forearms with a rotating outer cylinder fitted over them, each gauntlet sporting several chambers filled with Dust whilst a thick plate of a silver coloured metal slid over the knuckles of each fist

"Did Mum give you a better grade when she saw that design?" Felix taunted playfully; whatever retort Amethyst replied with went unheard as the sound and smell of the forcefield assaulted his senses once more, closer this time and Felix found his deep blue eyes widening uncontrollably as the flickering and rippling dome of light formed; his hands falling to his sides limp as his breaths quickened and he desperately told himself that everything was fine.

The first blow struck Felix and the immediate spike in heart rate and cold sweat that accompanied forced him to concede that he was far from fine as he staggered away from the perimeter of the arena, having been knocked back several paces and had the air forced from his lungs by a blow he had been too distracted to see coming

"Wakey wakey" Amethyst teased, seemingly unaware of her old friends' sudden panic as she launched another attack, this time however Felix saw what it was and discovered the nature of her Semblance; in an interesting variation of her fathers' abilities Amethyst could conjure a single copy of herself comprised of deep purple Aura, that copy while quick to fade away and lacking any real ability to act independently, was capable of delivering a single devastating blow from a considerable distance at blinding speed, as Felix learned when he failed to side step in time and found himself reeling from a punch in the mouth. A growl escaped him as he shifted Hack and Slash into their machine pistol forms and simply unloaded Fire Dust rounds into the entire half of the arena that Amethyst had occupied and swiftly absorbed the heat of the flames to fuel his own Semblance, the younger Faunus displaying why she had been one of Yang Xiao Long's star students when she used Gravity Dust stored within her gauntlets to launch herself above the salvo, striking the ground and being sent in a wide arc overhead before coming crashing down in a two handed blow that sent cracks along the floor and whose booming impact echoed throughout the arena; Felix rolled aside and launched himself wildly into close quarters combat, landing a series of heavy blows and vicious slashes in quick succession which forced Amethyst to give more and more ground until, in a display of quick thinking the younger Faunus chambered Lightning Dust in both of her Gauntlets and simply struck the blades of Felix's swords. Her counter attack started the moment he dropped his weapons in surprise, her Semblance delivering a punishing heel kick to his chest which sent him sliding back several feet followed by her using the Gravity Dust now loaded in her left gauntlet to accelerate a spinning backhand to lethal velocity and a right hook from a fist that was wreathed in flames.

Time stood still and despite the cheers of her classmates Amethyst's blood ran cold and she knew that she'd made a mistake; Felix's transition into his Balrog state was not its' usual somewhat gradual affair and seemed to happen instantly instead of taking a few moments. One second she was standing over a recoiling opponent, the next she was staggering back blinded by pain as Felix's skull collided with hers and then a moment later she felt her feet leave the ground and a crushing grip tighten around her throat

"Okay, you win" she croaked out, Felix's only response was primal snarling as he maintained his grip around her neck "Felix, Fluffy please" something seemed to breach the fog of rage and desperation clouding Felix's mind and his eyes seemed to revert to their natural colour before the rest of his blazing body returned to normal. Forcing himself to stand despite the coughing fit and wave of exhaustion that plagued him he swiftly made his way to where Nora had been watching events unfold, her hand on Magnhild in case things got out of control

"Get me out of here!" he demanded, voice trembling "I forfeit, drop this forcefield and let me the fuck out of here right now!" the professor complied and before she could question her student as to what exactly was wrong Felix had bolted, all but fleeing the outdoor training area and returning to the campus, leaving the rest of Team FADE in his wake trying to piece together what had just happened.

* * *

It was a subdued and introspective Amethyst that made her way out of Halo Academies' main entrance early that evening, the news of the losses her team had taken spreading all the faster due to the conclusion of her own fight against Felix and the pitying looks she had been subjected to for the remainder of the day had enough to drive the young woman from the gravity defying campus. Iridescence had been confined to the medical wing for the remainder of the day after being frozen solid by Eagle Arc and despite how difficult and abrasive she could be each of her team-mates had offered to stay with her; eventually Nova had promised Amethyst and Redshank that they would ensure Iridescence knew they had made the offer and convinced them both to go and get some fresh air that they clearly desperately needed. Amethyst had at first decided against leaving the academy, instead badgering older students until someone told her where she could find the third year students' dormitories at which point she had deduced, through a process of elimination which dorm belonged to Team FADE, only for her efforts to be for naught when Felix wasn't there; nor was he in the library or the canteen and after searching the campus for a while her partner had finally convinced her to wait until tomorrow, arguing that a bit of time to process what had happened would be better for everyone.

"You okay?" Redshank intruded on her thoughts with a murmur, his voice still raw and chest still stinging with every movement courtesy of Arctus Slate.

"I will be" she assured him, a genuine smile tugging at the corners of her lips before the urge to fake one could even fully form. She wrapped her tail loosely around his wrist as they made their way towards the airship terminals at a comfortable pace; she liked her partner a lot although whether he was someone she could see her self dating and forming a romantic relationship with or just regard as a friend with an admittedly very attractive face remained to be seen, they had only known each other a week after all, hence both of them were privately adamant that the two of them spending their first Friday night as students of Halo Academy alone together did not qualify as a date.

"So if we get the next airship we've probably got time to grab some food before the movie starts?" Redshank offered "Normally I'd say Mistrali but I'm already kinda spicy on the outside" Amethyst laughed softly as he indicated to his chest

"I mean my Aunt Mel owns a lot of the businesses my Great Uncle Hei had to get rid of when he became a member of the council; there's a few places we can eat for free at" she gave him a mischievous wink with the offer

"Your Aunt Mel….As in Melanie Malachite?" his apprehension was plain to see and Amethyst found herself smiling again; despite how streetwise and rough around the edges one might assume Redshank Bronzewing to be based on his appearance, the boy had a surprising lack of experience with many things that teenagers and young adults often experienced and experimented with; she frankly found his openness about his own innocence far more charming and enjoyable than, for instance the advances of a small time drug dealer like Moss, whose party she hadn't given a second thought.

"Don't worry it's not like Aunt Mel serves up what's left of people who snitched on her to get rid of evidence….there's a pig farm outside the city for that" she watched his eyes bulge for a moment before bursting out laughing "I'm kidding! Oh my Oum you're adorable"

"Um thanks" Redshank's cheeks slowly turned the same rosy colour as the shortest parts of his deep scarlet hair where it had been sheared almost to nothing; quickly overcoming the awkwardness he added "So what's it like having a family that's just everywhere? I mean you live in a bar, your Dad's a Hunter, your Great Uncle is on the council….I mean my Dad's a teacher but he never really brings his work home with him y'know"

"It's not crazy like you're probably thinking" she assured him "I'm not a local celebrity or anything, I just kinda know everyone….like that guy over there, used to be on the island every summer since her parents split up; the girl with the glasses over there lived a few streets away- Oh is that Corey?"

"Corey?" Redshank asked, perplexed. The two of them had finally reached the airship terminal where the sight of young woman in a flight suit stood beside a towering behemoth of a Faunus had clearly excited Amethyst

"Felix's sister, biggest bad-ass on Patch, you've gotta meet her" Amethyst informed him eagerly "Who's that she's-" her words came to a sudden halt and she stood frozen in place with her eyes wide  
"Ammi?" Redshank asked, Amethyst paid no attention; her focus utterly consumed by the Puma Faunus with tribal tattoos adorning his forearms and a monstrous double bladed axe slung across his back. She instantly recognised the man responsible for the scar above her eye, the man who had hurled a pint glass into her face in order to start a bar fight two years ago; she had seen Onyx Ursabane and learned his name whilst watching the Vytal Tournament and had privately promised herself that she would have her retribution when she saw him in person.

Now that the time had come she saw nothing but red and wasn't even consciously aware of sprinting towards him; a war cry and bellowed challenge alerting Onyx to her presence a moment before she leapt into the air and brought her knee crashing into his chest and her fist slamming into his cheek. Her weapons had been left in her dorm and in her fury all thoughts of strategy and caution were abandoned, after a few more wild swings and kicks Amethyst found herself paying for her recklessness as Onyx simply reached out and grabbed her tail, pulling forward and down with one hand while driving the elbow of the other arm squarely into her chin.

"ONYX STOP!" Corvid interceded, placing herself between the evidently furious and slightly bloodied Faunus and Amethyst who quickly scrabbled back to her feet and spat out a mouthful of blood before making to lunge at Onyx again

"No" Corvid said simply, placing a hand high on the Monkey Faunus's chest; just below the collarbones and high enough to become strangulation at a moments' notice.

"DO YOU KNOW WHO THIS GUY IS?" Amethyst demanded "HE BROKE A GLASS ON-"

"I DON'T CARE!" Corvid's assertion, delivered with firm finality was enough to stun Amethyst

"I don't care" she repeated "You're not gonna jump him in front of me and expect me to be cool with it. If there's a problem you can explain it to Professor Nora and organise a sparring match"

"But-"

"You're not hearing me" Corvid's tone grew dangerous, whilst behind her Onyx bristled in anticipation of another fight "This isn't happening. Now go" her protest died on the tip of her tongue as she felt Redshank's hand gently close around hers as he pulled her away from a pair of people that he knew they would be utterly unable to defend themselves from and a situation that would not end well. Amethyst turned and delivered a parting comment and while it went ignored by the older students the seething rage etched into her face made it clear that she was serious

"THIS ISN'T OVER! WATCH YOUR BACKS, BOTH OF YOU!"

* * *

Felix had missed classes for the rest of the day; having hidden himself away in his dormitory for several hours immediately following the incident in the arena and answered no attempts from his friends and team-mates to communicate with him except for with a single text message stating that he would be fine. He had failed to convince even himself with the lie and as a result, when he had steadied himself enough to do so he made his way to student counsellor Neptune David-Vasilias for an unscheduled appointment. The blue haired therapist had mercifully been available at the time and had been as welcoming and eager to help as always; after a long and frank discussion Neptune had stated an opinion so obvious that Felix felt a fool for not considering it sooner; he was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and one of its' manifestations was general claustrophobia, or more specifically a fear of being trapped inside of a forcefield. Neptune had asked for Felix's permission to share this information with Nora so that she could adjust her lessons accordingly, which the Lion Faunus had gratefully given, having no desire to be placed in another situation like the one he had fund himself in.

Currently Felix sat on the roof of Halo Academy above his dorm, musing to himself that he had truly missed this relatively secluded part of the campus that none of the limited nooks and crannies to be found within Atlas Academies' pristine and minimalist campus had compared to.

He found his much needed time to relax just as the sun began to dip below the horizon as a few feet away from where Felix lay, earphones drowning out his surroundings, a viscous black liquid that rippled as it moved began to ooze itself from between the slates of the roof. Felix caught sight of this and once his initial surprise had subsided removed his earphones and paused the current song on his Scroll whilst raising an eyebrow

"I'm not even gonna question the mechanics of that….but, how many peoples' dorms did you just pass through?" he asked

"Enough to question how the Kingdoms haven't been laid low by plague" Carcharodon Gore answered once the liquid state that his Semblance allowed him to take and risen and reshaped itself, solidifying into the tall and imposing Shark Faunus who promptly lowered the hood of his ragged black cloak, revealing his tattooed and grey-tinged skin, rows of sharp teeth and emotionless eyes. Felix regarded him for a moment before taking a guess at why Carcharodon was here

"If you're looking for Hellion-"

"She's with your partner….and I believe Onyx is with your sister"

"Oum damn it Corey" was the only response Felix could muster to that revelation, delivered in a resigned sigh

"I came to speak with you" Carcharodon rasped out, despite the natural harshness of his voice there seemed to be no ill intent behind the statement; which only left Felix more confused

"What's up?"

"There is a rumour that you broke in battle and fled from a first year-"

"You wanna make something of it?" Felix snarled as he sprung to his feet "I've knocked your ass out before and-"

"I mean no offence" Carcharodon assured him, hands held out in a rare apologetic gesture "After Atlas your team are allies, if not exactly friends"

"So what then?" any witty or sarcastic comments about Eagle and Hellion not exactly being friends that Felix could have made going unsaid as he continued to watch the former raider warily

"There is a man here who helps those whose resolve has broken yes? You speak with him?" a low growl escaped Felix at Carcharodon's choice of words; the Shark Faunus displaying the exact kind of thinking that he had been worried would cause a rift between himself and Helios.

"My people speak more plainly than yours" Carcharodon rasped as he noted Felix's clear irritation "Bodies scar, why should minds be any different-"

"Is this going somewhere?" Felix demanded, his patience wearing thin

"Tell me; this….Counsellor" Carcharodon seemed unused to the word, which Felix realised was probably accurate "Would they be able to heal my people? I worry that all of us are injured in ways we can't see after running and fighting for so long"

"Wait" Felix spoke slowly, making sure he understood correctly "You're asking me about therapy and counselling because you think you might need help?" Carcharodon grimaced, apparently still not entirely comfortable with the notion of requiring or accepting help from outsiders, Hunters and their allies especially so

"In essence yes" he finally hissed out

"Yeah man, go for a chat with Neptune….I can point you to his office but this is something your team have to decide for themselves, you can't order them to do this" Felix forced himself to be serious; accepting that this was neither the time or the place to make jokes about the fact that Raffia Dirge was obviously unhinged in some way, regardless of how funny it would be. This feat apparently required enough focus and mental discipline to leave Felix unaware of his surrounding as he didn't realise that Helios had joined them on the roof until Carcharodon bared his teeth at the sight of him

"Bandit" Helios greeted the Shark Faunus coldly as he subtly placed his body between Carcharodon and Felix

"Deserter" he snarled back, the word dripping with contempt

"Car you've got what you came here for, fuck off" Felix snapped; whatever uneasy tolerance he had for his classmate would not extend to allowing him to insult Helios. With a final disparaging shake of the head Carcharodon activated his Semblance and sank through the minute gaps in the roof, his liquid form presumably seeping through the walls and back into the academy

"What did he want?" Helios asked, his tone making it clear that the question was only due to curiosity and not suspicion

"He wanted to ask about Counsellor Vasilias" Felix explained "Sorry I can't really say any more than that, it's not my place to"

"I understand" Helios nodded as he sat and gestured for Felix to do the same "Which reminds me of why I came looking for you….I heard about your exhibition match" a long and theatrical groan escaped Felix at this and whilst Helios chuckled in amusement the Faunus sensed that his boyfriend was waiting for some kind of explanation

"I freaked out" he finally sighed, deciding that there would be no secrets "That forcefield came up around me and suddenly I was back in Atlas" there was a moment of heavy silence before Helios gently wrapped an arm around the smaller mans' shoulders and pulled him close

"Some battles don't end Fluffy, there's no shame in the fact that you're still fighting part of it" Felix made to kiss his boyfriends' cheek but found himself pausing, more than a little impressed and shocked by Helios's way with words

"I was raised to be a leader Felix" Helios reminded him with a grin, evidently guessing what the blonde was thinking "And nightmares after battles are not uncommon for the Nikosi….it's why are brews are as strong as they are" the casual admission spoke volumes and prompted Felix to nuzzle into him a little closer.

"I was thinking" he breathed out as he made himself comfortable "I'm gonna head back to Patch for the weekend and clear my head a little….how about you come and meet my Mum; Yang's been dying to meet you since Blake told her about you" Helios leaned down and kissed Felix's forehead, positively radiating happiness as he did so.

"I would be honoured"

 **Authors Notes:**

And so, the students became the teacher; this chapter was a callback to Team FADE vs Team CLIR in Vol.1 _(Which was in turn also a callback to Team RWBY vs Team GRAP in The Downward Spiral)  
_ This chapter also subtly lines up some pieces for the conflict of the volume in a way which will become more apparent next chapter.  
Other than that, not much to talk about.  
But I did make a Discord Server for anyone with RWBY OCS, I can't post links here but message me if you want an invite.

Anyway let's summarise:  
Okay I'll clear this up here; Amethyst is the leader of Team RAIN and not Redshank despite naming convention for no reason other than the fact I forgot; that being said I'll be correcting my mistake without having to retcon anything.  
Rhodium's worker Moss keeps cropping up, it's not for no reason.  
Losing and getting beaten are definitely two different things.  
It was at that moment, Moss knew he'd fucked up.  
Surely you knew exactly where I was going with this from a mile away?  
Felix isn't being a dick here, well he is but it's something that was specifically requested by Nora….remember these matches are specifically supposed to be overkill.  
Redshank's weapon is based on something from one the Japanese Transformers' series; one of the swords that one of the components of Road-Caesar uses.  
Seriously Arctus hates badly made swords and the people who use them.  
Redshank literally did not land a single hit on Arctus.  
Iridescence Lustrous is basically Vol.1 Weiss levels of bitchy.  
Told you that sword Nyanza found would turn up again.  
Bottle rocket Semblance….but hey, Dew Gayl was shown to be an Airship commander in New Vale's defence force in First Year; so Nova can probably learn how to use their Semblance more effectively from her.  
Diamond was ruthless in that match, played Nova for a fool the whole time.  
People think Eagle is a cinnamon roll, but she can legit go nuts and kick asses.  
I liked the idea of Iridescence looking like a "Prim and proper young lady" and having the snooty attitude to go with it but then having really primal and nasty weapons to juxtapose against it.  
The saw blade move was dumb though, as Eagle said she'd just seen one of Team FADE use something similar.  
Yes, Eagle literally had Sentinel freeze her solid and encase her in ice.  
Amethyst's weapons are a basically a mix of Ember Celica, Myrtenaster and Sun's arm guards.  
Her Semblance is also related to Sun's but the way I imagine it looking in my head is kinda like Johnny Cage from Mortal Kombat using his special moves.  
Say what you want, Amethyst can brawl.  
Yeah, Felix definitely has PTSD and is definitely triggered by forcefields after Atlas.  
There's a pair of hopelessly adorable dorks in every batch of students; Amethyst and Redshank are that pair this year.  
You knew that Amethyst and Onyx had to run into each other at some point and the fact Corvid was there was probably all that stopped Onyx from dangling her over the edge of the campus.  
Of course Amethyst starting a vendetta against Corvid of all people is going to have consequences.  
Well on the bright side Felix is making sure he gets the help he needs.  
Sarcastic and deadpan Felix is something I should write more of; initially when I began planning this story out he was supposed to have a lot more back and forth with Diamond but writing it in always felt like it interrupted the flow of the chapter at the time.  
Yes, Carcharodon is genuinely considering having Team GORE go to therapy; that's progress.  
And have some Battle-Cat to end on, I feel like treating you.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, iSassenach, CanadianCavalier and one unnamed guest for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Would Nora kill a Sloth Grimm or just try to tame it though?  
I leave Goose Grimm to you, have fun with the monsters you've created.  
Not resurrection….and not Cinder.  
"Project Lingerie" would be a very different story….although with the way RWBY fans are, I'm not certain that it doesn't exist.  
Only Battle-Cat and Nyanza? So what you're saying is everyone else is fair game?

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	91. Side Effects

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 91: Side Effects**

Amethyst Wukong walked with silent determination through the streets of one of New Vale's monolithic Hive towers; descending lower and lower into the hive structure which could almost be considered a city in its' own right until she was scant few levels above the ground itself and the poverty and neglect that her surroundings were subjected to became a pervasive and inescapable fact. Her usual attire had been foregone and in its' place was a nondescript grey sweatsuit, Amethyst's hands were balled into fists inside the pockets and she was ready to activate her weapons to defend herself at a moments' notice; the hood pulled low over face hiding ugly purple and sickly yellow bruises that mottled her skin from her chin and jaw, which still twinged painfully when she spoke after her altercation with Onyx Ursabane the night before and reached up to her right eye where she had been backhanded by her Aunt Melanie who had told her in the harshest possible terms that the Faunus's plans regarding retribution were idiotic and that she would have no part in them.

"Fuck 'em all" Amethyst muttered bitterly to herself as she continued through streets that were mercifully quiet late on a Saturday afternoon, primarily due to many of the businesses that had once been here having either closed or relocated following the breach; their shutters covered in graffiti which ranged from crude markers proclaiming a gangs' supposed ownership of the area to the simply artistic. Amethyst's idea for how to go about obtaining the additional power she knew she would need for what promised to be a violent confrontation with not only Onyx Ursabane but Corvid Xiao Long, of whom she was admittedly a little scared had come to her late on Friday night and she had approached her aunt earlier that morning; returning briefly to the academy only to be seen bruised and dejected by Redshank who had unsurprisingly objected vehemently to her plans. The two of them had argued furiously in Team RAIN's dormitory, Amethyst felt a pang of guilt as she recalled some of the more unkind and uncalled for comments she had made; her anger had only motivated her further however and soon after she had found herself speaking with Moss, leader of Team MUCK and known small time drug dealer who operated out of the very tower she making her way through.

Booster; the narcotic had been talked about in hushed whispers as news of its' existence and alleged effects slowly filtered its' way from the mainland to the island of Patch and whilst under normal circumstances Amethyst would never even consider the use of such a drug, she reasoned that these were far from normal circumstances and as such had found herself acknowledging and at least pretending to reciprocate some of Moss's flirting until he had informed her that whilst he personally was not a supplier of this drug in particular, the drugs he did sell came from Rhodium Torchwick and as such it would only be a matter of making a few calls and arranging where she would meet the supplier; after this had been done Amethyst had quickly made her excuses and left, declining an offer of more traditional party drugs and an offer of a fun weekend.

"Kid" an oily voice spoke, whilst not raised it still carried across the street and Melanie turned to face the man who had addressed her. Across the street was a small garage whose sign proclaimed it to offer quick and reliable services perfect for self-employed tradesmen, Amethyst could recognise a front business when she saw one and this was a particularly clever example; beside the shutter doors leading into the garage itself was a door that most likely led into an office area, sitting on the steps leading up to the door was a beady eyed and sharp toothed Weasel Faunus whose sallow skin and pinched features spoke of malnourishment and poverty which was at odds with his current attire of clearly expensive jeans and footwear worn with a leather jacket and a hefty gold watch which protruded from beneath one of the sleeves

"Hey" Amethyst greeted the man who appeared to be in his early to mid twenties as she crossed the street "You're-"

"Name's Tricky" he cut across her, his tone making it clear that it would be the only name she was given; Amethyst understood this and accepted it calmly, she had after all sold cannabis given to her by her somewhat hypocritical aunt to many of her classmates at Signal and the local teenagers whose career paths did not require them to train as Hunters, often instructing her customers to save her contact details under a false name in their Scrolls.

"I'm looking to buy Booster" she said quietly, deciding to get straight to business as she knew from experience that neither participant in a drug deal truly enjoyed small talk.

"Come inside" Tricky rose to his feet and unlocked the door, stepping into a reception area leading to offices that even in the gloom could be seen to be a little disorganised

"Well this is cosy, you just let anyone in here?" Amethyst joked, attempting to mask her sudden nerves.

"Moss tells me you're genuine, I had some kids on lookout by the post office you passed about ten minutes ago" the answer sent an involuntary shudder through the Faunus, Tricky continued undeterred "Moss also tells me you've got potential, personally I think he's just trying to fuck you and thinks I'll sell you drugs for cheap to be his wingman"

"He said eighty Lien" Amethyst clarified, bringing a calculating look to the Weasel Faunus's eyes

"Full price….okay I'm listening, what's special about you kid?" Amethyst considered for a moment and realised what answer she needed to give

"I'm Melanie Malachite's niece"

"Well shit" Tricky breathed out, taking a few minutes to silently weigh his options before speaking again "Alright….I've got a proposition for you-"

"Ew-"

"Not a sex thing, Moss is grimy" Tricky assured her with a snort "The boss wants to get some more muscle in the crew, Hunters specifically….'cos see a lot of normal people take Booster and think they're so tough they don't have to pay debts; they're still not gonna fight a Hunter though"

"You want me to be a debt collector?" Amethyst asked

"Mainly just stand behind a dealer and look scary until the customers' high wears off and they cough up" Tricky shrugged "Ever taken Booster before?"

"No" Amethyst admitted with a shake of the head

"I'll give you a free sample now" Tricky offered "When you come back….and you will, we can talk business then. You wanna just buy and be a customer that's fine, you wanna make some real money though then talk to Moss and we'll organise something"

"Sweet" Amethyst took care to keep her tone even and composed, understanding that being overly excitable in these situations was a mark of inexperience that would soon see one being short changed and overcharged; internally however her mind was racing with possibilities. Tricky reached under the receptionists desk and produced an unassuming black rucksack which, when opened emitted a faint pale green and somewhat eerie glow; he reached into bag and produced a small plastic bag filled with an off-white powder which seemed to be one of the sources of the glowing and contained what could best be described as miniscule fragments of crystals; pressing the bag and a syringe into her hands he warned Amethyst

"Don't snort it, some idiots do and it lasts for about five minutes at best. Heat it till it melts and inject" Amethyst forced herself not to recoil at the idea, smoking weed was one thing but there was something altogether less palatable about drugs that required needles and other such paraphernalia. She took the Booster nonetheless and awkwardly made her way out of the reception, walking passed the garages and back the way she had come. Tricky watched her go for a moment before palming his Scroll and dialling

"Hey Rhodey" he cooed, his face a cruel smile full of sharp teeth "You're not gonna believe who I just sold to"

* * *

Yang Xiao Long howled with laughter whilst Felix buried his face in his hands, face slowly flushing as red as Helios's hair as the Nikosi beside him relayed the message he had been instructed to

"So, just so I understand this" Yang gasped out "My name was basically on a Nikosi blacklist for years because I killed Tyrian when his army attacked Mistral's capital and your tribe had already called dibs on him….and you and Fluffy didn't like each other at first because of it-"

"I mean…." Felix shuffled awkwardly

"But it's all okay now, except for the fact that your Mum still wants to have a fistfight with me?" the question was directed at Helios who refused to be anything other than perfectly polite, despite the lack of serious he thought Yang affording the situation

"Tyrian was a warlord who butchered entire tribes, entire cultures are extinct because of the Poli-Trogon tribe….you're considered a legend among our people Missus Xiao Long; my mother wants to test herself against you"

"Sure" Yang beamed, catching both Felix and Helios off guard with the casual acceptance "Pyrrha was always great to spar against, it'll be fun….if I'm ever in Mistral I'll be sure to try and arrange something"

"I'll be sure to inform her" Helios answered, trying his best to seem relaxed with the situation whilst inwardly on the verge of madness at the mere suggestion that his mother and one of Felix's should face each other in ritual combat; something that Felix himself seemed more than a little uncomfortable with the idea of himself.

"Relax, you don't need to be so nervous" Yang assured Helios, slightly misreading the source of his concern "You two are just as cute together as Blake said….I've had photos of Felix as kid ready all summer"

"Mum no"

"Mum yes" Yang countered with a feral smile as she rose to her feet; Felix and Corvid had both joked several times in their teenage years that one of the few perks of being adopted was a lack of baby pictures to be embarrassed by, this assertion had easily proven false by both Yang and Blake revealing that they had more than enough pictures from their childhoods. Yang's teasing threat proved to be mercifully empty when she instead left the living room to check on dinner; Blake was needed at the New Vale office of the Coalition to handle reports of a rise in discrimination against Faunus workers following the White Fang's attack in Atlas but was expected to be home soon whilst Corvid had stated that she may return home at some point depending on her availability, Yang had also offered Taiyang to visit for what would be an entire Xiao Long family dinner, Helios being swiftly elevated to status of honorary family as it was safe to say that Yang utterly adored her sons' first boyfriend.

"Are your childhood pictures that embarrassing?" Helios asked with an amused smirk and raised eyebrow

"Worse" Felix chuckled with an exaggerated shudder "There are pictures of me with short hair"

"The horror" Helios dead-panned before leaning in for a kiss, Felix let out a low purr of pleasure as he wrapped an arm loosely around the back of the redheads' neck whilst leaning back into the arm of the sofa they shared; Helios took advantage and deepened the kiss as he positioned himself above the Faunus, the rational part of his mind insisting that Yang would be back any second going unheeded until the pair of them were sent rocketing away from each other with guilty expression in an almost cartoonish display by the sound of the front door opening

"Keep your Niklothes on!" Corvid taunted as she stepped into the living room, following up by calling out "Mum, they're making out on the sofa!" Felix managed to silently mouth something to his sister that would have Yang threaten to wash his mouth out with soap before Yang herself returned with her own contribution

"Go to 'Simple Wok' if you're gonna ca-noodle" neither Felix or Helios had any response to this other than matching wordless groans whilst Corvid stooped low in a mocking bow to the one true master of puns.

"Sorry I'm late, assignments, tweaking the cannon I built into Iris's new arm and we're already looking at job offers for once Team CLIR leave Halo" Yang beamed with pride as she pulled her daughter into a hug and assured her that it was fine; Felix was silent for a moment and their teasing banter was forgotten as he realised that he had only a few short months before Corvid graduated and set off out into the world, the thought was sobering

"Hey Fluffy you've got mail, passed the kid with the paper round on the way"

"Does he still have a crush on you?" Yang asked with a hint of laughter; Corvid's only response was a sound of open disgust at the notion and were Felix not distracted by the letter she had handed him he would've considered alluding to the existence of Onyx and allow her to be the one under scrutiny for a while. Instead he opened the envelope and began reading the hand-written letter within, his eyes widening with each paragraph until he came the subject of several concerned glances

"Is everything okay?" Helios asked him, before he could answer Corvid simply plucked the letter from his grasp and quickly scanned its' contents, expression becoming one of disgusted fury as she did so

"Forget you saw it, trust me it's for the best" she insisted firmly as she crumpled the letter in her hand

"Corey!" Yang admonished "You can't just-"

"Fluffy look at me" his sister continued on, cutting across Yang with a sense of urgency "Do not believe that letter. I got about two dozen just like it after Team CLIR's first Vytal Tournament….you're not just an orphan any more, you're a famous orphan; everyone thinks they might be your long lost something or other"

"Oh" Yang gasped, realising what the contents of letter must have been

"Yeah….yeah I guess so" Felix sighed, attempting to push the matter from his mind though the atmosphere had been unmistakably changed; Helios gave his hand a reassuring squeeze

"So" Corvid asked, simply ploughing through the tension without acknowledging it "Has Helios seen Felix's old photos yet?" the attempt at a distraction worked and whilst Felix was still shaken by what he had read he could, for the moment at least, pretend that things were as they should be.

* * *

"I can't believe how big she's gotten" Arctus noted as he played with Tuscan Tan on the floor of Rover and Artemis's apartment whilst Diamond surreptitiously snapped a series of photos on her Scroll. The toddler was now a little over a year old and was already walking for a few steps at a time and attempting to run, her enthusiasm greatly outpacing her development; her mismatched eyes now had a sharp focus to them, the piercing blue and vibrant yellow orbs tracking the toy car that Arctus was wheeling in front of her intently as the Husky Faunus's tail wagged behind her, its' fur having grown bushy whilst the dark hair atop her head had grown to be curly and luxurious.

"She absolutely adores you" Diamond noted, on the verge of cooing with delight at the bright smiles and giggling coming from the toddler

"She hasn't started talking yet" Artemis noted from where she watched them, unable to hide her amusement at Diamond and Arctus "I just really hope I don't miss her first words when I go back to work"

"So soon?" Diamond asked

"It's been over a year" Artemis countered "Besides with my Semblance every day I'm not out there is a day that a search and rescue team might not find people in time; I'll probably be easing myself back into it and taking some students for a mission in a month or so"

"Cool, you could end up taking Team FADE for a mission; we're gonna be going into anti-Grimm specialisation"

"That wouldn't be a quiet mission" Artemis snorted "Your mission with Rover ended with the breach"

"Hardly our fault" Diamond noted

"No but Hunters talk and well….Team FADE always seem to run into something weird on a mission"

"Like we're the main characters in a story or something" Diamond added in a conspiratorial and theatrical whisper that earned her a laugh from Arctus; the Bear Faunus pausing his play with Tuscan as he felt his Scroll vibrate in his pocket, the Husky Faunus pouted as he withdrew the device and was alarmed to read a message from Athena-Jade that simply read 'Can you get me out of trouble?'

"It's about time for Tuscan's dinner" Artemis declared, making her way and picking up her daughter as she noted the Bear Faunus's suddenly worried expression, leaving the room to allow him to make a call if he needed to. Arctus did so, unconsciously moving to where Diamond sat and silently urging his sister to answer the video call with each ring that went unanswered

"Hey" Athena-Jade's face flickered into view, clearly sulking about something and Arctus quickly noticed that she was currently in her bedroom in Schnee Manor; he slowly exhaled and forced himself not to get angry

"You worried me" he said calmly "You said you're in trouble?"

"I'm grounded" Athena pouted, arms folded across her chest "It's not fair" Diamond made no attempt to hide the burst of laughter that escaped her at this whilst Arctus simply stared at the screen of his Scroll for a few seconds in aggravated disbelief

"You're calling me because you're grounded" he pinched the bridge of his nose, hoping that this was some kind of prank "What did you do?"

"Got kicked out of school" she mumbled sheepishly

"WHAT?"

"Only for a few days!" Athena exclaimed "Besides, it's not my fault….some boy in my class was picking on Coral and making fun of her pincers, so I threw a chair at him; he shouldn't have been being a jerk"

"No he shouldn't" Arctus agreed, privately proud of his sister for standing up for her adopted sibling so effectively but still mindful of the example he was setting "But you can't just throw a chair at someone; you should have told a teacher"

"But they won't do anything" Athena whined "All they'll do is talk to his Dad and his Dad will talk about how much money he's given to the school….it's stupid; he shouldn't have been doing it, I stopped him doing it; I shouldn't be in trouble for fixing something"

"What if you'd missed?" Diamond asked gently

"Huh?"

"What if you'd missed?" she repeated "When you threw a chair at this boy, you could have hit someone who didn't do anything wrong and hurt them"

"I guess" Athena admitted

"I'll talk to Mum and Dad" Arctus promised "I'm not saying I agree with what you did and how you did it, but you did it for the right reasons….and I want you to promise me that you won't apologise to that boy if your teachers try and make you"

"Promise" Athena-Jade grinned fiercely, Arctus beamed with pride; he had been in far too many similar situations growing up where adults with authority believed that a fake apology and unchanged behaviour was enough to consider a matter settled "Good, now go on. You're not really grounded if you can use your Scroll all day"

"You suck" Athena reminded him with a dramatic sigh before hanging up; leaving Arctus and Diamond alone in silence for a moment, the sound of Athena making aeroplane noises to get Tuscan to eat coming from the dining room

"Thanks for the help there Dee"

"I think she should have beat that kids ass" Diamond grumbled

"Yeah me too" Arctus admitted "But it's complicated, always has been"

"Why? If the teachers won't do anything because they're in someone's pocket then just do what you've got to"

"Yeah but it's how you go about it" Arctus countered "Mum and Dad always told me to stand up for myself but would never come out and condone fighting with people no matter how right I would've been for doing it….It's different for Faunus, you start telling Faunus kids that the best way to deal with racism and corruption is violence-"

"And they start thinking like the White Fang" Diamond sighed before nuzzling into Arctus's shoulder and reaching up to kiss him tenderly "I'm sorry Big Guy; I hate that these are conversations you still have to have"

"Yeah well, it's better that he knows how to have 'em" Artemis lamented, announcing her return with a now fed Tuscan; her sensitive feline ears having picked up the important details of the conversation "You'll most likely have to have these talks with your own kids one day….Still, I think you'd both be naturals" the only response from either Arctus or Diamond was panicked sputtering at the subject of their own potential children being raised; Tuscan whilst having no concept of what was being said still chose that moment to begin laughing at the antics of the adults.

* * *

Flax Scarlatina loved his job, primarily because his partner was the woman he loved and would readily admit he fell in love with all over again whenever he watched them work; such was the former Atlesian Freelancers' mindset as he shifted his armoured gauntlets to their arm mounted Mini-Gun forms and provided cover fire to Daisy Scarlatina, formerly Arc as she cut a swathe through the horde of Grimm that they encountered on a mission to a forest beyond the walls of the Kingdom. Daisy and her twin sister were something of an oddity among the Arc Sisters; whilst Victoria used her rail-gun which doubled as a monstrously oversized war-hammer to dispatch foes with incredible force and Citrus favoured diving in from the air before exterminating Grimm in an apocalyptic firestorm, the twins favoured speed and fluid manoeuvrability to defeat their enemies, wearing armour that whilst it was clearly the distinctive white and gold that had become synonymous with the Arc family, was far lighter and covered less of their bodies'; Daisy's shield was small enough to leave her vulnerable below the waist but collapsed into a laser weapon capable of burning through all but the thickest of Grimm carapaces and she wielded her sabre with tremendous skill as she weaved between the snapping and snarling monsters pouring out of the trees

"Stop staring at my ass and tag that Ursa!"

"On it!" Flax answered, the mischievous smile on his face and his amused tone making it clear that he had no regrets about being caught staring; collapsing his weapons, which caused them to begin automatically reloading he barrelled towards the hulking ursine horror that lumbered towards his wife's flank, a truly massive specimen of its' kind which still stood almost a head taller than Daisy herself even whilst on all fours and whose back sported bony protrusions with jagged tips reaching several feet in length

"ON YOUR RIGHT!" Daisy's sudden warning came as Flax was reaching into his sleeveless jacket for one of the many tolls of his eccentric former trade as a Freelancer, the Beowolf that she had alerted him to sailed through the air, jaws open wide as it made to bite down on his skull. Flax's hand flew from his jacket and he hurled the Gravity Dust powered landmine that he'd been quickly priming beneath the Ursa which had halted at the approach of the new attacker; the Rabbit Faunus carried his momentum into a spin from which he snatched the Beowolf out of the air and threw it towards the Ursa. The landmine detonated, the pure force of the blast shearing the larger Grimm apart and hurling it upwards, causing its' spiked carapace to impale the Beowolf in a dozen places

"Double kill" he remarked smugly; the victory being somewhat undercut by a beam of turquoise light sweeping across the battlefield and neatly severing pieces from at least a dozen Grimm whilst also felling a handful of trees in the process, their falling trunks crushing several more of the monsters

"New high score" Daisy replied in the same tone he had used; the two of them relaxing now that the immediate problem had been dealt with

"Okay dinner's on me" Flax conceded

"Now let's get this dealt with, I told my parents we'd be able to pick Honey up tonight" Flax nodded silently, checking his weapons before closing his eyes and breathing in deeply and slowly; letting his greater than human senses of smell and hearing guide him

"Getting a faint smell of something that way" he indicated dead ahead; Daisy nodded and readied her sword and shield before leading the way. Their mission was one that had been described as simple and routine but as was often the case when dealing with nightmares made flesh had seemingly become more complicated than initially thought. They had been contacted by Dew Gayl, alumni of Shade Academy and former member of Team NDGO who currently served as the captain of the Tempest, one of Vale's military airships dedicated to preventing Grimm incursions; she had explained that a sizeable township had been beset by Grimm attacks that had been steadily growing in size and regularity and she wanted someone with experience to take a preliminary sweep of the area before she used the Tempests' considerable weapons batteries so close to a populated area. Flax and Daisy had agreed, stating that they suspected a spawning pool had grown unchecked somewhere in the forest, only to be confused when aerial reconnaissance of the area in Flax's modified Bull-Head, the Jackrabbit had yielded none of the usual telltale signs of such an infestation; forcing them to search the dense forest at ground level.

"Up ahead" Daisy murmured after several minutes "Cave….it doesn't look natural though, could be what we're looking for; explains the lack of surface level decay"

"Pre-Great War mine?" Flax offered "Oum knows how long the pit has been growing if that's the case" the two of them approached cautiously, Flax checking that his remote connection to the Jackrabbit was still working

"Move in closer, drop the homing beacons and go?" Daisy offered

"Probably the safest-" Flax trailed off, making a silent gesture for her to stay still; his wife did do until, with another gesture she leapt aside as the Faunus emptied his weapons into the space behind where she had been stood

"Definitely something there!" he called out as he checked the area "Fresh claw marks on the bark and soil"

"It's still here" Daisy warned as something slithered through the forest just out of view, rustling trees on the opposite side of them to where Flax had fired. A brief glimpse of red eyes set into bone coloured amour prompted her to collapse her shield into its' laser weapon form and neatly bisect half a dozen in an attempt to hit the Grimm

"What the fuck is that?" Flax demanded as a shape that conformed with no creature of Grimm he had ever encountered leapt first onto one of the falling tree trunks and then into the canopy

"It's fast, I'd guess at least nine feet tall and it has the high ground now" Daisy answered dispassionately as she scoured the trees for any sign of the monster that was stalking them

"Which means it's smart" as well Flax added "It's planning it's moves" the two of them moved into a back to back position, covering each other and searching intently for the Grimm only for their blood to run cold when it announced itself

" _LEAVE!"_ the sibilant hiss seemed to come from a multitude of voices speaking in unison; each of them filled with malice for the Hunters

"What on-"

"Fuck this" Flax snapped, swiftly using his Scroll to summon the Jackrabbit to their location; within moments the sound of powerful jet engines flying low overhead could be heard and both Flax and Daisy took cover when the transports' weapons let loose a brief salvo that ripped through the trees and ground around them

"Go! I'll cover you!" Flax barked to his wife

"Beacons?" she questioned

"I'll take care of it!" with this assurance Daisy used her Aura fuelled strength to propel herself vertically up the trunk of the nearest tree and leap into the waiting hold of the Jackrabbit; from which she watched her husband follow suit, hurling his homing beacon as close to the cave they suspected to contain a Grimm spawning pit as he could manage as he did so.

"Did you hear that?" Daisy demanded as they took the pilot and co-pilot seats of the Jackrabbit "That was a Grimm….a Grimm that talked!"

"Eagle said she saw something similar" Flax noted, readying the transports' weapons to rake through the canopy with another burst of heavy gunfire in an attempt to kill whatever horror they had just encountered

"I know but…." Daisy trailed off; the consensus among the Arc family had been that the breach had been a traumatic experience; more so for Eagle than most and she was simply trying to make sense of the situation somehow. Flax had his suspicions, he'd dealt with Qrow Branwen before and knew that his sister still worked for the old man on a somewhat regular basis; there were things that the general public were not permitted to know for their own sake and the Faunus had a sinking feeling that they had just stumbled upon such an anomaly

"Contact Dew but tell her not to engage"

"Why not?" Daisy asked in confusion

"That Grimm wasn't normal, no telling if the spawning pit is weird as well" he reasoned "This is gonna have to get called in higher up"

"Velvet?" Daisy asked

"Velvet" Flax nodded "She'll get word to Qrow….I'm not getting directly involved in this" the Rabbit Faunus silently consoled himself with the fact that Qrow Branwen would most assuredly see the problem was attended to, the seemed to have certain branches of the Atlesian military at his disposal after all.

* * *

Whilst the home above Qrow Branwen's subterranean base of operations could be described as perfectly ordinary by an uninformed observer who happened to glance at it, the facade faltered a little when one considered the back garden whose fences had been increased to a height of a dozen feet and reinforced with armour plating to prevent any stray shots that pierced the several targets scattered around the spacious plot of land from causing his neighbours any harm; there was no lawn to speak of, rather a haphazard and precarious balance of immaculately tended to home grown vegetables and patches of barren land where Harbingers' scythe mode had been given the mundane task of removing weeds. It was in this back garden, with the late afternoon sun slowly setting that Eagle Arc watched Ruby and Penny Rose partake in a round of target practice, primarily to test some slight tweaks to each of their weapons and assure the quality of the latest batch of ammunition that Ruby had made herself; she had come to Qrow's home so that she could properly introduce her father and Hellion to each other, insisting that any other times that they may have met simply did not count due to the circumstances that the meeting had happened. Finding the older Huntresses already present was a welcome surprise that Eagle had no intention of letting pass, she had been a fan of Ruby Rose's work as a slayer of the Grimm since Uncle Ren had told her highly sanitised and edited versions of their adventures together as bedtime stories and getting to watch them train was something she considered a privilege.

Another welcome surprise, and one that had left Eagle bouncing on the balls of her feet with barely contained joy was that Qrow and Hellion seemed to immediately take a liking to each other; where Hellion had been raised in a culture that prized traits that the Kingdoms considered criminal, Qrow had spent a great deal of his life acting as the shadowy left hand of Professor Ozpin; spying and acting on the former Wizards' behalf in ways that most would consider unfitting for a Huntsman, the two of them had seemed to recognise the other as a kindred roguish spirit and their laughter as they traded stories whilst tending to Qrow's parsnips could be heard over the sound of gunfire.

"Still need a better way to test 'hostile takeover' rounds" Ruby noted with a huff as she collapsed Crescent Rose. A bashful smile on her face as she noticed how Eagle shamelessly gawked at the legendary weapon

"We could buy a one a Poly-Tech robot?" Penny offered

"Just to use it for target practice over an over again? Seems kinda sociopathic….Pearl might rebel" Ruby's joke made both Penny and Eagle laugh whilst Hellion chimed in with a suggestion

"Some Hunters have aerial drones, why not use them in the woods as more worthy target practice?"

"Kids play in those woods" Ruby answered "Not worth the risk"

"Although if we do buy a Poly-Tech robot…."

"We are not buying a robot and chasing it through the woods on a manhunt" Ruby gasped from behind her hands "What's wrong with you?"

"Asserting dominance" Penny shrugged with such an earnest delivery that Ruby was reduced to silent laughter with tears streaming down her face until Qrow's low voice cut across the conversation

"We're gonna have to cut this short-"

"Aww"

"I'm know, I'm sorry Eagle it's been great seeing you" he promised his only child before turning to Ruby "I just got word from Velvet, Flax doesn't wanna call me himself but he's found something that needs to be looked at"

"Where and what are we looking at?" Ruby's voice serious, a vast departure from Eagle's previous interactions with the living legend.

"He's a homing beacon planted, I'll contact Captain Gayl and let her know to expect you aboard the Tempest; as for what it is….he doesn't know" there something about the way that Qrow said that which made the hair on the back of Eagle's neck stand on end

"We can help" she offered, standing up a little straighter

"I can act as your eyes" Hellion offered, indicating to Hellion who was perched nearby and currently ripping into some raw meat provided by Qrow

"No" Ruby shook her head "Penny can drop you both off at the Academy on the way to join me on the Tempest, she'll be acting as air support while I cover more ground on my own and Qrow co-ordinates"

"Fine" a somewhat dejected Eagle nodded in understanding, truthfully she hadn't expected her offer to be accepted but had still been compelled to try

"How will you be reaching an airship before your transport?" Hellion asked

"I have my ways" Ruby answered enigmatically with a grin. Penny leaned over and kissed her wife's cheek before departing with Eagle and Hellion in tow

"I'll let the kids know to come here instead of home at curfew" Ruby gave a signal that she had heard and watched the trio of women leave before turning to Qrow

"So I see you made friends with Eagle's first girlfriend pretty fast?"

"She has interesting taste" Qrow mused "Most fathers' are worried about their daughters getting their hearts' broken….I'm worried that Hellion and her people seem to be the exact kind of people that would make great recruits" Ruby turned and faced her Uncle, silver eyes glinting in the setting sun as she spoke slowly and simply with a voice that conveyed authority

"Do. Not"

* * *

Onyx and Raffia had chosen to spend their Saturday evening in one of the many dive bars scattered throughout the lower regions of each of New Vale's Hive towers; a dark and dingy atmosphere where one was surrounded by individuals of questionable moral character would likely always feel more welcoming and familiar to the former raiders than the gravity defying anti-gravity platform that Halo Academy's campus rested upon, the fact that the two of them could possibly find some work of questionable legality here was an added bonus.

"It's rare we get such a warm welcome" Raffia noted as both he and Onyx knocked back drinks that burned their throats on the way down, the strongest the bartender had to offer and completely free of charge; the grizzled and middle aged man serving them having lowered his gruff voice and told the two Faunus that he had bought his niece a ticket to the Vytal Tournament for her sixteenth birthday, as far as he was concerned anything they drank had already been paid for.

"I doubt if someone had told us a year or two ago that this is who we'd be that we would have believed it" Onyx mused

"I almost miss the way everything went quiet when we walked into a bar and locals saw our markings….those few seconds where people tried to figure out if we came to trade or simply pillage were always interesting"

"If we'd come to pillage we wouldn't start with a bar" Onyx snorted

"You would" the Axolotl Faunus chuckled beside him before allowing a moment of peaceful silence to pass between them. Hellion had been unable and unwilling to join them due to a prior commitment to Eagle whilst Carcharodon had stated that he would spend the evening meditating and training some of the younger students that seemingly gravitated towards him; Team SNST having apparently informed their peers that the Shark Faunus was an amazing, if ruthless and demanding teacher. Onyx had also extended an offer to Corvid who had informed him that she would be returning to Patch for at least the evening, causing the Puma Faunus to note that it was unlikely that he would be welcomed there any time soon. Eventually the silence ended when Raffia finished his drink and turned to Onyx with a deeply concerned expression haunting his dark and naturally watery eyes

"They think we're heroes" his reedy voice filled with something akin to anger, Onyx would've been more concerned if anger wasn't his companions natural state of being "Is this what we are now Onyx, heroes to the same people we used to prey on?"

"It seems so" Onyx grunted, refusing to be moved from his beliefs or give Raffia a chance to build momentum "We all agreed with Carcharodon's choices"

"I know that" Raffia snapped "I have no interest in risking exile again" the way his voice dropped to a hushed whisper spoke volumes, being cast out of his tribe and left to wander the Atlesian tundra and cities alone was amongst the worst things that he had ever experienced; which considering his Semblance did not allow him to ignore pain was a notable acheivement.

"Then what?" Onyx's tone grew annoyed, in his mind the decision was made; they may well be thieves and raiders but they honoured their word whenever it was given, especially to one of their own.

"I worry" Raffia sighed as he visibly sagged against the bar, a defeated posture with no place on a man so young "I worry that we'll meet our ancestors and they'll only see Hunters….I worry that we're becoming less than what we were. Being a hero to these people doesn't feel right Onyx, neither does this counselling business that Carcharodon is concerning himself with"

"You worry over nothing" Onyx grumbled "Except maybe that your anger has eaten away so much of you there's only going to be a husk left when it's gone" Raffia's eyes narrowed, Onyx's ability to read people being displayed once again as he cut perilously close to the bone with his remarks; Raffia did indeed cling to his anger, allowing it to get the better of him once again as his face reddened with anger and intoxication when he lashed out

"And what would this man who sees the monsters in our heads find in yours….beyond someone who's always been easily led"

"When did loyalty become a bad thing?"

"When you gave that loyalty to the Hunters for a pretty face; if our way dies it will be on your hands and Hellion's" the low rumbling snarl that passed Onyx's lips served as a warning, Raffia was dangerously close to crossing a line which would turn this difference of opinion from a heated conversation to a physical confrontation. Raffia made a disparaging hissing sound before stalking away several paces along the bar in search of more free alcohol, leaving Onyx alone with his somewhat clouded thoughts. Raffia's venomous comments had obviously been regarding his ongoing encounters with Corvid Xiao Long and Onyx found that despite his initial desire for nothing more a memorable evening or two he couldn't find it within himself to deny the accusations; Corvid was mesmerising to him, physical attraction and her peculiar brand of humour aside Onyx saw her as the embodiment of many traits that his people and he himself valued highly. She had an iron will and was a warrior of rarely equalled skill, both of these were facts beyond dispute, she was sure of herself and a fine leader, the weapon she had created for herself was a thing of beauty which Onyx freely admitted outclassed his own skills; more than that Corvid Xiao Long was free in the truest sense of the word, openly disregarding any rule, law or social convention that clashed with her own morals and sensibilities. Onyx realised drunkenly and with a start that he was far more attached to Corvid than he had ever intended to be and that there was no recourse other than to address the situation openly; though his dulled and blunted mind was forced to abandon its' train of thought when Raffia slammed down another pair of drinks, the fact he had brought one for the larger Faunus an obvious peace offering

"No more deep thinking tonight" the Axolotl Faunus snorted "This is hardly the place for it"

"Agreed" Onyx nodded "But I think you should go into the counselling with an open mind, if you gain nothing from it then so be it"

"I gave my word to Carcharodon" Raffia breathed out, mentally steeling himself

"He wouldn't force you" Onyx noted before shrugging "But perhaps you're wrong and this will make you more than you were….more than you allow yourself to be" Raffia rolled his eyes and attributed Onyx's sudden wisdom to the drinks as he searched for someone to antagonise.

* * *

Redshank Bronzewing took several deep breaths to steady himself as he made his way towards Team RAIN's dormitory, the jokes he'd received from Nova and Iridescence's disgusted glare and thinly veiled insinuations when he had asked them if he and his partner could have some privacy had done little to relieve his tensions. The way things had been left between himself and Amethyst that morning were unacceptable to him and as he approached the door to what was now his second home Redshank took a deep breath, swallowing his pride and preparing himself for another argument. Things would go differently this time, he cared too much for his partner to allow anything else and none of what had been said previously would change that.

"Ammi" he called, voice wavering with trepidation as he rapped against the door "Ammi it's me, Nova said you messaged them to say you're back….I was worried about you" music could be heard faintly inside the dorm which heavily implied that Amethyst was indeed present and the fact that he wasn't immediately greeted with a slew of insults, delivered in a distinctive Patch accent filled Redshank with hope

"I just wanna say sorry for what I said….and I haven't told any of the professors about what you were thinking of doing" he added the admission as an olive branch, hopefully the Monkey Faunus hadn't gone through with her hastily formed plan to make herself more powerful; the boy dared to hope for a moment and resolved that if their friendship could be repaired he would ask Amethyst out to dinner; after a few more moments of silence his newfound confidence began to waver as quickly as it had formed

"Ammi, you there?" still no reply, eventually Redshank took another deep breath and took his electronic key to the dormitory "Look, I'm coming in okay" he opened the door and stepped into the dorm that almost embarrassingly still only partially decorated; there was no sign of his partner in the combined bedroom and living space

"Ammi?" he cast his eyes around, finding no sign of her until the sight of the bathroom door slightly ajar caught his eye

"You in there?" he asked cautiously, rapping on the door; heart hammering in his chest as a pervasive yet inexplicable feeling that something was wrong washed over him

"I'm coming in, let me know if I should close my eyes?" with that he waited a beat for simply pushing the door completely open and making it no more than half a pace into the bathroom before all colour left his face and cold dread seeped into every fibre of his being.

Amethyst lay unconscious on the bathroom floor, motionless save for minor convulsions of her extremities; a mixture of blood, spittle and thin white foam forming in the corners of her mouth and dripping slowly onto the tiles beneath her whilst at her side a syringe could be seen laying where it had fallen from her hand, the last dregs of a faintly glowing green substance visible within

"AMMI!" Redshank was crouched at her side at an instant, shaking the Faunus in a futile attempt to wake her before he regained enough of his senses to check her heartbeat and breathing before trying to resuscitate her. Mercifully her breathing was steady if shallow; upon discovering this Redshank bolted out into the hallway and frantically battered the doors of every dormitory nearby whilst bellowing for help

"MY PARTNER NEEDS A DOCTOR! SOMEONE HELP ME GET HER TO THE MEDICAL WING! HUNTRESS DOWN!" hearing movement behind at least some of the doors he hurried back to where Amethyst lay, still ghostly white and shuddering as the effects of whatever she had taken wreaked havoc on her lifeless body.

"Come on Ammi" tears streamed down his terrified face as he cradled her head gently "Come on don't die on me….please" his prayers were answered when at the same moment a pair of students made their way into the dorm, assurances that their team-mate had sprinted towards the medical wing to alert the staff that there was a student needing urgent attention on the way; Amethyst proved herself to still be clinging to life as she gave a hollow, rattling and somehow hauntingly desperate gasp for air.

Redshank only hoped that her stubbornness lasted long enough for her to get the help she needed.

 **Authors Notes:**

So yeah I'm just gonna come out and say it, that last scene was just unpleasant to write so if any of you are uncomfortable reading it I completely understand.  
Also, stay away from drugs kids….and if you really want to experiment then don't buy from random people; have a consistent reliable dealer otherwise you're putting yourself at even more risk.  
That being said this starts the process of tying some of the separate threads of Volume Seven together, obviously exactly how won't become apparent just yet; but trust me.

Now, let's summarise shall we:  
Amethyst went to Melanie Malachite and asked her for drugs/Aura steroids and got a slap for asking, going to one of Rhodium's crew was an act of desperation and considering that she lives on Patch and only sells a little weed every now and then, meaning she isn't involved in any mainland turf wars; probably an act of total naivety.  
Always nice to throw in little callbacks to things like the first year finale, it makes the setting feel more real.  
Well this was what Moss of Team MUCK was here for, to be the plot device that got Amethyst into contact with Tricky.  
I'm gonna clarify this, Tricky was genuine with the offer and didn't know that the drugs he was selling were badly made; his motivation was to recruit a good fighter and the fact Amethyst was Melanie's niece just made it an even better offer, it'd be a great way to say fuck you to the opposition….the overdose though, that's gonna have consequences.  
The running joke continues; Yang Vs Kataigida when?  
Yang and Blake are definitely the kind of parents that pull out the baby photos.  
Ah, the puns are back….also simple wok, bet you didn't think you'd see that bit of canon referenced.  
Felix is definitely gonna miss his sister.  
Yes that letter and it's contents are going to become a plot point.  
Honestly, the baby scene is just because I have a niece now and she's adorable….but yes Artemis will be taking one of the teams on a mission.  
I love the idea that professional Hunters have learned that certain student teams are just magnets for trouble….and also Diamond's "Almost break the fourth wall" thing is back.  
Racism is still a thing and it would only be on the rise after the White Fang attack; hearing about Coral integrating into normal society is a good way to gauge things.  
Flax is an old fan favourite, I thought why not have him and Daisy be the ones to make the discovery….and yes the keeping track of kills was based on Gimli and Legolas.  
So, we have another Phobos….oh this is gonna be fun.  
Yeah Team FADE's account of the breach and Phobos is being chalked up to PTSD and kept hushed.  
Flax "Baby Face" Scarlatina doesn't want to get involved in Qrow's business….just what did he see on a mission for the old man?  
Even after a mission with Penny, Eagle is the biggest fan-girl of Ruby Rose.  
The funny thing is I gave Qrow a backstory in Downward Spiral before the tribe was revealed; which basically means that Qrow and Hellion meeting is basically my Qrow meeting the canon version of himself.  
I'm sure I've mentioned hostile takeover rounds before but haven't shown them….also, Penny facing off against a Poly-Tech robot; not even being subtle with the foreshadowing here.  
Seriously, Qrow has taken on Oz's old role and Team GORE would make excellent scouts for him.  
Honestly the Onyx and Raffia scene isn't massively plot relevant but I felt like giving Raffia some screen time and a little development; maybe enough to start moving him away from being a one note berserker.  
Onyx realising he's got it bad was nice.  
Yeah not much to say about that last scene, other than that it made me uncomfortable when I wrote it and that there's going to be a fall out from it.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Funlander, DizzyDwarf and iSassenach for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Grimm studies is being taught by Dove Bronzewing.  
Eagle might not have made the pun, but Corvid definitely would have.  
Carcharodon has a level of respect for Felix as an opponent and a capable leader even if they're not friends….although Car probably like Team FADE as much as he likes anyone outside of his own tribe.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	92. Retaliation

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 92: Retaliation**

"I hate the smell of hospitals" Felix noted with clear distaste as Team FADE made their way to the room Amethyst Wukong had been assigned; having been transferred from Halo Academy's medical wing to the hospital several days ago when it became apparent that specialist care would be needed at least in the short term and also that the young Faunus's future as a student of the prestigious institution was at the very least in question.

"Surprised you noticed it" Diamond noted with a sly smile "You've been to the medical wing with your nose broken so many times I thought you'd be used to it even if you could still smell anything" neither Arctus or Eagle could prevent themselves from laughing at this, though Felix's partner at least had the decency to cover her mouth with her hands and try to control herself. Felix himself merely rolled his eyes and grumbled unintelligibly as the continued towards the ward and room they sought. It was Team FADE's first time visiting Amethyst, the hospital only allowing her to receive guests who were not immediate family since the day before which had been relayed to Felix through Sun Wukong, whose reaction to his daughters' use of Aura enhancing narcotics and her subsequent hospitalisation had been a mixture of heartbroken fear, anger and disappointment.

"Still think we should have brought her something….Grandpa's home made chicken soup maybe?" Eagle suggested

"They wouldn't let us bring it in" Arctus pointed out; all conversation coming to an immediate halt the moment they saw a familiar individual with a distinctive appearance and crimson Mohawk making his way towards them. Felix had been eagerly seeking out an encounter with Amethyst's team-mates ever since he had learned of his childhood friends' current condition but had thus far been unsuccessful, seemingly having just missed Team RAIN on several occasions. Redshank Bronzewing, knowing none of this merely gave them a small wave in greeting

"Hey, Ammi was hungry so I'm just-" he was forcibly silenced by Felix grabbing him by the scruff of the neck and slamming him against the wall with enough force to make the whole corridor shudder with the impact, Redshank found his feet leaving the ground as the Lion Faunus held him overhead and felt panic set in as he realised that none of Team FADE were making any attempt to resolve the situation just yet

"WHERE THE FUCK WERE YOU?" Felix demanded, voice a furious snarl as his golden Aura became visible; seemingly of its' own volition for a brief moment "Your partner could have died! Why weren't you there to talk her out of doing something stupid?"

"I-I" wordless stammering seemed to be the most Redshank could manage at that moment, fear of the older student robbing him of his voice

"Okay, that's enough" Eagle warned Felix, placing a hand on his shoulder; a gesture which the Faunus used to his advantage as he continued venting his anger

"See that? That's the kind of shit you should have been doing!"

"FELIX THAT'S ENOUGH!" the new voice caused everyone to turn in the direction from which it had come; the realisation that the speaker was Amethyst Wukong herself caused Felix to throw Redshank to the ground with a snarl of disgust at the first years' perceived failures.

"You okay?" Amethyst whispered, barely loud enough to be heard by the other Faunus present as her partner retreated towards her; Team FADE being surprised and a little abashed when the Monkey Faunus wrapped her tail around her partners' waist and pulled him into a gentle hug, their foreheads resting against each other for a moment before they broke apart and Redshank quickly made his way passed Team FADE; making his towards his initial destination.

"You're an ass-hole sometimes" Amethyst spat as she glowered at Felix

"Yeah, you're right" he shrugged before letting out a slow exhale "How're you feeling?"

"Like death warmed up" Amethyst answered with a sigh and as Felix took a good look at his old friend he saw that she did indeed look sickly and drained, her skin deathly pale and dark rings under her eyes

"Oum damn it Ammi why-"

"Don't start" Amethyst cut Felix off "I've already had it from both my parents and Professor Goodwitch….Mum told that if it was her house I'd brought Booster into she would've kicked me out"

"Where did you get that stuff?" Diamond demanded, her utter disgust and loathing for the narcotic whose risks she was already well aware of rising to the surface

"Moss from Team MUCK sells for a guy called Torchwick-"  
"Are you fucking serious Ammi?" Felix demanded "Team FADE helped put that ass-hole in jail"

"Yeah well, I didn't know" Amethyst shrugged, looking thoroughly uncomfortable "I just wanted to get stronger….Goodwitch went nuts. Came down here the second I woke up, used her clearance to visit me before my parents did and tell me how fucked I am"

"How bad was it?" Arctus asked, already imagining the consequences would be severe in the extreme

"Bad" she assured him "I'm not the leader of Team RAIN any more, Red is and when I get back to the Academy I'm on suspension for the rest of the year….I don't leave the Academy for anything other than missions or a family emergency and I'll probably be pre-disqualified from the next Vytal Tournament"

"Damn" Felix breathed out

"Yeah" she nodded "Only reason I'm not expelled is because Goodwitch said she can't afford to lose any more of her students because of this"

"Moss was expelled?" Eagle asked

"The whole of Team MUCK were" Amethyst corrected, unknowingly scuppering Felix's plans to beat sense into Torchwick's lackey before they could fully form "Goodwitch had a Hunter called Scarlet search their dorm, turns out they were all doing drugs….from what I heard they got called to her office and the police were there waiting"

"Good" Diamond's tone was icy and the conversation came to a natural halt a moment before it would have been interrupted by a nurse who Eagle was almost sure she recognised from somewhere; perhaps an ex-girlfriend of Flax Scarlatina's sister Poly-Esther.

"Miss Wukong?" the woman asked nervously, most likely having heard the earlier commotion "I need to run some tests on you, if you could follow me?"

"Oum damn it I was gonna get food" Amethyst muttered before turning to Team FADE "This is gonna take hours, you guys may as well come back another day...hopefully I'll be back at Halo by next week though"

"Hope so, see ya soon Ammi" Felix assured her, Amethyst left and as she did so his expression slowly darkened. When the corridor was empty save for Team FADE Diamond looked at her team leader and realised that his thoughts were heading in a similar direction to her own

"You wanna go after Torchwick's crew?"

"Someone's gotta take him off the streets….it can either be Hunters or Melanie Malachite" there was a collective shudder as each of them took a moment to consider the violence that would no doubt be unleashed by the mob boss.

"I'm in….if you're sure you're ready for this?" Diamond assured him whilst voicing her concerns for her friends' mental state

"You know I'm with you" Arctus promised, admittedly directed more towards Diamond than Felix as he squeezed her hand

"This is dangerous; really dangerous and we could probably get in a lot of trouble" Eagle noted before standing a little straighter "But it needs to be done, so let's do it"

"So it's up to you….are you wanna do this?" Diamond asked Felix, the Lion Faunus taking a moment to consider his choices before nodding

"I'm sure….I know we all wanted to go into anti-Grimm work and avoid things like this but we can't ignore it when it's right in front of our faces. We've gotta find Torchwick and bring him down" Felix felt a flicker of his old self confidence and assurance flare up within himself, before an unwelcome thought occurred to him and he added a single word to his impromptu speech

"….again"

* * *

A black luxury car prowled through the streets of the lowest reaches of New Vale where the mere presence of such an expensive vehicle were enough to make it seem out of place; making its' way across a bridge between two of the gargantuan tower blocks and into yet more of the claustrophobic cityscape at a leisurely pace that seemed to suggest that the occupants of the vehicle desired to be seen. Inside the vehicle and behind its' tinted windows was Rhodium Torchwick; the red-headed gangster reclining in the comfortable leather rear seats of the car whilst enjoying the air conditioning and heavy bass of an obnoxiously loud and expensive sound system. Vert, who was rapidly becoming a key figure in Torchwick's criminal organisation was driving; whilst Torchwick's own imported sports car was decidedly more expensive there was something about having a chauffeur that gave him an unmistakable sense of importance and left him feeling powerful.

"Moss won't talk, don't worry about that" Vert offered unexpectedly, causing Rhodium to scoff

"Uzi if I didn't already think that then your boy would already be dead" he assured his cohort, using the alias that Vert was referred to as much as his real name. Vert had no response to the calm and relaxed way in which Rhodium promised that he could have people that Vert had known since childhood murdered on a whim and so remained silent, allowing Rhodium to explain at his own pace; after all what was the point in having such power if there was nobody to see it wielded

"I know Moss won't snitch but I still wanted to go make sure he can keep a story straight….I told a couple people I was on the wing with to keep an eye on him; no doubt Malachite is gonna have her people try and touch him"

"Thanks" Vert nodded gratefully whilst keeping his eyes firmly on the road despite their slow speed "Wait, you were in North Vale Correctional Facility?"

"I busted out during the breach"

"Oh shit" Vert had nothing more profound to offer as an answer to the casual revelation that his employer had escaped New Vale's harshest prison, Rhodium however went on to explain

"Got the same Narc who got into the crew to drive me out of the gates….shit, the same guard that searched us on the way in turned mine and Tricky's cell over about a dozen times. Did you see the look on her face when I pulled my ID out?" the red-head laughed to himself at the memory, he had enough falsified paperwork and a strong enough legal team following his use of legal businesses to bolster ranks and profits that there was now no way that his previous crimes could be tied to him, even a DNA test would be called into question until a jury would be unsure, regardless of how much said jury had been bribed beforehand. The pair continued onwards in their journey from the prison, back into what they both considered to be their own territory although their pace was slowed from their already idle, posturing pace to an aggravating crawl as they ran into a sudden wall of traffic.

"What he fuck?" Rhodium demanded

"Diversion" Vert explained "I can see a police cordon up ahead….I think it's in front of chicken place"

"Pull up" Rhodium instructed, tone becoming firm as he took stock of the situation; crime in this part of the city was firmly under his control and anything that required the police to cut off part of a street was almost certainly larger than a simple arrest, there was also the fact that this particular fast food business was somewhere that Rhodium had frequented on his way home from school before his expulsion and would see any vandalism of punished. Vert brought the car to the side of the road and followed Torchwick as he exited and marched towards the cordon, Melodic Cudgel in hand and a sizeable handgun tucked into his jacket. His sense of urgency only increasing as he saw the nearest police officers see his approach and simply share cruel smiles rather than make any attempt to stop him, one of them sneering to a colleague as the redhead drew close

"Hey Ash looks like Mister Torchwick's new concerned local businessman routine is working….he came to pick his trash up"

"Well pass him a mop then" the second officer snorted

"Hey did either of you rookies ever hear about Officer Brindle? Last I heard he was implicated in some pretty serious corruption charges" Rhodium shot back; their furious expressions at the tarnished reputation of the officer he had killed bringing a twisted smirk to his own face.

"Keep talking scumbag, I might start fearing for my life and having to use necessary force or fire a few warning shots" the second officer snarled, hand travelling to he pistol holstered at his hip

"Not worth the paperwork" the first officer, Ash growled in his ear before focusing on Rhodium

"Step right this way Mister Torchwick, we at the police department have always got time for such an important member of the community" the mocking tone as the officer lifted the cordon and allowed Rhodium and Vert into the crime scene enough to set both criminals truly on edge. As they drew close to the fast food establishment Rhodium realised that it was not the business itself that had been cordoned off, but rather a large and expensive black SUV with raised suspension and oversized after-market wheels that glistened in the glow of the lights overhead; the redhead felt his blood run cold as he first recognised the vehicle as belonging to Tricky and then took notice of damage that had been inflicted upon it. The passenger side of the SUV had been riddled with high calibre bullet holes, leaving windows shattered, the panels of the doors dented, warped and punctured in countless places and the entire vehicle sitting at an angle due to the tires on one side being burst. Rhodium looked at the damage and instantly understood that this had been a drive by shooting; his legs felt unsteady beneath him as he made his way around to the drivers' side where he already knew he would find the unthinkable, but was still unable to stop the bile rising in his throat and the hot stinging in his eyes at the sight that greeted him. Tricky had tried to either escape or return fire, he had failed and his lifeless body laying on the ground where he had collapsed out of the SUV served as proof, the Weasel Faunus's chest and back had been utterly shredded by gunfire though it was a single shot that had struck his skull that had proved fatal, spattering blood and tissue across the windows of the takeaway whilst the pavement was stained crimson where he had fallen.

"Who would do such a thing?" one of the officers taunted, revelling in what they no doubt considered to be poetic justice.

"No comment" Rhodium answered coldly before turning on his heel and stalking away from the body of his former cellmate, right hand and one of very few people that he had genuinely cared for or considered worthwhile. Vert had the sense to follow him and expect orders to be given

"This was the Syndicate! This was Malachite!" Rhodium spat, voice and fists shaking with barely contained rage

"How're we handling this?"

"Kill the bitch!" Rhodium snarled "Moss sent her niece to Tricky. Moss was one of your boys….You hit Malachite tonight! Not one of her side businesses, not some of her people, you hit the bitch herself and you don't come back without results!"

"Rhodey are sure-" Vert stopped talking as he found the barrel of Rhodium's handgun pressed firmly against his forehead

"I'm sure I've gotta move my Mum out of town to make sure she's safe now. I'm sure that one of my best people is laying over there with his fucking brains on a wall, so yes Vert I'm fucking sure!"

"You got it boss" the younger man eventually managed to croak out after a moment of stunned silence, wisely choosing not to bring attention to the fact that the man with a gun to his head had started crying mid-tirade

"Good, now fuck off" Vert quickly complied, clambering back into the car that Rhodium himself had bought for him and tearing off with screeching tires; Rhodium waited for a moment and mustered just enough self control to make it appear as though he were striding purposefully away from the scene rather than fleeing in a blind panic until he found a back alley that was mercifully bereft of people, his back hit the wall and he slid down its' surface to the ground as he buried his face in his hands and sobbed uncontrollably. Power and wealth suddenly seeming small and inconsequential aims; his war with Melanie Malachite and her Black Bear Syndicate was now a far more personal affair and the only prize worth competing for was blood.

* * *

It was a content and relaxed Melanie Malachite that presided over affairs at the nightclub that she had inherited from her Uncle, along with control of his criminal empire in its' entirety when her twin sister had decided that she no longer wanted to be a part of the lifestyle they had grown up with. Amethyst's experimentation with Booster had shaken Melanie to her core, almost as much as Miltia and Sun's joint promise that if their daughter were harmed by the criminal element of the Kingdom again that they would use every means at their disposal to see that Melanie was held accountable for it, family ties be damned. The mob boss had used every bit of influence at her disposal to find out that the batch of drugs her niece had taken were simply shoddily made rather than a deliberate attempt at poisoning, the usual Eco-Dust component being cut down and supplemented with Lightning Dust that had resulted in a temporary heart failure; learning that Amethyst had been so close to death had only galvanised her and led her to find out that the same lieutenant who controlled the Torchwick boy's drugs operations was also the underling he would likely miss the most and whilst the physical and metaphorical blood had been washed off of her hands, Melanie had insisted that she be the one to perform the task; stating that Rhodium would be a fool if he suspected anyone other than the Black Bear Syndicate so there was nothing to be gained by denying herself the satisfaction of killing the man who had sold drugs to her family. As she watched the customers enjoy themselves and spend their hard earned money at the bar from her position in a VIP area situated on a balcony above the main dance floor Melanie dared to hope that this may just be the end of it; she'd let the upstart Torchwick get away with far too much for far too long, putting down one of his inner circle so soon after their brief skirmishes in each others' territory sent a message that she was no longer interested in playing games. A brief smirk tugged at her lips as she contemplated being the undisputed ruler of the Kingdoms' underbelly once more; if Torchwick accepted defeat graciously she might even allow him a level of freedom working for her.

Such thoughts were promptly halted when the front of her nightclub exploded.

"WIPE THE FUCKERS OUT!" an adrenaline fuelled voice, seemingly belonging to a young man roared

"Boys?" Melanie sighed with a disturbing calmness, a single nod sending the several dozen black suited members of her crew that shared the VIP area of the venue with her bolting towards the ground, hidden weapons being produced from every conceivable place as they did so. Melanie shifted her weight and deployed the blades integrated into her high-heeled shoes, yet remained where she stood; watching the frantic and terrified crowd scattering in every direction as she prepared herself for the unlikely scenario that any of Torchwick's disorganised rabble survived long enough to get near her.

Then the first streak of eerie green light burst into the club and the carnage began.

It took Melanie a few moments to realise what she was seeing and in those few moments several of her people had already died. The green lights were the temporarily corrupted, yet amplified Auras of gang members using Booster to its' full effect; Melanie looked on in horror as the lifelong member of the gang who had escorted Melanie and Miltia to their high-school prom met a bloody end, his drug fuelled attacker sidestepping bullets as if in slow motion before swinging a baseball bat at the older mans' face with sickening effect

"TORCH THE PLACE AND FIND MALACHITE!" the same voice issued orders once again and Melanie now saw that in addition to half a dozen or so Booster enhanced maniacs slaughtering her people there were a plethora of other gang members in the process of ransacking her effectively defenceless club, their leader being a young man with gaudy and expensive jewellery and dyed green dreadlocks. Mint green eyes narrowed and Melanie began snapping out her own orders

"FOCUS ON THE JUNKIES, I'LL HANDLE THE STREET TRASH!" with that she took a running leap over the balcony and somersaulted in the air as she fell towards the ground, time seemed to move slowly for her as she ripped the blades free of her stilettos and hurled one of them at a rival gang member currently helping himself to the contents of a cash register; the two of them hit the ground at the same time though while Melanie rose to her feet, blade in hand her victim lay motionless gurgling noises escaping them as a red stain expanded out from beneath their body.

"I sent your employer a message" Melanie hissed as she stalked towards Vert, blinding one of his companions and hamstringing another with blinding speed as she did so "It seems I need to underline the relevant parts" Vert spat out a curse and drew a knife of his own, a ludicrously over designed thing which was clearly only ever intended to intimidate. The two of them charged in unison and Melanie showcased the ruthless and brutality that made her the feared and respected leader she was, stopping short as her opponent made to slash at her chest she instead lashed out and kicked him in the gut and as he staggered backwards, doubled over and gasping for air, she grabbed the chains he wore around his neck and dragged him forwards, bringing her skull crashing into his nose with a satisfying crunch before slashing at him with her remaining blade, drawing a pained cry from him as his left cheek was torn open and blood flowed freely down his face

"Bitch!" Vert spat viciously before actually spitting in Melanie's eyes in an effort to blind her momentarily before slashing at her neck. Melanie had been in many such knife fights in her life and merely dropped into a low crouch, allowing the attack to pass over her as she plunged her knife into her attackers hip, steel grinding against bone before being ripped free; she then seized Vert's right arm and stabbed at the inside of wrist, twisted and dragging the blade in a spray of blood as the boy howled and screamed in pain, a few more jabs at his ribs and flank left the would be killer staggering away struggling to breathe and for a moment Melanie contemplated giving chase and opening his throat, instead deciding that he would serve as a message equally well in his current condition

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" Vert's voice wavered with agony and terror now, those gang members who had not been using Booster quickly turned tail and fled, firing a few parting shots blindly over their shoulders as they did so. Melanie saw that the Booster fuelled attackers fought on in a berserk rage which had claimed the lives of several of her people, whose blood and horrifically maimed remains littered the ground; though they were slowly being pushed back as the glow of their Booster fuelled Auras began to fade away, their artificial strength and invulnerability leaving at which point they were swiftly gunned down by the Black Bear Syndicate, whose reinforcements were pouring in from back rooms. Just as Melanie allowed herself to relax a fraction one of the remaining attackers decided to use the last of their enhanced abilities to attack her directly, rushing towards her with a feral roar as bullets pattered off of them harmlessly.

Then a second explosion rocked the nightclub and Melanie was flung backwards, smashing through several tables before coming to a stop. As she rose from the debris she became aware of two things, firstly that the gang member who had been charging her was gone, in his place there was a smoking crater filled with charred and unidentifiable pieces; secondly that there was a new figure present; a man whose stature and physique belied his advancing age and who carried a smoking rocket launcher which had clearly been responsible for the explosion.

"Uncle Hie" Melanie breathed out as she staggered over to him and wobbling legs, trying to shake the ringing sound from her ears as she did do "A little warning next time?"

"Maybe next time you'll warn me next time you have friends over when I'm doing business" Hie _'Junior'_ Xiong retorted gruffly; the former Mafioso may have retired from crime to follow a career in politics but he still enjoyed using the nightclub as a venue for deals best kept away from the public eye, access to literal smoke filled back rooms evidently a valuable asset in both walks of life

"There won't be a next time" Melanie spat, the conversation being interrupted by the low booming of the sound barrier being broken and golden lightning arcing across every metallic surface nearby as a masked Husky Faunus materialised in the hole that had been torn into the nightclub wall; prompting the remaining members of the Black Bear Syndicate to aim their weapons

"Drop your weapons! I'm a Huntsman!" Rover Tan barked out as he removed his mask, a single nod from Melanie brought compliance from the mobsters; she made a single step forwards before Junior brought a hand down on his nieces shoulder and spoke in a low murmur  
"Get the boys out of here….get 'em to our doctors and contact the families that need to be told about this. I'll handle him"

"Can he be bought?" Melanie peered at the familiar Faunus, sure she recognised him from somewhere; also noting that the Aura regulator surgically grafted into his chest sported the same eerie green glow as the Eco-Dust used in Rhodium Torchwick's drugs.

"He's one of Gangrel Slate's old team so no" Junior snorted "But, we go back either way and I can put enough red tape in the way to buy you a few days"

"Good….thank you" Melanie sighed, grateful for the help despite the now crushing weight of the responsibilities she bore

"You can thank me by fixing this mess Mel" Junior answered sternly, stating the obvious as he added "End this war with Torchwick and do it soon, his old man might have been a pushover but the kid isn't….he'll kill us all if we let him"

* * *

"Oum it looks bad" Diamond muttered as she tilted her Scroll, allowing her team-mates and Team NEON who had naturally sat with them the article she was reading; they had been enjoying breakfast at Halo Academy before another day of gruelling lessons when the Mistrali sniper had almost choked on her food whilst reading a news article regarding an attack by unknown assailants on Melanie Malachite's nightclub. The story had obviously been hastily written to ensure it could be released to the public as soon as possible and was as such almost entirely devoid of provable facts, one thing however was unmistakable

"This has gotta be Torchwick's crew" Felix noted with a furious growl, remains of his tail swishing in agitation

"We've seen his gang fight before….it was never like this" Eagle pointed out, pushing her breakfast away as her stomach turned at the sight of what could only be described as a bloodbath

"They're using Booster" Diamond surmised, nose wrinkling in disgust "Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll all take a bad batch"

"It doesn't say Torchwick was there in person though" Arctus noted

"Of course not, he's not gonna get high on his own supply….that's an amateur mistake" Team FADE collectively turned their attention to Ether Arashi who had spoken and was now receiving additional odd glances from his own team-mates, save for Olivine who naturally seemed to already understand the situation

"You forgot I'm from the bottom of the city?" Ether chuckled "Hell me and the band have played at some real dives down there" Felix's expression turned calculating as he regarded the rocker for a few more moments, he'd always assumed that his old friend Nyanza would be the most experienced member of Team NEON in regards to crime, apparently he had overlooked Ether

"So what can you tell us? Where do Torchwick's crew hang out?"

"Not at our gigs" Ether shrugged "I was just talking in general. I'm from the lower levels of Hive Tower twelve, not one of the ones Torchwick's crew run; as far as I know….I was never in a street gang" Ether held his hands out apologetically. Felix's fist struck the table forcefully

"Come on if you've performed in all these dive bars you must know someone who knows something? Bartenders, promoters, DJ's who've seen Torchwick around, take Nyanza with you and get some answers" he demanded in an urgent whisper

"Calm down man!" Olivine snapped "We get it, Torchwick's a scumbag"

"I'll do it" Nyanza offered "Ether if you're up for bringing me along to a few places I'll see what I can find out"

"The first year who….poisoned herself" Helios struggled to find words, his people had nothing that compared to the Aura boosting drugs Amethyst had taken "She was a friend of both of yours?"

"Yeah" Felix nodded, Nyanza agreeing silently. Helios gently took the Lion Faunus's hand

"You know that Team NEON will support you….that I will" Helios's vibrant green eyes met Felix's deep blue "But do this because it needs to be done, not just for your own satisfaction"

"Can't it be both?" Felix grumbled, hatred for the mobster whom he had already seen imprisoned once rising to the surface.

"Xiao Long, you've got mail!" a woman dressed in clothes that could best be described as business casual marched over to the table which teams FADE and NEON shared and whilst Felix didn't recognise her personally she wore a badge that identified her as a member of the academies' largely unseen administration staff

"Tell whoever it is that there's a procedure, or to just send it digitally" the administrator chided him as she set an envelope down before him "This nearly ended up on payrolls' desk"

"Thanks" Felix answered politely as he opened his mail and pulled out the letter within, eyes widening as he scanned its' contents

"Felix?" Helios's concern was immediate and impossible to miss

"Same as the last one, they didn't know which I'd get first so they sent two" the Lion Faunus explained distractedly

"Uh….what?" Arctus asked, voicing the confusion of everyone present who was not Felix or Helios

"I've gotta go talk to Corey for a sec; I'll see you in class" the Lion Faunus didn't wait for a reply, merely rising from his chair and seeking his sister as his heart pounded in his head and a lump formed in his throat. Fortunately he found her soon, alongside the rest of Team CLIR as they left for the first lesson of their own day.

"Corey!" Felix called out as he jogged to her side, the final year students taking one look at his expression and deciding that whatever this conversation was, it was something private between the siblings; Iris gave Corvid a brief fist bump which allowed Felix a moment to glimpse her new and heavily modified cybernetic left arm.

"What's up Fluffy?" Corvid's tone was worried and hushed as she led him out of the canteen into a corridor which offered marginally more privacy

"Another letter" Felix held up the offending sheet of paper as proof, voice cracking as he continued "I can't pretend I haven't seen this Corey"

"Damn it" Corvid hissed through clenched teeth as she ran her hands through her hair in frustration

"You got letters like these as well right?" he demanded "People claiming to be your parents after they saw you in the Vytal Tournament?"

"Yeah, yeah I did" Corvid admitted "Fake, all of 'em"

"You're sure?" Corvid's steely grey eyes turned hard and cold at her brothers' question

"I saw my parents die when I was four years old. The original wall around the exclusion zone wasn't as sturdy….if I ever find out who sent those letters to me I'll kill 'em" Felix halted for a brief moment, a little unnerved by his sisters' sudden ferocity despite how easy it was to understand; he dreaded the possible answers to his next question almost enough to stop himself from asking it

"What about mine?"

"Oum damn it Felix, don't do this" her eyes screwed shut

"What about my parents Corey?"

"I don't know!" She spat "I was four years old and the Grimm had just ripped through everything I knew and killed my parents! I did what any lost little kid would do and looked for some grown ups to cry to and found you in a half crushed car on the way to a police station!"

"Oh" Felix croaked out, tears filling his own eyes as they streaked down Corvid's face. Much of Felix's early life was a mystery to him, most likely repressed as a way to cope with the trauma; truthfully his earliest memories were of his time in an orphanage with Corvid shortly before Blake and Yang had adopted them both and Corvid had simply refused to discuss the subject of their previous lives with anyone.

"Why do you even care?" Corvid demanded tearfully, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand

"Because this might be real and I can't pretend or ignore it" Felix all but whimpered

"You ungrateful bastard" Felix flinched as if struck by his sisters' words and Corvid advanced on him, finger jabbing her chest as she continued "Yang and Blake are our parents, I'm your sister; that's who your family is Felix! You were on your own when I found you! You wanna chase this up then fine but y'know what I actually hope that it's real just so you can find out what kind of people abandon a toddler in a Grimm attack!"

"Corey I have to-"  
"No you don't!" she spat "This could all go away, just tell 'em you're not interested and burn the letter" Felix's lip trembled and a single sob escaped him as he shook his head

"I can't" Corvid stepped back, hands trembling as she regarded him in stunned silence for several second before finally squaring her shoulders and speaking in a flat, dead monotone

"Fine. I can't stop you….But you can be the one to tell our parents" as she turned and stalked away she hurled one final barb over her shoulder "And I genuinely hope the truth hurts you" Felix made no attempt to stop himself from crying; wishing he could explain just how much it already had hurt him.

* * *

Dull thuds, punctuated with choking sounds and pained grunts filled the room as Rhodium expressed his extreme displeasure with Vert and his failure to slay Melanie Malachite, through an endless rain of kicks to the younger mans' chest, stomach and head as Vert lay curled and prone on the hard ground and made no effort to defend himself. News of events at the nightclub had reached Torchwick that morning and he had immediately demanded that Vert present himself; the rapper and gang member having taken so long to comply with the demand that Rhodium had briefly considered having the main thoroughfares in and out of the city watched in case Vert tried to flee. Currently they were in one of Torchwick's many and varied hideouts, this one in particular being a small workshop which officially manufactured small and delicate parts for the workings of airships; a business which required a lot of Dust and as such made a perfect place for Rhodium to deposit several tons worth of crystals for safe keeping, he also one day hoped to use it as part a cross-Kingdom smuggling operation but that was currently nothing more than a dream and the redhead had immediate issues to attend to; like the fact that Vert was struggling to stand

"Who told you to get up?" he demanded in a savage roar, grabbing Vert by the back of the head and smashing his face against the nearest wall with a dull crunch which left a bloody smear on its' surface and Vert himself crumpled on the ground, pained moans escaping him as he clutched his battered skull.

"You sent for me Mister Torchwick….though perhaps I should come back another time?" the bemused interruption came from Doctor Ozymandias Eldritch, who had mercifully chosen to wear the beaked mask which gave him the appearance of some historical plague doctor; sparing his business partner the sight of his horrifically wounded face and empty eye socket.

"You're good, besides we haven't got time to waste" Rhodium replied, panting slightly from exertion as he wiped blood from his knuckles with a rag he had brought with him specifically for that purpose, hissing an order to Vert as he composed himself "Pick yourself up….bitch" the thug struggled and failed to do as instructed before finally using the wall for support and clutching his wounded chest, struggling to breathe as blood began to stain his bandages and drip from the many wounds he had received at the hands of Melanie Malachite, his own Aura too feeble to heal them at an accelerated rate and the stitches provided by a nurse who didn't ask questions having been torn free in many places during his latest beating. Ozymandias watched this amused disinterest

"How can I be of assistance?"

"You can start by fixing the fucking grin you've got under that mask" Rhodium growled "That shit batch of Booster fucking cost us, money and people….another batch like that hits the street and our reputation is fucked"

"A very rare lapse in my concentration I assure you, I assume the batch you required for last nights'….festivities, was acceptable?" Ozymandias almost purred.

"Tricky's dead" Rhodium spoke with a heavy sense of finality, fighting to keep his composure in front of his people and be the leader that the mean streets he had grown up on needed. "We hit back but now I've gotta leave town for a while. Oz, I'm putting you in charge of everything relating to Booster; production, distribution, handling the finances and making sure everyone gets their cut"

"What?" vert hissed, immediately thinking better of objecting when Rhodium treated him to a glare that promised more violence

"You and your fucking idiot friend Moss have done enough" the redhead snarled before turning back to Ozymandias "You know science and shit but you're new to the streets….you up to this?"

"I'm sure I'll have time to learn everything I need to know" the mad doctor assured him with optimism that bordered on sinister

"I'm leaving first thing in the morning" Rhodium stated flatly "I'm getting my Mum on an airship to Vaccuo and she can stay there for a few months, I'm gonna go and help her settle in….or at least that's what I've told her. I'm gonna be hiring some big hitters and buying us the firepower we need while I'm out there"

"Alas my own former contacts in the Kingdom are unfortunately no longer with us….one of their targets was apparently under the protection of Ruby Rose" Rhodium's eyes widened at that and Ozymandias gave a twisted smile beneath his mask; the bounty hunters that had scarred the living legends' face in an attempt to remove her eyes two years ago had been doing so on his orders.

"Well fuck, that's the kind of crazy we need" Vert muttered

"Quite" Ozymandias added "Although it may be some consolation to you that my contact in Atlas is now free to join us at their earliest convenience

"Good" Rhodium nodded, donning his jacket and tipping his hat low over his face "Try not to burn the whole fucking Kingdom down while I'm away" Ozymandias watched his young and exceptionally driven, but woefully underprepared business partner leave and allowed himself a moment of glee which the now ever present and distinctly feminine voice in his mind seemed to share; he was where he needed to be, he had resources and people and the final component would be delivered to him soon.

Everything was going to plan.

* * *

"I'm here if you need to talk" Helios offered gently as I sat beside Felix "Something is obviously upsetting you"

"I take it you got kicked out of your dorm as well then?" the Lion Faunus snorted, though his voice was fragile enough to suggest that he were close to tears. Currently the two of them were on Felix's customary spot on the roof above Team FADE's dormitory, Helios having sought him out at the earliest opportunity due to their class schedules differing somewhat now. The Redhead gave a small snort of laughter as he draped an arm around Felix who happily leaned into his chest and shoulder

"Ether and Olivine….requested it" he admitted

"Yeah well, consider yourself lucky you don't have Faunus hearing" Felix gave an exaggerated shudder "Pretty sure I can actually hear Arctus and Diamond going at it whenever the wind dies down….I just hope they remember the air freshener" Helios sputtered out several half formed responses as he choked on his laughter before finally giving up and simply pulling Felix a little closer to him

"Where's Nyanza?" the blonde murmured as he laced his fingers' through his boyfriends'

"He went to an airship terminal to book tickets….he wants to visit the Mistrali girl he was dating after we return from our first mission"

"Cute" Felix grinned, glad that his old friend was happy "Eagle's with Team GORE….they took flying and vehicle maintenance classes; she's been helping patch up her aunt's and uncle's rides she was old enough to hold a wrench, so she'll be with Hellion all night"

"May our ancestors preserve us if they ever learn to fly" Helios grumbled "Their people were enough of a problem when they attacked by sea"

"Thanks Heely" Felix murmured gently as he kissed Helios's cheek contentedly, voice sounding a little less ready to crack than it had done

"For?"

"Making my problems feel smaller" the Faunus let out a slow sigh, taking a moment to simply relax in the cool night air before deciding that he wanted Helios to know and understand, perhaps his boyfriend would be able to help him

"The letters I've been getting...they're from someone claiming to be my biological mother"

"Oh" Helios gasped, eyes widening in shock as he searched for something more useful to say

"Yeah….she says she saw me in the Vytal Tournament; the last round of the tournament" there was no need to explain anything more than that, Helios had been there and seen the horrors that haunted his sleep first hand "She wants to meet"

"That's amazing" Helios grinned excitedly before catching himself "I mean….if you want to?"

"Honestly" Felix leaned forwards, hugging his knees as he hunched in on himself "I don't know, I really don't"

"Want to talk about it?" Helios rested a hand on the smaller mans' thigh

"I always said I didn't care" Felix huffed "For fucking years, since I was old enough to really understand what being adopted meant….I said I can't remember my birth parents, I don't wanna know 'em, fuck 'em!"

"But now you can't help but wonder?" Helios offered delicately

"And Corvid hates me for it" Felix's voice wavered a little at the memory of the earlier confrontation "I want answers Heely, but I can't lose my real family looking for them"

"I never knew my father, you know that" Helios reminded Felix, gently stroking his now shortened but still luxurious mane of dirty blonde curls "As much as I love Syneffo's father there is nothing I wouldn't give to meet my own….even if it could only be once. Corvid has no right to take this from you"

"Then why do I feel like I'm stabbing Blake and Yang in the back?" Helios cupped the Faunus's cheeks and forced Felix to look at him

"If considering the idea of meeting your birth mother is treachery towards your family then my abdication of my birthright is certainly treachery against mine; yet here I am"

"I mean it's kinda-"

"My mother offered me a future away from the Nikosi without judgement because she loves me….I've met your Mothers Felix; you do them a disservice by thinking their love for you is conditional"

"Thanks" Felix croaked out as he buried his face in Helios's shoulder "I really, really needed to hear that"

"Although considering your sister inherits her sense of humour from Yang" Helios paused "There will almost be a comment about….how is it the Kingdoms say it; _'Curiosity killing the cat'_ "

"Oum fucking damn it" Felix's groan was muffled by the fabric of the t-shirt Helios wore in lieu of his customary golden armour. The two of them remained like that for an amount of time that neither bothered to measure, breaking apart only to enjoy an impromptu and macabre fireworks display as a flock of Nevermore attempt to fly beyond the confines of the exclusion zone only to be gunned down by the monstrous laser batteries of the aerial platforms nearest to the academy.

* * *

The _'Krankes-Shicksal'_ was an Atlesian vessel of a considerable size, even when compared to the other warships in the icy Kingdoms' fleet. The ship was assigned to a research and development division which officially had never existed, though despite its' inherent secrecy was not tied to the Specialist Division in any manner. Its' current mission had been given by Fleet Commander Matte Skye themselves and had brought the ship into Vale's airspace whilst cloaked with its' weapons at the ready; an activity which would no doubt cause political disturbances if discovered despite the alliance between the Kingdoms, fortunately no such discovery had occurred and the heavily armed and exceptionally well trained soldiers and Hunters aboard the Krankes-Shicksal had been allowed to conduct their mission in secrecy; with the assistance of the legendary Huntress Ruby Rose, a fact which those aboard the vessel were eager to discuss

"Shift change!" a soldier barked out as he and several others marched into the primary hangar of the vessel, making a beeline to what seemed to a source of some commotion and the centre of the collective hangar crews' attention. A machine roughly the size of a shipping container comprised of thick Atlesian steel and featuring several sizeable external power supplies and countless screens producing readouts that the soldier, a man whose dog-tags identified him as Corporal Hedge had no hope of understanding.

"Hey Yun, heard your crew were on a detail with Rose….y'know _'The Red Reaper'_ herself; what was that like?" Hedge enquired as he removed his helmet, the leader of the group of soldiers currently surrounding the unknown device; a woman with light brown skin shook her head in a gesture that seemed to convey that she wasn't sure where to begin

"I know she's a war hero and all but I'm still not sure I ever thought I'd be glad we had an ex-Freelancer with us" the Petty Officer paused before fixing Corporal Hedge with a haunted stare that all soldiers recognised and feared ever facing in the mirror "Green, Tango, Berg and Kori are all injured….we were not prepared"

"The fuck have you got in there a whole pack of Shadow-Stalkers?" Hedge demanded incredulously, knocking the butt of his rifle against the surface of the machine which several scientists were flitting around and gathering information, even as the soldiers kept the weapons trained; waiting to be officially relieved. Hedge's face whitened a fraction and concerned muttering passed through his unit as he saw the expressions of each of Yun's soldiers darken

"Not far off" she muttered "It's called Project Snare-"

"It's highly classified" one of the scientists admonished her in a clipped tone, only for Yun to step into their space and issue a snarled challenge

"Fuck you, my people bled for this; if it's on this ship then the crew should know what it is we're transporting" the scientist quailed under the soldiers' tone and returned to work with nothing more than a muttered comment about court-marshals in response.

"Project Snare?" Hedge repeated "What is it?" Yun cast her eyes around the hangar, the majority of the engineers and maintenance crew were busy attending to the various transports and fighter craft, each of which had their own designated runway featuring a Dust powered rail and there was enough space between the nearest craft and their cargo to speak without being overheard; yet Yun chose to give her soldiers' plausible deniability regardless

"At ease people, let these clowns take over!" a serious of rude hand gestures were exchanged in good nature as Hedge's unit relieved those who had brought Project Snare aboard; Yun waited for a moment before leaning close to the corporal and whispering

"I don't like this Hedge, that thing's a Grimm containment unit. That's why we're out here in Vale….they wanted a specific Grimm captured for research"

"What the fuck?" Corporal Hedge demanded in a mix of horror and disgust; the idea of a Grimm being aboard the ship filled him with the same dread as if it had been attacking his home

"Yeah, that's we said….That's not the weird part"

"That's pretty fucking weird" Hedge noted, momentarily distracted by the scientists who seemed to becoming suddenly more active as his unit positioned themselves at a cautious distance

"No the weird part is that nobody has ever seen a Grimm like this thing before….Oum Hedge Ruby Rose just stared at it for a couple-"

"INCREASE THE PHEROMONES!" one of the Scientists bellowed, terror lacing every syllable

"THEY'RE NOT WORKING!" another screamed "SENSORS ARE GOING OFFLINE….IT'S ATTACKING THEM"

"Pheromones?" Hedge demanded as he readied his rifle, his unit following suit as behind him Yun bellowed into her comms headset that there was a code red situation in the main hangar

"We use a modified strain of the Tremor-Somnium agent the Freelancers-"

"THAT STUFF ONLY WORKS IN AN ISOLATED ENVIRONMENT!" Hedge barked furiously "FREELANCERS USE IT TO LURE GRIMM AWAY FROM CIVVIES!" the hangar grew deathly silent save for the repeated thumping and scrabbling sounds coming from within Project Snare as Hedge and his unit realised that their own fear had cost them and at the same moment they had become aware of the Grimm aboard the ship, it had become aware of them.

"I want a portable shield generator and demo-charges in here ASAP!" Hedge roared "We're gonna blow this thing to fucking Vaccuo"

"CORPORAL I MUST IN-" the lead Scientist's request was cut off, a terrified scream escaping them in its' place as the sound of Atlesian steel being torn like paper echoed throughout the hangar and a trio of foot long serrated claws began rending through the exterior of the supposedly secure container

"SHOOT IT!" Hedge ordered, heart hammering in his chest as he wedged the barrel of his weapon into one of the tears and opened fire. The Grimm inside responded in some unseen way, shaking the container as a whole with enough force to rip several power conduits free in showers of sparks

"EVAC! EVAC!" Hedge bellowed "YUN WHERE FUCK ARE-" his words died on the tip of his tongue as his world exploded into pain and his entire body suddenly felt cold, all sensations suddenly growing distant as he stared downwards in disbelief at his now blood-soaked chest, the three clawed pincer which formed the tip of a sinuous and powerful tail having torn through his body in a single strike which his flak jacket had offered no resistance against.

"Shoot it" Hedge gasped out, vaguely aware of blood trickling from his mouth as he gave his final orders. As gunfire erupted from the weapons of the dying corporals' unit Yun watched events happen, a sensation of the entire situation occurring to someone else washed over and allowed her a moment of clarity. The mission was a failure, containment was doomed to fail. It was now a matter of the crews' survival and with that in mind she bolted passed Project Snare and frantically began preparing the Dust powered rail and runway that the container was sat upon

"What're you doing?" one of the soldiers demanded as they reloaded

"Jettisoning it!" Yun called back, struggling to be heard over the howling of the wind as the hangar door opened "Stand clear!" Yun never got a chance to heed her own advice; one moment Project Snare was in the hangar being fired upon, the next it had rocketed passed her at blinding speeds and the only thing the petty officer was aware of was burning pain as the clawed tail tore through her gut and caused her to instinctively release her grip; an instant later she had been sucked out of the hangar and was plummeting downwards alongside Project Snare and the now deceased Corporal Hedge.

Her last conscious thoughts were a prayer that she hit the ground and died swiftly before the monster they had attempted to capture could escape.

 **Authors Notes:**

So, that was an emotional roller-coaster….How's everyone doing back there?  
I saw the leaked page of the Team CFVY novel which pretty much confirms Coco is a Lesbian and that Velvet has a crush on her; I write all of Team CFVY as Bi and I'm not going to ret-con several years of writing but I'm happy that RT seems to be making more characters officially LGBT.  
Honestly don't have too much to add here, other than that the threads of the volume and the larger third year arc are slowly being pulled together.

That being said, let's summarise shall we:  
Don't worry I never had any intention of killing off Amethyst; but it was a serious fuck up on her part.  
Diamond just opening up with the sick burns.  
Yeah Fluffy was out of order there, but at the same time in the line of work Hunters are in your life is literally in your partners' hands, being a shit partner would most likely be looked down on in Remnant.  
Amethyst and Redshank are cute together, anyone got a ship name for 'em yet?  
Honestly I broke naming rule by accident when I made Amethyst the leader of Team RAIN, this is a way of fixing it without having to ret-con anything.  
So yeah, that's Moss gone unless Mel decides to have him murdered in jail.  
Casual reminder that Diamond hates Booster and people that sell it.  
Of course Team FADE were gonna go looking for another round with Rhodey.  
The funny thing is that Vert probably thinks of himself as a made man, in reality he's a driver and a lackey.  
You know damn well Rhodey went to the prison just to flex on the guards.  
Damn, Rhodey just went and poured salt in that wound; he had Brindle break him out in Vol.3 then killed him and then sat back and watched his reputation as an officer get destroyed posthumously.  
" _Keep talking scumbag, I might start fearing for my life and having to use necessary force or fire a few warning shots"_ \- Said every American police officer.  
Yeah, Tricky's gone….I honestly considered the idea of Rhodey and Tricky having had a thing in jail; but that's honestly a little too close to "Bury your gays" and it wouldn't actually add anything, if anything it would seem out of character for Rhodey to get attached to people he sleeps with.  
Oh yeah Sun and Miltia are perfectly willing to shut Melanie's shit down and given that he's a Hunter and she literally knows the Syndicate inside and out having been born into it….they'd do pretty well.  
Oh honey no….Melanie doesn't realise just how hard headed Rhodey is.  
So yeah, that's what Booster does….not as fast as Ruby but still faster than average, not as strong as Yang but still a lot stronger than average and increased resilience; but all at the cost of rational thought and risks that some with addiction.  
" _I sent your employer a message. It seems I need to underline the relevant parts"_ is a bad-ass line and you know it.  
I'm imagining Vert's weapon being basically a Spiral bladed _'Zombie Knife'_.  
Damn, Vert got fucked up.  
" _Maybe next time you'll warn me next time you have friends over when I'm doing business"_ come on, if I'm gonna bring Junior back then that's how to do it.  
Of course Rover would be the first on scene; he feels responsible.  
It makes sense for Ether to know of Rhodium at least; music and dirty money tend to go together.  
So yeah, Corvid and Felix are adopted and assumed orphans; you've known that since _"Our Happy Ever After"_ if not Vol.1 of this story; basically Felix has repressed any memories he had of his early childhood to the point of not knowing and Corvid point blank refuses to talk about it.  
Yeah Corey crossed several lines there; even I'm not gonna defend that.  
Vert is really not having a good time.  
Has the word festivities ever sounded so ominous?  
Torchwick is gearing up for war now, you know it's serious when he's importing guns from Vaccuo.  
So if you remember back in Chapter 02 Ruby's face was cut up after a skirmish with some raiders in Menagerie….those were some of Oz's contacts; because it wouldn't make sense for him to have not been doing anything previous to second year. Also; he has an ever present voice in his head, he's interested in sentient Grimm and he's targeted a silver eyed warrior….are you getting it yet.  
And yes his 'Contact' in Atlas is Project Legacy.  
Helios and Felix were cute to write, Fluffy really needed that talk.  
Okay so remember how in first year I started making a point of mentioning that the monorails were a thing…..the Nevermore being shot down by the other aerial platforms is a little like that.  
' _Krankes-Shicksal'_ or the _'Ill-Fated'_.  
So….Project Snare officially works now; although it remains to be seen whether or not Atlas will keep using it.  
I could have completely cut the mention of the pheromones but I wanted to call back to them; they're the same thing Flax used during Team FADE's first mission. They're still rare, expensive and very difficult to produce and also only really work in a place without any real people if you're trying to lure Grimm away so they won't turn up often but having them only ever be used in that one chapter would have felt like Dues Ex Machina.  
The scene with the Grimm trying to get free was loosely based on the opening scene of Jurassic Park, y'know the "Shoot her! Shoot her!" scene with the raptor.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, iSassenach, DizzyDwarf and Funlander for their reviews on the last chapter.  
I think Velvet and Honey have an adopted kid called Honey in someone else's story...thinking on it I'm actually sure I've seen fan-art of that. In this timeline Coco, Velvet and Yatsu are all raising their kid named "Fox".  
Yeah Dove Bronzewing, his older appearance in this is basically his canon look but aged up, heavier duty armour except for the left shoulder, the armour there looks like Russell's. bottom half of his face is kinda hidden by a black scarf and there's a ton of scarring around his left eye that kinda disfigures his face.  
I'm not sure if I'll ever write a story based on the generation after FADE….honestly I'm not sure what I'm going to be doing after this story; probably play with the canon universe a little more and maybe look into writing for other fandoms or my own universe.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	93. Ungentlemanly Warfare

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 93: Ungentlemanly Warfare**

Team FADE were among the minority of third students, truthfully only themselves and Team PSTL who had elected to study an advanced subject described as _'Unconventional tactics and ungentlemanly warfare'_ this decision had put them at the mercy of the rarely seen or discussed outside of hushed whispers Professor Jasper Cimmerian. The third years, prior to their introduction to their new teacher had collectively formed a mental image of the professor based on what little information they had, something of a combination of Professor Nora and the former professor who had wrote their Grimm Studies textbook and occasionally gave lectures during Professor Ren's history classes, Peter Port. They had been proven terrifyingly wrong when, during their first lesson Professor Cimmerian had surreptitiously sealed and begun filling the room with gas to both gauge their reactions and hopefully instil a sense of constant vigilance in her charges. Professor Jasper Cimmerian herself was an imposing woman, standing at over six feet tall with a broad shouldered and athletic build that the fact her entire right arm had been replaced with a cybernetic limb whose stripped down armour gave it a skeletal appearance only seemed to enhance, messy locks of greying hair the colour of cigarette smoke fell around a face whose pale complexion only served to highlight the horrific scarring that marred it and whilst her left eye had been replaced with an unblinking cybernetic whose pale cyan light had been purposefully dulled, her right eye was a vivid electric blue that roamed about her classroom as she sternly and silently ensured that her lesson was being given the attention it warranted; only to swiftly turn towards Felix Xiao Long who currently stood beside her at the head of the class when a buzzing sound filled the room, a hiss of slight pain and annoyance escaping the Lion Faunus as an electric shock passed through his body

"Were this the real world that shock would be strong enough to incapacitate or kill you depending on the model….there are also models that are fitted with an explosive to deter tampering"

"I know" Felix ground out as his teacher removed the slightly modified Aura Dampening collar that he had been attempting to disarm from his neck, holding it up for her students to see as she reiterated the principles and methodology of escaping such a device safely. Felix folded his arms across his chest and slouched in a gesture that both Blake and Yang would have described as sulking if they had been present to see it, determined to achieve the required level of finesse he waited at the front of the class with as much patience as he could muster whilst the lesson was interrupted by a question by the Skunk Faunus Pepe Le-Puce, leader of Team PSTL who raised his hand bashfully after realising that he'd simply voiced his concerns for all to hear

"Okay but is it actually legal for you to be teaching us this? These collars are what the police use"

"That is correct" Professor Cimmerian answered calmly, dispelling the sudden hushed tension that had fallen over the classroom with the question. "Practically this is an invaluable skill to learn for any Hunter or law enforcement official; even those of you who intend to specialise solely in facing the creatures of Grimm. Just because you do not seek trouble out does not mean you will fail to find it and I can assure you that any weapon or tool that the police have can and will be used by criminals….as to the legality, this is one of those matters where Hunters exist within a grey area of the law" the answer was in some ways more chilling than the Professor telling them she had simply ignored the law would have been but Felix pushed his concerns aside and returned to the task at hand

"Mind if I take another shot at it?"

"We have a few minutes of class remaining" the professor noted as she returned the collar "If you're sure" a concerned expression forming on her heavily scarred face as she silently conveyed a question that Felix managed to answer equally silently. Professor Cimmerian had approached Felix following the first lesson of the year in an attempt to make sure that he was mentally prepared for a syllabus that would tackle several subjects many people found hard to stomach. Felix took a slow deep breath and took up the small metal tool he had been provided, no larger than a car key and began trying to prise open part of the collar; another electric shock passing through his body a moment later as he tripped a fail-safe of some kind

"Oum damn it" he grumbled before addressing the professor "Mind if I borrow this? It's gonna bother me until I get it right"

"Just be sure to return it" Professor Cimmerian answered, her words being immediately followed by the bell that signalled the end of the class. Felix swiftly made for the exit along with the other students, catching the book bag that Arctus threw at him

"You have an assignment!" Professor Cimmerian barked, effectively halting the class in its' entirety "Following our discussion on today I want each of you to write a thesis on the most effective lethal and non-lethal methods of evading and escaping capture, including possible countermeasures you would take against your own plans. I expect a first draft within two weeks"

"Oum they are just not letting up this year" Diamond grumbled as Team FADE left the classroom

"We'll be fine" Arctus shrugged, the ludicrously high standards he'd been help to at the private school he'd attended in Atlas having prepared him for a larger workload

"I don't like that she's asking us specifically for plans that involve killing people" Felix admitted "It just feels wrong"

"Right?" Eagle agreed enthusiastically "We're Hunters, not murderers"

"What happens in battle is one thing, pre-meditating it like this is definitely different" Arctus added, the hypothetical situation alone irking him

"Just 'cos we don't like it doesn't mean we won't have to at some point" Diamond sighed, nodding towards Felix's tail "Some people can't be reasoned with….what if the Fang had decided they wanted you as a prisoner-"

"And we're just gonna cut that conversation off right there" Felix snapped, irritable at the mere mention of his tail

"Felix, y'know if you wanted I could talk to my Mum about making a-"

"Eagle, please….just drop it" the conversation petered out at that point, a slight awkwardness forming as they made their way towards their next lesson which only ended when they saw that Team NEON were in the corridor seemingly waiting for them

"We've got news" Nyanza informed them, speaking before Helios got a chance; the bushy tailed feline wore an unusually serious expression

"Yeah" Ether breathed out before looking Felix in the eye "It took a couple weeks but we've been asking around….pretty sure we know how to get to Torchwick"

* * *

Gangrel Slate had barely slept in days, his head pounded and his eyes burned; truthfully he was kept awake and functional primarily by a mixture of caffeine, willpower and the faint irritation where his Cybernetic right arm met his flesh, the replaced and upgraded prosthetic having a different texture to its' predecessor that he was still unused to. After an amount of time that the greying Bear Faunus thought better than to keep track of he was distracted from his monumental workload by the presence of someone outside his office aboard the Gespenst, the ship itself lurking cloaked in Atlesian airspace.

"Enter" Gangrel said simply, the voice activated locks sealing the door being released allowing the guest, whom the head of the Specialist Branch had been expecting, to step inside

"Commander Slate" Fleet Commander Matte Skye intoned with a curt nod as the door closed with a whooshing hiss behind them.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Gangrel asked in a tired growl, privately being all but certain of the topic of the upcoming discussion. There were very few projects so secretive that Matte would seek to board the Gespenst and discuss the matter face to face within its' well protected confines rather than simply contact him from their own vessel.

"Project Snare" Matte confirmed his suspicions "My people haven't been able to locate the target"

"Did you recover-"

"The wreckage? Yes….and what was left of the bodies"

"I've read the reports" Gangrel admitted, not needing to explain how he had managed to do so as Matte understood that the Faunus's position meant that nothing was a secret from him "I've got serious concerns about this whole operation"

"You mean besides a seemingly sentient, or at least intelligent Grimm?"

"Yes" Gangrel answered bluntly, wiping the wry smile from Matte's face in an instant

"Go on"

"Ozymandias Eldritch is still at large. He worked on Project Snare and it would stupid to pretend that Project Legacy going rogue isn't connected to his break in at the Toy-Box….Project Snare failing is connected, I can't see how Matte but I'm going to advise Winter to shelve the project until Eldritch is dealt with. Something's going on and we're not seeing it"

"Winter won't pause the project without a solid reason" Matte warned

"I know, but I'm gonna do my job and tell her anyway"

"On the bright side at least the White Fang are dealt with; whatever Eldritch is planning he doesn't have their support" Gangrel made a noise of agreement; personally he had been taking a great, if bitter satisfaction in watching those White Fang members who had survived the attack on the Vytal Tournament be tried and sentenced to either life in prison or death. He had been sure to keep Celeste Lupus, who still resided in the bowels of the Gespenst informed of the proceeding trials

"Thank Oum none of the students had to testify in court; no sense in putting them through more trouble"

"Do I have your help?" Matte asked, determined to get the conversation back on track "You know Vale better than I do and have resources more suited to this" Gangrel buried his face in his hands and rubbed his tired eyes for a moment before relenting, realising that in truth if General Winter Schnee wished to stay the course then he had no choice in the matter

"I looked at the ships' logs and judging by the co-ordinates and the time of the incident, the Krankes-Shicksal was here when Project Snare was jettisoned" as Gangrel spoke he produced a mp of the continent of Vytal with both New Vale and Vaccuan territories being detailed, indicating to where he believed the events to have taken place he waited for Matte to confirm before continuing

"Very close to the Jagged Mountains. If the target survived at all and it went North, over the mountain, then it's gone….Hunters occasionally tag large targets for air-strikes but beyond that everything north of the mountains is a wasteland and we could search for years without finding anything"

"Winter isn't going to like that"

"I know….if it goes any other direction though, we might just have a chance" Gangrel saw curiosity and hope light up Matte's face; even after so many years they were eager to please wherever Winter was concerned "There's a group of military installations called 'The Front Line' that exist to form a buffer zone between Vale's outer settlements and no mans' land….obviously some Grimm will always slip through but it's better than nothing"

"And you think that our target might attack these installations?"

"It's possible" Gangrel noted "But it's more likely that we'll have to find it. I have contacts in New Vale that I can use to scout the area and report back to you if they find anything"

"Excellent" Matte beamed "I'll have the Baba-Jaegers prepped and their pilots on stand-by….I'm not sacrificing any more soldiers or Hunters to capture this thing"

"I'll keep you posted" Gangrel assured her, which Matte took as their cue to leave. As they did so the Bear Faunus slumped in his seat and allowed himself a brief moments pause, privately wondering just how he was going to explain the situation to Artemis. His old team-mate was after all, one half of the best search and recovery team in Vale.

* * *

"Will you stop playing with that thing, we're studying" Diamond huffed in annoyance, blowing strands of hair from her eyes as she spoke. Felix rolled his eyes before finally complying and setting down the Aura dampening collar that he'd been distractedly fiddling with all afternoon since lessons had finished for the day. Three quarters of Team FADE were currently studying the library in a departure from custom, the amount of different assignments and the resources they would need to complete them having made working in their dormitory impractical. Felix was supposedly making a start on the paper that Professor Cimmerian had assigned them earlier that day, but was yet to make any real headway with it however; his mind still racing with the information that Nyanza and Ether had uncovered. Felix was not superstitious but the Aura dampening collar that he had asked to borrow from his professor now felt as if it were an omen of sorts, a clear sign that he would be bringing Rhodium Torchwick to justice soon.

"Hey" as if summoned by his thoughts Olivine DeGrasse announced her presence, Helios moved from beside her and slipped into an empty seat beside Felix

"Where're-"

"They had to go back into the city, they've gotta keep up appearances" Olivine snorted, guessing what question Diamond was about to ask before following up with one of her own "Where's Eagle"

"Helping Team GORE….well Hellion specifically with their assignments"

"So we're definitely doing this then?" Felix asked in a hushed but urgent whisper, clearly agitated and both worried and excited in equal measure at what the following evening would bring.

"Ether's in so I'm in" Olivine nodded as she toyed with her dreadlocks idly "The barmaid that Ether and Nyanza were talking to said that her baby brothers' gonna be part of a crew taking drugs out to Resurgence; it's a pretty nice settlement that was built after the war-"

"Middle class kids playing with drugs….police are gonna show up in seconds if we do anything there" Diamond noted

"We can't blow up another factory either" Arctus pointed out

"We've stopped a drug shipment before" Felix reminded his team-mates "We'll do it again. We know the route, we know when they're leaving so all we've gotta do is find somewhere quiet we can cut 'em off"

"And then what?" Diamond asked "Torchwick isn't paying small time any more, he won't deliver anything in person"

"Then we make him show up in person" Felix snarled "If we've got his drugs and his people then he'll come….Let the police know we've got him and they'll show up even faster"

"Fluffy" Helios's tone was shocked, almost aghast as peered at his boyfriend intently "You sound like Team GORE….you sound like a raider"

"What?" Felix demanded, utterly stunned at the accusation "I'm just doing what's gotta be done….If we don't take Torchwick off the street then people are gonna keep taking his drugs and getting hurt or killed, the shootings between his crew and Malachite's are gonna go on and people are gonna get killed in the crossfire"

"I know that and I understand that Torchwick has broken more of the Kingdoms' laws than I care to count" Helios assured him "But what we're discussing here is taking hostages….I'm just asking you to be careful about what you justify to yourself Felix"

"Thanks" Felix murmured, still reeling with uncertainty as he was forced to look at his plans in a new light

"We do this one and that's it" Diamond interjected firmly "We hit Torchwick and hand him over to the police and then we stay the hell out of this gang shit"

"Agreed" Arctus nodded

"You're with me on this right?" Felix asked Helios, the taller man resting his forehead against his

"Always"

"Then we hit Torchwick's drug shipment tomorrow night and use it to draw him out into the open"

"After that I think you should take some time to rest" Helios noted pointedly "Felix, we spend every day together. Third Year students will be getting the mission briefings to choose our own mission very soon and I haven't heard you mention it once….you're not yourself"

"Shit" Felix muttered "You're right….you're right Heely it's just with classes, and Ammi, the letters and Corvid….not sleeping as much after Atlas….fuck I'm a mess"

"I have money" Helios noted as he pulled Felix close to him, forgetting that there were others' present for a moment "My people trade with Mistral and my mother gave me….a considerable amount of Lien when I left. This weekend I'm going to take you somewhere where we can relax, just the two of us"

"I, um….yeah….that would actually be great" Felix mumbled, fully aware of his cheeks flushing scarlet but utterly unable to prevent it "Mind if we stop off at Patch on Friday night or just on the way though? I need to talk to my parents and I don't wanna put it off"

"Of course" Helios nodded, understanding what it was that needed to be discussed "I'll be there with you"

"Awww look at how cute they are?" Diamond cooed, getting a laugh from Arctus

"Fuck off Dee-Dee" Felix shot back with a toothy grin, only to be shushed by the librarian.

* * *

Whilst her team-mates were attending to their many assignments Eagle, who had made a small start one of the larger projects during her lunch break, had been helping Team GORE with their Bull-Head maintenance and operations assignments which provided her with an admittedly unnecessary excuse to spend time with Hellion. As she helped them with both the technical aspect of their work, owing to the fact that the inner workings of an aircraft suitable for Hunters were far more complex than the ships that formed their peoples' fleet and also the simple reading and writing, as even Hellion's steadily progressing abilities were not quite up to the task of technical jargon yet; Eagle realised just how much she had come to like the team which could rightfully be considered Hellion's only family. Onyx, while crude and brash in the extreme was also an extremely good natured man with an insatiable desire to learn which came to the fore whenever he was presented with machinery he didn't yet understand and Eagle could only imagine how his potential would have gone to waste if he had spent his whole life as a raider; Carcharodon may have been considered brooding and antisocial by their classmates but Eagle saw the way he trained younger students and attempted to lead them by example, acting as a role model in the only way he knew how; Eagle was sure that she'd find some morsel of goodness, likeability or decency within Raffia sooner or later but currently she was at a loss

"Does he have to eat them raw?" she asked in an appalled whisper as she watched the Axolotl Faunus devour fish that he had stolen from the kitchens before they could be cooked in a display that was almost sickening. Beside her Hellion let out a soft laugh before reaching for a heavy textbook and throwing it at her lifelong friend and crew-mate

"Eat like people or I'll give your food to Marauder" the Dragonfly Faunus gestured to her bird of prey which was perched in the corner of the dormitory, seemingly staring in anticipation at Raffia's fish.

"You'll do no such thing" Raffia hissed from the edge of Team GORE's shared bed, formed by pushing each of their individual beds together and covering the resulting space in furs rather than the bedding provided; Hellion merely rolled her eyes and returned her attention to the book that she and Eagle were reading together as they cuddled beneath the furs. The sound of slow and rhythmic metallic scraping filling the room as Onyx sharpened the blades of Jotun Fang whilst Carcharodon sat crossed legged on the floor deep in meditation.

"Something's bothering you" Hellion stated, sliding an arm around Eagle's waist and gently manoeuvring the blonde so that they were facing one another

"It's nothing" Eagle attempted to assure her, only to find herself utterly unable to meet her girlfriends' intense jade green eyes without blushing

"Little Canary you are a great many things but a capable liar will never be one of them" Hellion's smokey voice teased as she trailed a hand along the blondes' thigh and hip beneath the covers, Eagle's face only reddened further as she thought of the hickies Hellion had left on her inner thighs the last time they had managed to find some time alone together; that particular encounter having taken place on the Bull-Head Team GORE had been assigned for their classes. The blonde was forced to wonder exactly when she had gone from being painfully shy and awkward to having sex almost exclusively in semi-public places due to a lack of privacy in her girlfriends' dorm.

"Eagle" Hellion's seemed to be on the verge of laughter as she leaned forwards and gently nipped at Eagle's earlobe with no concern for the fact her team-mates were present; the contact brought the blonde firmly back to the present moment

"Okay" she breathed out, trying to hide just how easily Hellion could leave her flustered and squirming "Team FADE have got a mission coming up….this one's kinda unofficial though"

"Oh" Hellion's eyes seemed to light up "It sounds to me like that's your way of saying you're looking for some trouble?"

"I'm only looking for trouble so I can put a stop to it" Eagle answered a little louder than she'd intended; resulting in Raffia giving a muttered reply about that being no fun at all

"Go on?" Hellion urged, suddenly intrigued

"You know about a guy called Rhodium Torchwick right?" the change that came over Hellion was immediate, her eyes hardened and teeth were bared as her face became a furious grimace; the wings adorning her back buzzed incessantly as she pulled the furs covering her away so that she could point at the scar that ran along her upper chest, just below her collarbones

"He had his people try to kill me whilst I was imprisoned" this was enough to bring a furious expression to Eagle's face that was terrifying partially due to how out of place it seemed

"Amethyst Wukong….the girl that attacked Onyx" Eagle began, having heard about the altercation through the campus rumour mill even before Amethyst had hospitalised herself "One of Torchwick's people sold her the drugs that nearly killed her. Team FADE are gonna try and bring him down, we found out where we might be able to find-"

"We will be joining you" Carcharodon's rasping voice sounded somehow more sinister than usual as he used his Semblance to slither across the floor and reform himself directly in front of Hellion and Eagle, rather than simply walk

"The Wukong girl fought like a coward, but I will happily tear Torchwick's spine out" Onyx growled, his voice low enough to shake the room

"Um….I can ask Felix-"

"You won't ask" Raffia snapped "You will tell. We may have allowed you into our lives and our home but you are not one of us and you do not have a voice in this. We WILL be hunting down this vermin" Eagle stared at the diminutive berserker for a moment and decided that there was something likeable about Raffia after all, despite his many faults the man was fiercely loyal to those he cared about and would do anything to protect them; she could understand and respect that

"Hold your tongue or lose it" Hellion demanded, incensed at the tone Raffia had used when speaking to Eagle.

"Enough" Carcharodon silenced them both without raising his own voice, pitch black eyes falling on Eagle "Raffia is right, Rhodium Torchwick tried to have one of us killed….tell Felix that I will seek him out and discuss our plan of attack" Eagle considered objecting but stopped short, finding herself unable to think of a reason to do so; they were going to need all the help they could get if they wanted to bring down an entire criminal organisation

"I'll let him know"

* * *

The following day had come far too soon for Onyx Ursabane, the Puma Faunus being far too eager at the prospect of an upcoming battle to be able to get a proper nights' sleep. A very welcome distraction had come in the form of a message from Corvid which had informed him that she would be in Team CLIR's dormitory during her lunch break and that he was more than welcome to join her if he wanted to relieve some stress.

"I know I shouldn't but I'm seriously considering skipping classes for the rest of the day" Corvid purred out as the two of them caught their breath, her voice almost as shaky as her legs which were still wrapped around the massive Puma Faunus's waist.

"You're a terrible influence on me" he chuckled as he rolled over, Corvid promptly making herself comfortable sprawled on his chest as stroked his beard which was mercifully beginning to grow beyond scraggly patchiness

"Well that's just cat-astrophic"

"You will be the death of me….Odd, considering I expected to fall in battle some day" Onyx mused as he gently ran his large hands through her hair, which had been let down.

"You adore me" Corvid laughed, trailing off as she caught sight of the wistful expression Onyx was wearing "What's wrong?"

"Nothing at all….but I really do adore you" Onyx purred, chest rumbling against Corvid as he pulled her closer "And not just because of….this. I would honestly enjoy your company anywhere" he waited for a moment, hoping that his message and intention had been clear enough despite his lack of experience of this aspect of life within the Kingdoms. Eventually Corvid's steely grey eyes widened a fraction

"Are you asking me out on a date?" her voice was filled surprise and faint amusement in equal measure, a sign that Onyx noted did not bode well for him but he continued nonetheless.

"I….think so" he replied with uncharacteristic uncertainty; Corvid lay flat on his powerfully muscled chest and buried her face in his neck as she let out a slow exhale

"Why did you have to go and make this awkward-"

"I'm-"

"No, shush I'm talking" Corvid brought a finger to his lips "Onyx I don't wanna date you, but it's nothing personal I don't really wanna date anyone right now. This is my last year as a student, in a few months Team CLIR are gonna graduate and honestly I'm planning on taking the first mission out of New Vale I can get and I've got no idea how often or when I'll be coming home; I wanna travel and see Remnant and focus on my career, which means despite what I said about skipping class I need to focus on studying for the licensing exam and my last few missions….I'm not in any position to start dating someone. Sorry"

"I understand" Onyx nodded, swallowing a small lump that had formed in his throat and accepting the reality of the situation. Corvid had set herself a goal and she simply would not be Corvid if she let anything hinder her

"Hey cheer up" she swatted his chest as playfully as she could manage now that the mood had been distinctly changed "We can still do this….we were never dating, we're just friends who have great sex with each other sometimes. We can head to a bar tonight, as friends?" that piqued the Faunus's interest, though not for the reason Corvid had expected

"You're not joining Team FADE tonight?"

"Why would I be" Corvid's expression darkened and though Onyx didn't know the specifics it was clear that something had happened; he decided that he didn't care and that Corvid needed to know regardless

"Your brother seems to have a blood feud of sorts with Rhodium Torchwick. Felix has a plan to draw him out into the open….his people scarred Hellion so naturally Team GORE will be joining; I assumed that Team CLIR would be-"  
"Felix can make whatever mistakes he wants, I'm not involved" Corvid growled and Onyx noted as she rolled off of him that she wasn't using the nickname 'Fluffy' when she spoke of her brother.

"He's your brother, you're already involved" Onyx answered, taken aback and in truth concerned for several reasons.

"No. I'm not" Corvid insisted flatly "He made his choices, he can deal with them on his own"

"Then would you consider fighting beside me?" Onyx offered "We know this Torchwick swine has no concept of fair or honourable combat….I think I'd rest easier knowing that you were watching from the air"

"You've got Hellion's Semblance, you'll be fine" Corvid kissed his cheek, though there was an unmistakably worried look upon her face which she quickly hid by turning away

"Hey, I think I'm gonna go to class after all….you mind letting me freshen up"

"Not going to ask me to join you in the shower"

"No because then we'll never make it to class" Corvid laughed despite herself.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow….provided things go well tonight"

"We'll go for that drink" Corvid promised him, watching in silent thought as the Puma Faunus dressed himself. Her thoughts were almost exclusively focused on Felix and exactly just how harshly she was prepared to punish her adoptive brother for what she still considered to be a betrayal; as Onyx left without another word the silence and solitude of the dorm felt like something of an omen.

* * *

The stretch of road that Teams FADE, NEON and GORE had selected for their ambush of Torchwick's drug supply line was at least an hours' drive from the Capital City of New Vale and at least another twenty minutes away from the settlement of Resurgence that the narcotics were being transported to; the students had no idea how the mobster was making so much money in such an idyllic area nor did they care. The road was silent and winding as it snaked through a valley formed by two small mountains and the location they had chosen for their ambush was pitch black due to the students cutting the power to the lights that lined the road and the absence of the broken moon that night. Whilst Team FADE had arrived in Felix's car Teams NEON and GORE had been forced to share a van loaned to Ether by one of his bandmates; both the van and the Killer-Bee were currently parked out of what would become their targets' line of sight, though Felix noted with some irritation that the bickering between Teams NEON and GORE which had apparently gone without pause the entire journey here would most likely alert Torchwick's convoy at its' current rate

"Will you shut the fuck up" Felix snarled, his ire directed at Raffia before he turned to Carcharodon, whom he expected to at least have a modicum of practicality "I thought you guys were meant to be feared raiders and all that jazz….with Raffia running his mouth I'm surprised you ever caught anyone"

"Silence Raffia" Carcharodon cut across the scathing and furious retort that the red-faced Axolotl Faunus was on the verge of delivering.

"You worry too much" Onyx snorted "These are far from the hardest prey we've tracked and Hellion will warn us when they're close"

"It's always gonna be a little concerning when you call people things like _'prey'_ " Diamond noted from nearby and whilst Felix personally agreed he chose not to dwell on the fact and simply focused on the task at hand. The Lion Faunus cast his eyes over to Hellion, the Dragonfly Faunus standing motionless with her eyes a milky white colour that glowed faintly as if lit from behind whilst she used her Semblance, named _'Warg'_ to see through the eyes of Marauder who was currently soaring overhead. Eagle was casting furtive glances at Hellion from nearby whilst Arctus and Diamond and Team NEON as a whole re-checked their weapons out of a mixture of habit and nervousness.

"Everyone know the plan?" Felix asked, eager for something to fill the tense silence

"Two trucks, two cars" Ether affirmed, hefting Ghost Reverie in its' blade form

"And our contacts' little brother is gonna be driving the front car" Nyanza added "Apparently Torchwick isn't sending out any of his shipments without an escort any more….Malachite has had too many people kidnapped and killed"

"Remember, cripple the vehicles and take 'em down with as little force as possible" Felix breathed out, trying to to make it too obvious who he was directing the reminder at "Some of these guys might just be kids, they might not have unlocked Auras….we're not trying to kill anyone"

"Would the Kingdom really miss them?" Raffia noted with a malicious smile. Any further talk was prevented by a sharp intake of breath from Hellion as her eyes returned to their natural pale jade green

"Two cars and two trucks, exactly as expected" she informed the group as a pair of knives found their way to her hands "We have less than a minute"

"Ether, Carcharodon you've got the trucks" Felix spoke quietly, every syllable filled with tension which only abated slightly when he met Helios's eyes and the redhead gave a warm smile despite the situation before speaking up

"Diamond, Nyanza and myself will attend to the cars"

"And I'm a wall" Arctus noted. Seconds later the glow of headlights became visible and seconds seem to drag on for an eternity as they waited for the convoy to come into view. Finally and inevitably they did, a small and cheap car of the kind many teens and young adults bought as their first vehicle was followed by two small trucks, behind which was a jeep of medium size.

"NOW!" Felix roared and at his command several things happened in unison.

Arctus took his place at the rear of the group and cast a Glyph that was large enough to block the road in its' entirety; Felix knew that creating something of that size would tax his cousin and it would be far less sturdy than its' smaller and more concentrated counterparts, but he hoped that none of the gang members would be willing to test their vehicles against Arctus's Semblance.

The first truck was brought to a halt by a combined effort from Hellion and Ether; the guitarist using his Semblance to appear inside the cab of the vehicle where the moment his body solidified from its' mist like state he left the driver unconscious with a swift blow to the head. Those gang members riding in the trailer of the vehicle were left trapped and presumably frightened as Hellion hurled a dozen of her throwing knives into the side of the trailer, their payloads of Ice Dust crystals freezing the section of the trailer closest to their exit completely solid; effectively neutralising the threat without the risk of detonating the explosive cargo within.

Not to be outdone Carcharodon took hold of Raffia and used his own Semblance to travel along the ground as a viscous living shadow before bursting up into the second truck, which had been forced to a halt. The Shark Faunus's arm mounted blades tearing the workings of the vehicles' underside apart from below before he deposited raffia inside the trailed and attended to the driver himself. Carcharodon noted that the sounds of cackling and dull thuds would suggest that Raffia was having entirely too much fun with his task.

The driver of the jeep bringing up the rear of the convey took stock of the situation and decided that their best course of action would be to remove the array of Hunters before them in the most direct means possible; speeding out from behind the trucks and car they hurtled towards Arctus in a brazen and obvious attempt to run the Faunus over. Diamond soon put a halt to that notion with a single well placed round from Lex Talionis which ripped through a tire and shattered a wheel; Nyanza quickly adding a trio of shots which his Semblance allowed to find their way to the vehicles' remaining wheels and leave it crippled and motionless in the road. The driver and their fellow gang members, all of whom seemed to be young men barely older than the students themselves burst out of the jeep with a collection of knives and handguns being promptly drawn from various pockets and pouches. Their bravado quickly vanished as they were treated to the sight of Helios Nikos striding towards them, armour glinting in what little light the stars provided until it was hidden from view by his dark Aura swirling about him; Helios held out a hand in a theatrical display which served no purpose other than to break his opponents' will to fight, then he activated his Semblance and amplified gravity around the jeep to such an extent that the vehicle was crushed into an unidentifiable mass of twisted and broken steel.

Felix watched with an expression of faint surprise as events progressed around him at impressive speed, Onyx, Eagle and Olivine moved in with their heavy weapons at the ready in a display that would hopefully dissuade any notions of resistance. Just as the Lion Faunus allowed himself to believe that things would proceed as planned and without incident the driver of the first car, their contacts younger brother, either mustered enough bravery to act or simply gave into blind panic and while it was impossible to tell which the results were plain to see; the car screeched passed the students with smoke billowing from its' tires faster than Helios could use his Semblance to force it to a halt; Nyanza having to frantically leap aside to avoid being mowed down. Felix saw the car speed towards Arctus's Glyph and knew immediately what he needed to do; he sprinted after the car as fast as his Aura fuelled muscles would allow but was still too late to stop it from ploughing through Arctus's Glyph, though not without sustaining notable damage in the process. The Lion Faunus raced around the corner and hurled himself into the drivers' seat of the Killer-Bee, which had been left with its' keys in the ignition as a precaution and a moment later he was tearing after the car along the otherwise empty road. The drug dealers' car had no hope of outrunning Felix's muscle car for any amount of time and in barely more than a minute the Lion Faunus had drawn level and lowered the drivers' side window

"PULL OVER!" he roared, the only response he received was the sight of the man in the passengers' seat of the car producing a shotgun. Rather than wait to be fired on Felix drew one of his swords and brought the chainsaw blade screaming into life, then swung down at the cars' front wheel. Seconds later the sound of screeching tires was brought a conclusion by a cacophony of smashing metal as the smaller car came rolling to a stop on its' roof. Felix leapt out of the Killer-Bee and began dragging the gang members out of the ruined vehicle, checking that each of them was alive despite being barely, if at all conscious.

"Fuck you" the driver managed to groan out as the feeling of Felix rummaging through his pockets allowed him to focus for a moment.

"Hey Indica" Felix spoke softly, using the seventeen year old boy's name "This is why your sister wants you to get out of this gangster shit, you're not good at it….Luckily we're gonna tell the police you were in on this" with that he knocked the teen out with a swift punch and began searching through the Scroll he had found in his pockets; taking a moment to find the text messages from an unsaved number that were clearly discussing the, now failed convoy. Felix wore a wide and cocky smile as he called the number, after a few rings the call was answered and he spoke quickly, cutting off any questions

"I have two trucks worth of Torchwick's Booster and about twenty of his crew. If he wants either of them back then he needs to come alone and unarmed to the location I specify within an hour of me specifying it. Do not test my patience" with that Felix hung up and prepared to move into the second stage of his plan.

* * *

Vert had been filled with white hot, murderous rage upon receiving the call from someone claiming to have intercepted a convoy, the claim given a chilling amount of credence by the fact that the call had been made from a Scroll belonging to one of the people involved in said convoy. Further calls to the rest of gang members ensuring that the goods were delivered unhindered had gone unanswered which had prompted Vert to act, desperate to take the initiative and settle this matter on his own terms rather than be dictated to; the fact that Rhodium was yet to return to the Kingdom playing no small part in that decision.

Currently he was making his way towards the destination that had been specified by the unknown speaker; though he was far from compliant and intended to give them several nasty surprises followed by a painful death upon meeting them face to face. The meeting between the two parties would be taking place in an open field that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere; Vert was honestly unsure about its' ownership but assumed it belonged to some ageing farmer or another who would make no effort to intervene in what was to come. While it was clear that whoever had attacked the convoy was intending to make use of the open space and clear lines of sight in all directions to make sure that there were no attempts at a sneak attack from behind Vert had swiftly turned the situation to his advantage. The small crew he had started his criminal career alongside, which had included the now incarcerated Moss had taken severe losses of late but were still capable of assisting him, as were several of the other gangs from New Vale who had been rivals squabbling over territory that amounted to a few city blocks apiece until the Lien and power Torchwick had offered united them. Vert had also contacted select members of the security firm that Rhodium had founded, 'Cain Security Personnel' had served its' purpose well and recruiting from the homeless former militia fighters from the war and the occasional failed Hunter who frequented the Mercy Foundation had supplied Torchwick's expanding organisation with considerable muscle and firepower; a liberal amount of Booster shared between his closest friends also helped tip the scales the gang members favour, allowing him enough confidence to wear a cruel smirk as he brought his car screeching to a halt and leap out to face his adversaries

"We got people behind us!" an alarmed voice barked out

"Ah fuck, we're surrounded!" another noted dispassionately

"Then there's more of them to kill" a reedy voice cackled somewhat unnervingly. Vert took stock of the sight in front of him and felt his confidence waver at the sight of a dozen Hunters, all of whom he could easily identify as having competed in the ill-fated Vytal Tournament; there was a rumour that the Lion Faunus who had been shot in the gut with a harpoon had knocked out several of Rhodium Torchwick's teeth. Vert's bravado was restored as over a dozen cars, jeeps and vans drove into place and their occupants leapt out with weapons at the ready; cutting off all escape routes

"So….where's Torchwick" the Lion Faunus, Felix if Vert remembered rightly, demanded in his own display of bravado

"Where're our people, and the Booster?"

"Well that depends" Felix grinned; Vert knew he was being goaded but found himself unable to resist

"On?"

"On how many people the police sent; they're either still lying out cold in the street or they're already being taken to jail….the Booster's gone, made a pretty decent bonfire; didn't want your clowns catching a cold" Vert felt his stomach drop and bile rise in his throat upon hearing that but forced himself to keep his composure; Rhodium would be livid when he learned of the losses and his life may depend on how he handled the next few moments

"So what you're saying is you've delivered yourselves with a neat little bow and absolutely nothing to bargain with….wanna tell me why I shouldn't put a bullet in your chest right now?"

"Because Torchwick's sending you all out to die for him fighting Malachite while he makes all the Lien and you all know it" Felix shot back, his intention to stir dissent obvious "So where is Rhodey anyway, I'll be a little more gentle with him this time" as he spoke he produced the Aura dampening collar he had borrowed from Professor Cimmerian

"He's out of town" Vert shrugged in an effort to give away as little as possible. Hearing this one of the other Hunters stepped forwards, a tall and muscular man with grey-tinged skin and pitch black eyes who spoke in a haunting rasp

"Then you have nothing to bargain with and my people came here for blood. Enough talk" Vert snorted and drew the same knife that he had wielded against Melanie Malachite before addressing the forces at his disposal

"Smoke these fools"

"Um Vert…..I didn't sign up to shoot kids or Hunters" the admission came from one of the people Torchwick had hired through his security firm and caused all present to pause for a moment before one of the Hunters, a silver haired young woman spoke up, voice laden with disgusted outrage

"This is what you're doing now Shamrock? Being hired muscle for drug dealers?" Diamond Sustrai-Black's eyes seemed to blaze as she scoured the gang that surrounded them "Forest? Gem? Tiger?….what are you doing?" there were several moments where those among Vert's assembled posse who had spent time at the Mercy Foundation shuffled with a mixture of nerves and guilt under Diamond's furious stare and Arctus's look of silent disappointment before finally seeming to reach a consensus without a word being exchanged between them

"Tell Mister Torchwick to take my name off the books, I can't take these jobs" the speaker was Tiger, a young woman in her mid-thirties who turned and began making her way out of the crowd surrounding the Hunters, several people choosing to follow her lead.

"Nah bitch, it's ride or die in this crew" Vert spat before reaching into the back of his jeans and drawing a handgun which he proceeded to aim at the back of Tiger's head; only to drop as his left hand was torn apart by a bullet fired by Diamond Sustrai-Black.

Then the pandemonium began.

The gang members opened fire on the Hunters only to find themselves attacked by those in their midst who had been uncertain about the act, the former Hunters and soldiers as well as those who had been present at the Mercy Foundation when Arctus and Diamond were volunteers or simply had an ethical issue with idea of attacking the Kingdoms' defenders.

Team GORE lunged into action with unrestrained fury and Vert was terrified to see that whatever promises Felix had made about being gentle these particular students had no interest in keeping; realising that he may be out of his depth when he watched Carcharodon Gore leap from the ground using his Semblance and tear open the chests of a pair of teenage boys with his blades, Onyx Ursabane ripping through anyone he could reach nearby; clearly aiming to maim or kill each of his opponents.

Felix watched the situation deteriorate rapidly and acted quickly

"Nyanza make the call!" he hoped that the bushy tailed felines' Semblance would somehow get the police to the second location faster if he were the one to contact them; around him he saw that the open field was quickly becoming a bloodbath as things escalated far beyond his control or expectations and eventually his eyes narrowed as he caught sigh of Vert who, along with another gang member was kicking a deserter who had fallen to the ground until their face was a bloody and unrecognisable mess. The Lion Faunus charged, weapons remaining sheathed as he simply poured his Aura into his muscles and drove his elbow into the unknown thugs' cheek, shattering bone and sending an arc of blood spewing from their mouth before turning his attention to Vert and simply tackling him to the ground

"Boy Torchwick is gonna kill you even if I don't" he snarled out as he tired desperately to aim the knife in his still functioning hand at the Lion Faunus's face; Felix however was far stronger and rained punches down on his face before attempting to fasten the Aura dampening collar around the gangsters' neck; reasoning that if he couldn't stop Torchwick tonight then one of his lieutenants would have to do. Vert frantically scrabbled and grasped at Felix's arm and used all of his strength to prevent him, whilst also screaming out for help

"USE THE FUCKING BOOSTER, WIPE THESE BITCHES OUT!" within seconds of the frenzied order being given the darkness began to be lit by beacons of eerie green light and filled by crazed battle cries of those gang members who had taken the Aura enhancing drugs. Felix had no time to react before a boot to the ribs sent him rolling across the ground, his attacker rushing afterwards and giving no quarter. Vert scrabbled to his feet and wiped blood from his face only to turn around as he felt a hand on his shoulder, confusion engulfing him as he was confronted by a familiar beaked mask

"Mister Torchwick will not be happy with this" Doctor Ozymandias Eldritch "The police are on the way, it's time for us to go" with that he seized Vert by the shoulder and the gang member was made uncomfortably aware of the nauseating effects of time being bent and warped around him as the pair made their escape.

Felix was too preoccupied to notice Vert's departure, distracted as he was by a Booster fuelled berserker bearing down on him with a deluge of earth shattering blows. The Lion Faunus desperately cast his eyes around for someone he could call for assistance only to find no one, Arctus and Diamond and Ether and Olivine were both fighting as pairs and Eagle was using Sentinel in shield form both offensively and defensively to knock attackers unconscious rather than simply impale them, Nyanza was putting his Semblance to stunning effect as he fought roughly half a dozen opponents, the civil war between the gang and those who had abandoned it continued in earnest whilst Team GORE rampaged through them without hesitation; Onyx and Carcharodon working in tandem to face one of the Booster fuelled attackers. Just as Felix expected to find his ribs crushed by an incoming fist his opponent staggered forwards, dropping to one knee as gravity forced them downwards despite their best efforts to fight it; then Helios came rushing into view and brought his shield crashing down into the Booster junkies' knee with a sickening crack before smashing its' surface against their face

"Don't rush in alone next time" Felix made to reply, the words never left his lips however and instead his mouth hung open in surprise as the booster junkie simply rose to their feet, their broken leg snapping itself back into place and healing in seconds as their enhanced Aura attended to it. Faster than either of them could react Helios was knocked aside with enough force to dent his armour, Felix's response was a furious roar as he grabbed his opponents' head and drove his knee into it several times with little discernable effect beyond enraging them further until their hands closed around the Faunus's throat and lifted him into the air.

Then everything exploded and Felix needed several moments to make sense of things, primarily the voice above him shouting

"PUT MY BROTHER DOWN ASS-HOLE!" Felix, whilst unable to stand at the moment managed to roll himself into a position from which he could see Corvid unleash a devastating salvo from the Omega Wing's rail-guns whilst still in the air, targeting the Booster junkies before dropping to the ground and dragging Felix to his feet

"Hey Corey" he managed a weak smile

"I see you found yourself in another hairy situation….or a Fluffy one" Corvid noted dispassionately from behind her armoured visor. Felix had no time for a witty comeback as one of the people Vert had brought with him called out to their allies

"WE GOT COPS! SCRAMBLE!" with that the field was quickly filled with people trying flee in every direction as red and blue flashing lights became visible, approaching from several angles. Whilst Team FADE and Team NEON were content to let the police do their duty, taking a moment to search for their own team-mates, Team GORE delighted in running down their fleeing adversaries; their past once again becoming apparent as Carcharodon buried a blade in the gut of someone who tried to escape passed him and Raffia smashed the face of another gang member through the window of a car that had been riddled with bullets in the skirmish, leaving a lacerated mess of torn flesh in his wake whilst Onyx almost gleeful war cries echoed through the night, despite the blood flowing freely from the Puma Faunus's face

"ENOUGH!" Corvid roared, focusing on Felix "Was this little stunt worth it?" the Faunus gestured to the plethora of downed gang members, several of whom were critically injured

"Not a total failure"

"You or the mission?" Felix flinched under his sisters' acidic tone; Corvid seemed to relent a little "Get the fuck out of here Fluffy I'll deal with the police" Felix promptly complied, jogging as fast as his sore and aching body would allow to round up his friends and team-mates; a small smile forming on his face as he realised that whatever had been said between himself and his sister, Corvid had still been there when he needed her.

The idea gave him hope that perhaps things might just work out after all.

 **Authors' Notes:**

Okay so, another chapter down and seven chapters into Vol.7; the next chapter is going to be slower paced and then we're actually going to be moving into the finale phase of this volume.  
I'm going to be honest Vol.7 has felt awkward for me to write and pace because it comes after everything in Atlas and lines up the pieces for not just third year but what will actually be the main antagonist of the entire story which will tie the entire thing together _(And you thought I was just making this up as I go along)  
_ That being said this chapter honestly felt difficult to write, I just hope it doesn't come across as too clunky.  
WE HIT 150,000 VIEWS ON FF NET

Anyway, let's summarise:  
I had to have at least a cameo from the "Unconventional tactics and Ungentlemanly Warfare" Professor ever since I decided that the subject was a thing; I was originally thinking of Professor Moody from Harry Potter but she slowly became something of her own even if she is just a throwaway background character at the moment….I'm sure I can find a way to use her later on.  
What if I told you that the whole thing with Felix learning to break out of an Aura Dampening collar is foreshadowing?  
Team FADE are still trying to avoid the use of lethal force wherever possible….and Diamond was probably out of order with that question.  
"I took a couple of weeks" just had to give some sort of indication of how much time is passing.  
Staying awake due to caffeine, willpower and irritation….we've all been Gangrel.  
Gangrel's on the right track….  
I felt like I had to mention what was going on in regards to the captured White Fang; and yes Gang still has Celeste on his ship.  
The Jagged Mountains and the occasional mission to tag a target for an air-strike; a callback to Volume one.  
So Artemis mentioned that she'll be taking students on a mission, the question is who do you think it will be that meets our new Sentient Grimm?  
Team NEON got the intel from a barmaid who resorted to desperate measures to get her brother to stop associating with Torchwick's crew; namely talking to Hunters in the hopes that they'd scare him.  
Fluffy is kinda making choices that sound like something Car would say.  
A romantic Battle-Cat weekend? You're welcome.  
Also Team GORE learning to fly is not for no reason; it all plays into the plot.  
Eagle is trying her best okay, but Raffia actively works at being unlikeable….it's a defence mechanism.  
Hellion and Eagle are pretty much fucking anytime they're left unattended for five minutes at this point.  
You all remember Hellion's Vol.3 prison fight right? Team GORE never did get to settle up for that.  
Sorry Air-Raid shippers, but hey….it's not so much of a no as a 'Not right now'.  
It's been a few weeks and Felix and Corvid are still not talking.  
Can you imagine Helios, Nyanza and Raffia confined to the back of a van together for any amount of time?  
I love getting to use Hellion's Semblance, I honestly thought it would be more prominent in the story when I decided on it.  
They way they took out the trucks was great and you know it.  
Helios just casually being a bad-ass, must be a Tuesday.  
If Felix tells the police that Indica was a snitch then he's pretty much immediately out of any gang crime….he might just have time to get himself to safety before Torchwick has his neck broken considering the amount of other problems Rhodey has to deal with at the moment.  
Vert trying to get some status back after Rhodey put Oz in charge of things; not going to plan.  
Felix had them meet out in an open space so that nobody could sneak behind them, Vert just brought enough people to completely surround the Hunters and turn the lack of cover against them.  
We all know that the "Then there's more of them to kill" came from Raffia.  
Felix almost certainly destroyed the drugs, especially considering that the last time he handed them over to the police Melanie Malachite said that she'd be taking them.  
Y'all forgot that a lot of the people Rhodium hired when he started looking for muscle were from the homeless shelter Arctus and Diamond volunteered at?  
You remember the way Onyx was fighting against the White Fang in Atlas?….well it wasn't as personal and not quite as violent, but this time the whole of Team GORE was at it.  
Okay so after watching Endgame and Game of Thrones S08 Ep03 I'm hoping that the hectic, disorienting nature of these dog-pile fights came across.  
Of course Ozymandias knew about things going tits up, he could probably have told Vert in advance but chose not to.  
Of course Helios came in clutch and saved Felix's ass.  
Booster enhances Aura which means increased rate of healing as well as more power.  
Of course Corvid showed up, was it ever really in doubt?  
"You or the mission?" Ouch, just ouch.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Funlander, DizzyDwarf and iSassenach for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Yeah Felix was out of order, people do and say dumb shit when worried.  
Corey definitely needs to get some help, but considering she is literally an immovable object and stubbornness personified there's little chance of it happening.  
Yeah, I name characters just because it makes having a conversation between two of them easier….besides if I didn't give them names it would make the death far too obvious.  
Felix's nose is the only thing that gets broken more than the fourth wall.  
I can honestly see her point of view though, it wasn't "I'm strong so I do what I want" it was "You're expecting me to put my troops life at risk to guard this thing, it already seriously injured several people; honesty and clear communication is the least we deserve"  
Oh my sweet summer child, there's plenty more to come.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	94. A Great Weekend

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 94: A Great Weekend**

"And this was one of many, many attempts to get Felix in a bath when he was a kid….he was a real devil about it, Bath-omet if you will" Yang beamed, amethyst eyes mischievous as she showed Helios Nikos pictures of a much younger Felix to Helios Nikos who was clearly unable to keep the smile from his face at the sight

"I can't believe this is actually happening" Felix mouthed out, face scarlet with embarrassment at the whole situation.

"She told you she was going to do this though?" Blake noted from a chair across the room

"I thought she was bluffing" Felix replied in a stage whisper that only served to make his mother and boyfriend laugh at his expense.

It was Friday evening and the Felix had returned to his island home-town with Helios to see his parents before the first full scale mission of the year took him away from New Vale for an indeterminate amount of time and while he was happy beyond words at the fact his mothers had seemingly welcomed and accepted Helios as a part of the family with open arms, the redhead had been a little overwhelmed when Yang Xiao Long had pulled him into a hug that was strong enough to make his golden armour creak the moment the pair had walked through the front door.

"Then you should have known better" Blake grinned "So where're the rest of your teams, how is everybody?"

"Everyone's fine Mum" Felix assured her

"Really, because I heard through the grapevine that you were taking on some more unofficial missions" Yang interjected, having taken a brief pause from showing Helios her sons' childhood in all of its' mortifying glory. Felix did his best to ignore the slight accusation in Yang's tone

"The people who sold drugs to Amethyst Wukong, they were taking a shipment out of the city so we tried to use it to lure Torchwick out for the police" Helios told her, quick to defend the reasoning behind Felix's choices even if the tactics that the Lion Faunus had favoured were somewhat distasteful

"Sun and Mel should be happy then" Yang noted "I can't say I'm not worried about you involving yourself in that but you're my son and you're a Hunter; I'm always gonna be worried about the missions you go on"

"It was a one off, Team FADE are going into anti-Grimm specialisation" Felix promised her before getting back on track "But yeah everyone else is fine, I think Eagle is going home for the weekend tomorrow morning and we're gonna get the last ship from here to Mount Silver island, check in late tonight"

"Oh" Yang paused at the mention of the small island a little further out to sea, almost all of its' surface taken up by a single towering mountain which was topped by a luxury resort. Blake managed to voice the thoughts that were forming in Yang's mind faster than her wife could speak

"We've been there before….very romantic" she shot Felix a knowing look that left him sputtering incoherently

"Just use protect-"

"Okay and we're just gonna stop this conversation here, please and thank you" Felix managed to deliver the words in a dry and dead-pan tone despite himself

"It's sweet, you kids have fun" Yang ruffled Helios's spiky crimson hair the way she would have done to Felix, a gesture that made the redhead pause in stunned confusion for a moment before accepting it

"We will, we both needed some time away from being team leaders and stress….I need to be on the ground and away from the city; it's too claustrophobic" Helios admitted, Yang being perceptive enough to pick up on what was being left unsaid

"You miss home?" Helios nodded

"I miss my people"

"Well I saw Ruby last week while I was working on the mainland" Blake noted "She'll be ready to take on her new student soon, so you'll be able to see your sister at least" the comment brought a wide smile to Helios's face that dimpled his scarred cheek; though the subject of families made Felix's stomach clench as the real reason he had come to Patch after classes on a Friday evening became unavoidable.

"Something wrong?" Blake asked, seeing his expression and body language change and subtly stiffen. Helios gave him a comforting expression, silently promising that Felix could count on his support no matter what

"Yeah, there's something I wanna talk to you about….it's important"

"Go on" Yang put the photo album down and leaned forward, giving Felix her full attention

"I've been getting more letters….like the one that was delivered here" he paused and took a deep breath and silently hoped for the best "They're from someone claiming to be my birth mother, I haven't replied to any of them yet but she wants to meet and I don't know what to do" both Yang and Blake wore equally concerned expressions, both having clearly known that this could possibly come but not being truly prepared for it

"What do you want to do?" Blake asked tentatively

"I don't….I mean….I have questions and if this is real she could answer them but I don't want it to cause problems-"

"It won't" Yang rose from the sofa and purposefully strode to her sons' side and crouched down next to him "I can promise you it won't. I know what it's like to need answers about where you came from and so does Blake" Felix turned and saw that Blake was nodding in silent agreement

"You're our son and whatever happens we will always love you, just remember that"

"I will" Felix nodded, eyes suddenly stinging "Promise me you're not upset?"

"Felix I would never try to stop you from finding out about your birth parents" Yang assured him, with Blake chiming in immediately after

"We knew that this was something we would have to be prepared for and okay with when we adopted. Felix I was raised in Sienna Khan's orphanage and I didn't have any pictures of my parents that weren't White Fang propaganda until Obsidian Eadala found some for me-"

"And I spent years wanting to know about Raven after Summer died" Yang added "I didn't meet her until it was honestly already too late….We know what you're going through and we will support you whatever happens"

"Thank you" Felix croaked out, trying to keep himself from crying with relief

"I'm guessing Corey knows about this?" Yang asked gently

"Yeah" he nodded "I think she kinda hates me"

"If she's angry she's got no right to be" Blake stated firmly "We'll talk to her, remind her that this doesn't stop her from being your sister no matter what she's scared of"

"Thanks" Yang ruffled her sons' hair and gave him a brief hug

"Come on, let's go to Mil's bar. Get some good food in you before you have your romantic weekend away" the tone was enough to simply override Felix's worries with a fresh wave of blushing, exactly as planned

"Are you sure that's a good idea-"

"Leave your car here, you're not drinking and driving" Blake answered, guessing what Felix's question would be. As Felix rose from his seat he gave Helios a grin

"Come on, your first time in the bear is always an experience….besides the last people from the Anima Tribes they had in there was Onyx"

"Those poor people, they need someone to make a better impression" Helios snorted as he rose to his feet and looped an arm through Felix's; feeling more at home than he had done since leaving his tribe.

* * *

Neptune Vasilias looked at the student before him with some apprehension that he felt was warranted despite the blank slate and lack of preconceptions that he always tried to start with. Raffia Dirge was a miniscule thing, barely five feet tall and sporting a wiry frame that lacked the usual mass of toned muscle or athletic definition that most of the academies' students possessed; though if stories were to believed the Axolotl Faunus made up for the deficit with unnerving resilience and a mixture of ferocity, underhandedness and sheer unpredictability, the sadistic smile Raffia wore was enough to convince Neptune that the rumours that had reached him had at least a grain of truth to to them. Raffia squatted on the chair, making himself uncomfortable and seemingly daring the counsellor to comment on it has he leered menacingly at him, sizing him up. Neptune silently decided that this was not how he would have liked to spend his Saturday morning, despite his commitment to his job

"Mister Dirge, I believe I've met your team-mates but I haven't met your acquaintance until now. Perhaps you'd like to tell me why it is that you don't feel that any of the issues your friends? Crew-mates?-"

"Family" Raffia hissed sibilantly, confirmed Neptune's suspicions

"Family" he nodded "Any of the issues that your family have been facing, from there we can discuss why it is that the Headmistress has referred you to me"

"You already know why Goodwitch forced me into this" Raffia stated bluntly, amusement and irritation vying for dominance in his tone

"Due to the fact that whilst yourself and several other students took part in an off the books mission to bring in wanted criminals in loose co-ordination with the police; you were noted as using excessive force-"

"Define excessive" Raffia grinned, a twisted smile full of needle like teeth that seemed to reach to the sides of his skull where his caudal fins sprouted. Neptune remained expressionless and calmly leafed through a manilla folder that he'd been presented with upon Raffia's referral to him, privately finding the images of the damage the Faunus had done to his opponents sickening

"Blinding someone with the broken glass from a car window, removing hands when your opponent was already disarmed, gutting opponents when non-lethal force was an option. There were fatalities on that mission Mister Dirge and several of them can be attributed to-"

"And you can tell Goodwitch I said she's welcome" Raffia giggled, sending a shiver down Neptune's spine "That isn't what I asked though. Those are examples, I asked you to define excessive; I want you to explain to me what it is that makes Hunters killing my people okay, but us killing and crippling scum on the Kingdoms' behalf somehow a bad thing"

"That would be a legal matter" Neptune breathed our "And that's not what I'm here for, I'm here to help you process and find better ways to deal with your anger instead of taking it out on anything that gets in your way"

"You're here to make me weak and compliant because Goodwitch is a coward-"

"I can assure you I have my differences of opinion with the Headmistress but a coward she is not; she is one of the people who kept the Kingdom Vale standing when the capital city fell in the war" Neptune was more surprised than he supposed he should have been to see that Raffia visibly react to that information, strength and force of will were thing he seemed to understand and judging from what he knew of Team GORE's shared upbringing it made sense

"Then why hasn't she intervened" the Axolotl Faunus murmured after a moment "If Goodwitch wanted to stop Torchwick all she would have to do is kill him; all these laws that your people hold up as if they make you better than the tribes….this is what they get you, weakness and excuses. Just kill your enemies and be done with it, or move aside and let someone with the courage to do it lead" The silence was oppressive as Neptune needed several moments to process Raffia's viewpoints and several more to decide on a course of action that didn't involve telling Professor Goodwitch that the Faunus should be removed from the academy and probably sedated for the safety of everyone else around him. After weighing up his options he decided to be open and honest to an extent that could be considered unprofessional

"I'm not sure if Halo Academy is the right place for you"

"It almost certainly isn't" Raffia agreed earnestly, a momentary look of sadness being quickly smothered; Neptune was surprised but quickly followed up with a question he needed to know the answer to if he planned to be of any use

"Then why are you here, what is it you want?"

"Nothing you can provide" Raffia answered simply "I'm here because my people are, I have nowhere else to be….being a Hunter, or a hero to the Kingdoms….I have no interest in that kind of hypocrisy"

"Because you used to be a raider and take from the people that you would be protecting?" Neptune asked, sensing that he might be getting somewhere until Raffia disabused of that notion with a maniacal cackle

"No, I think it's all hypocrisy because when Hunters massacred my people and sank our fleet they made no effort to spare the children, the sick or the elderly. Where was their heroism when they were drowning babies" Neptune grimaced, he had been born in one of Mistral's settlements and knew of the sort of heavy handed tactics that Hunters and mercenaries employed when dealing with tribes and pirates but what Raffia described, and his team-mates corroborated was extreme even by those standards

"Then those Hunters have forgot what it meant to be a Hunter" Neptune murmured softly "They've forgotten that it's our job to protect those unable to protect themselves, not just protecting the Kingdoms"

"Is this where you give me a speech about being the hero people that the weaklings need" Raffia snorted "I dealt with your criminals and this is how you repay me" he gestured to Neptune's office, his opinion of the counselling he had been compelled to attend plain to see.

"What I'm saying" Neptune paused, seeking a way to frame things in a way that would appeal to Raffia's obviously strong, if distinctly different sense of right and wrong and loyalties "Is that you could be a much better Hunter than those who harmed your people if you allowed yourself to be"

"You sound like Carcharodon" Raffia noted

"Your team leader can see that protecting people and being a member of the Frost River Tribe are not mutually exclusive, or at least they needn't be" Neptune met Raffia's eyes and spoke frankly "I'm not going to pass judgement on why or how you did what you did, I see a young man who saw a problem and tried to fix it"

"I'm done here" Raffia snarled leaping from the chair and stalking towards the door

"That's fine, I'll tell Goodwitch that our first session was a success and schedule our next meeting" Neptune watched Raffia's fins lay flat against the sides of his skull as he left the office and allowed himself a small smile. He had expected it to be a lot harder to get to this point but the Faunus's sudden anger was a sign that he was taking some of Neptune's words on board; after all challenging ones' entire world view was bound to be a difficult process.

* * *

It was early afternoon when Diamond and Arctus made their way through New Vale's capital; the Mistrali sniper pulling the light jacket that had been sufficient in her native Kingdom a little tighter around herself against the breeze as they traversed one of the bridges that criss-crossed between the cities' monolithic hive towers. Initially they had set out from Halo Academy and made their way to the Mercy Foundation so that they could inform their previous employers that Cain Security Personnel, who had been steadily recruiting the homeless was in fact a legal front business for Rhodium Torchwick's growing criminal empire. Hickory Pardus, the scarred former militia fighter who had been Arctus and Diamond's manager had been close to tears when she admitted that she had already suspected as much but had felt she owed it to those in her care to provide them with some hope of a better life. With assurances that Torchwick and his people would be sent packing if they ever tried to recruit from the Mercy Foundation and that Hickory would be warning every other homeless shelter and soup kitchen in the city about him Diamond and Arctus had found themselves in the city with no specific plans; eventually settling on an impromptu date.

Having made their way dozens of levels up the hive city and crossed into the next tower they were making their way towards the monorail station that would take them to the shopping district that housed the movie theatre they were planning on visiting. Before they could get close they felt the whoosh of displaced air wash over them and saw golden lightning crackling over several conductive surfaces; sending people scattering and clearing a portion of the street they were on until people realised that it was merely a Huntsman and not an attack or some malfunction of the hive towers' workings.

"Uncle Rover" Arctus nodded, a smile tugging at his lips in recognition "How's Tuscan-"

"Wanna tell me what the fuck that stunt the other night was kid?" the Husky Faunus growled and despite the fact that he was certainly not on duty; bearded face unobscured by his mask, the glow of his Aura regulator shining through a plain t-shirt rather than a flak vest and his hands filled with grocery bags rather than his weapon, Arctus could tell that this was the exact same tone that suspects were treated to

"You mean where we handed you a good chunk of Torchwick's people and torched his drugs?" Arctus shot back, suddenly incensed

"Firstly don't tell me you actually think that's Torchwick's whole crew? And secondly no I mean the part where you set up a drug bust operation like that and left the authorities out of the loop until the last minute and torched the evidence before they got there-"

"The last time we gave Booster to the police Melanie Malachite had it by the next day" Diamond interjected "Y'know what dude, we're Hunters just like you and if the police can't do their damn jobs then we'll keep them out of the loop. We're not here for their feelings" Rover found himself pacing for a moment before shrugging

"Okay fine, that's fair….So let me make you an offer; I know who the good cops are, if you come to me with anything related to drugs busts I'll make sure it's ll square with Goodwitch and the police. I can promise that anything we take off the streets stays off the streets"

"That….sounds like a good deal" Arctus admitted

"But why do you care?" Diamond demanded "I mean Booster is messed up and I get hating it, but you and Missy work in search and rescue"

"Yeah well, I took on a load of work in the city while she was pregnant and saw this shit first hand" Rover sighed before meeting her gaze "Besides, I feel responsible for Booster"

"Wait what?"

"Uncle Rover, how?"

"Booster comes from a scrapped Atlesian military project" Rover began

"Of course it does, why wouldn't it" Arctus grumbled, falling silent as he saw the look Rover was giving him

"The original idea was one that I kinda accidentally gave to Geppetto Polendina. See in the war I tried to take out a Grimm Dragon on my own; basically the side effect of it was that it warped my Semblance which is why I need my Aura regulator….if it turns off I'm basically a ghost-"

"Holy shit" Diamond breathed

"Yeah. But anyway, when Polendina was running tests on me I told him about something I used to do in battles….basically I mixed Dust with a line of coke to get it into my system and give myself a short term speed boost"

"Proto-Booster" Arctus nodded, to which Rover nodded

"Yeah, just nowhere near as strong. So after the war Polendina contacted me and asked me to help Atlas run some tests; because my Aura can be controlled remotely to an extent it was safer for me. They pumped me full of drug cocktails and different Dust ratios to see if they could create a reliable combat drug….the whole thing got canned but obviously someone thought it was a good way to make money and started selling it"

"It's not your fault though"

"I could have said no, I could have told Polendina that I didn't wanna be part of Atlas's latest attempt at making super soldiers, but I didn't….still at least it gave the SDC the basis of Eco-Dust"

"Wait, so my parents know about this?" Arctus was gobsmacked

"Kid I used to by the coke from your Dads' partner, hell Gang was the one who scrapped the tests"

"For Oum's sake" Arctus breathed out slowly

"Yeah, the war was messed up and it took a while for things to get better; choices like that were made because they made sense at the time" Rover admitted sadly before focusing "So can you promise me you'll work with me on this? We both want Torchwick and Malachite off the street"

"We said that we were gonna just do this one and be out of it, this kind of work isn't what we wanted to go into" Diamond explained "But yeah, we'll let you know if we hear about anything"

"Good, thank you" Rover sighed "And hey, Missy's going back to work so you might just see her on your next mission"

"I hope so" Arctus grinned

"Anyway, I've gotta go...things are starting to defrost. Say hi to your old man for me" with that Rover vanished in a burst of golden lighting, leaving Diamond and Arctus in a street full of people who were muttering amongst themselves as they recognised the young Hunters from the Vytal Tournament; several school aged children and teenagers seemingly daring other members of their respective cliques to talk to them.

"Come on, let's go" Diamond said, taking Arctus's hand "We're gonna miss the movie at this rate"

"Would it matter?" Arctus asked with a snort "I feel like we live in one at this point anyway"

* * *

With Felix away for the weekend and Arctus and Diamond having their own business to attend to Eagle had decided to visit her rural home-town of New Hope and do something that filled her with both nerves and giddy excitement; she was taking Hellion to meet her grandparents. Hellion herself despite her attempt at a calm exterior was no less apprehensive than her girlfriend and the way her wings buzzed and fluttered behind her as they made their way towards the house that Eagle had grown up in made it plain to see.

"These houses are huge" Hellion noted as she cast her eyes around, New Vale's countryside being far removed enough from her own experience outside of the walls of a Kingdom that it may as well be an entirely different world; though her eyes narrowed as she caught sight of a group of young women nearby who were talking amongst themselves and clearly gesturing towards Eagle "It seems you have admirers little canary"

"Ugh them….they used to pick on me at school. Now I'm at Halo Academy and I've been on TV because of the Vytal Tournament they wanna be friends; like they actually still talk like they're doing me a favour by saying hello"

"I could teach them better manners if you wanted?" Hellion asked with a wink as she tapped the sleeveless jacket, within which she stored her throwing knives

"Nope, nope, nope, nope. No don't do that" she frantically waved her arms in a display that made Hellion chuckle, the Dragonfly Faunus then causally reached up and ran a hand through Eagle's shortened blonde hair as she kissed her deeply. As they broke away she gave the group of girls a stare that made it very clear that they would not be bothering Eagle again.

"Um, wow yeah…." Eagle trailed off, a little dazed by the experience "So yeah we're nearly here, it's that house" she pointed to one of the large houses that were scattered sparsely along the loosely defined streets of the village, each of which seemed to have its' own attendant land.

"Lead the way" Hellion took one of Eagle's hands in her own while holding out her free arm for Marauder to swoop down and take his customary place perched on her. A few moments later they were on the porch of Eagle's home and she was leading Hellion inside

"They're gonna love you" she whispered, though her nervousness had suddenly spiked to new levels. Hearing no sounds within the house she removed her shield from back

"Doot, da doot" Sentinel chirped happily as he was deployed

"Go find Grandma and Grandad" Eagle instructed, patting the droid on the cranium as she did so. Sentinel trundled off and Eagle led Hellion into the front room

"We'll just wait in here, they're probably just out gardening" Hellion nodded in understanding as she took in the sight of the spacious room, on one of her peoples' ships this much space would be reserved for a captain or one of the elders. The mantle-piece was lined with photographs of countless blondes who could only be Eagle's Aunts and Uncle, Hellion recognised Jaune Arc from the statue of him that stood along with several others on the path towards Halo Academies' main entrance. There was also a gargantuan weapons rack that had been given pride of place, all that currently adorned it was a sword and shield that were very similar to Eagle's and a large cannon of some description; Hellion realised that the empty space was intended for each of the other Arc children and found herself understanding that the Arcs were primarily concerned with family and marital pride, this truly was where Eagle had become Eagle

"Hey honey" a gruff voice behind them made them both jump "Who's your friend?"

"Hey Granddad" Eagle beamed and threw her arms around Craven Arc's neck in a tight hug "How've you been, Where's grandma and um this is Hellion; you've heard about her she's um-"

"Your woman" Craven nodded before holding out a strong hand for Hellion to shake "We've heard a lot about you" Hellion noted to herself that there was a lot being left out of that particular statement

"Well I can only hope to do the rumours justice" she gave a wicked grin and watched Eagle's eyes widen for a moment; the blonde quickly creating a distraction before the situation could become awkward by unsheathing her sword and placing it on the Arc weapons rack; her Grandfather had never seen the new blade that Hellion had forged for her and seemed to study it intently for a moment before speaking again

"Your Grandmother is just finishing up in the garden, Eagle why don't you go help her out….me and Hellion are gonna take a little ride out to the store"

"I, um, okay" Eagle's customary rapid fire way of speaking returned in full force as she thought of the many different ways this situation could go wrong but she did as she was asked, leaving Craven and Hellion alone in the front room, Marauder hopping from Hellion over to the taller woman's shoulder as she went. Hellion noted that Craven would have been an imposing sight in his prime, before the loss of a foot hindered his movement and before age had bowed his back a fraction and stolen some of what was still an impressive physique; his hair and beard were mostly grey but a few strands of golden yellow could still be seen

"That's a nice sword there, I'm assuming you hand a hand in that"

"I did"

"And Eagle's tattoos as well….can't say they're usually something I see the appeal of, but there's no denying that you're an artist" Hellion fought the urge to preen, sensing that Craven was waiting for an opportune moment to deliver a stinging blow, instead she merely drummed her fingers against the handles of her many knives through the fabric of her jacket

"Now here's the thing" Craven sighed, exactly as Hellion had expected "Eagle's quite taken with you, Oum a blind man could see that and she has grown into something fierce since she first left home….and you saved my eldest daughters' life in Atlas-"

"But I was also one of the people who kidnapped her" Hellion surmised "And now you're wondering if you can get to your sword before I can react?"

"I can't say the thought didn't cross my mind" Craven admitted "But I did promise Eagle I'd be fair….but for that I need you to be honest with me and tell me what it is that drives someone to do the things you've done" Hellion but Craven's eyes and answered honestly and without hesitation

"Family"

"I see" he sighed "Doing the wrong thing the Oum damned right reason….hell if Jaune was here he'd have already been adding your weapons to the rack"

"Jaune Arc is mentioned in Halo's history classes….he died a hero"

"That he did" Craven agreed a soft smile tugging at his lips "And I'll be damned but I don't think can intimidate you can I?"

"Shall I stroke your ego or answer honestly?" Hellion sneered, at which point a deep belly laugh escaped Craven

"Oh I like you young lady, you're gonna fit in just fine around here….come on, the pick-up's outside; we can both tell each other how great Eagle is on the way to the store"

* * *

"Focus, focus….you've almost got it and; there it is" Ruby's voice was brimming with emotion as she watched her twin children, their identical silver Auras engulfing their bodies as the stood before her in the back garden of their home

"We're gonna be Hunters" Summer Pyrrha gasped out

"This is so cool" Tai-Jaune giggled

"It really is" Ruby whispered as she wiped a tear from her eyes. Her children had activated the powers that came with their silver eyes during the breach over a year ago and whilst it had seemed that their Auras had been unlocked, fuelling their every movement with boundless energy, in the process seeing them, still so young but clearly consciously controlling their power was utterly breath taking

"So what's next Mum?" Summer asked, taking the lead as she always seemed to "Can we learn to fly like you?"

"Or super cool ninja moves?" Tai-Jaune suggested

"Or are we gonna build weapons?"

"Not just yet" Ruby giggled, their limitless enthusiasm being something of a source of pride "I think that's enough for today-"

"Do we get cookies?" Summer asked, silver eyes glinting "I think we should get cookies for unlocking our Auras"

"I think you might just be right" Ruby conceded "But not until after dinner…..PEARL, how long roughly?"

"Dinner will be ready in approximately six minutes" the synthesised voice of PEAL, the artificial intelligence that operated both the house and Penny's personal Bull-Head announced from a speaker hidden somewhere in the garden

"Great, Summer TJ go inside and wash your hands, I'll be inside in a minute" with that Ruby made her way to the furthest part of the large garden that their home featured, to the landing pad upon which the second iteration of the Pearl, Penny's personal transport was docked; the legs of the copper haired android herself barely visible beneath it

"Dinner's almost ready" Ruby informed her, Penny promptly slid out from under the Bull-Head and rose to her feet, wiping a smudge of oil away from her freckled cheek as she did. Whilst she didn't require food Penny was still physically capable of eating and preferred to let her children see her as human

"I'll be insider shortly….what's happened" she asked, immediately seeing Ruby's barely contained emotions

"THEY DID IT" Ruby informed, throwing herself into a hug "They've learned to control their Aura"

"That's sensational" Penny mumbled into Ruby's neck; the two of them staying like that for several moments before Penny spoke again "The spare room is almost resident ready, it just needs to be painted"

"I know" Ruby nodded

"Then I think it's time" Penny pulled back and rested her forehead against her wife's "Qrow seems convinced that something is happening; you know that you can teach and there's nowhere better for her to learn"

"I know" Ruby repeated, her own concerns and insecurities being shunted aside as she squared her shoulders and nodded

"Okay" she said finally "I'll tell Qrow in the morning, he'll send word to the Nikosi and they'll send Syneffo over to New Vale as soon as they can….It means we might actually see more of Felix, he is dating her brother after all"

"Sensational"

* * *

Onyx blocked a flurry of blows from his first opponent before kicking them aside and bringing the charge of his second to a halt when he drove his forearm into their neck with enough force to make them flip backwards, landing on the floor in a crumpled heap. The first opponent rushed back into the fray with a vicious combination of a right elbow aimed at his cheek followed by a spinning back-fist delivered at the same time as a leg sweep. The attack would have proved decisive were it not for Carcharodon coming hurtling seemingly from nowhere and colliding with the attackers arm, a resounding crunch echoing throughout the gym

"FUCK!" Shine, leader of Team SNST howled "Car I think you've dislocated my shoulder"

"Onyx fix his shoulder" the Puma Faunus nodded and took the younger mans arm, giving him an apologetic look before forcing the limb back into place with a sickeningly wet sound.

"One day" Carcharodon rasped out, disappointed irritation lacing every syllable as he paced between the beaten forms of Team SNST and spoke to the crowd of first and second years gathered around the training area that they had claimed as their own "One day, one of you will learn the simple skill of keeping your eyes on all of your opponents when being outflanked!" Onyx shook his head as he watch the latest team of students to fall short of the Shark Faunus's expectations drag themselves out of the ring, clutching several minor injuries as they went. In an effort to instil a proper sense of awareness of ones' surroundings into the younger students Carcharodon had had them partake in something they had dubbed 'Capture the flag' against the two former raiders whose years of experience and working together had made them a brutally effective team. Thus far none of the younger students had made it within ten feet of their target.

"You've disgusted me with your incompetence enough for one night" Carcharodon snarled "Tomorrow" with that the Shark Faunus stalked off, leaving Onyx and several mildly offended teenagers in his wake

"Don't take it personal" the Puma Faunus laughed, slapping a meaty paw down on the back of the owner of a particularly disgruntled scowl "If he didn't think you had some potential he wouldn't bother teaching you at all….just keep your guard up next time and remember that he's probably behind you" Onyx then began searching for an available set of weights, fighting the urge to puff up his chest and make himself seem larger when he noticed Corvid spotting for her partner.

"Ursabane!" Onyx let out a noise of annoyance as he turned around and saw that Amethyst Wukong was stalking towards him, fists clenched and tail wrapped tightly around her own waist whilst her partner and Team RAIN's new leader followed close behind

"Not going to ambush me this time?" he chuckled as he rolled his shoulders back and worked a crick out of his neck. Amethyst chose to ignore the jibe

"I heard your team are going after anyone associated with Torchwick?" she stepped a little closer towards Onyx, the challenge obvious "I just wanted to say that if you wanna deal with me, then you come to me and not my friends or family; understand?….we can do this right here and now if you want"

"Little girl you can rest easy knowing that I couldn't care less about your little grudge even if I tried….believe me, I tried" Onyx chuckled, casually swatting her away "My team have our own reasons to want to see his ginger head removed from his neck"

"Yeah well me too" Amethyst muttered darkly. Onyx merely laughed

"Run along little girl, you have my word that I have no interest in hurting you or your team….and when I find Torchwick I'll keep him alive just long enough for you to stick a few pins in him as payback" Amethyst took several deep and wavering breaths, refusing to break eye contact with Onyx

"Fine, okay. That's all I wanted to hear" the Monkey Faunus turned away, walking towards the exit of the gym hand in hand with Redshank whom Onyx noted had remained silent the whole time.

"Oh and Ursabane" she called over her shoulder, turning to face him again she gestured to the scar along her eyebrow and said firmly "I'm still gonna break your face for this one day" Onyx smiled despite himself, what she lacked in experience she certainly made up for in spirit

"Your first mission is coming up soon isn't it?" Onyx asked, having a little knowledge of the first years schedules due to helping them train "I think that this isn't even about your little grudge against me, I think you just need to feel strong and in control before you head into battle"

"You got a point?" Amethyst growled, Onyx merely cracked his knuckles as he made his way towards the nearest sparring area

"Right here and now" as he saw Amethyst hurtle towards him, Aura flickering into life around her the Puma Faunus decided that he might let her land a few blows; just to regain some faith in her own abilities.

* * *

It was late Saturday night and Felix Xiao Long was utterly content. Mount Silver Island and the luxury hotel atop had thus far exceeded every expectation that the Lion Faunus had of for it; he and Helios had spent much of the day exploring the island and taking in its' natural beauty. Both Felix and Helios had spent a great deal of time outdoors growing up, Helios simply due to the nature of his people and Felix being a native of Patch; meaning that the dense forests, hiking trails, waterfalls and occasional rock face that had to be climbed to be traversed were all just as thoroughly enjoyable as the islands' wildlife, which had flourished due to the total lack of Grimm presence on the island which was enforced by a team of Hunters and notable contingent of repurposed Atlesian military robots.

The hotel itself was comfortable in the extreme and seemed to have every conceivable amenity; Felix and Helios had made use of the pool and sauna after returning from their hiking trip and the food had been simply perfect; though Felix did have some reservations about spending Helios's Lien on things like room service. His mother had given him a large sum which the tribe as a whole had worked hard for to ensure that the former heir to their throne would always be secure after leaving the Nikosi, the Lion Faunus didn't want to waste it unduly. Currently the two of them were sharing an almost obscenely large bed, watching some utter nonsense that even Nyanza would have found intolerable as they snuggled under a quilt that kept the cold at bay.

"I'm honestly glad I grew up without television….I was spared from this acting and script" Helios sighed, wrapping his arm a little tighter around Felix's waist and gently tracing the scar on his abdomen from the White Fang's failed attempt on his life

"Yeah" Felix laughed "There's B movies and then there's this….It's like an L at best"

"Then it's a good thing that you're barely paying attention" Helios noted, kissing the Faunus's shoulder "What's distracting you?"

"You mean besides you pressing into my lower back?" Felix joked, turning just enough to let his boyfriend see the wink he shot him as he nuzzled into him a little closer and made a point of grinding against his body as he continued "Just thinking about the missions that are open to Team FADE, I've been putting making the decision off and I can't keep pushing my job onto Diamond like I have been" Helios had managed to muffle a groan of pleasure at Felix's teasing but despite his best efforts to maintain some level of self control his hand still wandered and traced slow circles along Felix's thigh

"Got any missions in mind?" he asked, genuinely curious and also seeking a distraction until he received clear confirmation that Felix wanted to take things further.

"Something as far away from gangs and terrorists and any other kind of bullshit that involves people trying to make life hell for each other" the Faunus sighed, the remains of his tail twitching contentedly "Thinking of going as far into the mud as I can go, I wanna help some people and crack some Grimm skulls; that's what I signed up for"

"You are truly a Nikosi at heart" Helios noted "I wish I could join you but my mission will most likely be within the city"

"Why on Remnant-"

"Because I can't only take my own preferences into consideration" Helios sighed "Olivine, Ether and Nyanza are all far more comfortable in the capital than I ever will be so Team NEON will most likely be trying to assign ourselves to one of the cities' aerial defence platforms"

"To be honest you'll probably get a mixed back with that" Felix noted

"And besides I have no idea when Syneffo will be arriving in New Vale….My sister would cause havoc if I let her roam the city unattended" Felix couldn't help but laugh at that, easily able to imagine the kind of trouble the younger and far more outspoken Nikosi would be able to find herself in if she weren't greeted by someone upon arriving

"You poor thing, try not too miss me too much"

"That is utterly beyond my abilities Fluffy" Helios murmured as he kissed the Faunus's neck and gripped his thigh, the noise that escaped Felix was music to his ears and prompted him to carry on and let his hands wander a little more

"Get a condom" Felix gasped out, bringing Helios to a sudden halt, heart hammering in his chest

"Are you-"

"Sure? Of course I'm sure" Felix laughed, rolling over to pull Helios into a deep kiss "I've been sure for months, I just didn't want our first time to be a random quickie because we had the dorm to ourselves for an hour"

"Well I can promise you that it won't be that" Helios replied, his voice low and husky enough that Felix could feel it in his chest as much as hear it. The redhead slipped off of the bed, for a moment and kicked stripped out of his underwear, Felix paused for a moment and muted the television; it was clear that he would not be bothering to see how this particular movie ended.

* * *

The street was dark it's lights having long since been broken, heightening Vert's other senses and making the hammering of his heart in chest impossible to ignore.

The gangster had been called to a corner store in a poor and crime ridden part of New Vale's capital that he had never ventured to before, the local gang being strong enough to discourage his own crew from moving into the territory and both groups being small enough to escape the attention of Melanie Malachite until Rhodium Torchwick had united dozens of disparate warring factions within the cities' underbelly. It was a well known fact, yet one that the authorities were yet to prove, that the owners' of this particular store were well paid by Rhodium's enforcer and overseer in the area to let younger gang members who still lived with their parents hide thing such as weapons in the storeroom to the rear of the premises. Said owners were not however part of the Booster operation that was quickly becoming by far one of the most lucrative stream of ill-gotten revenue that Torchwick had a stake in which, when coupled with the fact that said owners were currently celebrating their wedding anniversary away from the city, made the fact that Vert had been instructed to come here by Ozymandias Eldritch very suspicious.

"Where the fuck is it?" Vert trailed off as he scrabbled around on the ground and searched for the spare key that he had been assured would be present, finding it tucked beneath a garden gnome whose presence in front of a property within a Hive Tower with no garden in sight was either suspicious or amusing depending on ones' viewpoint. Entering the small and outwardly unassuming corner store Vert noted that is was as empty and unlit as it had appeared from the outside; only making his suspicions and concerns that much more intense and causing him to reach into his hoodie and grip his customary spiral-bladed and needlessly over-designed blade as he slunk through the shop towards the rear storeroom; which judging by the lack of any lights from within was just as empty as the rest of the building

"If that son of a bitch Oz is prank-"

"I can assure I am not" the Doctors' voice intoned as Vert entered the storeroom, making the gang member jump suddenly and draw his knife as the lights turned on despite the fact that Ozymandias was several feet from the light-switch. Ozymandias had chosen to forego his plague doctor mask and overcoat, though their absence did nothing to make the man appear less intimidating as his smile was warm and grandfatherly yet somehow sinister and Vert supposed that it still would be even without the horrific injuries the man had sustained. There were no drugs to be shipped out to the various dealers in sight and Vert's mouth was dry, he assumed that it was some monstrously powerful and reality warping Semblance that allowed the mad scientist appear wherever he wanted, seemingly without limitations and the casual ease with which the ability was used spoke volumes to the uneducated thug

"So you spoke to Rhodey then" he asked, forcing his voice not to waver and attempting to at least meet his fate with some level of panache

"Mister Torchwick is aware of your recent failures" Ozymandias nodded "He is understandably displeased" Vert nodded, lip quivering as he weighed his options and came to the realisation that he truthfully had none other than acceptance

"Okay fuck it, we both know what this is….just do it" he sank his knife into the surface of a nearby shelf and held his hands up to show that he wouldn't be resisting, hopefully it would be quicker that way "You called me here to whack me, shoot me and get it over with….just not the head man….I don't want my Mum to have to see me with my brains blown out"

"Oh there's no need to be so dramatic" Ozymandias chuckled, leaving Vert baffled and surprised in a detached way that the mans' blasted and ruined skull could make such an ordinary sound

"You're….you're not-"

"No. Although I must stress that Mister Torchwick was extremely angry but given the identities of some of those Hunters and the amount of trouble that they have caused him already….' _given a pass'_ I believe is the way he phrased it"

"Oh thank Oum"

"No thank me" Eldritch demanded, tone becoming cold "I have use of you"

"What do you need Doc?"

"My contact from Atlas is still yet to find safe passage into the Kingdom though I doubt it shall be too long before they arrive….as you can see I have furniture, paint and the like here. I want you to find a suitable location for my contact to stay during her time in New Vale and make it ready for her arrival" Vert's mouth worked silently for a few moments as he took notice of the fact that rather than a chair or stack of pallets, Ozymandias was sat of several boxes containing flat-pack furniture.

"Are you fucking serious?" he demanded before he could stop himself "You called me out here, away from a studio session, to some other crews turf in the middle of the fucking night, thinking I was gonna get killed just to tell me I'm getting demoted to painting and fucking decorating!"

"Indeed I did" Ozymandias's remaining eye hardened "And you would do well to savour and cherish that fear, keep it as a reminder. The punishment for another failure will almost certainly be far more severe. Now, do run a long" his tone became cheery again as he rose to his feet and casually shifted the furniture and tins of paint towards Vert with his foot. Vert grumbled under his breath as he took them and left the storeroom, legs visibly shaking as he went.

Ozymandias watched the gang member leave and a moment later heard the door of the corner store being re-locked behind him; his satisfied smirk was short lived as his entire body convulsed and his hands came the sides of his head, clutching his skull in agony. The voice that had been urging him onwards screamed in rage and terror, sending shock-waves of pain through the scientists' body. When Ozymandias finally managed to stagger to his feet, far less dignified than he would have liked he quickly sought out a reflective surface and grimaced as he saw that the red raw and tortured looking flesh that comprised much of the left side of his skull was starting to slough away, revealing burned and blackened bone beneath; black veins coursed from his remaining eye and glancing down at his hands revealed that they were in a similar condition, with the skin at the ends of his fingers having taken on a rotten look.

"Need more-" he attempted to speak, words slurring as coughed up a viscous black liquid that while clearly contained blood, was something else entirely. Taking a single wavering breath Ozymandias focused and harnessed the powers of the Wizard, the voice screaming in his psyche relented and the time warping magic took hold; restoring his ruined body as best it could.

"Need more time" the mad scientist managed to gasp out, though he knew that such a boon would not be forthcoming.

This body was dying, the powers keeping it alive being strained from constant use and the voice had plans that needed to be completed before then; waiting for another suitable host for the Wizards' powers and the influence she had over those that wielded them would set her back far too much.

Plans would need to be accelerated.

 **Authors Notes:**

Okay, that was a nice soft chapter…..right up until that ending.  
So as of next chapter we'll be moving into the finale of Vol.7 at which point certain threads will become interwoven enough that things will make a little more sense.  
I'm also debating taking a week off next week, depending on how much planning I get done over the weekend; I'm feeling a little bit burned out at the minute….We'll see though.

Anyway, let's summarise:  
Yes I literally opened off with a Yang pun, you're welcome.  
So yes, Helios took Felix for a weekend away and he did it in style.  
Helios loves his hair as much as Felix, Yang has been added to a list of people that could get away with doing what she did that still has half a dozen people on it at most.  
I felt like I had to mention the scar on Phobos's cheek that he got fighting Phobos, it's one of those details that slips peoples' minds.  
Seriously did any of you think that Blake or Yang of all people would have a problem with Felix wanting to know more about where he came from.  
" _N_ _o matter what she's scared of"_ Blake knows Corey better than Corey knows herself, she isn't angry at Felix she's just terrified of losing her baby brother.  
Okay, here's the thing with Raffia; in universe he is an unlikeable person. He knows that and actively plays to it, but his attitude kind of makes sense; especially when he's in yet another situation where the Kingdoms/Hunters are finding ways to justify their own use of violence, whilst acting appalled whenever his people do the same.  
The Raffia and Neptune scene wasn't vital to the plot, but seeing as he was the first member of Team GORE we met and he hasn't really progressed much as a character I wanted him to get a moment; besides that's twice now he's said he doesn't like the idea of being the hero….there's a mission coming up and you know what that means for background characters who suddenly get some attention.  
So Torchwick's crew just lost one of their sources of cannon fodder.  
Rover and Diamond both had good point here, Team FADE are occasionally getting close to vigilante justice; but the fact remains that the police are people who can be bought and intimidated.  
Rover's accidentally giving the idea of Booster to Penny's Dad and his 'Overdrive Mode' are both callbacks to The Downward Spiral.  
And yeah, Rover (And probably Scarlet) having a list of cops who can be relied on to take out Booster dealers is something I might work into Vol.8.  
Hellion being casually down to stab Eagle's old school bullies just felt on brand.  
The sword and shield were Crocea Mors, the cannon was Grandma Arc's weapon.  
Jaune would definitely have adored Hellion if they ever got to meet.  
Hellion pretty played Craven Arc perfectly: Be absolutely fiercely, complement his kids (Especially Jaune's legacy) and adore Eagle….problem solved.  
Writing Ruby training the twins a little made me think of the Abridged version of Goku training Gohan in the time chamber.  
Syneffo Nikos is coming; New Vale should brace itself.  
Carcharodon does not do motivational speaking, he just beats the stuffing out of his students until they learnt to not get the stuffing beaten out of them.  
Onyx flexing a little when he sees Corey is funny and low-key adorable.  
" _Believe me, I tried"  
_ So yeah, Onyx and Amethyst's issues are settled for the moment.  
So, a little taster of what Team FADE's mission is gonna be….going right out into the wilderness.  
Battle-Cat shippers, rejoice!  
As much of a scumbag as Vert is, he gets points for bravery for going to a meeting where he fully expected to die and taking it on the chin.  
That whole meeting was just Oz flexing on him.  
Oz's contact, who we all know is who/what escaped from Poly-Tech earlier in Vol.7 is now confirmed to be a "Her".  
And how's that for a plot twist at the end; Ozymandias isn't long for this world.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, iSassenach, DizzyDwarf and Funlander for their reviews on the last chapter.  
To be fair the goons were literally hired for the specific kind of job Vert brought them along for; they just happened to run into the one group of people who could change their minds.  
Legally Team FADE and GORE are pretty much in the clear this time; they called the police and told them what the plan was….they just did it literally the moment before it happened so that nobody Torchwick has paid off can give a warning.  
As for Team GORE going absolutely ham….Let's be honest, the police love using excessive force on poor people.  
I pinky promise that I have no plans to off Rover and Artemis.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	95. Rain and Mud

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 95: Rain and Mud**

Felix had returned to Halo Academy with Helios, assignments had been completed and turned in and their professors had wished them luck; now the only the thing between the third year students and their first official and full scale mission of the semester was the simple matter of a trip to the atrium to receive their assignments. It was with this in mind that Team FADE made their way through the hallways of Halo Academy and Felix noted that the nervousness and cold weight in his stomach that had preceded each of his previous missions was strangely absent; perhaps it was just the fact that he had grown used to it, or perhaps it was the fact that his request for a mission whose parameters would take him far from the city had been granted and the Lion Faunus was now far less afraid of the creatures of Grimm than he was of what people were willing to do to one another with significant motivation. Felix didn't concern himself with the reasons behind this newfound lack of apprehension, deciding as he took stock of his team that Team FADE were capable of meeting any challenge that they encountered, and truthfully always had been.

"Of course you'd be the first ones to get your mission" Felix's attention was directed forwards by Diamond's bemused comment; which the Lion Faunus realised had been directed at Team NEON who were returning from the atrium, Helios evidently having, as usual, woken his team at the crack of dawn so that they could be prepared and ready for their mission as soon as possible.

"Preparation is what wins battles" the redhead noted, Diamond merely shrugging in response. Helios swiftly closed the distance between the two teams in a handful of strides and pulled Felix into a slow and passionate kiss before resting his forehead against the blondes'

"Stay safe….and destroy anything that tries to prevent you from doing so"

"Kick and ass and don't die" Felix laughed, completely aware that he didn't have his boyfriends' gift of sounding vaguely heroic and inspirational at all times "I love you"

"I love you too Felix".

"So what mission did you get?" Eagle asked eagerly

"A week being assigned to the Eos defence platform" Olivine grinned "One of the aerial platforms right on the edge of the city….with some really nice tech I wanna see up close. Looks like we've gotta make our own way there though"

"Not sure exactly what we'll be helping 'em with, you know what Goodwitch's mission summaries are like" Ether added, a soft smile on his face at his partner and long time girlfriends' love of weaponry and technology. Team FADE nodded in understanding, the Headmistress kept her summaries deliberately vague as she wholeheartedly believed that a Hunters' work was unpredictable and that the ability to think on ones' feet was of vital importance, as such a students' training should adequately reflect that.

"Okay come on let's get moving" Nyanza sighed "Sooner we get there, the sooner we get back….I'm flying out to Mistral to see Razz after we're done"

"Stay safe guys" Felix kissed Helios's scarred cheek and gave Nyanza a quick fist-bump before allowing Team NEON to continue towards their own destination whilst Felix gestured for Team FADE to do the same.

Team FADE entered the ampitheatre and saw that they were not alone; Team AQUA were currently stood in front of the translucent holographic screen at which missions were assigned, presumably reading the directions to wherever they would be meeting their assigned Hunter. Team FADE however paid more attention to the sight of Team GORE who were speaking to an older woman, Eagle's enthusiastic greeting of Hellion being matched by Arctus as he realised that the older woman was his honorary aunt, Artemis Tan

"Hey Aunt Missy" the Bear Faunus beamed, taking a moment to notice that his Aunt had seemingly mentally prepared herself for her first mission after having a child by restoring what could almost be considered her classic appearance as a Huntress; the tips of her her had been dyed bubblegum pink and she wore a camouflage cloak and a pair of heavy duty goggles rested atop her head, intended to help her focus her Semblance. The rest of her outfit was a departure from her own days as a student, black tactical clothing with armour laid over it; the armour being a wedding gift from Rover that was made a platinum coloured alloy. Artemis carried an unfathomable amount of extra ammunition and Dust crystals whilst her weapon, the sniper rifle which doubled as a naginata _'Hakai Suru'_ was slung over her shoulder to complete the appearance of someone who was extremely capable.

"Hey Arctus" she ruffled her nephews' hair "I heard that the students' I'm taking out have been taking Bull-Head classes so I thought I'd come and clear taking one of the academies' out with Goodwitch….but apparently they're busy" her tone became amused as she caught sight of Eagle and Hellion who were currently locked in a tender embrace, utterly oblivious to the various utterances of resigned amusement their team-mates were giving voice to; Onyx being the first to turn his attention away as the sound of someone else approaching caused him to turn towards the entrance, a grin splitting his face at the sight of Corvid Xiao Long whose school uniform made it clear that she was here to wish people well and nothing more

"Hey" she greeted him with a quick kiss on the cheek, despite her rejection of his offer to be more than friends with benefits she did truly care for the Puma Faunus "Don't go risking any of your nine lives"

"Now where's the fun in that?" Onyx noted with a smirk, which Corvid promptly rewarded with a playful punch to his shoulder

"Just stay safe….anyway, let me go talk to my brother"

"We were leaving anyway" Carcharodon rasped, his tone suggesting that between Hellion and Eagle's public display of affection and the fact that every interaction between Corvid and Onyx was dripping with sexual tension he had reached the limit of his tolerance.

"You're right, we should be going" Artemis agreed, taking the lead as Team GORE filed out of the ampitheatre.

"Hey" Felix grunted as he eyed Corvid with some trepidation, the two of them had spoke little since the attack on Torchwick's drug run and the tension between them was palpable. A few moments of awkward silence passed before Corvid simply flung herself at her brother and wrapped her arms around him

"I'm sorry I've been such a bitch to you lately-"

"It's-"

"No it's not! I'm sorry okay….I just….I was worried-"

"Corey, I get it" Felix assured her, returning the hug gently "We're cool. I promise" the two broke apart, both of them evidently relieved and happy to put the matter behind them

"Yeah well; the….um _'Mane'_ reason I came is to wish you good luck on your mission"

"Thanks" Felix laughed, glad enough to be on good terms with Corvid again to overlook the pun "Hopefully it'll be an easy one….going out into the woods and killing some Grimm, come on we do that when we're bored back home"

"You're _'Pride'_ is gonna get your ass kicked" Corvid noted, Felix merely rolled his eyes

"Love you too sis….let me go find out where I'm headed"

"We've already found it" Diamond's voice informed him from across the ampitheatre, the rest of Team FADE having decided to learn what their mission would be whilst giving the Xiao Long siblings some privacy

"Yeah, we need to go and meet our Hunters in the city" Arctus noted, Eagle grimacing a little

"We're supposed to be at the rail yard in East Basswood, I know where it is roughly but we're gonna have to hurry or we're gonna be late"

"No problem" Felix assured them, a wicked grin that displayed his overlong canine teeth forming on his face "We'll take the Killer-Bee with us….who knows, we might get an excuse to use the stinger again"

* * *

"Captain we're being hailed by another ship" the communications officer of the Gerechtigkeit announced

"Nothing on radar, they must be cloaked!"

"At ease" Matte Skye ordered calmly, understanding that there was only one plausible explanation and turning to their communications officer "On screen" with a single curt nod the officer complied.

The bridge of the Gerechtigkeit could be considered futuristic even by the standards of other Atlesian warships, the customary sleek minimalism and pristine white surfaces seemingly amplified by several degrees; the entire bridge having an almost triangular shape as it slanted forwards and seemingly directed all attention towards the main screen whose display normally alternated between live feeds from the many external cameras fitted onto the ships' hull to give a panoramic display of its' surroundings, or a combination of their course and heading laid over topographical maps of the area and radar. Currently however the screen faded to black for a moment before being replaced by the exact image Matte Skye had expected to see, that of Specialist Commander Gangrel Slate stood to attention aboard the similar but more dimly lit bridge of the Gespenst, his scarred and grizzled First Mate Specialist Chiffon stood at this right hand.

"Commander Skye" Gangrel nodded in greeting "I've received word from my contact in New Vale, they've rendezvoused with a team of agents that have assisted previous missions and are currently en route to location"

"Understood" Matte nodded, in truth there was little in Gangrel's update that would be of any use to anybody who had managed to overcome the absurd level of security in place to eavesdrop on the conversation; no mention of the specifics of the mission, no location other than the purposefully vague as New Vale could refer to the capital city or the Kingdom as a whole and no names were used, even Matte was not entirely sure as to the identity of the agents the Bear Faunus had mentioned despite being able to make an educated guess that they were reasonably sure was correct.

"Assets have been deployed to the field, you'll be kept informed of all further developments. Skye out" with that the two captains shared a brief look of understanding before the bridge of the Gespenst flickered out of view, being replaced by the previous images that had occupied that massive main display a moment later.

"You have the bridge" Matte informed their first mate before turning on their heel and leaving, making their way towards a highly restricted area of the ship, passing several security checkpoints which were guarded by hidden weapons emplacements. Eventually they reached the final barrier between themselves and their destination, a combination of retinal scan, finger print identification and a sixteen digit passcode. Stepping inside the restricted area revealed a dozen of what could best be described as fighter craft cockpits, combined with some sort of medical or neurological facility; each seat was fitted with a plethora of controls and flanked by screens and all sides except for immediately behind, to the rear of each seat was a series of machines taking readings from the countless sensors, diodes and interfaces which would be hooked onto and inserted into the pilots body. As Matte entered a dozen of the best fighter pilots Atlas had to offer, along with the attendant medical staff and analytical experts stood to attention. This was the team that operated the Baba-Jaegers, the next generation of Atlesian war machine.

"At ease" Matte said simply before focusing their attention on the officer in charge of the squad "Report"

"Assets are on site in New Vale" the pilot informed them tonelessly "Currently docked for refuel and resupply after the flight and brief engagement with hostile Grimm over the ocean"

"Performance?" Matte queried, this was after all the first time the experimental craft had been deployed in this way; with the pilots and the transforming war machine on different continents.

"Jaeger seven lost some altitude and had some handling issues in flight but they were resolved" one of the analysts answered

"Get to the bottom of it" Matte ordered simply, loathe to accept anything that could hinder the progression of the Baba-Jaeger program; the mission were in the Captains' mind the perfect middle ground, all the firepower and durability of some of the larger Atlesian battle robots but with a person in command, negating the risk of another cyber attack, all whilst keeping the pilot at a safe distance from the battlefield.

"Aye captain" the analyst saluted. Matte addressed the team as a whole.

"Commander Slate has reported in, his people are currently en route. You are not to interfere unless or in this case until back up is requested. Remember, the target is to be captured if possible"

"Aye Captain" the words were chorused by the entirety of the team and Matte found themselves somewhat reassured, the latest iteration of Project Snare had been shipped out with the Baba-Jaeger and was far more heavily reinforced than its' predecessor.

* * *

The rumbling growl of the Killer-Bee's engine reverberated with an additional metallic note throughout the train carriage before being cut off as Felix removed the key from the ignition and for a moment the silence was broken only by the pattering of rain as it fell against the stationary train.

"Let's hope this doesn't last" Arctus noted

"It's only a bit of rain, it'll be fine" Felix countered with a roll of his eyes at his cousins concerns before slipping out of the car, narrowly squeezing between the vehicle and the wall of the carriage and taking a moment to peer out of the wide sliding door of the carriage. The weather had turned foul during the journey to East Basswood, the iron grey sky opening and unleashing sheets of frigid water, punctuated by the occasional crack of lightning and rumble of thunder, making their surroundings seem somehow more dreary and giving everything a hazy and indistinct quality. Team FADE had found the rail yard with a combination of Eagle's memory of the area and a little luck, the train that the Killer-Bee had been parked inside of was one of many gargantuan freight vehicles whose extensively armoured hulls combined with the weapons mounted on several of the carriages made it clear that these trains would be traversing territory that fell far outside of the Kingdoms' protection, possibly making the hazardous journey through the no mans' land between New Vale and Vaccuo; mean and women in high visibility jackets flitted about frantically between the trains as they were loaded by dozens of cranes and forklift tucks, clearly wanting to be out of the downpour as quickly as possible

"Okay, maybe it's more than a little" Felix admitted as he heard his team-mates clamber out of the Killer-Bee behind him

"Come on, let's go find our Hunters" Diamond sighed as she peered over Felix's shoulder for a moment before taking Arctus's hand and leading the way. Team FADE had arrived at the security checkpoint at the entrance of the rail yard and been directed to this particular train by the individual operating the gatehouse who although they had been able to inform the students that there were in fact two Hunters aboard, had been unable to provide their names, explaining that they weren't the usual security crew that was hired for freight deliveries.

Fortunately Team FADE didn't have to look far, after passing though a few carriages so overfilled with crates of equipment and parts whose purpose they couldn't guess from the outside that the four of them could barely traverse their length they came to a carriage with much more open space, its' décor identifying it as a rolling mess hall or canteen intended to look like a small diner, the kitchen of the train presumably occupying the next carriage. Currently the canteen was almost empty, a scattering of hardy looking men and women were eating whilst reading newspapers, playing cards, checking their tool boxes and generally occupying their time before work began. When Team FADE entered the carriage the dull buzz of conversation stopped and a pair of individuals who were clearly not in the same line of work as the people around them announced themselves

"They're with us. They eat for free since they're not getting paid for this as well!" upon being waved over by the speaker Team FADE made their way across the canteen, keenly aware that they were being sized up by the workers whose safety they would be ensuring, making themselves comfortable at the table they got their first look at the Hunters they would b working alongside.

The man who had spoken was perhaps a fraction below average in height though he made up for it with broad shoulders, a barrel chest and scarred knuckles and forearms that suggested he had fought a Grimm unarmed and won on at least one occasion. He wore a simple and practical set of grey fatigues with dull gunmetal armour laid over it and black boots. His crew cut hair seemed to have greyed before its' time and a horizontal scar ran across his cheeks and nose; Felix would have guessed that the man was in his early thirties and despite his physique and brash barking voice his square jawed and lined face held a welcoming smile. The Lion Faunus's eyes quickly darted to the mans' weapon which had seemingly been partially maintained before being promptly forgotten about in favour of food, a large shotgun whose bayonet hinted at its' transformation into a large bladed weapon.

"Hi, um we were told to meet you on the train, we're-"

"Team FADE" the second Hunter interrupted, cutting across Eagle before nodding to her colleague "This is Foggy, I'm Corona. We'd have met you at the gate but we had some paperwork to deal with….and besides we were starving" Team FADE collectively took in the sight of Corona; she was a woman who appeared to be in her late twenties and would be found breathtakingly attractive by most people; standing at around six feet tall with a slender and athletically muscular body, tanned and toned skin and bright turquoise eyes. Her hair was a pale blueish grey colour and as she leaned forwards to speak to the students, Team FADE collectively realised that Corona was in fact, a Mantis Shrimp Faunus with patches of exoskeleton adorning the back of her neck, shoulders and upper back as well as the backs of her hands and knuckles; all of which shimmered as they caught the light, their colouration ranging from vivid electric blue to acid green and bright orange. Her clothing was a little more subdued, perhaps to highlight her Faunus trait. A white tank top and baggy white pants tucked into knee high and armoured glossy black boots and a sleeveless black tail-coat with a vibrant blue lining. Her weapons seemed far more primitive and brutal than those usually favoured by Hunters, a pair of pistols whose barrels were longer and thicker than her forearms and a pair of spiked knuckle dusters, which upon close inspection seemed to have been designed to allow Dust crystals to be fitted into the spikes.

"So, what can you tell us about the mission?" Felix asked, a quick glance at his team-mates confirming that they were all a little off-put by their Hunters' relative unprofessionalism if not their attitude.

"This train isn't carrying goods for anyone" Corona began "All of these people are engineers, what we've got on board is a lot of spare parts….basically this train is gonna be rolling from here to Vaccuo and stopping at all the places that the Grimm have chewed up the tracks or broken a signal-"

"And we're gonna be the security" Diamond surmised

"Got it in one" Foggy grunted "Not a tough job but it needs to be done" Felix smiled at this, his mod lifted as he realised that this was exactly the kind of mission he had been seeking; protecting people who were doing important work and fighting the creatures of Grimm in their own habitat

"So you've done this before right? What's the plan?"

"You tell me?" Corona drawled, allowing herself an amused smirk at the confused expressions the students were wearing "You're third years right? Your missions aren't just 'follow the leader' any more, you're expected to help with the planning as well as the execution. You need to prove you understand your objectives and can think ahead before the academy will let you run your own missions"

"Okay that makes sense" Arctus admitted

"So" Corona raised an eyebrow and cocked her head "Besides the skills you were showing off in the tournament what're you bringing to the table? What have you got at your disposal to make this mission run smoothly?" Felix thought for a moment before baring his teeth in a cocky smile, the answer was obvious to him

"I've got a vintage Vaccuan muscle car with a modified supercharger, improved suspension and an Atlesian laser battery built into the trunk parked a few carriages back" he watched Corona and Foggy share an impressed look before delivering his punchline "We don't even need to have the engineers near any suspected Grimm damage until after we've scouted ahead and cleaned it out. My car can go off-road, but if the tracks are busted then nothing else is gonna be using 'em, so we can just drive on those"

"Now that's some nice thinking" Corona nodded

"And a very nice car by the sounds of it" Foggy added "Thinking of selling?"

"Absolutely not"

"ATTENTION ALL PASSENGERS, THIS IS YOUR DRIVER SPEAKING. DOORS WILL BE CLOSING IN JUST A MOMENT AND WE WILL BE DEPARTING ON OUR WAY TO VACCUO WHERE WE WILL TERMINATE AT THE NUSAR-KHALIJ RAIL YARD, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU HAVE SECURED ALL OF YOUR PERSONAL BELONGINGS" as the announcement over the trains' intercom ended the dull rumble of its' engine began to vibrate up through the floor before the entire canteen carriage lurched suddenly as it began to move.

"Let me go talk to the driver, I wanna see if he knows how badly busted these tracks are" Corona explained as she rose from her seat, half eaten meal suddenly forgotten about "Foggy, run the students through what we're expecting" Foggy watched the woman who, despite being a few years younger than himself, was understood to be the driving force in their professional relationship as she left before turning to Team FADE with a crooked smile on her face

"Don't mind Corona, she's cool….honestly she's a fan of you kids; you made her a lot of Lien in the Vytal Tournament"

"She bet on us?" Eagle asked, unable to stop herself from puffing up with pride at the information

"Why, we were newcomers?" Diamond asked, inexplicably suspicious. Foggy merely shrugged

"She got a tip. She didn't say who from, but apparently someone else bet ten grand on you in the first round so she thought why not" at this Felix couldn't help but smile, Team FADE were seemingly becoming something of a force to be reckoned with amongst the Hunter community and it seemed that despite the way it had ended and the scars he and countless others still bore from it, the Vytal Tournament had been a positive for some people.

* * *

Artemis took in a slow and grateful breath of cold fresh air as she hopped out of the Bull-Head, taking in the sight of her surroundings; the military installation designated simply _'Outpost Thirteen'_ the various buildings of the base were manufactured to be quickly built and easily repaired, pre-fabricated before being shipped to their intended location for assembly; a ubiquitous and ever-present sight at all such installations that Artemis had visited over her career as a Huntress. The outpost was situated at the northern border of Vale's territories and served as part of the defensive perimeter of dozens, if not hundreds, of similar bases which were collectively known as the front line. The Jagged Mountains could be seen in the distance as could several miles of untamed forest between them and the base; several layers of electrified fence surrounding the base and a dozen gun emplacements perpetually scanning the trees acting as the first line of defence should anything wander out of the forest.

"I would suggest you tell them to lower their weapons before we start taking it as a threat" Carcharodon rasped out, announcing his presence beside Artemis. The feline scowled, the flight to the outpost had been a test of her patience and if it were a sign of things to come Artemis could foresee herself throttling one of the students. Fortunately the various soldiers whose weapons were trained on the new arrival must have received some sort of verification of their identity as they collectively stood at ease; a moment later an older woman with a stern face and whose military uniform was adorned with dozens of medals marched into view, flanked by more soldiers

"Missy! My apologies, we would have verified you faster….that's not your usual crate though is it?"

"Corporal" Artemis greeted with a lazy salute that was given more out of respect to the individual than the rank "No, it's one of the Academies'. I've got a student team with me"

"I see" the officer nodded in understanding before turning and introducing herself formerly "I am Corporal Stone, I'm in charge of this outpost. My people will treat you with courtesy and I expect it in return, also we will be happy to assist you on any official Huntsman business if we are able to do so….including by giving you something more suitable to fly" as professional as she attempted to be there was no mistaking the condescending sneer as she glanced at the aircraft that Halo Academy used to teach students how to fly; something which caused Team GORE to visibly bristle

"Thank you Corporal" Artemis answered quickly, shooting a warning glance to Carcharodon and silently conveying that he had thirty seconds to get his team under control

"Search and rescue mission I presume?" Corporal Stone asked "Your usual"

"Exactly" Artemis nodded "Word is some hardcore hikers have gone missing in the mountains?"

"Those idiots should be fined for wasting time and resources" the Corporal huffed

"I'm sorry, hardcore what?" Raffia demanded incredulously and as much as the young mans' attitude had irked her thus far, Artemis found herself agreeing with the confused and mildly affronted expression he was wearing

"Groups of civvies with no weapons or experience deciding to for a wander in Grimm country….every few months a group of 'em decide to take on the Jagged Mountains and slip past us. A lot of them never come back"

"There are tribes on Anima that send their members out into the wilderness alone as a rite of passage" Carcharodon mused "But to do it for nothing….I will never understand your people"

"Hell I don't understand 'em either" Corporal Stone sighed with a shake of her head "But the mission is what it is. Missy, I trust I don't need to give you a tour of the place. I'll have bunks allocated"

"Thank you" with that Artemis and the Corporal saluted to one another again before going their separate ways

"She trusts too easily" Carcharodon noted "Just letting strangers walk around her encampment-"

"I'm not a stranger, these rescue missions are the kind of work I specialise in so I've been here with my husband dozens of times. You're with me so you get a pass"

"So when do we begin looking for the Kingdoms' lost imbeciles" Hellion asked

"It took as hours to fly here, we need to refuel" Artemis noted "We'll have the grease monkeys take care of that, stop off at the mess hall and we can get a couple of passes over the mountains before it's dark" as she spoke she continued leading Team GORE towards the hangar where she would expect to find military personnel willing to attend to their craft; upon entering she found that the maintenance crew were indeed present, though distracted as they examined vehicles that Artemis was unfamiliar with

"What do ya reckon the big box thing does?" one man asked, only to be roundly objected to by his compatriots

"Fuck the box, have you seen these things?"

"I'm telling you Atlas is gearing up for a war with someone"

"Nah y'know what they're like over there, if it's not broken they'll still fix it….besides. If they were getting ready for a war they wouldn't leave it here for us to gawk at would they?" Artemis started at the object of their interest, a dozen arrowhead shaped craft with no discernable cockpit and an oversized thruster protruding from the rear; rather than the customary white that most Atlesian military vehicles were painted these fighter craft were each coloured pitch black. Gangrel had delivered, just as he had promised.

"We need to talk" Artemis lashed out as Carcharodon's furious voice was a precursor to her being physically dragged out of the hangar, the maintenance crew remaining unaware of their presence. Shaking Onyx off of her she was enraged to see that Hellion had a pair of knives at the ready and Raffia's hands were firmly wrapped around his swords whilst Carcharodon was shedding his hooded cloak and readying his own weapons; voice wavering with anger as he spoke

"You must think us fools Huntress. Do you truly expect us to believe that Atlas's latest weapons are here at the same time as us by chance?….We had a deal with Gangrel Slate and Winter Schnee, that deal was honoured. Something is afoot here Huntress and I will see this whole base torn asunder to get to the bottom of it" Artemis took a moment to ready herself, she had no desire to fight these students but it seemed that it was a possibility

"There is something going on….but not the way you're thinking" her hasty addition seemed to fall of deaf ears with Onyx's rumbling snarl behind her was any indication "Everything I said about our mission is true, we are searching for a group of missing hikers. New Vale is helping Atlas test the long range capabilities of these fighters. What the people here don't know is that this outpost was chosen specifically because there is something else in those mountains that we're searching for" she waited a few moments before letting out a sigh of relief as Carcharodon raised a hand, silently ordering his team to stand down

"Explain"

"There's a specific Grimm that Atlas want to capture. It broke out of their last attempt to catch it so they've sent the Baba-Jaegers"

"Why would Atlas want a live Grimm" Raffia demanded, every syllable laced with disgust

"I don't know" Artemis admitted. Raffia, Hellion and Onyx each looked to their leader for guidance and after a moment Carcharodon finally relented, collapsing his weapons and leaning close

"Send word to the Atlesians, remind them that our deal was over and this is far from the peace that they promised us" the Shark Faunus bared his rows a serrated teeth "We expect to be paid accordingly"

* * *

Team NEON had arrived at the Eos Defence Platform late that morning and now, as the sun began to set, hidden as it was behind the stormy clouds they were finally granted a reprieve from a day that had managed to be frantically busy and yet at the same time mind numbingly uneventful. Team NEON, in a departure from the norm, had not been assigned to a specific Hunter for this mission and were instead assigned to the aerial platform itself; being simply added the roster of available staff for the allotted time, with the stipulation that they were always to have some form of oversight present even if said oversight, usually in the form of an officer or Hunter who had only graduated one of the academies a few years ago, didn't feel a need to intervene with any of the students' actions.

So far Helios and his team had been limited to watching from the air as the Bull-Head they were aboard at the time picked off a herd of Boarbatusks below before they could stampede too close to a main thoroughfare into the city, assisting with the upkeep of gargantuan floating fortress and routine patrols; finally being able to engage the Grimm head on when they encountered a rampaging rhinoceros Grimm which had taken considerable effort to put down. Currently their work for the day was done and their time was their own unless there was a Grimm incursion that required reinforcements, though they had been informed that they were not permitted to leave the aerial platform, much to Ether and Olivine's annoyance. Ether was tuning his guitar in the room that they had been assigned, informing Helios that Ghost Reverie had taken some superficial damage during their brief skirmish; Nyanza was integrating himself with the crew with ease and Helios suspected that his partner would begin using his Semblance to stack the odds in various card games before the end of the evening. Helios himself was currently outside and watching Olivine as she assisted the night shift in the maintenance of one of the Eos Defence Platforms' gargantuan anti-aircraft and anti-airborne Grimm weapons systems, grinning like a lunatic as one of the weapons discharged and reduced a Grimm in the distance to nothing but wisps of smoke and a faint scent of ozone. Helios was merely enjoying the fresh air as best he could despite the fine drizzle that persisted to soak everything it fell upon, whilst he was no longer affronted and mildly terrified by the idea of a floating building and trusting his safety to technology he had no understanding of or frame of reference from which to begin understanding, he was still cautious; he had leapt from one of these platforms before to join the fray when New Vale was breached by the Grimm within the exclusion zone but he still saw no reason to move any closer to the edges than he currently was.

He was considering returning inside and finding out how the staff of these airborne base entertained themselves when off-duty when his Scroll began to vibrate in his pocket; expecting a call from Felix he quickly unfolded the device only to furrow his brow at the sight of a number that was not stored in his contacts.

"Hello?" he began "Who is this?" he waited a moment, hearing nothing but static on the other end of the line

"Hello?"

"…..Hello, can you hear me now? I was warned that I might have trouble contacting you, Anima has 'bad reception' or some such-"

"Syneffo?" Helios gasped "How are...when did you get a new Scroll?"

"An hour or so ago" his sister answered nonchalantly, upon returning to Anima from Atlas she had discarded the Scroll she had acquired in the icy Kingdom as she had nowhere to recharge it and assumed that she would have no more need of the device

"What's going on, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, everyone is fine" she assured him and Helios was certain that she was rolling her eyes at his perceived overreaction "I just wanted to let you know that I'm currently in the settlement of Jiantou. There isn't a train to Anquan-Jia for days but I will be making my way towards the capital as soon as possible" Helios made a noise to show that he understood, the small farming village was on the opposite side of what the Nikosi considered their domain to Mistral's capital and it would take the tribe at least a week to travel that far on foot; yet the fact remained that public transport was almost unheard of on the continent of Anima, which led to the Nikos tribe hiring out their services as guides and escorts for caravans as frequently as they did.

Then the realisation hit him

"You're coming to New Vale?"

"I am" Syneffo almost purred with satisfaction "Branwen sent word to us, Ruby Rose is ready to train me. I'll be on the first available flight once I arrive in the capital"

"I'll be sure to meet you when your arrive" Helios promised

"Good" Syneffo answered, voice becoming hushed as she added an admission "I've missed my brother"

"I've missed you too" Helios assured her "And as odd as the Kingdoms are, you will grow to love New Vale"

"Why, do they have more pretty blondes?" Syneffo snorted, leaving Helios sputtering loudly enough to draw the attention of Olivine who was still studying the platforms' weapons.

"Go" Syneffo sighed "I know that you're probably busy, I'll see you soon" with that the call ended and Helios stared at the screen of his Scroll for a few moments as a wave of uncharacteristically giddy excitement built up inside him leaving him unsure of who to tell the good news first, he quickly decided to call Olivine over whilst at the same time typing a message out to Felix.

* * *

"Felix now!" Eagle called out as the Alpha Beowolf she was holding at bay with her shield struggled to breach her defences, looming over the young woman and furiously trying to force her off balance with spittle flying from its' snapping jaws. A moment later the growling and snarling was replaced by a single pained yelp; Felix had rushed into the fray and leapt over Eagle's shoulder to drive his knee into the snout of the Grimm with enough force to shatter to bone armour that covered its' muzzle

"Sentinel, lightning claws!" Eagle ordered, pressing her advantage with ruthless precision. As the Grimm staggered backwards on its' rear limbs her droid, still in its' shield form and affixed to her armour, fired its' pincer tipped appendages forwards on their metallic cables. The Beowolf howled as the pincers sank into its' exposed underbelly; the howls shifting from enraged to agonised as a devastating amount of electricity was discharged into the monsters' body until the Grimm smoked, at which point the cables were promptly retracted whilst still holding their prize, dragging the Alpha Beowolf forwards onto the waiting blade of Eagle's sword. It's eyes widened and a final snarl of defiance escaped it before it faded away into nothingness.

"Okay, now the rest of 'em!" Felix barked, punctuating his orders with a vicious swipe of his swords that relieved a Beowolf of its' head "They'll break off without the Alpha, I'll send 'em running, Eagle you cut 'em off. Foggy just keep making sure we don't get swamped"

"Got it!" Eagle nodded before taking to her avian form in a flash of pure white Aura, flying through the trees as she made to head off the soon to be broken pack of Beowolves that they had encountered.

"Whatever you say kid" Foggy answered in a bored drawl; thus far the more experienced Hunter had been content to position himself in the trees that surrounded them and gun down any Grimm that attempted to pounce of the students from behind, his reasoning being that the mission was intended to be a test of Team FADE's skill, not his. Felix merely frowned in mild annoyance before rounding on the remaining quartet of Grimm which had spread out and were currently advancing on him in a loose semi-circle, eyes glowing in the darkness as they moved through the trees. The first, either more brave or more stupid than its' kin rushed forwards snarling and snapping as it attempted to succeed where the Alpha had failed and bring down a Hunter. Felix crouched just low enough for its' forelimbs to pass over him before bringing his swords out in wide horizontal arcs at chest height, tearing the beast cleanly in half. The next Grimm didn't get as close as the Lion Faunus decided that he was in no mood to use his Semblance or wrestle in the mud and simply shifted Hack and Slash into their machine pistol forms, promptly riddling the Beowolf with countless high calibre bullet holes. The remaining pair of Grimm shared a look, some trace of intelligence or at the very least primal survival instinct passed between them and they turned and fled. Bounding through the forest only to meet their ends somewhere in the distance as Eagle deployed Sentinel and allowed the droid to despatch them with its' primary weapon; the muzzle-flashes of the compact multiple Mini-guns' lighting the darkness for a few moments. After that there was a peaceful silence and stillness in the air until Eagle returned, using her Semblance to cover the distance as quickly as she had created it.

"Okay Foggy you can come down" Felix snorted as he gave his surroundings an affronted glare "Come on, sooner we can make sure the area is definitely secure the sooner the engineers can fix the tracks and get us moving….I don't wanna be out in this all night"

Team FADE's mission had gone as planned thus far, with the train stopping at a handful of locations where the tracks had been damaged by Grimm; this particular site however had provided the slight problem of being situated in a location where the route passed through dense forest, meaning that Felix's plan to scout ahead with the Killer-Bee would be far less effective here. The decision had been made to split up, Foggy taking Felix and Eagle into the forest to clear the area of any immediate threats whilst Arctus and Diamond remained with Corona, having taken up firing positions atop the train as they ensured the safety of the workers within. The weather had also made itself an enemy of the Hunters, the torrential rain prevailing and the biting cold only growing worse as late afternoon passed into evening; worse still was the mud, the rain had made its' way through the canopy formed by the branches of the trees and reduced the ground to a calf-deep sucking mire that had threatened to claim the Hunters' footwear on more than one occasion as they traversed it; while Felix considered himself at home in the outdoors he would freely admit that this was perhaps a bridge too far.

"We'll still be out in it all night" Foggy noted with a resigned sigh, clearly enjoying the situation no more than the students in his care "Those tracks were pretty much ripped up completely, it's gonna take hours….this is gonna be it for tonight at least. We'll start moving again tomorrow morning"

"Oh thank Oum" Felix sighed, stretching as he sheathed his weapons before pulling his hood a little lower over his face "Please tell me there's a shower on that train?"

"We are going back to the train right?" Eagle added "Or is there more ground we need to cover?" both she and Felix grew concerned upon seeing the way Foggy's brow furrowed, the man clearly thinking hard for a moment before answering

"Yeah we're going back….I think I might have some real bad news though"

"What?" Eagle braced herself, Foggy reached out to the nearest tree and ripped a chunk of bark away with surprising ease before showing it to the students

"Look at this" he instructed "See anything wrong with it?"

"It's dead" Felix stated flatly

"Exactly, I checked a good dozen or so trees while I was up there and they're all like this….it's not right, it's too early in the year"

"So what're you thinking?" Felix asked, paying close attention as lessons taught to him by the various Hunters in his family about staying away from parts of Patch's woods where everything had died began to echo in his mind.

"Dead trees, Alphas and extra aggressive Grimm that are attacking train lines and listen….no birds, no wildlife at all" Foggy's expression darkened "I've got a feeling this mission just got a whole lot rougher kids; I think we might have a full sized spawning pit nearby"

"Oh shit" Felix whispered, it was the most succinct response he could manage as cold fear coiled in his gut.

* * *

Rhodium took one final drag of the cigar he was smoking before finally putting it out and simply enjoying the view for a few moments. He had successfully relocated his mother to Vaccuo without incident, having rented a lavish luxury apartment located only a few minutes walk from the beach while still being close to the heart of the Kingdoms' capital and paid several months in advance on the understanding that the landlord would ask no questions. Leaning against the railings of the balcony which overlooked a street that was busy even this late at night, situated as it was in a neighbourhood that relied heavily on tourism there were restaurants, bars and casinos whose neon lights flashed and shone in an attempt to capture attention lining the streets below and though the sounds of dull thumping bass and the occasional overly excited drunk could easily be heard it was far more pleasant than the area Rhodium had been raised in, it was also far safer for his mother to stay here and out of the reach of Melanie Malachite and her goons until the red-headed mobster could end his ongoing conflict with her.

Rhodium wanted it all. This was a perfectly natural state of being for the gangster who had been described by his mother since childhood has having 'eyes too big for his belly' but leaving New Vale and seeing the sheer scale of Vaccuo's criminal underworld seemed to have pushed his avarice to new heights. Rhodium could already imagine a future in which he had taken over New Vale, wresting control of his Kingdoms' underbelly from Malachite; he would then turn his attention of Vaccuo and use the lingering distrust and resentment between the five major cartels who currently held sway to his advantage and from there Atlas and Mistral would be easy enough to take over. In Rhodium's mind the scope of his plans and his willingness to execute them alone were what made him the best possible candidate to run New Vale's crime syndicates. Melanie was happy with one Kingdom, he planned to control Remnant from behind the scenes.

His grandiose musings were interrupted by his Scroll alerting him to the fact he had received a text message. A calculating smirk tugged at his lips as he scanned the message, his train of thought immediately shifting from lofty ambitions and vague ideas of how things would be at some unknown point in the future to the far more immediate and practical matters of safely relocating several hundred tons of weapons, munitions and assorted military hardware up to an including an older model of Atlesian Paladin that had been recovered from the battle that had taken place in this very city during the war; if rumours were to be believed then it was actually a close friend of his father who had destroyed the machine in question; Rhodium privately wished he could have met her, convinced that if he had someone like Neo Politan on his side he would have already won this turf war by now.

' _I'll be bringing the goods in through the usual route, just make sure that I won't be running into any delays. As for the bonus package you mentioned, keep it secure and I'll double your rate when I see you in person'_ Rhodium quickly typed and sent his response, following through by ensuring that the people currently storing his illicit purchases, mercifully without drawing the attention of Vaccuo's current crime lords, understood their duties. The plan was to move the goods out into one the smaller settlements in the Vaccuan wasteland, populated by religious fanatics who shunned society and the disenfranchised poor who held the Kingdoms' laws in contempt; from there he would see that the goods were transported to a small settlement on New Vale's side of the border, getting them into the capital city would then be a matter of simply sending trucks to collect them rather than having to bribe or blackmail entire dockyards and countless customs officials.

Now that his plans were in motion Rhodium felt a slight twinge of sadness, this would mean saying goodbye to his mother for a considerable amount of time. Sighing he decided it would be best to simply get it over with and made his way from the balcony back into the luxury apartment

"Hey Ma!" he called out

"What is it?" she called back, her voice coming from the kitchen which Rhodium casually sidled into

"Just got word about a shipment for work, I'm gonna have to head back into New Vale….this is something I need to handle in person-"

"Rhodey why do always feel a need to lie to me?"

"Ma I-"

"You know as well as I do that you're going home to do something stupid, dangerous and illegal, you've been planning to get yourself killed or locked up again ever since you got here" Rhodium let out a slow breath, a barely audible curse on his lips as he realised that his mother was close to tears and there was nothing he could tell her except the truth

"This is just who I am Ma, I don't know how to be anything else-"

"Oh bullshit Rhodey!" Candy Cain snapped, surprising both herself and her son with her language "All these businesses you've bought or set up, you were helping people Rhodey, you still are….Why couldn't you have just focused on that. You could have made the world a better place instead of wasting your life like this"

"But all the good I've done, giving people jobs and getting people off the street….I couldn't have done any of it without everything else I've done" the red-head shrugged "I'm sorry Ma but the world's run by the bad guys, you can either be one or work for one and I'm not meant to be an employee" his mother merely looked at him, the look of defeat she wore broke Rhodium's heart before she even had a chance to speak

"You're gonna die like your father Rhodey….these thugs you enjoy using as your little soldiers, one day they're gonna shoot you in the back" Candy wiped her eyes "I've done everything I can for you Rhodey but you just refuse to learn….I almost had hope that you might have met someone; but you'll never care about anyone more than Lien" the words stung but Rhodium couldn't find it in himself to deny any of it, he loved his mother dearly and Tricky had been the closest thing to a real friend he could remember having, he even had an amount of misplaced pride and fondness for the slums that he had been raised in but beyond that, people simply didn't interest him beyond what they could do for him.

"Why on Remnant would you think that?" he asked with a chuckle, just how watery it sounded serving as proof that he needed to move the topic of conversation to something lighter and the idea that his mother had thought that he was in a relationship with anyone was frankly laughable to him

"Just that you've been talking to the same woman constantly since we got here" Candy shrugged "You should find someone Rhodey, someone has to try and talk sense into you when I'm not around to do it"

"That's a work thing, a Huntress actually….nice respectable job" Rhodium tried to keep as much of the sneer as he could out of his voice, he was enough of a disappointment already "Her name's Corona"

 **Authors Notes:**

So, we're starting up the finale of Vol.7 now and this is where the threads are gonna come together and you'll get a sense of what I've been planning and what's in store for the rest of Third Year….and Fourth Year.  
I said I might take a week off….I then proceeded to plan out this chapter in a matter of minutes, write the first scene, sleep for a few hours and then write four more scenes in one sitting.  
Typical me I suppose.

Anyway, let's summarise shall we:  
I just imagine Team FADE having a dramatic slow motion entrance….that then gets interrupted every few minutes when they run into someone.  
Of course Helios _"Wakes up at 5am and works out in full armour before class"_ Nikos is the first person to get his mission.  
Eos Defence Platform after Eos from Greek mythology who was a Titan and the Goddess of the dawn.  
If Goodwitch keeps anything as a holdover from Ozpin in the way she runs her academy it will definitely be a sense of mystery….besides, she does have a point.  
Plot twist, I kept it vague and let people think that Team FADE would be working with Artemis but nope.  
Artemis's gear is an updated version of what she wore in The Downward Spiral.  
Her weapon is a naginata/sniper rifle named _"Hakai Suru"_ from the Japanese for _"To Destroy"  
_ Yay for Corey and Felix being okay.  
Ah the Stinger…..you hear that? That was the sound of me cocking Chekhov's gun.  
So yeah, Matte is giving Project Snare another go and this time she's sending the heavy duty stuff to retrieve the Grimm. Seeing the control room for the Baba-Jaegers was interesting as well.  
This train probably won't be as armoured as the one in canon Vol.6, but its' still got some big guns.  
Ah that moment when you walk into a new workplace and get stared out by the engineers.  
I wanted Foggy and Corona to have a clear and immediate contrast; Foggy is just a normal working class guy who happens to kill Grim for a living, compare his pure practicality against the pure aesthetic bad-ass that is Corona.  
Corona was originally going to be a cricket Faunus with bug legs instead of a Mantis Shrimp but this fits her Semblance a lot better _(Yes you'll see it next chapter)  
_ Corvid did one Felix before that Third Year is where things get a lot more difficult and involved, this is part of that; from now on Team FADE aren't just going to be doing grunt work.  
Well, Diamond's gut is reliable.  
That should have been your first hint, we saw Torchwick put ten grand on Team FADE.  
Team FADE passed over the Jagged Mountains in First Year, the base they were using would have been on the other side of them.  
Hardcore Hiking in a place like Remnant is definitely the kind of thing people are stupid enough to come up with.  
I just felt like reminding everyone that the Baba-Jaegers in stealth fighter mode just look menacing as fuck compared to the rest of Atlas's gear.  
Come on, Team GORE were always going to be pissed off beyond belief when they saw that Atlas was basically co-opting them for another job.  
So yeah, Gangrel most likely spoke to Goodwitch as he has done before and made sure that his old _'Agents'_ were assigned a mission with his old team-mate.  
I don't blame Carcharodon for demanding payment.  
Syneffo Nikos is inbound. We'll be seeing her interact with Team FADE and the Rose family in Vol.8.  
Felix and Eagle working as a team and ploughing through Grimm like that was fun to write, honestly Grimm combat always is, it's got a different feel from person against person.  
Fighting in the mud and rain, there's an old military saying _"The weather isn't neutral"  
_ Yep, spawning pits are bad….And they don't have an elite team of the best that the Specialist Branch can produce with them like Arctus did in Vol.4 either.  
I always imagine Vaccuo as kinda like the Costa Del Sol in that it's filled with retired gangsters ho may or may not have Cockney accents.  
Rhodey is thinking big, this is why Oz is working with him; dreams that big are easy to manipulate.  
Rhodey was bringing drugs into New Vale in a pretty similar way in First Year.  
It's kinda sad seeing Rhodey realise that his mum has pretty much given up on him at this point.  
"Her name's Corona"….can you guess what WHO the 'Bonus package' that she's bringing to Torchwick is.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, DizzyDwarf, Ferrous, Funlander and iSassenach for their reviews on the last chapter.  
A special thanks to Ferrous for leaving the 600th review for this story on FF Net.  
I can see you're point about Raffia most likely never being able to live a life that doesn't involve violence but Neptune is bound by his profession and ethics to try and prevent him from such a bleak and probably short life.  
Good luck in your GCSE's…..also God damn I feel old when I think about how long ago mine were.  
Neither Felix nor Helios were 'Soft' in that scene and you know it.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	96. Pantheon

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 96: Pantheon**

It seemed that Team FADE's mission would take a little longer than anticipated, the revelation that they may in fact be within close proximity to a Spawning Pit having required them to alter their initial assessments and plans. The freight train that the students and their more qualified counterparts had been assigned to had been moved from it's former position standing stationary on the tracks with Grimm infested forests flanking it on either side, to a train station located in a small village nearby whose location would put its' inhabitants directly in harms' way in the upcoming mission to eliminate a Spawning pit.

"Still don't get why people would wanna live out here" Diamond muttered, her voice barely audible above the sound of the Killer-Bees' tires against the loose gravel that constituted roads in this backwater settlement and its' growling engine

"Seriously" she continued "I know there's crime in cities and living there is expensive, but at least there's a big wall and gun emplacements between the people and the Grimm"

"Can't farm or mine in a city" Foggy answered simply from his position in the passengers' seat; it was now early afternoon on Wednesday meaning that Team FADE had remained in this area for roughly a day and a half longer than expected and the older Huntsman had slept little in that time, offering to take extra shifts on watch duty so that the students could rest and the dark rings beneath his eyes suggested that it was a decision he was currently suffering for.

"Is Corona at the train?" Felix asked as the village, barely large enough to be deserving of the title, of Gnarledwood came into view; the settlement certainly lived up to its' name if nothing else. Perhaps thirty families called the village home and seemed to have survived against the Grimm through sheer obstinate defiance alone. As the Killer-Bee passed through defences whose inadequacy would be laughable were the situation not so dire Team FADE saw that they were in fact being bolstered as well as possible; the rows of sharpened wooden stakes which reached over a dozen feet into the air and whose surfaces bore gouges left by the claws of Grimm that the locals had repelled were being reinforced with sheets of iron and steel supplied by the engineering crew Team FADE were assigned to protect and the limited, yet surprisingly high quality weaponry available within Gnarledwood was being set up in a manner that suggested the villagers were preparing to find themselves besieged by the creatures of Grimm relatively soon.

"If she's not helping rig this gear up then she'll be at the bar" Foggy replied "Looks like her conversation with the chief went well though"

"Not like they had a choice besides listening" Felix noted "The Grimm are gonna be coming whether they prepare or not" as he finished speaking he brought the Killer-Bee to a stop outside of the small and ramshackle tavern in which they expected to find Corona, as he did so he caught sight of a group of children pointing excitedly at his tail which he quickly tucked under his sleeveless jacket and out of view, treating the children to a stern scowl

"They're not pointing at it 'cos it's missing a piece" Foggy assured him, spotting the way the young man hid the mangled appendage

"They were pointing at me too" Arctus confirmed "They've probably never left this village….we might be the first Faunus they've ever seen"

"And people think Patch is sheltered" Felix muttered bitterly as the five of them entered the bar, the Lion Faunus's eyes quickly being accustomed to the gloom within and picking out Corona, the Mantis Shrimp Faunus's distinctive colouration making her easily identifiable.

"We've been scouting out the area, looks pretty much like what we expected to see" he announced as he led his team over to where Corona sat, poring over maps and clearly deep in thought

"I saw our guys helping bulk up the defences" Foggy noted grimly "I take it they're not evacuating"

"No" Corona sighed with an annoyed shake of her head "The chief that runs this place is a stubborn son of a bitch, besides even if we put 'em all on our train New Vale has shut the line down; we'd be stuck at the next junction"

"They've what?" Diamond demanded, utterly aghast

"No freight or passenger trains are coming down this line until we get rid of the Spawning Pit, it's been deemed too much of a risk" Corona explained "Which means we've gotta do this quickly and do it with no room for error"

"Well we might have found something that can help" Eagle informed the brightly coloured Faunus

"Yeah" Arctus added "I've seen a pit before, when it gets blown up it spits out one last Grimm….something big and nasty. You've got defences set up and the artillery pieces on the train so any packs of Grimm should be manageable-"

"But dealing with the big one is gonna be difficult" Eagle finished before pointing at a seemingly unremarkable location on the map "This is where we think the pit is. We've been scouting around this area and we've found an old disused road here that should actually lead directly to it"

"Okay" Corona looked nonplussed "So you can get in and out after you've rigged the charges, how does that help….oh" her eyes seemed to gleam with excitement as a notion occurred to her

"The Stinger" Felix grinned "I'll park the Killer-Bee as close to the Spawning Pit as I can safely get then we just shoot whatever comes out of it the second we get chance. All the villagers are gonna have to deal with is a few packs of Beowolves that get sent running by the explosion"

"I like the way these kids think" Foggy admitted

"They've got some flair" Corona agreed, shooting Team FADE an appreciative smile "Okay, I know we need to get this done ASAP but there's no sense in rushing so much we make mistakes. Foggy take a few hours to get some rest, you look like you're gonna pass out; you kids get something to eat on me….I'd still suggest heading out before nightfall though"

"I take it you're not coming with?" Diamond asked, raising a single silvery eyebrow in questioning

"Those artillery pieces on the train aren't fully automated, someone's gotta hang back and operate 'em" the explanation seemed to satisfy and Team FADE nodded in understanding before departing in search of food whilst Foggy left the bar, presumably returning to the train. Corona cast her eyes around and assured that there was nobody paying any particular attention to her before she palmed her Scroll and dialled

"Rhodey….yeah the Chief of this shithole is happy with those guns, you're okay to start bringing in the shipment for loading, I'll tell you when the coast is clear. Cover story for why we're not going to Vaccuo is in place….Don't worry about it, he'll be here when we start moving. Pleasure doing business" she collapsed her Scroll and returned it to her pocket before waving over the bartender and ordering the most expensive bottle that they had.

Corona was about to be a very rich woman after all.

* * *

"Is this the glorious future you saw for us when enlisted us as Hunters?" Raffia sneered as he sidestepped an oncoming Grimm and held out the longer of his two swords, allowing the monster to impale its' own skull as its' own momentum carried it onto the blade.

"I imagined that your complaining would eventually end, perhaps I was too optimistic" Carcharodon replied in an utterly bored and flat tone, an impressive feat considering that he was in the process of disembowelling a pair of Grimm with his arm mounted blades

"Being the hero to these people was galling enough" the Axolotl Faunus ranted, swords tearing through obsidian flesh with ease and leaving nothing but ephemeral wisps of darkness in their wake "But this is just insulting"

"As entertaining as this conversation is!" the stern voice of Artemis Tan intruded on their conversation "Will you please focus on your job!" Carcharodon let out a low his of irritation whilst Raffia spat out a curse in his native tongue before the pair of them complied and redoubled their efforts towards the task at hand.

Team GORE's mission had thus far only taken them as far as the foothills and the barest ascent of the Jagged Mountains. They had been granted a far newer and much better equipped transport by the staff of Outpost Thirteen, they had also been assigned a co-pilot which Team GORE had seen as nothing short of an insult to their abilities or a thinly veiled questioning of their trustworthiness. Thus far their approach had been for Artemis to use her Semblance which allowed her to see the Aura of any living person from the air, searching one section of the vast amount of ground they would no doubt have to cover at a time before deploying to the ground to perform a more thorough inspection. Artemis had noted that an unlocked Aura would shine far more brightly to her than an unlocked one, meaning that whilst she would be able to track Team GORE or another Hunter with ease an untrained civilian was a little harder to hone in on, a matter made all the more difficult when one considered that these hikers had been stranded in the mountains for a considerable amount of time and whatever meagre amounts of untrained, unharnessed Aura they had at their disposal had most likely been depleted almost to the point of death.

After over a day of searching they had, almost miraculously, managed to find the group of intrepid yet woefully unprepared hikers and Artemis had immediately ordered the co-pilot to circle back around to their location and land so that they could be taken to safety. The elation Artemis had felt upon realising that they would be able to save living breathing people rather than simply recover bodies had been somewhat marred by a pair of harsh realisations.

Firstly the group of hikers, all of whom were traumatised the point of babbling incoherence; were missing several of the people reported to have made up their group and the torn clothes and visible injuries those present sported, along with the dried blood many of them were encrusted with, gave the feline Faunus very little reason to believe that those absent would be found.

Secondly they were in the process of being chased. Artemis and Team GORE had found the survivors in a valley between two of the smaller foothills of the Jagged Mountains, the location living up to its' name with sharp rocky outcroppings jutting from the steep inclines and little growing from cracking ground beyond moss and particularly tenacious weeds. As Artemis had desperately tried to calm the survivors Team GORE had become aware of a pattering, rumbling sound and Carcharodon and ordered Hellion to use her Semblance and send Marauder into the air so that they could see what was coming.

That decision had proved fortunate as it had allowed them to prepare for the stampeding herd of Chargers that had poured over the hills and into the valley like a furious tidal wave of belligerence. Chargers were Mountain Goat Grimm, relatively small and compact things that reached barely higher than ones' elbows if one were to discount the pair of curled, thick horns protruding from their skulls. The entirety of the Chargers' forequarters were masses of bone white armour with very little flesh exposed and whilst they were stockily built their powerful legs tapered down to surprisingly small hooves which seemed to be able to turn and balance in almost any circumstance; allowing the Grimm to skip around attacks with a gait that seemed comically at odds with their murderous intent, bleating maniacally as they went.

"I don't know why Atlas want a live Grimm" Raffia raged as his Semblance subtly dragged a broken and dislocated wrist, a parting shot from a dying Grimm, back into place "But I hope it causes the animal great pain"

"Is that you bleating or the Grimm?" Onyx grunted gruffly as he swung Jotun Fang in a wide arc, the battle axe tearing through several of the monsters whilst behind them Artemis and Hellion protected the hikers, cutting down any Charger that slipped passed the maelstrom of blades that was Onyx, Raffia and Carcharodon with sniper rifle and throwing knives.

"GET DOWN!" Carcharodon barked before using his Semblance to melt into the ground, Raffia and Onyx leapt aside frantically as they heard the roaring engines of their Bull-Head; a moment later the craft tore through the air, swooping low and opening fire with a pair of high calibre chain guns that had been designed specifically with swarming Grimm in mind.

"Perhaps" Carcharodon rasped out pointedly as he rose from the ground, body reforming and solidifying as he spoke "Next time you could warn us when out air-support is about to make an entrance?"

"I had my hands full" Artemis answered simply as she and Hellion began loading the still terrified hikers onto the transport, the older woman instructing the co-pilot to return to base whilst she and the students continued searching for those who were unaccounted for. After a while Team GORE watched the Bull-Head leave and Carcharodon stared at Artemis with his pure black eyes, the older Hunter being sure that if the Shark Faunus had eyebrows one of them would be raised

"You know as well as I do that we will find nothing but corpses"

"Half eaten ones at that" Raffia grumbled

"We're not looking for the Hikers" Artemis explained "Could you make any sense of that they were saying?"

"We were a little preoccupied" Onyx answered, Hellion pursed her lips and considered; she and Artemis had been a lot closer to the civilians than the others had and the Dragonfly Faunus tried to piece together what little disjointed fragments she could from the terrified screams

"Wings, four arms, killed several of their group….big"

"Exactly" Artemis nodded, her mismatched eyes hardening "That doesn't sound like a Charger to me"

"You think they were describing the Grimm Atlas wants us to search for?" Carcharodon asked

"I think there's only one way to find out"

* * *

Felix gripped the Ursa that he had been stalking silently from behind, channelling a small amount of his Aura and Semblance in order to shatter the monsters neck with a single sharp twist. He ducked behind a tree and hid himself from the view of a nearby Beowolf which was itself soon dispatched by Eagle, her left hand wrapping around its' lower jaw and holding its' muzzle shut while her sword slipped slowly through its' back and emerged from its' chest, piercing the place where a heart should have been.

Foggy had led Team FADE to the assumed location of the spawning pool, having instructed Felix to leave the Killer-Bee some distance away whilst they cleared out the Grimm that for whatever reason had chosen to skulk around the sight of their creation rather than set off out into the forest in search of something living to consume. This kind of combat was something that Team FADE were not well versed in, each of them simply preferring grandiose and flamboyant displays of power and skill to dispose of the creatures of Grimm rather than sneaking and hiding but the need for this approach was understandable; one wrong move could trigger the semi-sentient Grimm Spawning Pit into action and leave them swamped by an endless tide of nightmares made flesh and so the four teens carefully applied lessons that they had learned from Professor Cimmerian in her lessons on _'Ungentlemanly Warfare'_ and executed their targets with meticulous precision. There was a barely audible creaking of dead wood in the bare tree above and a lone Ursa raised onto its' hindquarters, sniffing the air and growling suspiciously. A moment later its' head and torso fell to the ground separately, Diamond using her Semblance to stand inverted on the limb of a dead tree and having used her glaive to decapitate the Grimm in a single motion.

"Coast is clear" a tense whisper from behind made Felix to jump, his tail standing upright as his hands flew to his swords instinctively

"Don't creep up on me like that" he muttered to Foggy, the older man having been slipping between the trees and despatching Grimm himself.

"Coast is clear" he repeated slowly as he gestured to the forest around them, the trees here were dead and the soil was was and almost powdery as if every possible morsel of life had been sucked from it; it had thankfully stopped raining though and the air was refreshing. Felix glanced through the dead trees and saw his team-mates move cautiously into view, Eagle moving out from behind a tree whilst Diamond leapt down from another. Arctus making his way towards them, taking a wide curving path and eyeing something with deep concern whilst carrying a rucksack over one shoulder.

"Definitely a Spawning Pit" he whispered with clear trepidation as he neared them

"You saw it?" Diamond asked

"Just the edges" the Bear Faunus nodded in confirmation

"Okay, I'm gonna get a closer look" Foggy announced "On my say so Felix you'll run back to the car and prep your laser battery. Eagle, Arctus, Diamond you'll be helping me prime and set the charges. I can't stress enough that we will get one shot at this….if you knock anything into the pit, or don't set the charges right then we're all gonna die" the words were sobering, not that any of the students were feeling particularly lively or excitable at that moment.

"Okay" Felix breathed out "Okay yeah, rig the charges, don't touch shit, blow the Pit and fry whatever comes out with a laser….simple enough right?" the nonchalant tone the Lion Faunus delivered the comment with was enough to make Foggy snort and quickly muffle his laughter whilst Diamond rolled her cherry red eyes, Arctus sighed and shook his head in resignation and there was an audible slap as Eagle's palm collided with her face.

"Yeah, simple. Good luck" Foggy nodded and with that Felix made his way in the opposite direction to his team-mates who themselves began to fan out.

Only for his Scroll to vibrate in his pocket after he had taken only a few steps.

"It's Corona" he hissed out frantically as he retrieved the device, catching sight of the disbelieving stares his team were treating him to as he did so

"Bad time to call, we're right on top of-"

"Felix I need backup!" Corona's voice was a frantic yell, loud enough for the rest of Team FADE to clearly hear what was said. More importantly they could hear the sounds of gunfire, howling and snarling Grimm and panicked screaming clearly over the speakers

"What happened!" Felix demanded

"Beowolf pack, hundreds of the fucking things….they came out of the trees on the far side of the village, the trains' guns can't reach most of 'em. Some of the engineers were still working on the fences and the idiots manning the gates refused to close 'em until everyone was in-"

"There're Grimm in the village?"

"Yes!" Corona replied "I can't cover everyone at once Felix, I need you to drive back here-"

"On my way!" with that Felix ended the call and stared at Foggy in tense silence for a moment before making a decision. The longer the Spawning Pit remained the greater the threat it presented became; the choice was obvious "Stay here, I'm going back"  
"Kid, you've got guts but we need your cars' weapon here and you won't make it on time"

"Got it covered" Felix answered, heart hammering in his chest as a plan rapidly formed itself "Eagle, have you ever drove before?"

"Um, I've parked my Granddad's pickup truck a few times as a kid and Uncle Flax let me take the wheel once when-"

"It'll have to be enough" Felix interrupted, unable to hide the slight wince at the thought of what was probably about to happen to the Killer-Bee despite the situation "I'm gonna drive halfway then leave the Killer-Bee in the road with the keys; when you've rigged the charges use your Semblance to get to it and bring it back to deal with whatever comes out of that pit"

"Okay" Eagle nodded, puffing up her chest with pride and mentally preparing herself for a mission that had just become more difficult.

"Felix" Foggy sighed "We'll be there as soon as we can. You tell Corona I'm coming"

"Got it" with one last silent exchange of support from his team-mates Felix turned and bolted towards where the Killer-Bee was parked.

The Lion Faunus steeled himself as he ran, privately promising himself that two Hunters against an oncoming tide of Grimm would be enough. It would have to be, the alternative was something he refused to accept.

* * *

"I fucking hate this guy Uzi, I mean who even is he?"

"He's not from the block like us so why is Rhodey letting him run shit?"

"Some fucking science teacher, how the fuck has selling drugs been gentrified….I blame you selling records to middle class kids Uzi"

"Man shat the fuck up" Uzi growled, the dissenting voices came from members of the entourage that accompanied him as he made his way through Rhodium Torchwick's warehouse; a group of small time thugs and delinquents with delusions of grandeur who had been organised and given far greater scope than they could ever have hoped to achieve on their own by Rhodium Torchwick. Whilst Vert had a cunning and flair for the ostentatious that the redhead mobster appreciated and Moss, formerly of the short lived Team MUCK had been a capable fighter, the rest of the team were simply lapdogs and hangers-on to far more successful gangsters, as such it was they who had found themselves lumbered with the task of finding and renovating a suitable living space for Ozymandias's as yet unseen contact.

"Whatever man" one of the thugs, commonly known by the alias of _'Clout'_ grumbled "All I'm saying is if we're gonna be a fucking painting and decorating firm then you may as well just cancel ya next mix-tape and admit you aint about that life"

"Bitch I've been making Lien and running up in Melanie Malachite's spots; shit I've been beefing Hunters and the law hasn't touched me, the fuck do you mean?" the grumbling fell silent as the group reached the door to an office, behind which they would find Ozymandias Eldritch. Vert knocked and waited

"Come in" the usual warm grandfatherly tone that Vert knew better than to trust sounded out and Vert led his cronies into the office where Ozymandias Eldritch sat comfortably, plague doctor mask removed to show the horrific injuries his face had suffered. Vert had vowed the moment he had left the post office where he had fully expected to be murdered that he would never allow himself to be alone in a room with this man again, Ozymandias gave a knowing smile and Vert realised that the old man knew or at least suspected everything, how utterly terrified of him Vert was, how the presence of the mad scientist had been the source of concerned mutterings throughout Torchwick's criminal empire and that the motley assortment of gang members Vert had brought with him were simply there so that the thug could feel a modicum of security, the realisation sent a chill through the younger man and left him feeling bare.

"We got word from Torchwick" Vert began, puffing his chest out and squaring his shoulders "He'll be back in a day, two at most; he'll go back to running things from there….and we want our cut" Ozymandias's remaining eyebrow was raised at the display of bravado, then the scientist merely grinned. Vert's plan to surround himself with cronies had backfired somewhat, whilst the thug had no desire to aggravate him he could not afford to look week in front of his peers and had thus trapped himself in a situation he had no desire to be in.

"That will depend entirely on the quality of-"

"No it won't" Vert snapped quickly "We gave your fucking hit-girl or whoever she is an Oum-damned apartment, now you better pay us for our work and hand over our next shipment….Rhodey aint gonna be happy when he finds out you're not letting people sell his drugs" Vert delivered what he believed to be his trump card with a smirk and a chorus of snickering passed through his cohorts; it had become apparent in Torchwick's absence that Ozymandias may have been an undisputed genius capable of making high quality narcotics seemingly on a whim, but the older man had no understanding or interest in the politics of crime. While the drugs had flowed freely the workers of Torchwick's organisation had been left with very little in terms of leadership and Ozymandias had been willing to withhold supplies from their intended recipient until tasks that he had deemed more important were completed

"I am well aware that Mister Torchwick will be rejoining us soon, just as he is aware of everything that has happened during his absence" Ozymandias's utterly calm reply robbed Vert of much of the cocky swagger he was attempting to manifest

"His business venture in Vaccuo has proven successful and he will be returning with a considerable amount of firepower with which he plans to secure his control of the Kingdoms less than legal industries" the scientist noted, the information matching what Vert himself had heard and lending credence to Ozymandias's claims "Your money and next consignment is in the loading bay downstairs, speak to….oh I don't know, all of your little friends have such ridiculous names for each other" the power play was obvious, there was no doubt that Ozymandias knew the alias used by every single gang member who frequented this warehouse, he just wanted to make Vert chase down the money and goods he was owed.

"About time we got some good news, feels like we've been taking Ls since you got here" Vert spat, giving voice to a sentiment that had been gaining traction.

"Indeed" Ozymandias nodded "It's also fortunate that Mister Torchwick is returning when he is, I've received word from my contact from Atlas; she will also be joining us within a day or two" Vert could sense that the announcement was simply bait that was being dangled in front of him and as such he refused to take it

"Yeah whatever man, just make sure these packs you hook us up with aren't light and don't make any more Hunters OD" with that Vert turned and left, his cronies following him out of the office. Ozymandias watched them go and vaguely wondered if the young man was capable enough that his hostility would make him a threat to be removed at a later date, eventually he decided against it. The voice in his mind almost cooed in satisfaction and the mad scientist was reminded that whilst Torchwick's criminal empire being well armed and equipped would be useful the true benefits lie with what Project Snare would be bringing with her when she joined him.

Plans needed to progress and it was time for the disembodied voice that tormented his psyche to be granted a body of her own and nothing but a Grimm would suffice.

* * *

Team GORE had been trudging across the harsh and unwelcoming terrain of the Jagged Mountains for hours with nothing to show for their efforts but several encounters with small packs of Grimm, the latest of which the Faunus team were in the process of dealing with; all of their usual ferocity proudly on display

"This has quickly started to lose its' appeal" Raffia noted dryly as he thrust the longer of the two swords that formed the 'Blazing Avenger' through the hind leg of a Beowolf as it reared up, stabbing his shorter blade into its' gut and dragging upwards in an unsettling display of brutality

"You've mentioned" Hellion noted as one of her knives was plunged into the eye socket of a Grimm "Several times"

"If Atlas want a live Grimm then there's no reason why we can't simply remove the limbs from one of these and be done with it" the Axolotl Faunus added hotly as he slashed away the forelimbs of another snarling monstrosity; only for dull crack to sound out and the Beowolf to fade away, its' body losing cohesion and disintegrating outwards from an exit wound in its' skull

"That's all of 'em" Artemis panted, rising her goggles and wiping sweat from her brow with one hand as she leaned against her weapon with the other.

"Do you not listen?" Raffia hissed "I was going to-"

"Deliver the wrong Grimm because you're bored and want to go home" Artemis regarded the miniscule berserker with an irritable frown "Grow up"

"I will cut your tongue out!" Raffia spat taking several steps towards Artemis, who held her ground with grim determination and a silent challenge until Carcharodon hoisted his team-mate off the ground, one hand firmly around his neck

"We welcomed you back, you promised me your loyalty when we decided to become Hunters" the Shark Faunus had no need to directly threaten or accuse, his icy tone was enough to imply both on its own and Raffia let out a single sibilant hiss before falling silent, head bowed.

"Hellion, scout ahead with Marauder, Onyx cover her" he turned to Artemis "Which way?" the Feline pursed her lips; whilst she agreed that Raffia's extremely volatile personality needed to be reigned in especially in a locale as infested with Grimm as the Jagged Mountains were, she was still not fond of the almost habitual violence and intimidation Carcharodon used to achieve order; once again she found herself wondering exactly where Gangrel had found these clearly broken teens. Dismissing the matter for the moment she pointed in the direction she intended to search

"We go deeper into the valley" she instructed

"All of the Grimm we've fought except for the Chargers were moving towards it" Carcharodon noted shrewdly, a detail that Artemis herself hadn't picked up on straight away and wondered how long the Shark Faunus had been keeping to himself

"Exactly" she nodded "Let's go see why"

The five of them marched deep into the craggy and barren valley formed between a pair of equally lifeless and rocky mountains; Artemis knew that there were forests beyond the mountains but they were evidently quite some distance away. After almost an hour of searching which passed almost silently, Team GORE seemingly able to communicate utterly silently when the need arose and none of them deigning to speak to their assigned Hunter, something caused one of the students to speak out

"Do you smell that?" Onyx growled, pupils narrowing to slits as the hairs on the back of his neck prickled

"I've been tracking it" Carcharodon confirmed "We're getting closer to whatever it is"

"You mean that sour, sickly smell that feels like frost in my nostrils?" Raffia added as he wrinkled his nose. Artemis took a slow deep breath and several moments to consider, mismatched eyes eventually widening in shock; the scent was both familiar and exactly as Raffia had described

"Get Hellion back here" she ordered sternly, gesturing to the Dragonfly Faunus whose body was being directed Onyx whilst her mind oversaw events through Marauder's eyes

"What is it?" Carcharodon demanded

"Tremor-Somnium" Artemis answered, readying her weapon "It's a pheromone Atlesian Freelancers use to draw Grimm away from populated areas or into ambushes"

"The Grimm from the mountains don't wander towards the Kingdom's defences too often" Onyx noted "Could it be that they use this Tremor-Somnium to keep the numbers down? We might just be smelling some that leaked out of a canister" the Puma Faunus looked proud of himself and his reasoning, which Artemis admitted was sound; Raffia however was less generous

"We don't get that lucky" he scoffed

"He's right" Artemis sighed, scanning their surroundings for any sign of an attack "I don't think we're the only ones looking for this Grimm"

"Movement" Hellion cut across the conversation in a harsh whisper, knives finding their way to her hands in an instant as the sound of displaced stones tumbling down the rocky surface of the mountain echoed faintly through the valley

"Could be an ambush….possibly a sniper" Artemis murmured, though her Semblance found no Auras hiding behind any of the boulders or outcroppings

"No cover down here" Onyx noted as he readied his axe

"Nothing for it then" Raffia's face morphed into a feral smile before his voice rose to a bellow "COME OUT AND DIE WITH YOUR PRIDE COWARD!" Artemis was about to unleash the full breadth and depth of her scorn on the young man, before she could do so however the sound of stones being displaced echoed around them again leaving her stunned that such a ludicrous approach had worked.

She was stunned in a far less pleasant way when an inhuman shriek of murderous rage seemed to come from everywhere at once; followed by a black shape leaping from behind the limited cover available. Whatever the monster that sailed towards them in a controlled glide was it had clearly been stalking them since they entered the valley and there was no doubt whatsoever that this was what Gangrel had asked her to track and locate, yet warned her against engaging.

The Grimm was bipedal and stood at roughly ten feet tall despite its' hunched posture and the fact that its' legs were digitigrade like those of a canine, ending in feet with three taloned toes splayed wide and behind it a winding tail, longer than the abomination was tall coiled and flexed, the three pronged claw at its' tip snapping threateningly. Its' thighs, broad and oddly angular, almost streamlined chest and the extremities of its' upper limbs were encased in bone white armour that seemed to have naturally grown to resemble the armour of some historic paladin; whilst the first noticeable detail about its' upper limbs was that there were six of them. A trio of shoulder sockets arranged in a roughly inverted triangular formation were set into each side of the Grimm, the limbs set towards its' back were a pair of large membranous wings which hand controlled the creatures descent and now lay folded along its' back, the pair at the downward point of the triangular were roughly humanoid and seemed oddly delicate save for their clawed digits; the third pair of limbs however were clearly intended solely for butchery, three long thin and serrated curving talons adorned each; resembling a collection of cruel scythes. A row of swept back spines protruded from the base of the things neck, leading towards its' head which was monstrous in the extreme; vaguely canine and skeletal as was expected from the creatures of Grimm, though black flesh was visible around each of its' four blazing red eyes, giving the bone coloured mouth from which a pair of tusk like protrusions jutted the appearance of a mask. The top of its' head was adorned in a wide crest which fanned out and curved around its' skull where it tapered into a pair of horns, seemingly serving to protect the Grimm.

Team GORE stared in stunned silence for a single moment which seemed to stretch for an eternity as they found themselves confronted by a horror far beyond anything they had ever conceived of

"Artemis" Carcharodon rasped out, even his characteristically stoic facade wavering "What is that"

"I don't know" the Grimm itself, which had been regarding them with obvious malice did something which only served to send a fresh wave of cold dread through the Hunters.

It introduced itself.

"We are Pantheon" and with that it attacked.

* * *

Felix was drenched in sweat, gasping for breath and clutching at a stitch in his side by the time he reached the recently fortified perimeter wall of Gnarledwood and skidded to a halt in confusion.

There were no Grimm.

"What the fuck" Felix mouthed out, his words lost beneath ragged and heavy breathing as he took in the sight in front of him; the gate was open and the sentries were in place, watching the Lion Faunus with baffled amusement from their positions in the intact and undamaged watchtowers. Felix stared for a few more moments before letting out a furious snarl and sprinting towards where the train stood idle, he wanted to know exactly what Corona was thinking by dragging him away from the mission at such a critical juncture.

"CORONA!" he thundered as he leapt into one of the carriages, slamming its' door shut with a resounding clang before stalking towards the head of the train

"CORONA!" he called out again, pounding his fist against every available metallic surface as he went "CORONA WHERE ARE-"

"Right here" she answered calmly as Felix entered another carriage and found the Mantis Shrimp Faunus leaning casually in the opposite doorway, fiddling with her Scroll absently

"What the fuck were you thinking?" he demanded "There's no Grimm here, what's going on?"

"The mission changed" her eyes darted to her Scroll as she sent a message, moments later it became apparent that the message had been received as the engines of the train rumbled into life and the massive vehicle lurched into motion, heading back towards New Vale rather than continuing in the direction of the Vaccuan border "It's a shame about Foggy; he was a good guy….but that's why he's gotta go, he wouldn't take this kind of work"

"What have you done?" dread coiled in Felix's stomach whilst rage forced his hands into white-knuckled fists, his heart hammering in his chest all the while.

"Defused about half of the charges your team took to the Spawning Pit" she answered nonchalantly "It'll be enough to do some real damage but not enough to destroy it completely; it's gonna get really messy….exactly the kind of justification I need to turn this train around, in that kind of emergency the train yard won't be paying too much attention to what gets offloaded. Even with his mind racing a mile a minute with the implications of her words the Lion Faunus needed a few moments for the revelation to sink in, disgust and rage battled for dominance once it did

"You sold your partner out so you could smuggle?" he demanded

"No I sold Foggy out for Lien" Corona grinned evilly as she stepped forwards and turned to face him. Felix realised in that moment that he desperately needed to get off of this train and warn his team; his deep blue eyes darted to the door at the side of the carriage from which he would be able to leap down to the ground and Corona's own turquoise eyes narrowed as she noticed this

"You won't make it" she stated firmly whilst reaching into her tailcoat for her weapons, when her hands were withdrawn she was wearing her spiked knuckle-dusters whose points had been hollowed out to contain minute rotating Dust cylinders.

"Come on I'm not some cartoon villain, I wouldn't tell you my whole plan if I was gonna let you get away" Corona strode forwards slowly and purposefully, tailcoat flapping behind her dramatically as she did so "And besides you're worth too much to let get go; Torchwick put a lot of Lien on your head" something snapped within Felix and he lunged at the treacherous Huntress, golden Aura flaring into life around him as he leapt into the air with the intent to deliver a single monumental blow.

He never got the chance.

Corona chose that moment to display her own Semblance, a feat that she had named the _'Hand of Destruction'_ when she was much younger. In a single fluid movement she struck out with her open palm as Felix neared her, the moment her hand connected with his midsection a boom of rapidly decompressing air shook the carriage and a flash of brilliant white light like a miniature sun blinded the combatants. Felix however had more pressing matters, namely that the blow had sent him hurtling back into the previous train carriage, leaving the doors between the two crumpled and torn free of their hinges and the Lion Faunus struggling to drag himself to his feet despite the fact that simply breathing had become a struggle.

"All these guns and all the ammo and flammable, explosive gear in these carriages" Corona sighed, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she swaggered calmly after her opponent "Good luck using your Semblance without blowing yourself up" Felix let out a wordless roar of rage and forced himself to overcome the waves of pain coursing through his body, rushing towards Corona for another exchange of blows. The Lion Faunus stopped short and launched a powerful spinning kick only for his opponent to react with skill and precision, turning at the hip she blocked the strike by driving her right elbow into his shin; then launched forwards and through a punch at his right bicep. The combination of Aura enhanced muscle, the spiked of the Knuckle Duster and the Gravity Dust accelerating the blow to dangerous velocity left Felix's right arm hanging limp and the younger Faunus unable to react fast enough as Corona's follow up right hook to his face sent him spinning and her spinning heel kick caught him between the shoulder blades; sending him crashing to the ground again.

"Stay down" Corona sighed dispassionately as Felix struggled to rise once more, she saw him shift his weight a moment before he attempted to sweep her legs out from under her as he leapt to his feet. Her response was to leap over his leg and lash out, driving her armoured boot into his cheek as he turned to face her.

"Fuck you, you're not gonna get away with this" Felix spat, specks of blood flying from his mouth as he did so

"Uh yeah, cute and cliché" Corona brought her boot crashing down on the side of his head and Felix's world was reduced to a blurry and barely comprehensible haze of pain and dizziness; his last clear sight before he finally lost consciousness was that of the Mantis Shrimp Faunus producing something that, if he were more cogent he would have recognised as an Aura dampening collar.

* * *

The battle between Artemis Tan, Team GORE and the seemingly aware Grimm that had named itself as Pantheon raged on with ferocious intensity; yet all that the combined efforts of the Faunus had achieved thus far was to grant them an appreciation for just how difficult to kill this particular monster was.

"Marauder!" Hellion screamed in a frenzied panic as her familiar was almost torn from the sky by Pantheon's claws in a failed attempt to dive and blind the Grimm. The Dragonfly Faunus littered the ground around Pantheon with over a dozen daggers which were thrown at blinding speed; an acrid black smoke pouring from a small canister hidden within each of their handles. Pantheon let out an inhuman snarl as their senses were assaulted, the fog obscuring the enemy from view and rendering scents useless; a single flap of their powerful wings dispersed the pungent smog somewhat only for the Dragonfly Faunus to burst through the smoky veil with a fresh pair of knives at the ready and a look of furious determination in her eyes. Hellion drew close and stepped into Pantheon's guard as the monster attempted to impale her with twin downward stabs of their clawed limbs; her hands moved with lethal grace and speed as her first strike tore through the Grimm's flank and gut, the second found its' way under their arms and into the side of their chest and both were quickly ripped free and thrust downwards into a barely exposed piece of obsidian flesh between the armoured plates of Pantheon's thighs.

"YOU WILL PERISH!" the monster screamed, their voice a cacophony comprised of countless hate filled shrieks. Hellion attempted to press her advantage with the intent to blind the Grimm or if possible bury her blades in whatever it had in place of a brain; Pantheon proved themselves equal to this as their lower and more humanoid pair of arms lashed out and caught her wrists

"What?" Hellion gasped, whilst simultaneously wincing in pain as her wrists were bent and twisted until she released her weapons; her eyes widened and mouth fell open as she watched the Grimm begin to regenerate its' injuries with a black liquid bubbling up from the wounds, clotting and healing them in seconds. Then the air was knocked from her lungs as Pantheon's three-toed and vaguely avian foot collided with her chest and the Grimm smashed her into the ground

"Release her!" an enraged Carcharodon demanded, the Shark Faunus bursting from the ground behind Pantheon and dragging the blades of the Red Waves across the Grimm's back and tearing through the membranes of their wings

"DIE!" Pantheon howled back, their tail launching towards the Shark Faunus's face at blinding speed and moving as if it had a mind of its' own; forcing Carcharodon to parry and grasp at its' trio of jagged prongs, wrestling with the clawed appendage to prevent it closing around his skull.

"CAR, GET HELLION OUT OF THE WAY!" Onyx's voice boomed out, a fraction of a second later the thunderous report of Jotun Fang echoed throughout the rocky valley and forced Pantheon back a single step. It was all that was needed and in a moment of clarity Carcharodon engaged his Semblance once more, slipping free of Pantheon's grasp and taking Hellion who had been freed from beneath the Grimm's taloned foot with him. Onyx barrelled into Pantheon with Earth Shattering force and made to swing his double bladed battle axe at the monsters' skull.

"No!" Pantheon hissed simply, bladed upper limbs launching forwards and catching the shaft of the gargantuan weapon. The Puma Faunus merely gave a wide predatory smile which revealed to the Grimm a large and roughly cut chunk of Fire Dust that Onyx had clenched between his teeth.

Then Onyx Roared.

The towering Faunus's Semblance combined with the effects of the Dust turned a blast of concussive force into a gout of flames that reduced portions of the ground around them to glowing magma and the Grimm's tar like hide to a steaming and bubbling, almost liquid state as the Grimm shrieked in agony.

"I never thought one Grimm would be a worthy-" Onyx's boastful taunt was cut short as Pantheon's boiling hide was healed with the same haste as their earlier wounds and the abomination hurled Onyx aside, his weapon clattering to the ground several feet away from where he fell. The Grimm stalked closer as Onyx rose to his feet and raised his guard warily, preparing to face Pantheon in unarmed single combat.

Then a single muffled gunshot blasted a crater into the Grimm's chest

"Don't. Touch. My. Students" Artemis demanded, each syllable shaking with rage. Pantheon staggered as they turned to face her whilst the feline merely shouldered their sniper rifle for a moment to press a button on a small controller on her belt that none of Team GORE had noticed before. The effect was instant, Pantheon collapsed to their knees, struggling defiantly to rise

"What did you do?" Onyx asked in something close to awe

"High capacity immobiliser round, it's a mix of Gravity and Magnetic Dust; remotely activated.

"Then let's take this things' head and go" a reedy voice that could only belong to Raffia insisted

"No" Artemis answered simply, a moment later adding "Atlas wants this one alive for study and considering it can talk I can understand why….let me call in our air support back at-"

"WATCH OUT!" Hellion called out in warning. Seconds seemed to pass in slow motion for Artemis as she watched Pantheon plunge a three-clawed limb into their own wounded chest and simply tear a chunk of flesh and armoured carapace free, which the sniper realised with detached horror had contained the fragments of the immobiliser round. Pantheon bounded towards her screaming in murderous rage and bladed limbs outstretched and time continued to crawl when Artemis saw something in the corner of her eye that defied all logic and only served to send a fresh wave of dread crashing over her.

Raffia was moving to intercept.

The Axolotl Faunus lunged at the Grimm that was easily twice his size, his short sword tearing a gash in the monsters' still healing chest which he attempted to follow up by impaling Pantheon with his larger blade. Pantheon's retaliation was swift and horrific; Artemis's mismatched eyes widening as she watched the Grimm grasp him in both pairs of bladed upper limbs, their jagged edges sinking into the flesh of his right hip and left shoulder before lifting Raffia from the ground and tearing him in half at the waist in an explosion of blood and viscera.

"NO!" the anguished scream came from several sources at once and Artemis was barely consciously aware of making the decision to shift Hakai Suru into its' naginata form as she sprinted towards Pantheon

"DIE YOU SON OF A BITCH!" she screamed as she leapt into the air, intending to stab downwards with her weapon. The blade of Hakai Suru found its' mark in Pantheon's chest, though it did far less damage than she would have liked and an instant later a lance of burning pain shot through her left shoulder; a glance revealing that one of Pantheon's bladed appendages had skewered her in a non-lethal but exceedingly painful way. Artemis forced as much power as she could into her into her right arm, hoping to drive her weapon deeper into the Grimm's torso and at least distract it from it's attempts to fend off attacks from the remaining members of Team GORE.

Then for the second time in a matter of moments Artemis caught sight of something that beggared belief.

Her Semblance, an easy way of keeping track of the Aura her students had at their disposal showed that not only did Raffia Dirge still cling to life, the bisected berserker was in fact still fighting fit; risking a glance downwards almost caused her to vomit in unmitigated disgust as she saw the two halves of his body being stitched back together in a grotesquely accelerated way whilst his pale pink Aura enveloped his body.

"Still not in favour of being the hero" Raffia quipped through clenched teeth before combining both of his swords into their experimental laser lance form. Artemis had the foresight to tear her weapon out of Pantheon's chest before Raffia plunged Blazing Avenger into their abdomen and fired; sending the badly wounded Grimm scurrying back and forcing them onto the defensive until they could regrow the limbs that had been burned away.

"REGROUP!" Artemis ordered as she pulled Raffia to his feet, stunned and impressed that he could even stand. Fumbling in her pockets she finally managed to retrieve her Scroll and hurriedly sent a pre-written message to a contact that Gangrel had specified, the message's contents were almost entirely codewords though it would convey what Artemis needed it to, a moment later the device buzzed with a reply

"Atlas knows we're engaging the target" she informed the bloodied, battered but still unbeaten students "The Baba-Jaegers at the Outpost will be here ASAP"

Artemis only hoped that the help would arrive in time.

 **Authors Notes:  
**

So, we're now well and truly into the Volume Seven finale and it feels like all those seemingly unconnected threads are starting to take shape and where this story is going, not only in regards to Third Year but for the Fourth _(And final)_ year arc.  
But trust me I've still got plenty of surprises.

But since I don't want to spoil anything that far in advance, let's summarise shall we:  
Diamond is a city kid through and through, imagine Felix and Eagle rolling their eyes if you like.  
" _Surprisingly high quality weapons"_ should have been a hint where this was going, even back in First Year Torchwick moved goods by paying off the places deemed to inconsequential to send a team of Hunters to by supplying them with guns and muscle.  
Ah the casual ignorance you get in places that are so backwater that they've never actually met any minorities…..  
Look at how far Team FADE have come, actually doing recon, planning things out and having workable strategies now.  
Corona's excuse does actually fit with canon, the two Hunters guarding the train in Vol.6 operated the train's defences by Scroll.  
I love that even Carcharodon "Mysterious and taciturn" Gore is utterly done entertaining Raffia's complaining.  
Come on let's be honest, if you go hiking in Grimm country with no weapons or Hunters then eventually natural selection is gonna take its' course and someone is gonna get killed.  
In my mind the Mountain Goat Grimm are just fucking hilarious, a bleating and screaming living battering ram that skips around and is made of condensed _"Fuck off"_.  
You knew just Hellion's description that it was gonna be bad right?  
Bushwhacking Grimm like that is definitely not Team FADE's forte but they're learning and adapting.  
"Don't knock anything into the pit"….if you read the Downward Spiral then you'll remember that Team CFVY learned that one the hard way.  
Felix did what he thought was right and tried to save everyone….exactly what Corona was counting on.  
The scene with Vert and his crew wrote itself, as cliché as it sounds I know from experience that _"Real recognise real"_ and Vert is being taken for a joke by Rhodium and Oz; even his own crew can see it.  
Oz stole/unleashed Project Legacy, Project Legacy is supposed to be bringing a Grimm specimen captured by Project Snare, Oz has a female voice screaming in his mind and has done ever since he became the Wizard, part of his plans involve giving this voice a body which needs to be Grimm in origin….are you getting it yet.  
So _'Someone'_ used pheromones to draw Grimm into a valley….just remember that there's a Freelancer base stocked with those exact pheromones on the other side of the mountains (From Vol.1) and that one of the Baba-Jaegers noticed an odd loss of altitude and had some handling issues as it flew over from Atlas; where Project Legacy was.  
So, meet Pantheon….this was one of the antagonists that I created early in the planning stages of this story (Almost two years ago now, Jesus) along with the Cult of Taurus and someone else who'll you'll be meeting next chapter.  
Felix should've just turned and ran back the way he came, obvious set up was obvious.  
Y'know that thing that Mantis Shrimp do where they lash out so fast it creates light, heat and a vacuum...scale that up and you've got Corona's Semblance.  
An Aura dampening collar you say? Is that the sound of a Chekhov's gun being fired, remember that lesson Felix had with Professor Cimmerian.  
A little thing to notice is that Phobos only used "It" as a pronoun whilst Pantheon uses "They/We", consider this a sign that Pantheon is more self aware and intelligent.  
So one of Artemis's rounds is basically a less powerful, less versatile and very temporary version of Helios's Semblance.  
So….Raffia just made a move that would have been suicide for anyone else, to save a Hunter; he's slowly coming around to the hero thing.  
So, Baba-Jaegers are inbound and they'll be bringing the Project Snare containment unit….the only question now is how big of a trap is it?

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Keromenson, DizzyDwarf, Funlander and iSassenach for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Who would be insane enough to give Team GORE their own transport?  
Well, we are meeting someone new next chapter.  
Nope, Foggy is completely out of the loop and is being left to die along with Arctus, Diamond and Eagle.  
I honestly hadn't considered Rhodium & Corona as a ship but "Hard-boiled" is a great name for it.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	97. Plans Derailed

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 97: Plans Derailed**

The first thing Felix became aware of as he regained consciousness was pain, dull throbbing aches pulsing through his abdomen and skull that caused him to wince and screw his eyes shut a little tighter rather than open them until the sensation of movement caused him to remember the severity of his situation; disjointed memories and flashes of images without context cascaded over his reeling mind and in conjunction with the nausea induced by the pain and lurching movement conspired to make the Lion Faunus feel ill. Within moments Felix had forced his thoughts into order and coalesced them into a few key facts; Team FADE were in danger, Corona had betrayed them and he was currently on a train heading towards the city of New Vale where he would be unable to help.

"Oh good you're awake….waking you up myself just wouldn't be the same but I really don't have the patience for you to be knocked out the whole ride home" an indescribably smug and satisfied voice sneered, moreover the voice was a familiar one and Felix's eyes flew open as he made to rise to his feet and lunge at the speaker fuelled by nothing but instinct, finding himself halted and collapsing futilely back into the seated position he had awoken in due to previously unnoticed restraints. Felix realised with a sharp spike of fear that he was wearing an Aura dampening collar around his neck and that his hands had been bound behind his back, tied to part of the storage racking inside of the trains' carriages whilst Rhodium Torchwick sat atop a wooden crate that was presumably filled with smuggled weapons and munitions with his cane propped against its' side whilst the red-headed mobster himself made a show of idly examining one of his prisoners' swords before casually discarding it, leaving it to clatter to the floor where Felix saw that its' twin and all of his ammunition had been placed.

"So you were on the train the whole time?" Felix asked, affecting a sneer to rival Rhodium's own "What's the matter, scared to come and fight me yourself, think I might knock the rest of your teeth out?" whilst Rhodium quickly let out a derisive snort Felix still saw it, the momentary hardening of the gangsters' eyes and the slight clenching of his fists that told him that his hastily conceived and still formulating plan was working

"I don't clean floors either, I've got people to sweep shit up for me"

"Still?" Felix asked with a wide grin that displayed his overlong canine teeth "I thought between my team handing 'em their asses, your hired goons calling it quits and Melanie Malachite stepping on you like bugs you'd be running out of meat-shields by now Rhodey" the taunting, the over-familiarity of using his nickname and the sickly sweet, mocking tone that the Lion Faunus delivered his words with were enough to make Rhodium's knuckles whiten and audibly crack.

Exactly what Felix wanted.

Angry people made mistakes and one thing that Felix had learned both through lessons with the exceedingly ruthless Professor Cimmerian and countless instances during his own life was that mistakes were merely opportunities and options in disguise, opportunities and options that Felix was sorely lacking and needed to create. This approach came with some severe risks and could backfire in ways that Rhodium seemed to be giving some consideration as he rose to his feet and took Melodic Cudgel in his hands.

"You're an annoying little prick y'know that right?"

"Sounds like you've met my sister, she says the same" Felix retorted, still attempting to push Rhodium into doing something ill-advised

"Didn't I stab your sister?" Rhodium asked, cocking his head and shrugging before crouching down to Felix's eye level, taking care to tread on the stump of Felix's tail as he pressed the end of his cane under the Faunus's chin

"You keep making me second guess myself and-"

"If this where you tell me that you've got a crush on-" Felix was silenced as Rhodium's fist collided with his nose, leaving it bleeding and immediately starting to swell; without his Aura Felix was left seeing stars and Rhodium used the momentary silence to continue speaking

"Now when you broke into my factory and started threatening me I decided I was gonna fuck you up, then you ruined my ride and knocked my teeth out….see at that point it was personal, I was gonna make a fucking example out of you kid; told myself every night while I was locked up that once I'd dealt with that fucking Narc Brindle I'd come for you and pull your fucking teeth out with pliers before I cut your throat….and then you went to Atlas" Rhodium let out a sigh and stood up straight again, giving Felix a few seconds to contemplate before the monologue continued "The White Fang killed my old man, shot him in the back right after he broke a load of 'em out of prison; I mean shit he probably still wouldn't have been around for me even if he was alive but it's the principal y'know. The White Fang killed my Dad and you took their new leader out in Atlas….I've gotta respect that; I've got standards"

"So are you gonna fucking kill me or not? 'Cos otherwise I've got places to be" Felix slurred out, bloody and likely broken nose detracting little from the cocky swagger he was affecting.

"Oh I'm still gonna kill you, I'm just gonna be quick about it" Rhodium laughed "I'm gonna stuff you in one of these crates and put a gag on you to get you off the train and then tonight I'm gonna take you out to some quiet road away from the city and shoot you in the fucking head then leave you for the Grimm to eat….but, you still knocked me teeth out" the last was delivered with a bemused sigh and Felix, who had been left in stunned silence as he was forced to consider the very real possibility that he would soon suffer a bloody and inglorious fate, didn't have quite enough time to react before Rhodium swung Melodic Cudgel. The cane came down in several wide arc, each resulting in a dull thud punctuated by a metallic clang as the weapon caught the racking the Felix was tied to. By the time Rhodium was done beating him blood was pouring freely down Felix's face from a gash above his left eyebrow, his cheek was already beginning to swell whilst the entire side of his began to discolour, he suspected that both his cheek and jaw were broken or at the very least cracked and when he spat out a mouthful of blood he was unsurprised, yet still sickened to see several teeth leave his mouth.

"Really Rhodey?" the disinterested, yet still annoyed voice of Corona demanded "You're beating his ass while he's tied up? I thought the whole point of smuggling him off the train was so that there's no evidence like blood left here to find….you may as well just shoot him now" the Mantis Shrimp Faunus treated Felix to a disparaging shake of the head as she sauntered into the carriage

"Don't act like you've got morals, you could have easily done the job without telling me he was here but you wanted a bonus"

"I'm a cold hearted bitch who likes Lien and doesn't mind getting my hands dirty for it; that's why you like me"

"That and you've got a great ass" Rhodey shot back, a smug grin on his face almost daring Corona to challenge her employer "What do you want?"

"Foggy's gonna be blowing those charges any minute and we don't know which way the Grimm are gonna run when they run out of Hunters to eat. I've got the controls for the trains' defences but I need someone to cover me" Rhodium's expression hardened into something calculating and business like for a moment before a roguish smile formed on his face

"I'll be with you in a minute….And I've got dibs on that old Paladin in the back" Corona merely rolled her eyes and took off leaving Felix alone with the mobster once again, head still spinning with the pain of being beaten senseless.

"I never thought I'd wanna fuck a Huntress so bad" Rhodium snorted, addressing Felix as though the two were old friends "Still, at least she's not a cop….I fucking hate cops" with that Rhodium gave his captive one last kick in the ribs for good measure before exiting the carriage. The moment Felix thought the coast was clear he sprang into action; his plan had paid off despite its' costliness and with a little force he managed to dislocate a section of the racking that he was tied to enough to free himself from it, whilst Felix's own Aura fuelled strength was denied to him Rhodium was under no such limitations and his blows had weakened the material considerably. Next Felix used the blade of one of his own swords to begin sawing away at the bonds around his wrists and within moments his hands were freed. Finally Felix dug through his pockets and was relieved to find that his Scroll was still in place, Rhodium obviously expecting him to remain a captive. Frantically he began calling Eagle to warn her of the betrayal and imminent danger, as he did so his eyes scanned the dimly lit carriage for any small scrap of metal that he could use for the final step of his escape plan, putting the lessons taught by Professor Cimmerian into practice and picking the lock on his Aura Dampening Collar.

* * *

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU THINK YOUR JAW'S BROKEN?" Eagle exclaimed, caution and regard for her Grimm filled surroundings momentarily forgotten until Felix hushed her on the other end of the call and began to hurriedly explain what had occurred since he had left the rest of the team; Eagle's deep red eyes widened further with shock, fear and disgust with each word until she was finally forced to speak, unable to simply stand and listen to any more without acting.

"Okay, turn your Scroll's tracker on. We're coming to get you!" Eagle had reached the Killer-Bee, her Semblance carrying her through the trees in her avian form to where Felix had parked the muscle car at the side of the all but forgotten and unmaintained road and had been waiting for the signal from Foggy to indicate that he, Arctus and Diamond had prepared the explosive charges. With the revelation that roughly half of those charges had been rendered useless ringing in her mind Eagle all but hurled herself into the drivers' seat and brought the engine roaring into life, depositing Sentinel in shield form on the passengers' seat and fastening her seatbelt in an instant before driving as fast as possible towards the Spawning pit, the power at the vehicles' disposal being far greater than her limited experience had prepared her for; resulting in a wing mirror being removed as she turned the car around as well as an incredibly bumpy and unpleasant ride which would no doubt take a toll on the suspension.

Throwing everything she knew of road safety aside Eagle desperately tried to contact her team-mates' Scrolls as she drove towards them at breakneck speeds; letting out a stream of rapidly stammered curses as she failed to do so, Arctus and Diamond having evidently silenced their devices. Eventually she found herself driving further into the forest than Felix had originally done, the road being long since reclaimed by nature which had in turn been snuffed out by the malignant presence of the Grimm Spawning Pit, the branches of dead trees scratching against the sides of Killer-Bee as it tore passed them, tires leaving the uneven surface several times as it did so and nearly costing her control of the car before she finally caught sight of Arctus's distinctive white jacket amongst the trees; bringing the car to a screeching halt she leapt out and sprinted towards her friend, Diamond and Foggy mercifully being close by and all three of them looking at her in utter confusion

"IT'S A TRAP!" she bellowed as she drew close "WE NEED TO GO! IT'S A-"

"What on Remnant are you doing?" Foggy demanded, his fury deserved as Eagle's obvious panic could easily cause their target to spawn a fresh batch of monsters which could in turn begin to undo their hard work.

"Foggy I know how this is gonna sound but I promise you it's the truth" Eagle prefaced before launching into an explanation "Gnarledwood was never under attack, Corona is smuggling guns for Rhodium Torchwick. They've kidnapped Felix and Corona's covering her tracks by tampering with the charges; she's planning on getting all of us killed by Grimm"

"Then let's go" Arctus stated simply, his concern for his cousins' safety was obvious as it fuelled his willpower

"You believe this?" Foggy questioned

"Of course we do" Diamond snapped, somewhat galled at the question

"Let me check something" the older Hunter insisted before withdrawing his Scroll and waving off the students' who each silently insisted that he simply get moving. They were unsure exactly who it was Foggy had called but merely the act of them answering was enough to turn his face a ghostly white before he simply hung up.

"I just called one of the engineers" he explained "There's definitely no Grimm in Gnarledwood. Shit"

"Then let's go!" Eagle demanded "We've gotta catch the train! They're taking it back to New Vale"

"We've got another problem" Foggy breathed out, hands visibly shaking as he spoke "The charges are already primed and armed. I can't disarm them all or find the ones' that are actually working before they go off….Gnarledwood isn't under attack right now, but it will be in….less than five minutes" a chill passed through those present at the news.

"What do we do?" Arctus asked, voice subdued by fear "We can't stop 'em all, we're gonna get overrun"

"Get back to the car, arm the main weapon and take out anything heading towards the village" Foggy answered after a moment of solemn silence "I'm gonna draw as much of 'em as I can deeper into the forest-"

"No way!" Diamond answered "You'll-"

"That's an order Sustrai!" Foggy barked back "Sacrifices have to be made and we all knew the job was dangerous when we took it….for what it's worth kids, it's been an honour serving with you"

"You too" Diamond nodded, blinking several times to clear eyes that were suddenly watery "Have you got any family to pass on a message to?"

"Wife and two kids" Foggy admitted "Goodwitch can handle the formalities, I won't ask you to….come on, we haven't got time" with that the members of Team FADE who were present and made their way back to the Killer-Bee whilst behind them Foggy positioned himself just out of the blast radius of the charges and readied his weapon.

"How far back are we moving?" Arctus asked

"We're not" Eagle answered, crimson eyes blazing as she positioned herself in the drivers' seat and positioned Sentinel on the roof of the Killer-Bee, the shield unfurling out into its' automaton form and securing itself to the roof.

"Eagle we've got our orders-"

"And I'm disobeying them" Eagle shot back firmly, hoping to sound far more confident than she felt "I'm an Arc and Arc's defend what's important" before either Arctus or Diamond could either attempt to reason with their friend or ask what she was planning, the charges detonated.

The explosions happened in tandem, hurling vast chunks of blasted earth into the air and ripping several of the dead trees from the ground while destroying a considerable amount of the bubbling and viscous liquid that filled the pit; though it was clearly not enough and the fact was proved beyond all doubt when a multitude of howls and screams from newly spawned Grimm filled the air

"Sentinel, take out anything that gets near us!" Eagle demanded sharply "Arctus, protect the car as much as you can and Diamond, I might need you to pull Foggy in"

"Holy Oum" the silver haired sniper breathed out, her team-mates looked dead ahead and saw the cause of her shock; hundreds, if not thousands of Grimm were pouring from the crippled Spawning Pit in an all-consuming tidal wave of fangs and claws; each of them tearing hungrily at the monsters around them in a cannibalistic frenzy as their imperative to destroy overruled everything else. It was obvious that Foggy would be dead within a minute if left to pursue his own plan.

"LET'S GO!" Eagle bellowed, flooring the accelerator and speeding towards the mass of Grimm, many of which had turned their murderous gaze on the Killer-Bee as its' engine roared

"Arctus?"

"ON IT!" the Bear Faunus assured her, a moment later the front of the vehicle was shielded by the strongest Glyph that he could muster, angled slightly and acting as a plough whilst Sentinels' compact Mini-Gun ripped through Grimm by the score as the leapt at the sides of the car.

"I CAN'T SEE FOGGY ANYWHERE!" Diamond panicked, her characteristic calm wavering as they were attached from all sides by the seemingly endless horde

"There!" Eagle pointed "Fighting those Ursas, Sentinel!" Diamond quickly unfastened her seatbelt and engaged her Semblance, using to balance on the outside of the car door as she clambered out of the window and Eagle tried to manoeuvrer closer to where Foggy battled with a group of Grimm. Ursa were normally relatively solitary Grimm, hunting alone or in groups of rarely more than three, however Foggy had found himself facing off against a dozen of the lumbering monsters and was already bleeding profusely from wounds that the Grimm had inflicted on his thigh and forearm, his armour already having been gouged and broken

"GET ME CLOSER!" Diamond called out over the roar of the Killer-Bees' engine and Sentinels' weapon as the droid despatched the Grimm with a hailstorm of armour piercing rounds. Reaching out Diamond plunged into the cloud of black smoke left by the dying Grimm and scooped up the wounded Hunter, realising as she frantically pulled herself back into the car that Foggy had also suffered a wound to his abdomen that she hadn't seen and was currently barely clinging to consciousness

"Arctus keep your Glyphs up, I'll take care of this" she instructed as she began to put the first aid lessons that Team FADE had taken to as much use as possible in the cramped space.

A piercingly high pitched, wailing shriek filled the air

"I think the Pit just spat out its' big bad!" Arctus grunted through clenched teeth, the effort of keeping his strongest possible defences active taking a toll on him; he didn't have the chance to turn round and see what monstrosity had been produced but its' footsteps shook the ground as it gave chase, allowing him a rough estimate of its' size.

"Okay then" Eagle growled with grim determination as she placed her hand over the button that would activate the high output Dust booster and send the vehicle hurtling forwards at even greater speeds "Looks like we've got all of their attention, they're following us away from the village….Let's go catch a train."

* * *

Pantheon simply would not die. Artemis let out a hiss of pain and annoyance as she was forced to roll aside from another attack by the monsters' scythe like claws, her wounded shoulder causing her immense discomfort as it struck the hard ground. A single flap of their powerful membranous wings pushed Pantheon backwards and away from Onyx's attempt to bury his axe in their skull a moment later before the Grimm's tail lashed out and forced the Puma Faunus back

Help was yet to arrive and Artemis was unsure how long she and the students in her care could hold out against a Grimm whose horrific bloodthirstiness was seemingly tempered with intelligence and technique and whose regeneration made them an infuriatingly resilient opponent.

"Car!" she beckoned the Shark Faunus who was clearly searching for an opening to come closer, as he did so she spoke again "I'm gonna try and catch this thing off guard, can your team keep it occupied for a minute or two?"

"Gladly" Carcharodon rasped out, making a series of silent hand gestures to his team-mates that they each seemed to understand. Artemis chose not to waste time asking what he had instructed them to do and simply ran towards one of the two rocky and barren mountains whose slopes they valley they were in sat between. She did however chance a look over her shoulder, finding that Team GORE had chosen to engage in what could best be described as hit and run tactics as she did so; Onyx and Raffia had switched their weapons to their ranged forms and were opening fire to create brief openings for Hellion and Carcharodon to tear and slash at their target before slipping away just as quickly, Hellion abstaining from using more of her smoke-bombs to allow Artemis a clear shot.

"Okay, let's do this" the older Faunus muttered to herself as she scaled the side of the mountain as quickly as she was able to in her injured state, searching for a suitable vantage point to snipe from as she went. She eventually decided that the very same boulder Pantheon had been hidden behind whilst stalking them would provide adequate cover and she hastily scrabbled behind it only for her mismatched eyes to widen and her heart to skip a beat at what she found waiting for her.

Tremor-Somnium, several small cannisters of the pheromone; as she looked around her she saw that several other such cannisters had been deposited behind every available piece of cover and were leaking out the colourless mist whose scent alone set her nerves on edge. Artemis was left staring at the cannisters with several thoughts and emotions running through her mind at once, this proved beyond all doubt that someone else was hunting the Grimm that had named itself Pantheon and considering how secretive Gangrel had insisted that this mission was she doubted that this unseen agent had intentions that boded well for herself or Team GORE. A shriek of rage finally brought her back to her senses and she quickly made a decision and began checking the canisters and palming the one which contained the most of the pheromone; Tremor-Somnium was not only useful for drawing out Grimm, it also helped with their destruction by virtue of being highly explosive. It took her only a moment to plot the trajectory of her throw and a moment longer to line up the shot; then with as much force as she could muster she hurled the canister towards Pantheon in a wide, sailing arc

"GET CLEAR!" her warning to the students was immediately followed by the muffled crack of Hakai Suru firing, the round tore through the canister and ignited the Tremor-Somnium within; resulting in a fireball that consumed everything within several meters in all directions and swallowed Pantheon entirely.

"And fucking stay dead….Gangrel can find another Grimm" Artemis panted out, resting her sniper rifle against her uninjured shoulder. Below her Team GORE surrounded the impromptu pyre, keeping a safe distance whilst clearly waiting for an attack. Almost predictably and to Artemis's extreme displeasure the attack came within moments, Pantheon bursting from the flames with a howl of murderous rage and forcing Team GORE to dive aside. Artemis made to ready another shot when something glinting in the sunlight above made her pause; it seemed that whilst the explosion had failed to destroy Pantheon it would still serve as an adequate signal flare for the Baba-Jaegers who were approaching rapidly and in formation.

Help had finally arrived and Artemis left out a quiet sigh of relief, silently thanking her old team-mate Gangrel Slate.

* * *

"Target is in sight commander, preparing to engage" the speaker was the pilot leading the recovery mission. Behind them Matte Skye stood in the midst of the control room for the Baba-Jaegers, overseeing the sensitive and critical mission as it played out. Six of the advanced war machines had been deployed, leaving the other half of those sent to the desolate edge of New Vale's territory in reserve in case of emergency; five craft flew in an arrowhead formation whilst behind them the sixth carried the containment unit that formed the latest iteration of Project Snare.

"Remember we need it alive" Matte intoned, evidently tense

"Understood commander" the lead pilot nodded "Remember team we have Hunters in the field, students"

"Oum damn it" another pilot muttered, irked by the additional complication

"It's seen us" a third pilot warned "And fuck it's ugly" Matte paid close attention to each of the various screens that formed the pilots' displays, giving them an almost panoramic view of the monstrous Grimm as it unfurled its' gargantuan wings and took to the sky with a shriek of fury

"Clip it's wings!" the lead pilot ordered "Stratus pull up, PULL UP!" Matte watched with detached horror as one of the Baba-Jaegers was subjected to the full scope of Pantheon's wrath, the sound of metal being torn asunder ringing through each of the remaining fighters' displays as the Baba-Jaeger piloted by a woman named Stratus was dismantled in mid-air; its' various displays and controls going dark whilst a team of medical staff promptly ensured that the pilot had suffered no nerve or brain damage caused by possible feedback from the crafts' operating system.

"I've got it in my sights!" another pilot yelled

"Bring that son of a bitch down!" the lead pilot ordered, the sound of weapons being unleashed filled the control room and Matte watched as a missile streaked towards the still falling form of the disabled Baba-Jaeger, which their target still clung to and tore pieces from; only to watch in shock as it sunk its' scythe like upper limbs into the crafts' hull and caught the missile with its' prehensile tail before hurling it back at the fighters'

"I'M HIT! I'M HIT!" a second pilot was soon attended to by the medical team, forcibly ejected from their control of the Baba-Jaeger as it was critically damaged by the Grimm

"Holy shit that thing's smart!"

"Break off! Pull back….we might need to attempt an aerial capture" there was a moment of tense silence at the lead pilots' words; they had initially planned to capture the Grimm the same manner that it had been contained before, by using overwhelming force to push it into the containment unit whilst on the ground, an aerial capture would involve simply scooping it out of the air and would be far more difficult

"Regen have Project Snare ready, Wolke cover her in case this thing gets wise. Shuang follow me in, we're gonna keep this thing distracted"

"Aye" the chorus of affirmative responses filled the control room and Matte watched with rapt attention as the pair of Baba-Jaegers swarmed their target, flying far faster than it could hope to catch and riddling its' wings with bullets in a series of merciless strafing runs only for it to heal itself within moments each time

"Ah shit, breaking off!" Shuang spat as a wild strike from the Grimm's tail ripped into several sensors located where a cockpit would have been on a more conventional fighter, leaving her various displays flickering and garbled for several moments

"It's following you!"

"GET IT OFF ME!" the lead pilot; a woman named Aegean rushed in after the Grimm though it had already seized Shuang's Baba-Jaeger and was tearing into its' propulsion system, by the time she had managed to force it to leap away a third fighter had been rendered inoperable and the strike team was down to half of its' original number.

"Commander" the pilot known as Regen spoke up "I think we might need reinforcements"

"Negative" Aegean countered "It's on my tail, get after it trap it. Wolke, keep it in your sights" the trio of remaining pilots desperately tried to out-think and outfly their adversary which remained defiant and enraged despite the might of the Atlesian military levelled against it

"Wolke it sees you!" Aegean warned as a particularly impressive manoeuvrer she had used to avoid the Grimm's bladed appendages brought its' attention to the other craft

"I'm going for it!" Regen announced, bringing her craft into a steep dive that was clearly intended to snatch the Grimm out of the air. The monster, driven by keener intelligence than they had expected hurtled towards her craft and began to pull up in a clear attempt to tear through the cockpit of the Baba-Jaeger attempting to capture it.

Pantheon failed, their efforts being halted by an unexpected source.

"The Hunters!" Aegean laughed as she watched Pantheon's chest explode and its' limbs buckle; the Grimm being dragged downwards by some unseen force, allowing to be neatly snatched out the air by the containment unit of Project Snare

"Holy Oum, that was close" the lead pilot continued laughing, fuelled by the euphoria of victory "Lucky that one of 'em had immobiliser rounds on hand"

"I doubt it was luck" Matte observed, being certain that Gangrel Slate would have told his old friend to have prepared for every eventuality "Mission accomplished, you all performed admirably. Aegean, Wolke escort Regen to Atlesian airspace for-"

"INCOMING!" Wolke's bellowed warning came a moment too late and Regen found herself ejected from the controls as her Baba-Jaeger was obliterated in a beam of ethereal green light

"TARGET IS LOOSE! REPEAT TARGET IS LOOSE!" Aegean all but screamed, Matte watched on in horror as the Grimm burst free of the now destroyed remains of Project Snare and made good its' escape, the attack having burned through it from below

"Break off!" Matte demanded, seeing no sense in risking assets without the means to capture the target "Mission is a failure, break off!" the two remaining pilots never got a chance to comply with the order; their own craft being consumed in flashes of light and reduced to near molten scrap.

"What-what was that?" Aegean demanded in disbelief. Matte turned to the analysts

"Replay the last few seconds of footage from Wolke's feed, slow motion, magnified" the analysts rushed to comply and in a matter of seconds Matte was watching the recovered footage; their large brown eyes widening in fright as they saw a single figure step out from behind a boulder on one of the mountains', the light that had destroyed the Baba-Jaegers coalescing in their hand as several small and indiscernible components rotated around their forearm; what caught Matte by surprise was the brief moment where strands of coppery hair caught the light.

"Everybody out. This mission is now beyond your clearance. Forget everything that you've seen" the pilots, medical staff and analysts all silently complied with the order, understanding implicitly that whatever Matte had seen was a matter of utmost importance. Once alone Matte began the arduous process of recovering every single pixel from the destroyed crafts' cameras; encrypting it and removing every trace from record before sending General Schnee the information.

Winter needed to know that Project Legacy had been located.

* * *

"Can you keep us any steadier?" Diamond demanded as she tried her best to stem the bleeding from Foggy's wounds, using torn strips of his own jacket as makeshift bandages whilst bracing her feet against the floor of the Killer-Bees' interior and using her Semblance in an attempt to minimize the thuds and jolts as the muscle car tore though an environment it was never intended for at speeds that would punish the slightest mistake with a crash.

"I'm trying!" Eagle called back, voice raised over the din of the engine, Sentinel's weapon which threatened to run out of ammunition at any moment and the roars and snarls of thousands of smaller Grimm, those produced by the Spawning Pit being bolstered by the monsters already inhabiting the forest, all the while the ground shook as the Spawning Pits' final creation chased after them; uprooting trees as it went.

"It's gaining on us!" Arctus warned through clenched teeth "I don't know how long I can hold these Glyphs for" as if to underline the statement the a gout of steaming and glowing turquoise ichor spattered against the surface of one of Arctus's Glyphs, the Bear Faunus now being forced to protect the car on all sides, the Glyph shattered into countless shimmering fragments and miniscule droplets of the Grimm's ranged weapon came into contact with the rear door of the car, burning into its' surface enough to leave several small holes.

"THAT'S NOT ACID, THAT'S PLASMA!" Arctus declared, recognising the substance from the previous iteration of his own weapon.

"How far to the tracks?" Diamond demanded

"A little further, we can get some distance there" Eagle answered, daring to take her eyes off of the forest in front of her for a moment and get a good look at what was chasing them in the rear-view mirror.

She almost wished she hadn't. Grimm poured through the trees or simply tore them from the ground in a roiling mass of darkness; common varieties which could be handled with ease in normal circumstances but in their current numbers would simply overwhelm most opposition.

The main threat however was the Spawning Pits' parting shot, a Grimm that Eagle didn't have a name for; it ran on two legs that ended in taloned claws and had a body that was roughly birdlike in structure, it was perhaps a little smaller in height and length than the average house though the long, thin tail trailing behind it gave it the appearance of being larger than it actually was. It had the ubiquitous black and bone colouration common to all creatures of Grimm, with skeletal armour encasing its' chest, extremities and the top of its' skull whilst a row of thin spikes adorned its' spine and tail. Its' forelimbs were folded and tucked lamely against the sides of its' torso as it ran, though this made the Grimm no less threatening as its' real threat was located on its' head and neck; its' skull was sloped and streamlined with a pair of angled crests reaching from its' snout to behind its' eyes and as it screamed in primal fury Eagle saw that its' mouth was filled with hundreds of needle-like teeth. Then in unfurled its' main weapon, folds of flesh draped around its' long and slender neck fanned out into a wide, frilled crest around the Grimm's skull; jet black in colour with veins that glowed at first with the same fiery red as its' eyes and then a faint turquoise as it prepared for another plasma attack.

"HOLD ON!" Eagle warned, veering the Killer-Bee bee sharply off-course and almost ploughing into a tree as she swerved out of the way; several meters of ground were blackened, scorched and dissolved by the plasma but Eagle prevailed, daring to hope as the tree line came into view

"WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT!" a moment later the Killer-Bee, scuffed and damaged as it was, burst out into the clearing created by the train tracks; tires screeching as Eagle turned sharply and simply mounted the tracks before giving chase at full speed.

"I can see the train!" Arctus announced, his Faunus eyes allowing him to see it a moment before Eagle did; the next thing that they saw however shattered what little hope they had managed to retain

"Oh no" Eagle breathed out, all she could manage as Grimm poured out of the forest on either side of the tracks, twin tsunamis of claws and teeth that threatened to wash over them in an instant

"We're gonna die" Diamond said simply as she took in the sight of several thousand monsters blocking their path to the train whilst several thousand more chased after them.

"No we're not!" Eagle declared, her mind racing as fast as the car she drove "Arctus, what's the biggest thing you can summon right now?"

"Maybe a big Nevermore?" he answered after a moment of deliberation, blood already dripping from his nose whilst blood-vessels in his eyes ruptured under the strain of overusing his Semblance as much as he already had.

"Okay" Eagle took a shaky breath before committing to her new plan "Summon it, attack the big Grimm and then chase after the train; make the Grimm follow it instead of us!" Diamond and Arctus both sat in silent shock at the ruthlessness of the idea before the Bear Faunus complied, focusing much of his rapidly failing Aura reserves into a single shimmering construct which pivoted in mid-flight and fired dozens of its' bladed feathers' into the flank of the large Grimm before soaring through the air after the train.

"I don't believe it" Diamond gasped "It worked!" the Grimm with the plasma weapon lost all interest in the car and shrieked in rage as it gave chase to the construct; the countless hordes of smaller Grimm following after it and allowing the Killer-Bee to race alongside them with little interference beyond a lone Beowolf occasionally snapping at the car, only to be promptly despatched

"How's Foggy?" Eagle enquired

"Hanging in there" Diamond replied as she continued to apply pressure and Dust to his wounds

"Okay Arctus just keep that summon going for as long as you can….We're not done yet, we just need an opening"

* * *

"DID THEY JUST SIC THE FUCKING GRIMM ON US?" Rhodium demanded incredulously as he watched the seemingly endless mass of Grimm turn their attention on the train in unison.

"Clever little bastards….shame you're killing their friend; we could use that kind of dirty fighting" Corona noted in a tone that managed to sound almost bored despite the situation, her lips pursed at the sight of what exactly was chasing the glowing construct "And of course it's a damn Phlegmiurge….Cover me, I'll bring it down" the two of them stood atop the rear carriage of the train, the howling wind whipping around them as they prepared to face the oncoming tide; Corona was quickly using her Scroll to activate the trains semi-automatic defences whilst Rhodium had, true to his promise, clambered into the cockpit of the recovered Atlesian Paladin that had been included with his shipment of weapons; unfortunately the robotic battle-suit had not been fully prepared and was currently missing the majority of the front of its' hull, which left its' pilot exposed to any attacker that managed to slip through its' admittedly formidable defences.

"Okay, no. They're not getting a pass on this" Rhodium huffed, raising one of the Paladins' arms and firing a short salvo from the cannon mounted on the limb which destroyed the summoned Nevermore entirely

"Not gonna help, they've already seen the train" Corona sighed, being proven correct as the Phlegmiurge unfurled its' frill and unleashed a beam of plasma that seared the air as it sailed passed the train, several droplets spattering the side of the carriages and sizzling against the metal

"Are you gonna start shooting back at some point?" Rhodium demanded, stunned at the Mantis Shrimp Faunus's composure

"Gimme a sec….There we go" Corona gave a satisfied smile as the trains' defences sprung into life; every window being protected by a reinforced shutter, the angular plough mounted to the front expanding outwards and becoming covered in crackling arcs of electricity as a Dust powered generator sent power coursing through it. At the ends of the train a pair of identical weapons systems came online, each featuring a quartet of chain-guns with six barrels apiece and several surface to air rocket launchers. The opening salvo cut down several hundred Grim in a matter of seconds and ripped into the flank of the Phlegmiurge.

"They're not doing much to the big one!" Rhodium pointed out as he added the Paladin's own firepower to the attack, shooting down the last remnants of the Nevermore flock that the missiles had torn asunder

"They weren't meant for the big stuff!" Corona countered "They're meant to rip through packs. Shit, they're getting onto the train. Help me take 'em out and watch the tracks!" with that the renegade Huntress pocketed her Scroll, hoping that the somewhat outdated weapons system would be able to prioritise the most important targets if left to its' own devices; drawing her pistols she aimed over the side of the train and fired into faces of a pair of Beringrel that had managed to latch onto their carriage, spitting out a curse as she did so at the sight of several other Grimm sinking their claws into the train and attempting to clamber up to their position.

"They're no so tough!" Rhodium laughed at the Paladin ripped through Grimm by the dozen, whilst damage that had never been truly repaired made its' movements slow and jerky whilst several important readouts and screens were simply missing in their entirety; the war machine was still agile to turn and blast a Creep out of the air as it leapt from the trees, jaws snapping at Corona

"Thanks" she then promptly reciprocated by lunging across the roof of the train in a single motion and planting her palms against the chest of a Beringrel that had managed to climb onto the train behind the Paladin. Her Semblance sending the beast hurtling through the air with its' chest reduced to a concave mass of pulp and shattered bone, this was followed by an impressively acrobatic kick that struck the top of a Beowolves' skull with enough force to send the Grimm toppling over the edge of the carriage before she donned her Knuckle-Dusters

"Okay, new plan. You shoot and I'll cover-ARRRGH!" Rhodium felt the air burning behind him and saw the flash of Phlegmiurge firing its' plasma weapon again and thus knew what to expect when he turned to face Corona, the knowledge didn't make the sight that confronted him any less horrific. The Mantis Shrimp Faunus's Aura flickered and failed and she was reduced to screams of unspeakable agony as the viscous, glowing plasma clung to her flesh and clothing, burning away everything it came into contact with; the mobster watched in sickened terror as her right arm was burned away to a bloody stump at the elbow and her cheek and torso were eaten away by the substance

"No! No, no, no, no!" Rhodium screamed, frantically opening fire on Grimm scaling the side of the train as they threatened to make a meal of the downed Huntress. A wordless roar of fury escaped him as he unloaded everything the Paladin had, positioning himself over Corona's prone and mangled form. The battle-suit lurched as a particularly large Beowulf bit into the left arm and began tearing away at it, Rhodium's retaliatory shot only damaging the limb more as it blew the Grimm's head off, the crippled Paladin continued firing even as a Creep ripped away hydraulic pistons in one of the legs before the mobster crushed it underfoot, before long Rhodium was reduced to swatting Grimm aside with the suits' remaining arm; using one hand to operate the Paladin's controls whilst frantically trying to free himself of the cockpits' harness. Another burst of plasma reduced the carriages chain-guns to molten scrap and caused the redhead to halt just long enough for a Grimm to see the opening and leap through the air, claws outstretched as it hurtled towards him.

A golden blur streaked into view and hit the Beowolf with the force of a meteor; breaking its' spine with ease.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me!" Rhodium exclaimed as he made sense of what had just happened. Felix Xiao Long, Aura blazing around his body whilst his face was coated with dried blood and his twin chainsaw bladed swords sparked and screeched looked if anything more terrifying than the Grimm.

"How the fuck did you get overrun this badly when you've got a Paladin?" the Lion Faunus demanded as he weaved around Grimm, tearing them to shreds with his swords or in several cases simply crushing their bones by hand and hurling them from the carriage.

"Hey! I make the smart-ass comments here!" Rhodium retorted as he leapt from the ruined Paladin and drew Melodic Cudgel, first using its' grappling hook feature to haul a Beringrel away from Felix and over the edge of the carriage and then blasting the wing from a Nevermore with a small explosive "And I know this is gonna sound really fucking rich all things considered….but we've got a wounded Huntress" Felix half turned as he impaled a Creep and regarded Corona with an odd mix of pity and loathing, leaving Rhodium worried that he might simply refuse to help

"Get her onto the next carriage, I've got a plan"

"Oh thank Oum" Rhodium muttered, lifting Corona over his shoulder and fighting his way onto the next carriage whilst calling back to the young man that he still couldn't quite believe that he had allied with "What's your plan?"

"There's other villages between here and Vale, we have to stop the Grimm here! Use your Semblance to charge this carriage then decouple it!" Felix called back, treating Rhodium to a smug smile as he relieved another Grimm of its' head "That's what took me so long, I was busy moving your guns into the back"

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Rhodium spat, realising that he had been spectacularly played and had no real options; after a split second of incandescent fury he let out a low hiss "Okay fine, let's do this" Rhodium sprinted back onto the rear carriage and activated his Semblance; Felix protected the gangster as the magenta light engulfing his hands began to spread to the entirety of the carriages' surface. It took almost a minute but eventually Rhodium rose to his feet

"Okay, we're done. I'm gonna blow the coupling" with that he leapt onto the next carriage, where Corona had been safely deposited. Felix watched him ready his weapon and made to follow; only to be sent crashing backwards as Rhodium shot him in the chest. The Lion Faunus leapt to his feet just in time to watch the mobster separate the rear carriage from the rest of the train with a single well placed shot

"I had to win something today!" the mocking taunt could be heard over the train

"Next time Rhodey!" Felix shot back, holding up the Aura dampening collar like a trophy for the mobster to see and promptly activating his own Semblance a moment before the carriage exploded.

Felix's ears were ringing and nothing made sense as he dragged himself free of the wreckage, yet instinct alone propelled him onwards as he sheathed his weapons and entered his Balrog State; the heat he had absorbed from the explosion having given him all the power he would need. His instincts were proven correct as the Phlegmiurge burst through the smoke and dust, roaring and screaming as it made to close its' jaws around his body. The Phlegmiurge had been heavily wounded by the blast, having lost one of its' arms entirely whilst its' flank was ripped open and the frill around its' neck was a tattered mess on one side, leaving plasma dripping down onto the ground. In his Balrog State Felix was an unstoppable force and when the Grimm lunged at him he simply caught its jaws, holding its' mouth open wide and swung the monster so that its' neck collided with a tree, yet it persisted and rose to its' feet once more; shrieking as it made to charge.

Then its' skull was engulfed in a stream of light, leaving its' decapitated corpse to fall to the ground before fading away.

"Sorry it took us so long!" Eagle called out, Felix turned and saw that the Killer-Bee was facing backwards and the Stinger was in the process of collapsing back into the trunk of the car whilst Eagle, Arctus, Diamond and wounded but determined Foggy readied their weapons.

"Oh and um" Eagle shuffled nervously despite the situation "Sorry about your car" Felix couldn't help but laugh at this, even in the face of thousands of Grimm who now had nothing to turn their appetite for destruction towards save for the Hunters.

"Don't worry about it" Felix panted out as his Balrog state failed "We can buff that out….if we make it out here alive"

* * *

"Can this craft fly no faster?" Helios demanded as Team NEON raced towards Felix's location. The Lion Faunus had contacted the redhead soon after freeing himself from the Aura dampening collar and explained the situation as he knew that Helios had been deployed to one of New Vale's aerial defence platforms. Helios himself had immediately relayed the information to the officer in charge, who had, mercifully wasted no time with unnecessary questions or bureaucracy and leapt into action; the knowledge that the freight line between New Vale and Vaccuo was closed due to a suspected Grimm Spawning Pit in close proximity had already been disseminated to those operating the Kingdoms' defences and the knowledge that their were student Hunters in mortal peril warranted nothing less than swift and decisive action. Team NEON, at Helios's instance had assigned to one of the two dozen Bull-Heads filled with Hunters, soldiers and Poly-Tech manufactured battle robots that were being deployed to halt the incursion and would in fact be among the first to deploy

"We've passed most of the train" Nyanza informed him "Looks like they disconnected the last carriage as a distraction"

"COMING UP ON DROP ZONE!" the co-pilot bellowed back to those in the rear of the craft, Team NEON and a heavy weapons team formed of half a dozen specially trained men and women of New Vale's armed forces

"What's the situation on the ground?" one of the soldiers' enquired

"Sweet fucking Oum it's a zoo down there" the words were sobering, though they spurred Helios into action and he rose to his feet, opening the hatch and preparing to leap down into the fray

"We'll clear a landing area for you. Nyanza, Ether, Olivine; follow me" with that Helios leapt, his dislike of heights utterly forgotten as he plummeted towards the ground; his obsidian Aura manifesting around his body as he engaged his Semblance in mid-air, reaching terminal velocity as he magnified gravity around himself. The ground rushed up to meet him and Helios clutched at his shield, driving its' edge neatly through a King-Taijitu and splitting the serpentine Grimm in half before sprinting towards Felix's car; Team FADE and their assigned Hunter had fallen back and were currently pressed against the sides of the vehicle and at risk of being swallowed by the tide of monsters at any moment

"FELIX DOWN!" he roared before hurling his shield into the face of an Ursa with enough force to split the Grimm's skull open before leaping into the fray, sword flashing out and tearing Grimm apart at incredible speed.

"HELIOS!" Felix warned as a Beowulf lunged at the redhead; only for its' jawbone to be splintered by Nyanza who fell gracefully from the air and pistol-whipped the Grimm as he landed

"Reinforcements are here" he said simply, eyes glowing with his Semblance of good fortune as he entered the battle in earnest; weaving around the mass of attacking Grimm and gunning them down with a series of shots that no ordinary marksman could ever have hoped to achieve and shattering limbs with the weapons in their tonfa form. Olivine and Ether soon made their own presence known as all around them soldiers and Hunters dropped into the battlefield and began cutting down the monsters in droves; Buster Bravo alone accounting for over a Hundred destroyed Grimm in a single salvo as Olivine opened fire without mercy or hesitation.

"Holy shit Dude we did it" Diamond laughed, adrenaline still coursing through her as she leapt down from the roof of the Killer-Bee which she'd been sniping from and into Arctus's arms as the exhausted Bear Faunus sunk his sword into the ground.

"Thanks, it looked like we were pretty much done for there" Eagle murmured out to not only Team NEON but the reinforcements as a whole as she slumped back against the side of the Killer-Bee, utterly spent, caked in mud and dust and bleeding from countless small cuts. Helios heard her but paid no mind to anything other than Felix as he pulled the clearly wounded and bloody Lion Faunus to his feet and into a crushing hug

"Are you okay?" he whispered softly in his ear

"Nothing that won't fix" Felix assured him, words slurred by his admittedly injured jaw and missing teeth; despite his assurances however Helios could feel the way that Felix was swaying against him and it was clear that the Faunus was barely clinging to consciousness.

"Sir" Foggy forced himself upright and snapped off a quick salute despite his injuries, causing the students to turn and face a man whose uniform bore countless of medals and embellishments; Helios recognised the man as the officer in charge of the Eos Defence Platform, striding through the now desolate battlefield as the Hunters, soldiers and machines cut through the last of the Grimm; their combined might making the task far less daunting.

"At ease" the office said simply, taking a quick look at the condition of Team FADE and making the obvious choice "All of you at ease, you've done well; you held the line for your Kingdom. You've earned yourself a break before your debriefing"

"I'll handle debriefings" Foggy offered "Send them straight to the Academy for medical"

"Oh I will, but I'm sure they'll have to report to their Headmistresses at some point" Team FADE shared a groan of exhaustion at the prospect of paperwork in addition to the ordeal that they had already endured; Helios merely grinned and responded in the only way someone raised by the Nikosi could, whispering into Felix's ear

"I look forward to hearing this story; it seems as though it bordered on legendary"

* * *

Rhodium Torchwick was, in a word, furious. His return to New Vale had been far from the triumphant one that he had envisioned and the redhead considered the facts that he was both still alive and had not been apprehended by the police of Hunters to be his only real victories.

His weapons were all but wasted, only a crate or two having been missed by Felix in the Lion Faunus's endeavour to move them into the rear of the train prior to its' detonation; to add insult to injury there had been breaking news articles from reporters live at the scene, which camera crews had flocked to the moment the area had been cleared of Grimm which not only broadcast Rhodium's failures for all of New Vale to see, but confirmed that Felix Xiao Long had the unspeakable audacity to not be dead after Rhodium had blown him up.

Secondly the workers at the train yard had been most displeased to learn that the engineers who had been aboard when the train departed for Vaccuo had simply been left at the settlement of Gnarledwood, a representative of the workers' union, itself a thinly veiled criminal enterprise had informed Rhodium in the bluntest possible terms that they would not be continuing business with him in any way, shape or form including protection money, going so far as to threaten to pay for protection from Melanie Malachite instead if he attempted to force the issue.

Rhodium assured himself that he would see the defiant union crushed into dust once he was done with far more pressing matters. His immediate concern had been getting Corona medical attention; Hunters and expendable workers were one thing but he did not abandon his true allies, after all he may be a ruthless crime boss but he still had standards; besides he needed a capable right hand to replace Tricky. Naturally an ordinary hospital was out of the question, Corona was now a wanted criminal, so Rhodium had pulled every available string and had a comfortable apartment that served as one of his own personal boltholes converted into a long term private hospital room for her, complete with paid off doctors. The red-headed gangster amused himself by imagining what his mother would say if she knew that he had let a Huntress, who before her injuries had been undeniably attractive, into one of his apartments; he shuddered as he realised that it would no doubt involve calls for grandchildren.

Currently Rhodium was alone in one of his many businesses, he hadn't alerted anyone to the fact he had returned yet; he knew of Ozymandias and Vert's failure to wrest control of the city from Melanie in his absence and he didn't trust himself not to lose his temper if he met with them. Instead he was taking matters into his own hands, this turf war was going badly and as much as he hated to admit it there was a serious risk of him losing and finding himself in a shallow and unmarked grave; it was with that in mind that Rhodium had used a considerable amount of skill at lying, charm and crude intimidation to acquire the Scroll number he was about to call. Taking one final drag of a cigar before putting it out he called and waited, the sound of the Scroll ringing echoing throughout the empty betting shop he was sat in.

"Hello, who is this?" a polite and refined voice asked, though the speaker was clearly annoyed at being contacted so late in the evening. Rhodium forced himself to stifle a derisive snort

"Hey Melanie….you can drop the cute barmaid voice, it's me" he waited a beat for his rival crime lord to connect the dots and realise who was on the other end of the line before continuing "We're both losing people and Lien here; so let's have a chat. I'll come over to your place in an hour"

 **Authors Notes:**

Ladies and gents today is the twenty-ninth of May 2019, which means that as of today FADE: Legacy is two years old.  
This chapter was posted a little early as a treat to celebrate that, happy anniversary to all of my readers, especially those of you who've been here since all the way back in 2016 when I started The Downward Spiral.  
So, there's one chapter left of this Volume and then we're onto Vol.8…..7 of 12 volumes out of the way, so I'm thinking that this will take a little over another year to finish; I'd say eighteen months at most.

Now then, we've got a lot to talk about so let's summarise:  
Rhodey really is a bastard isn't he?  
Leaving the weapons in plain view, amateur mistake.  
Also this whole thing with Felix being captured is from a discarded idea I had for second year; there was a point where I was planning on having Felix captured by the White Fang at the end of Vol.5 and he would have had his tail cut off then rather than in Vol.6 at the tournament.  
Okay the banter between Felix and Rhodey in this chapter was a pleasure to write _"If this is where you tell me you've got a crush"  
_ You know what the Joker did to Jason Todd….yeah, imagine that.  
" _You may as well just shoot him now"_ Corona gives me some real 'Marlo' vibes, if you've ever watched The Wire you'll get it.  
So yeah, Rhodey thinks Corona is hot….so that one person who shipped them; you're welcome.  
You thought the thing with the Aura dampening collar was never gonna get paid off didn't you?  
Eagle can drive, however she can't drive well.  
Foggy is smarter than most adults in these situations in fiction; like yes he still did the sensible thing of calling for verification but at least he listened.  
Shout out to Eagle for an amazing Nick Fury impression.  
Foggy was definitely brave, but his plan needed a few minutes of thinking.  
Gotta love how far Team FADE have come, I feel like Eagle in particular kicked all of the ass this chapter.  
Team GORE held the line as well as could possibly be expected there.  
So, it was definitely an attempt at a trap by someone _(Which we all know was Project Legacy at this point)  
_ The Baba-Jaegers are advanced, but they don't have forcefields and they're not indestructible.  
I wanted the aerial battle to feel really frantic and out of control, I don't know exactly how well it came across.  
And just for a moment, you thought that the good guys _(Or at the very least the Atlesian military)_ had won this round.  
So, Pantheon escaped which means that Atlas didn't get it but neither did Project Legacy; which is a dent in Oz's plans.  
And at this point I'm sure that most of you have guessed what/who Project Legacy is….we'll meet her properly next chapter; I've still got a fun little twist planned that you won't see coming.  
I'm just imaging the Jurassic Park _"Must go faster"_ scene  
Plasma, like the shift Arctus's weapon used to fire and is a war crime if it's used against a person….this Grimm spits it.  
The Phlegmiurge is based on a Dilophosuarus, because I found out about just how much more they are in the Jurassic Park book than the film; the name is based on the demon 'Demiurge' but Phlegm….'cos it spits.  
Team FADE are admittedly fighting dirty as all fuck here, and honestly good for them.  
When I was writing the scene with Rhodey and Corona on the roof I kept thinking of the battle for Zion in Matrix Revelations with Rhodium's Paladin as one of those mechs.  
I love that Rhodey and Felix were basically both trying to fuck each other over while having to be allies of convenience.  
The rest of Team FADE coming in with the nice save.  
Felix played smart and called for backup.  
Helios's entrances are bad-ass as usual but I feel like Nyanza has grown into a real bad-ass since first year.  
So yeah, Team FADE got a win and a happy ending for this one….and Helios's last line was classic Helios.  
Okay despite my portrayal of them in this and other chapters I am a militant unionist and fully support every worker unionising.  
So Corona is alive, she's missing an arm and her face and chest have got some pretty nasty burn scars but she's alive.  
Rhodey and Melanie, face to face for the first time next chapter….this should be good.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, iSassenach, Funlander and DizzyDwarf for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Okay, the idea of Team GORE getting their own transport is starting to appeal to me.  
All of those cliffhangers got paid off, and now we have new ones.  
I feel like the end of Raffia with a head would regrow, although it's not something I'm planning on experimenting with.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	98. Salutations

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 98: Salutations**

Team NEON had been discharged from their mission ahead of schedule following their involvement in the rescue of Team FADE from the tide of Grimm. Less than a day had passed and the four of them had decided to use their newfound free time by going their separate ways; Nyanza having informed Helios that he would be purchasing a ticket for the first available flight to Mistral that morning, the feline Faunus was in a long distance relationship after all and wanted to spend some time with his girlfriend before classes resumed for the third year students; Helios had bid his partner a safe travel and given him a few cautionary pieces of advice in case Nyanza chose to venture outside of Mistral's capital. Olivine and Ether had returned home the night before, with the events of their mission being broadcast and reported on the two of them had received concerned calls from their parents who wished to make sure that their children were okay and the pair had soon agreed to spend a day or two with their respective families, though would no doubt meet up at some point before returning to the Academy.

Undeterred by the fact that his team-mates were elsewhere and that Felix had been kept in Halo Academies' medical facilities overnight to ensure that the beating he had received whilst his Aura was inhibited hadn't done any lasting damage, the armoured redhead had departed from the Academy and was currently making his way through the sprawling super-metropolis that was New Vale's capital. Despite the city being his second home and having spent over a year living in New Vale with much of another spent in Atlas he still found himself feeling far more vulnerable than one would expect of someone with his height and physique. Usually Helios ventured into the city with either Felix or Nyanza at his side and was still not quite mentally prepared to deal with the mass of people that forced themselves onto public transport during rush hour alone, however he persevered and withstood the clamouring bodies and claustrophobic environment of the cities' monorails; which in hindsight Helios noted would have been at least somewhat more tolerable if he had simply foregone his armour.

Eventually he had been released, a steady stream of apologies on his lips as he accidentally pushed and jostled his fellow commuters before finally being free to continue towards his destination, which was now much closer. The Airship terminal he approached was not the same one that carried students to Halo however it was one that Helios was still familiar with, being the one that he arrived at when travelling from Mistral. The airship terminal was contained within its' own purpose-built expansion of New Vale's walls and had been protected accordingly; staring at the huge complex whose polished and welcoming yet professional aesthetic was somewhat offset by the considerable defences mounted around it Helios noted with a frown that had Nyanza not been so eager to leave he would have still be in their dorm when Helios received the message telling that he should make his way to the Cross-Kingdom terminal and they could have simply travelled together.

"Hey Helios!" the redhead found his thoughts intruded on by an exceptionally pleased sounding voice which Helios recognised at turned towards; finding Ruby Rose and Qrow Branwen waiting to the side of the terminals' main entrance

"Hey" in a burst of rose petals Ruby had flashed to his side, leaving Helios blinking as he tried to adjust himself to her speed; he had been warned by Felix that his Aunt could take some getting used to but to see her seemingly vanish and reappear at will was still disconcerting

"It's just me and Qrow meeting your sister here" she continued "Penny is at home and the twins are at school, we didn't wanna have everyone swarm her at once y'know?"

"Thank you" Helios gave her a small smile before giving a respectful nod to Qrow who had remained where he was, wearing his customary gruff scowl

"No Felix? Yang tells me you two are adorable together and I saw the news reports yesterday about his team running into a Spawning Pit"

"Felix won't be able to join us, at least not just yet" Helios informed her with a sigh "The nurses wanted to keep him overnight; he'll be fine though"

"Of course he will" Ruby beamed "Come on, her flight landed and she should be coming through customs any minute now with that the two of them made their way into the airship terminal, Ruby gesturing for Qrow to follow them as they did so. They made their way through the crowded building, Helios feeling more at ease now he was in surroundings that were at least slightly familiar and had room to breathe; finally allowing himself to acknowledge and enjoy the slight giddiness he was feeling, he had missed his sister and wanted to show her everything New Vale had to offer. Eventually they were saved the trouble of having to search for her as a voice Helios would recognise anywhere pierced the ambient buzz of conversations

"MOVE THAT HAND OR I'LL KEEP IT IN A JAR!"

"I need back up here, we've got a situation!" the voice of a frightened member of staff was enough justification for Helios to simply barge through the crowds and march in the direction of his sisters' voice

"ON THE GROUND! RIGHT NOW!"

"I will do no such-"

"SYNEFFO!" Helios barked as he stormed into the space that had been cleared, whilst a loose semicircle of guards aimed automatic weapons at an obviously enraged teenage girl with crimson hair, clad in light, golden armour and whose tribal markings and visible bloody scarlet Aura made her a fearsome sight as she began to crush the hand of a customs official in a vice like grip; halting only when her brother made his presence known

"Sir, you need to-"

"Silence!" Helios demanded, years of being raised to become the leader of his people rising to the surface and causing all who heard his voice to fall silent. Speaking with the same authority he turned to his sister "What is going on here?"

"This pervert was trying to touch me"

"She's wearing armour, it set off the metal detectors, I had to-" the panicking and exceptionally guilty looking customs officials' stammered explanation was swiftly ended as Syneffo broke his wrist with a sharp crack. Helios for his part took one look at the man his sister had accosted and decided which of them he believed more, finding himself grateful that he had left his sword and shield at the academy; if they had been within reach he would have done something that he may have regretted later

"That's enough. Everyone put your guns down…..Nikos, drop him" Qrow's familiar drawling voice ordered calmly; the security guards turned and saw that not only did they have a pair of tribal savages to contend with, they also had the living legend that was Qrow Branwen and the war hero Ruby Rose; who looked more furious than they could have ever imagined.

"Mister Branwen, I don't know what you're involvement is but we're detaining her into-"

"No" Qrow drawled with a shake of the head as he stepped closer to the speaker, an armed guard whose uniform identified them as someone with authority "What's gonna happen is you're gonna go and get Miss Nikos's bags and weapons and hand 'em over and we're all gonna forget this happened. Or we can have a look at the security cameras and see just how touchy feely your friend over there was getting….I would love to see you find a jury who would actually convict my niece after she cuts his hands off though" the chief security guard took a few moments to assess the situation before promptly making the only logical decision

"All a misunderstanding, Stone go and find Miss Nikos's property; Birch drive this idiot to the hospital….I've gotta go fill out the paperwork for his suspension pending investigation" there was a single incredibly tense second before the security staff did as they were ordered, Helios nevertheless planting himself between them and Syneffo. The tension persisted until Syneffo had received and checked her belongings and the four of them had been escorted outside; Ruby took several deep breaths to steady herself before speaking

"So, um Hi….that wasn't quite the introduction to Vale I was hoping you'd get. I'm Ruby Rose and I'm-"

"The Silver Eyed Warrior who's going to be training me" Syneffo bowed her head slightly "It's an honour"

"Oh, I um….yeah" Ruby found herself stammering, the ghost of the shy and awkward fifteen year old accepted into Beacon Academy early coming to the fore as she struggled to deal with the reverence in Syneffo's eyes; the same unnaturally bright silver as her own but with a ferocious intensity behind them that Ruby was sure she'd never possessed

"But we're not gonna jump straight into the deep end. Um, we were gonna go back to my place….where you'll be staying, introduce you to the family, help you get settled in; maybe go out for food"

"Ruby, let the kid breathe" Qrow advised

"Right, sure no problem; come on it's a little walk to the monorail….I can't actually bring my wife's Bull-Head into the terminals' airspace" with that Ruby and Qrow led the way, giving Syneffo and Helios a moment alone

"Are you going to be okay here?" the older Nikosi asked, making no effort to hide his concern for his sister as she sheathed her ornate twin axes _'The Harpies Claws'_ in their customary place at her hips

"Will I have to break any more wrists?"

"I can assure that it will never happen again" Helios scowled, still disgusted at the behaviour of the customs official but wanting to move the conversation away from the topic "So, your first impression of Ruby Rose?"

"Not what I expected" Syneffo shrugged as they followed after the caped Huntress

"You were expecting a stern, angry master warrior like the tribal elders?" Helios surmised with a knowing smile

"I expected taller" Syneffo snorted "Where's Felix….and your team, I thought the idiot cat would be here"

"You'll have plenty of time to annoy my friends" Helios assured her "In the meantime, try and settle into the Kingdom….it will take some getting used to" Syneffo merely nodded in silence as she took in her surroundings; whilst in Atlas the Nikosi contingent had always set up camp outside of the cities; making New Vale, which dwarfed Mistral's cities with ease a new experience for her

"I can see that" she admitted. Ahead of them Ruby's mind was racing as she desperately tried to convince herself that she was prepared for the situation she had found herself in. She could train this girl to fight, the real problem however was one that she hadn't expected to deal with for several more years.

There was going to be an Aura wielding teenager in her house.

* * *

Pantheon watched the world pass them by, fiery glowing and malevolent eyes narrowed as the monster scanned their surroundings; peering out from the shallow cave like hole that they had bored into the rocky face of one of the Jagged Mountains with their own claws for any sign of an impending attack. Ever since they had escaped the ambush by the Hunters, the flying machines and whatever it was that had destroyed them Pantheon had been doing something that set them apart from most creatures of Grimm almost as much as their ability to speak

They had been hiding and thinking.

"Come to me" Pantheon let out a low guttural snarl as their consciousness abandoned their physical form for a moment, retreating into the broken remains of the Grimm Hive Mind; a labyrinth of pathways that had once formed a vast yet intangible web like network wherein each Spawning Pit and Alpha Grimm was connected and through them the innumerable hordes of the Grimm were united. Pantheon however had never known the hive mind as anything other than what it currently was, fragmented and torn asunder as though some great cataclysm had befallen it, the destruction expanding outwards from an epicentre. Still the monster reached out with their own mind in search any lesser Grimm that could be compelled to follow.

"Come to me" Pantheon's voice echoed through the Hive as his astrally projected consciousness found a roiling mass of darkness that was lit from within by an ominous crimson glow, the psychic manifestation of a Spawning Pit that was almost certainly located somewhere within the mountains. Pantheon attempted to reach out and touch the mass only to find themselves unable, it existed within a different fragment of the broken hive mind and they had no way to influence the Grimm that the Spawning Pit produced.

Pantheon made to retract their consciousness back into their physical form, only to be halted by a crimson light glaring down on them from above and an all consuming and undeniable voice with a feminine tone repeating the Grimm's own words back to them

"COME TO ME!" the voice seemed to transcend the astral plane of the hive mind and cause Pantheon's body to physically shudder

"COME TO ME!"

"Where?" Pantheon snarled in response, utterly unable to deny this voice as some ancient and primal part of their psyche forced them to obey whilst also pumping new information into their mind.

"COME!" the light from above condensed and coalesced into a scarlet nova and hurtling overhead, dipping below the horizon of the astral plane. As Pantheon's mind returned to their body the path the crimson light had taken still seemed to be superimposed over their vision, giving them a trail to follow and making it abundantly clear what needed to be done. Pantheon would follow the trail to the source of the voice, consuming and recruiting Grimm as they went to ensure that they arrived with an army of monsters at their back; stepping out of the cave they had burrowed into the mountain Pantheon unfurled their wings and spoke

"I'm coming home….Mother"

* * *

It was early afternoon and Felix had finally been discharged from Halo Academies' medical wing; promptly returning to Team FADE's dormitory in search of the sleep that had been denied to him by the dizziness and nausea caused by the various painkillers and Aura stimulating medication he had been placed on as well as the distinctly uncomfortable sensation of his recovering Aura accelerating his healing and pushing new teeth through his gums to replace the ones that had been knocked out.

Upon arriving at the dorm it had soon become apparent that he would not be getting the rest that he sought at any time soon as there were more pressing matters that required his attention; the first order of business had naturally been to contact his mothers as both Blake and Yang had seen the news reports detailing the way his mission had ended and were understandably desperate for information. After assuring them that he was suffering no lasting injuries and simply needed to sleep he exchanged a few quick messages with Helios enquiring about Syneffo's arrival and flight before finally turning his attention to the Goliath in the room that he had been ignoring.

There were far too many people in his dormitory.

Arctus and Diamond were, as usual, sharing Arctus's bunk across and below from Felix; the Bear Faunus with bloody eyes and Diamond with a large ugly bruise from where the butt of her weapon had kicked against her shoulder repeatedly in addition to the various smaller cuts and bruises that they sported, Diamond curled against her partner as the two of them shared adorable reactions to the latest photos that Athena-Jade had taken, showing that Coral had seemingly managed to make friends at the private school that the Slate children attended, or at least that the Crab Faunus had been accepted by her adoptive sisters' friend group. Directly below Felix was Eagle who was dozing and barely conscious as she lay in a tangle of limbs with Hellion; the Dragonfly Faunus having sought her out the moment that Team GORE had returned from their own mission and whilst Felix could understand and accept her presence the fact that Carcharodon, Onyx and Raffia were in his dormitory remained a mystery that the Lion Faunus was unsure he wanted an answer to

"You throw that on the floor and I'll make you clean the whole dorm" the Lion Faunus warned as he glowered at Raffia, the Axolotl Faunus had made himself as comfortable as possible considering the mass of bruising that his entire midsection had been reduced to on Diamond's bunk and was currently gnawing away at every last morsel of meat on a chicken wing before seemingly preparing to casually throw the bone on the ground.

"You will try" Raffia taunted

"If I have to clean chicken bones out of my bed I'll beat your ass" Diamond threatened

"As if you ever sleep in it" Raffia huffed, finding a simple solution and flicking the bone directly at Felix who used every ounce of self control at his disposal to not beat the smaller Faunus to within an inch of his life for the disrespect and instead turned to Carcharodon and Onyx, the Shark Faunus looking somewhat out of place and uncomfortable

"So are you gonna tell me what you want before I throw this idiot out of the window?" Carcharodon gave Raffia a warning glare which did at least a little to quiet his disruptive team-mate before answering

"We saw the news, Torchwick was involved in your mission….it seems then that we both have stories to share"

"You're seriously bothering me 'cos you wanna trade war stories?" Felix grumbled "You seriously couldn't wait until we've actually slept?"

"Hold on wait" Arctus interjected "You were on a mission with my Aunt Missy, is she okay?"

"Fought like a warrior and her wounds are nothing serious" Onyx assured him "It's what we were fighting that's important"

"But first, what about Torchwick?" Carcharodon demanded "We still want a reckoning with him"

"Don't worry I didn't steal your kill" Felix snorted, remembering the attitude that the tribes of Anima had towards the right to dispense justice "It was just Torchwick doing his usual shit, we just happened to be in the way. He was running guns and had the Hunter he's paying off use the Grimm as a distraction"

"We'll catch him in time….he can't hide behind hired guns forever" Onyx grunted

"Indeed" Carcharodon rasped, visibly eager for a confrontation with the mobster "But Onyx is right, it was what we were Hunting on our mission that's important to us….Arctus, are you aware that your father is part of an Atlesian mission to capture a live Grimm for study?"

"That's just ridiculous" the Bear Faunus snorted "How would you even study a Grimm….you can't sedate it and anything you dissect or amputate is just gonna vanish; that's not even considering the risk of it getting lose-"

"I didn't ask if you think it's possible" Carcharodon interrupted "It's happening. I asked if you knew….obviously not. This Grimm was different to the others, it could speak"

"What?" Felix demanded, suddenly paying much closer attention

"A thinking, speaking Grimm" Carcharodon repeated

"We've seen one before" Felix admitted in a hushed tone "During the breach a couple years ago, it called itself Phobos"

"This one calls itself Pantheon" Raffia noted

"It was like no Grimm we've ever encountered" Carcharodon fought the urge to shudder "We held it at bay until Atlesian war-machines arrived and captured it….then it was set free"

"What?" Diamond demanded

"Someone or something opened fire and cut down Atlas's fighters; the Grimm escaped" Onyx growled "It's still out there" there was an oppressive silence in the dorm before Felix finally spoke

"So what are you suggesting?"

"That we find out everything that Atlas is keeping secret and find this beast" Carcharodon rasped

"If it can think then it can hold a grudge, I'd rather not fight it on its' own terms" Raffia reasoned, making a surprisingly well reasoned point

"Besides" Carcharodon added, almost amused "We agreed to be Hunters….is this not what we're supposed to do?"

"Okay that's a fair point" Felix shrugged "But this honestly sounds like it's way outside of what we're trained for"

"You were never trained to fight us and you did anyway" Raffia snorted, which Felix was forced to concede was another good point.

"Look" Arctus sighed "When we fought Phobos we made sure that Goodwitch knew what we saw; obviously she's passed the information on to people in the know. If the Grimm are….I don't know, evolving or something then maybe it's better to let the people in the Atlesian military who know how to handle this kind of thing handle it"

"They handled it by sending my people with little information" Carcharodon snarled, his temper bubbling to the surface

"Then get in touch with my dad and see what he can tell you" Arctus answered simply

"Oh I plan to Slate" Carcharodon assured him before turning to Felix "I trust that should we learn anything you'll want to be informed?"

"Sure" Felix nodded "And we'll tell you if we hear anything about Torchwick" with that three quarters of Team GORE made their exit whilst Hellion remained nuzzling into Eagle as they both slept, Onyx making a passing comment about finding Corvid which Felix desperately pretended not to hear

"So, we're apparently dealing with this now" Diamond sighed "We can never just go to class and be normal can we?"

"Not in this line of work" Arctus chuckled; Felix silently agreed. It seemed that problems and responsibilities continued to pile up despite his best efforts.

Not least of which was the letter from his biological mother that had been waiting on his bed for him when he had returned.

* * *

The sun was just beginning to set outside the gargantuan towers that formed the Hive City of New Vale and Rhodium wore a calm and confident smile as he neared his destination. Melanie Malachite had naturally declined to have negotiations and potential peace talks be thrust upon her on Rhodium's terms and upon arriving at her bar the previous night the redhead had been offered a counterproposal by her underlings; terms which he had graciously accepted despite them being openly skewed in favour of the older and more experienced mobster.

"This is the place" he noted simply from his position in the back seat of Vert's car, the younger gangster driving whilst the passenger seat was filled by one of his usual cronies whose baggy attire served to hide firearms they carried from view. At Rhodium's instruction Vert brought the car to a halt outside of the business that would play host to the meeting between the crime lords; a small Mistrali restaurant declaring itself to have the best noodles available in the city

"Well at least she's got taste" Rhodium noted with a smirk as he left the car and swaggered to the entrance of the establishment alone, Vert and his friend waiting in the car as agreed upon. As he reached the restaurant the redhead found his way barred by a pair of armed thugs dressed in the customary suits, fedoras and red tinted sunglasses of the Black Bear Syndicate who began to diligently search him for weapons

"So, which one of you lucky guys got to give Mel this treatment?" he asked, the goons knowing better than to rise to the bait simply continued with their task until it was clear that they would find nothing, at which point they led him to a small and isolated, yet comfortable dining area away from the rest of the seating.

Melanie was waiting for him.

"Well Mister Torchwick….I was honestly expecting a more striking appearance" she eyed the formal and nondescript black suit that Rhodium had worn for the occasion before gesturing to an empty seat opposite her "But I am glad you've seen sense and decided to….sit at the grown ups' table as it were"

"And I expected better legs from someone who puts knives in their shoes" Rhodium shot back without hesitation, making no effort to hide the way he sized up his rivals' body and overall appearance as he made himself comfortable; he noted that her dress and fur coat cost more than his car, privately he made a note to buy something from this designer for his mother as an apology for the problems that he routinely caused, perhaps he'd get something for Corona as well, depending on how she felt about the scarring that would certainly cover much of her upper body from now on.

"Don't lower the bar" Melanie sighed "I've humoured you this long out of respect for your late father but my patience really is beginning to wear thin"

"Well then let's get down to business shall we" Rhodium sighed before waving a waiter over "After I've ordered obviously, and this is on you since you wanted to meet here"

"I understand that you must be struggling to make ends meet after your recent string of losses" Melanie assured him a faux soothing tone that only served to be as mocking as humanly possible; Rhodium ignored the jibe as he placed his order, tipping the waiter generously whilst smiling sweetly

"So, let's talk business" Rhodium began "You don't want any more dead bodies, neither do I. We both know the only way that we can both have any kind of peace and quiet is if we both agree to break New Vale up and we both stay in our own turf"

"An interesting offer" Melanie admitted with a calculating expression which quickly gave way to a knowing smirk "But I assume these territories are not going to be fair or equal in your mind?"

"Come on business is business, I can't start compromising right off the bat" the redhead laughed "I want eighty percent of everything; you can hustle in my spots but you pay rent for the privilege"

"Torchwick you can take a sixty forty split in my favour and you can be grateful for it" Melanie countered

"I thought you'd say that" the redhead laughed "So, shall we just cut the bullshit and call it fifty fifty and we stay out of each others' way?"

"Well that depends entirely which businesses and areas you want control of"

"Narcotics are my trade, your people stay out of 'em. I want the freight docks handed over and I'm taking over all protection rackets south of tower twelve" Melanie thought for a moment before answering

"You're ambitious I'll give you that….south of tower nineteen. If you want a monopoly on all narcotics then I'm going to need something of value to make it worth my interest. Shall we start with a few of your legal businesses, Cain Security Personnel for instance?"

"Go fuck yourself" Rhodium spat without hesitation; Melanie's suggestion that he forfeit the business named for his mother was a calculated insult and they both knew it "How about I take Junior's?" Melanie visibly bristled at the prospect of losing the nightclub she had inherited from her Uncle

"Watch your mouth boy" she warned "I was willing to give you a fair offer but you're attitude is costing you"

"You came here to give me table scraps and hope I'd be happy with it" Rhodium retorted as he rose to his feet

"And you came here hoping to posture and talk your way out of a war you can't win. You've lost your Hunters, your gun running went south yesterday, most of your best people are in jail along with the little fucker who tried to get my niece hooked on your drugs; Moss will be dead by the end of the week in case you were wondering" Melanie became more and more furious with each word and her mint green eyes blazed with hatred by the time she was finished

"Then we're back where we started" Rhodium intoned flatly as he made to leave "I was promised safe passage?"

"You can leave, the war starts again tomorrow" Melanie promised, seemingly relishing the prospect. Rhodium stepped out of the reserved seating just as the waiter appeared carrying a bowl of noodles in a spicy and still boiling broth

"Thank you….I'll pay for the clean up, this place is under new management" Melanie heard the words and knew that something was wrong the moment that Rhodium stepped back into view; rising to her feet she made to bellow orders to her underlings only to find herself blinded and clutching at her face in pain as the redhead calmly threw the contents of the bowl into her eyes whilst keeping the bowl itself in his hand. The members of the Syndicate made to draw their weapons and launch into action, only for their chests to explode into twin clouds of red mist when Vert and his compatriot leapt out of the car and began firing automatic weapons through the windows. Taking advantage of her blind and injured state with cruel efficiency Rhodium crushed the porcelain bowl in his hands as he stalked closer to Melanie, his hands becoming wreathed in the vibrant magenta glow of his Semblance whilst he chose the sharpest of the many jagged fragments. With Melanie stunned and disoriented she was unable to raise her Aura to defend herself and Rhodium calmly stabbed the sharp into the soft flesh of her lower jaw, warm blood sizzling as it came into contact with his Aura. Melanie's cries of pain were reduced to a sickening gurgle and the red head leaned in whispering in her ear

"Just so you know, this was always the plan. I run New Vale" with that declaration he stepped back and allowed the destructive effects of his Semblance to take hold, the explosion ripping through Melanie's skull and painting the wall behind her red. Rhodium simply turned on his heel and made his way passed cowering waiters and cooks to the car where his cohorts were waiting

"So….there's no competition now?" Vert asked

"There was never any competition, Mel was a has-been who inherited her spot at the top" Rhodium stared down at hands that still glowed with explosive energies; there was a certain symbolism that he had wanted to capture in the way he killed his rival, he could have simply stabbed or shot Melanie but in his mind it had to be his Semblance that delivered the killing blow

"I didn't get handouts like that, I got my spot at the top the same way I got everything else" he paused and looked his underling in the eye with a maniacal grin "With my own two hands"

* * *

Night had long since fallen and Felix had found himself in a dormitory that was not his own. With the majority of Team NEON absent Helios had invited the blonde Faunus to stay the night, an offer that had been accepted without reservations; their living arrangements meaning that any such opportunities for privacy were not to be wasted, notion Felix had jokingly mentioned to Arctus and Diamond as he left. Hellion and Eagle were after all unlikely to wake up unless the pair were exceptionally enthusiastic. Diamond had naturally responded with rude hand gestures and a roll of her cherry red eyes whilst Arctus had been seemingly mortified at the mere idea of engaging in any such activities whilst there were others in the room.

Currently Felix was sat on the edge of the bed opposite Helios which he had found himself perched on after pacing for several minutes; he was exhausted yet sleep would not come and the Lion Faunus privately wished that his soreness was the only think keeping him awake.

"Fuck it" he breathed out as his eyes darted over the text of the latest letter from his as yet unknown biological mother. He had memorised its' contents by heart now and was simply going in circles as he tried to decide on the best course of action. He took a long deep breath before reaching for his Scroll and silently hoping that both Blake and Yang had been honest when they had promised him that this would have no effect on his relationship with them.

"Here goes" Felix muttered to himself as he entered the contact details that had been at the bottom of each message, considering the hour it would be a bad idea to call so instead he found himself staring at a blank text message for several moments with no idea of what he wanted to say. Eventuality forcing himself to type despite reservations that he still couldn't shake and sending a message, reading simply

' _Sorry it's taken so long to reply. I want to meet up, I've got questions – Felix'_

"So you made a decision?" Helios asked sleepily, Felix had left the lights off as he had no need of them but the light from his Scroll had most likely been what had awoken the redhead

"Yeah, let's hope it was the right one"

"Whatever answers you find will be better than not knowing" Felix glanced over to Helios and saw that the sheet had been pushed down, leaving his bare chest and arms which were covered in tribal markings and old scars on display

"Thanks Heely" Helios merely smiled

"Now are you going to come back to bed?" Helios's voice was a low purr that sent shivers along Felix's spine and brought a wide smile to his face that displayed the gaps in his teeth as he sauntered across the room and clambered on top of his boyfriend

"Now that one I don't even have to think about"

* * *

Gangrel marched into the meeting room aboard the Atlesian Flagship, having been summoned from the Gespenst at the earliest possible opportunity. When he arrived he was greeted by the ships' Captain and the only member of the military that could be called his superior, General Winter Schnee. At what had once been their customary place at the Generals' right hand was Matte Skye who had similarly been summoned from their own ship. A seat at Winters' left remained empty for Gangrel whilst the fourth occupant of the room sat some distance away, yet still at the large round table which filled the room

"Miss Arc" Gangrel greeted a wary and concerned Antonia Arc with the warmest smile he could manage in his exhausted state whilst snapping off a salute to Winter; neither Gangrel or the general insisted on such formalities under normal circumstances but whilst there were guests present certain appearances had to be kept.

"Welcome aboard Commander" Winter nodded curtly to her brother in law as he sat beside her

"Who're we waiting for?" Gangrel asked as he took in the sight of several empty spaces at the table which were occupied with blank screens instead of seats. Whilst the Bear Faunus knew who held each of those seats at the table there was no telling who would be present at any given meeting of the shadowy cabal that Qrow Branwen had founded to help carry on the task of ensuring Remnants' safety at all costs.

"Branwen and Goodwitch" Winter answered. Gangrel nodded, this meant that Ciel Soleil, the heads of Shade and Haven Academies and the newest member to be granted a seat due to her part in the plan to construct a Hunter Academy on the island of Menagerie, Coco Adel were all absent.

"The rest will be informed of developments as soon as possible" Matte added, sensing Gangrel's discomfort at so many of their number choosing not to join the meeting. There were a few moments of tense silence of each person sat at the table pondered their own concerns before two of the scrolls flickered into life, revealing Professor Glynda Goodwitch sat in her office and Qrow Branwen who had sequestered himself away in the base of operations below his home

"My apologies for the tardiness, clean up for an incident involving a Spawning Pit has required my attention" Goodwitch announced politely "Gangrel I trust that you've been made aware of your sons' involvement?"

"He's a little scuffed up but he'll be fine….he's grown into one hell of a Hunter" the middle aged Faunus beamed with pride despite the severity of the situation

"And I see that we have a new member" Qrow drawled out, Antonia stiffening as she felt the eyes of the secretive council upon her

"Will this be a problem Qrow?"

"Toni I was one of the people who voted in favour of bringing you in, you have the kind of thinking we need"

"And her expertise regarding the matter at hand" Winter interjected, cutting across the conversation "So, to business" she nodded to Matte who cleared their throat and spoke up

"As you're all aware there was an attempt to locate and capture the suspected instance of a sentient Grimm. Our agents engaged the target and confirmed that it is indeed capable of speech and is at least intelligent on some level; agents called for back up from mechanised assets that had already been placed in reserve and said assets were able to contain the target within the latest iteration of Project Snare….however immediately afterwards the containment unit and the mechanised forces were destroyed by a lone attacker. Examination of the area revealed the use of the pheromone Tremor-Somnium which was stolen from a Freelancer base beyond the Jagged Mountains" Matte paused and took a breath to calm themselves before delivering the last piece of information "The few frames of footage we could recover of the attacker lead us to believe that Project Legacy was behind the attack" the air was filled with tense mutterings and venomously spat curses as the true nature of the threat dawned on those present.

"Project Snare should be shelved immediately" Gangrel growled eventually

"You've already made your concerns known" Winter countered

"And now we have concrete evidence!" the Faunus snapped, metallic claws extending from his prosthetic arm in frustration "We're being played here and I can't figure out what the end goal is"

"I concur" Qrow added suddenly "But if Gang would like to explain his reasoning so that everyone is on the same page"

"Eldritch" Gangrel stated simply before expanding "He was working on Project Snare from day one, he's the one responsible for Project Legacy going rogue….There's no way that what happened is anything other than him making his play and until we know what he's planning Project Snare should be halted"

"Agreed" Qrow nodded "And surely you can understand my suspicions that he may in fact be within New Vale"

"Oz won't make a move on his own" Antonia added, the outburst causing all eyes to fall on her once again "In Atlas he used the White Fang as his scapegoats, we didn't see the patterns or suspect him for so long because his motives were always hidden behind something else. Whatever he's planning he'll have help"

"We think we've got an idea of who he's using" Qrow assured her

"The street gangs selling the drug known as Booster have been united into a better armed and organised force with a larger supply of Eco-Dust to use as raw materials than should be possible" Goodwitch explained, Antonia paled, utterly sickened as she realised what the Dust that her former employee had been siphoning from shipments and factories was being used for

"He's using the same fuckers who helped set off that spawning pit" Gangrel snarled, fangs bared in rage "I'll have my contacts Vaccuo spread the word that no Vale gangs are to be catered to unless they want us cracking down on 'em"

"There's something else" Qrow added "I've been doing some digging on Eldritch may not be exactly who or what we think he is-"

"How so?" Antonia demanded

"I trust you've been made aware of what exactly happened during the war with Salem?" when she nodded Qrow continued "Within the first year following the war I found traces of the next possible candidate for the Wizard three times….All three of them were found with their heads blown open from the inside. Not long after that Eldritch leaves his family and his old job. He's been thorough about covering his tracks but it seems to fit that we might be facing off against the next Wizard"

"That seems….oddly plausible" Antonia whispered, shuddering as memories of every time Ozymandias seemed to flit around a laboratory so fast that he simply vanished or appeared to be in two places at once came rushing back to her.

"So to summarise" Winter breathed out, pinching the bridge of her nose as she took in just how deep the conspiracies seemed to go "Project Snare was unleashed by a rogue Atlesian Scientist, who may or may not also be a mystical or paranormal entity, in order to recover a sentient Grimm specimen for as yet unknown reasons. Said scientist is also supplying street gangs and rogue Hunters with Aura enhancing narcotics in exchange for services"

"That's about the size of it" Qrow nodded

"And the Nikos girl arrived in New Vale earlier today?"

"Oh yeah" Qrow grumbled, something obviously being unsaid

"Then your priority should be monitoring her progress and the protection of the Rose family. Currently there are four known Silver Eyed individuals on Remnant and all four of them are living in the same house"

"Understood" Qrow nodded, silently agreeing with the unspoken assessment of how risky the situation was.

"Antonia go through everything Eldritch ever worked on again, with the new information you may uncover something. I may have need of your skills in regards to certain countermeasures" Antonia merely nodded silently and Winter turned her attention to Matte "Project Snare is discontinued, effective immediately. Have stealth recon teams scour the area for any sign of the target; if they locate it they are advised to destroy it at all costs"

"I will continue ensuring the safety of New Vale through both Halo Academy and my seat on the Kingdoms' council" Goodwitch stated bluntly, which Winter nodded in agreement to before turning to Gangrel

"We saw what Eldritch was capable of alone, we might not have means to combat him directly but we can still target his pawns….priority one is Project Legacy; it cannot be allowed to go unchecked"

"Understood" Gangrel grunted, already formulating several plans "I've already got a Specialist in mind for the job"

"Then this meeting is dismissed" Winter took one last look around those gathered at the table, both in person and via their screens "As eerily familiar as this all seems we all made a promise after the war, one that I intend to keep….Never again"

* * *

"Fuck are you so upset about….I mean besides your face? We've won" Rhodium demanded of Torchwick whilst somewhat tipsy. He had removed the leader of the Black Bear Syndicate and with the head of the monster removed then the rest of the body would soon surely crumble; messengers had been dispatched to every corner of New Vale that Melanie Malachite had considered her territory, those under her employee or protection had been informed that they were now under new management. Whilst he knew that the conflict was not truly over yet and that if he had decided to appear at a bar or club tonight he would most likely have found himself shot in the back of the head by someone with either a vengeful or opportunistic streak, the urge to celebrate an undeniably crucial victory was too much to resist and as such Rhodium had found himself at the recording studio operated that he had purchased as one of his many legal front businesses, steadily working his way through an obscenely expensive bottle of champagne whilst turning the final recording session of Vert's latest release into an impromptu private party; suitably intoxicated he had slurred out a half joking comment to the younger gangsters that surrounded him about naming the project _'Loaded for Bear'_ he had decided that he was simply getting too old to be associating with such small minded petty criminals and left, soon finding his way to the officially disused warehouse that was serving as his current base of operations, where Ozymandias Eldritch had predictably been working on things far beyond the red-heads' understanding.

"Indeed, congratulations on your victory" Oz nodded distractedly "Now the real work begins"

"True" Rhodium noted as he sat backwards on a chair in the corner of the mad scientists' office; the thought oddly sobering "I might be moving us into somewhere a little upmarket….we can use this place for storage but word is that Malachite's bar has a pretty nice bunker under it"

"You want to plant a flag in the centre of your enemies' broken Kingdom….admirable" Ozymandias's mouth twitched at the corner which hadn't been reduced to a raw and reddened mess of scarring

"Right?" Torchwick beamed, pleased to finally have someone who seemed to be able to think on the same wavelength as him and understand that theatricality and image could be weapons in their own right "It sends a message and besides, it's always been the go to spot for pretty much every line of work we're in….I've just gotta have my lawyers talk to Malachite's lawyers and have a few people go and talk to Junior; make sure that everyone understands that I want what I won"

"I presume you'll need me to expand our current rate of production?"

"Eventually" Rhodium admitted "We need to consolidate first, make sure everyone knows who's in charge. I have got another job for you though….I know you used to work in robotics, the Huntress I was bringing in the shipment from Vaccuo with is gonna need a new arm"

"I'm sure I will be able to accommodate" Ozymandias assured him, privately taking notice of the fact that the habitually ruthless mobster had someone that he was willing to spend resources and effort to comfort; the information may prove to be useful later. Torchwick paid no notice of the calculating gleam in Ozymandias's remaining eye, preoccupied as he was with drunkenly reading news articles on his Scroll that pertained to a fire in a local restaurant in which several people had tragically lost their lives; the redhead gave a predatory smile before turning his attention back to Ozymandias and repeating his earlier question

"So come on, what's got you looking more pissed off than usual?"

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with" the scientist smiled as much their injured face would allow before adding "Chronic migraines, I'm sure you can understand why….Also I've heard from my contact in Atlas"

"They been held up?" Rhodium asked

"On the contrary, I expect them to be joining us at any moment" the scientist replied with a sigh "But it seems another task, relating to my own research has been met with interference from the Atlesian Military"

"Big oof buddy" a new voice, which somehow managed to at once sound chipper and unspeakably condescending snorted from the entrance to Ozymandias's office; causing Rhodium to whirl around and almost fall out of his seat as he lost balance

"Ah, when I said momentarily it appeared I was entirely correct" Ozymandias beamed with a note of satisfaction.

"Okay so, Atlas's new toys are pretty extra but they still caught a fade. Shame I couldn't finesse what we were looking for fast enough though" Rhodium took several moments to try and parse what the newcomer had said before simply turning to Ozymandias and demanding incredulously

"This is your contact? You shitting me Doc?"

"Dead-ass" the newcomer grinned as they entered the office fully "So, spill the tea….who're we flexing on?" Rhodium still struggled to make sense of the sight in front of him, Ozymandias's alleged heavy hitter appeared to be a girl who by the mobsters' estimations was no older than sixteen; and whilst Rhodium himself had been deeply involved in crime by that age this girl did not seem to be cut from the same cloth, even though she seemed to exude confidence and authority that her stature did nothing to detract from. She stood at a little under five and a half feet tall and possessed a slight frame and alabaster white skin with a heavy spattering of cheeks that were just a little on the round side and deep emerald green eyes were framed by locks of coppery orange hair of a colour perhaps a shade lighter than Rhodium's own. Her outfit consisted of glossy black boots reaching to just below her knees with a notable amount of armour plating integrated into the heel, toe and shins, artistically ripped black stockings that were visible in the small space where her boots and the white knee length skirt she wore didn't quite cover; the skirt was held up by several belts of different colours which were also adorned with various pouches Rhodium assumed contained Dust, she wore a white vest with thin shoulder straps that revealed yet more freckles, over which she sported an unbuttoned shirt whose sleeves had been removed and was a pale green colour with a vibrant pink floral pattern, her hands were covered with fingerless leather gloves with countless wristbands of every colour of the rainbow dangling above them and she wore a pink bow in her hair, completing a look that Rhodium refused to believe was that of the highly competent killer that Ozymandias had promised him.

"Seriously Oz….her?" he gestured frantically "Is this some kind of a joke?"

"Hey fuck-boy, I was bringing down Atlesian fighters literally yesterday so the attitude aint it chief" the insult alone was enough to make Rhodium pay attention, one the few remaining people who dared speak to him like that had been killed earlier that day after all. Ozymandias seemed to take a moment to enjoy the tense atmosphere in the room before offering any explanation or introductions

"I assure you Mister Torchwick that my young associate here is more than capable of adequately removing any opposition that you find yourself facing. I do believe proper introductions are in order; Nickel this is my benefactor Rhodium Torchwick, Mister Torchwick meet Nickel Polendina" the green eyed girl gave a sweet smile that managed to look unnervingly predatory

"Salutations buddy"

 **Authors Notes:**

Put the pitchforks down you know damn well I like to end every volume with a cliffhanger that sets up the next one.  
So, I might take a week off of writing, I've got the bare bones of Vol.8 and 9 in my head but I might just take a little time to get things more concrete before I jump straight into the next chapter…..that being said, I've made similar comments many times before lol.

Anyway, let's summarise:  
Nyanza has never had money to take holidays on short notice before, I felt like giving the guy a break.  
Seriously, spare a thought for the families of student Hunters who have to see footage of their still training kids fight monsters the size of houses.  
Seriously though, imagine going from living pretty much out in the woods...sometimes literally, to being crammed into a monorail in a city that probably has more people than New York.  
Of course he was constantly apologising….he is related to Pyrrha after all.  
Okay so I wrote the scene with Ruby and Qrow meeting Helios at the airship terminal and then realised that Ruby and Helios haven't actually met yet, she's only met Team FADE so I had to do a little rewriting.  
I wanted Ruby and Syneffo's first meeting to involve a conflict but not with each other, I think we can all agree that there are enough scumbags working in customs who abuse their jobs for them to deserve the burning in effigy they got.  
It'll be interesting seeing Syneffo attempt to settle into New Vale and life with the Rose family.  
So I've mentioned the Grimm Hive Mind several times, and how it was broken when Salem was defeated; this was the first time I've ever shown or described what it would look like from the point of view of a Grimm navigating it.  
"I'm coming home mother"….remember how those were Phobos's last words as well? Remember how Oz is hearing a feminine voice? Remember how Salem was defeating in The Downward Spiral by being ripped out of the normal flow of space and time by Ruby and Oscar? ARE YOU GETTING IT NOW?  
Had to throw in a little aside about how Coral's doing since she's a fan favourite.  
Seriously Team FADE and Team GORE tolerate each other for Eagle and Hellion's sake, they're not _'Let's go and chill in each others' rooms'_ friends.  
Rhodey should not have tried to have Hellion whacked in prison, Team GORE will literally never let that slide.  
Carcharodon is low-key getting into this Hunter thing.  
Carcharodon calling Gangrel should be interesting...He did say that Team GORE still expect payment for this job.  
So it's pretty clear that Pantheon is going to be one of the main threats of Vol.8.  
Mel was never gonna let Rhodey just pull up to her base on short notice.  
Rhodey was extra bitchy this chapter and it was honestly fun to write.  
I wanted Melanie's death to be as dirty and underhanded as possible, because I feel like people forget just how much of villain Rhodey is; he loves his Mum, has a genuine pride and care for his community and he's had some funny lines but make no mistake, he is not a good person by any stretch and a reminder was due.  
So Felix is going to meet his biological mother, I've got some plans and revelations in store for that; I was initially going to have that meeting be this chapter but honestly with everything else happening it would have felt cluttered.  
So Qrow's inner circle is himself, Winter, Matte, Gangrel, Goodwitch, Ciel, the heads of Haven and Shade and now Antonia and Coco; Ruby could have a seat at the table but honestly she doesn't want it, she's happy just taking out the Grimm one day at a time.  
The whole scene with Qrow's secret Council was just to pretty much summarise things; it's also the first time anyone has come out and called Ozymandias the Wizard directly.  
Note that everyone knew what Project Legacy was, but nobody wanted to say it or refer to her as a person.  
"Loaded for Bear" as in the Black Bear Syndicate….get it?  
Yes, Rhodey is taking over Junior's.  
"Fire in a local restaurant"….yeah, sure.  
Nickel Polendina is basically a Gen-Z Penny, I had so much fun writing just that brief interaction and I feel like you're gonna love to hate her.  
"Salutations buddy"

Thank you to SumoSnipe DizzyDwarf, iSassenach and Funlander for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Yeah Killer-Bee takes some beatings lol.  
My S/O is perfectly okay with you sending me flowers buddy, she said so herself.  
Yeah, the villains can't be allowed to win everything without some comeuppance….this isn't Game of Thrones.  
Hard-boiled is now an accepted ship name.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	99. Solaris Marrs (Vol8)

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 99: Solaris Marrs**

Rain pattered against the tin roof of the garage of the Xiao Long family home, the sound would have been inexplicably soothing to those within were it not being utterly drowned out by a mixture of music, the sort of sarcastic banter that only siblings and the of best friends could hope to achieve and sound of hard work being done as Felix, along with Corvid and Eagle worked on restoring the Killer-Bee to its' former glory.

"You got that torque wrench?" Corvid enquired, a single grease and oil stained hand protruding out from beneath the muscle car which had been raised from the ground slightly; the rest of the petite Huntress soon following as she slid out, laying on a skateboard kept from her childhood, garish pink and acid green logos and all that had been repurposed for jobs such as this.

"Yeah it's here" Felix reached into one of the many toolboxes that the family shared, maintenance and upgrades being a communal activity in their household and handed over the requested tool. It had been a little over two weeks since Team FADE had returned from their mission and free time had been a rare luxury, meaning that the Killer-Bee had been brought to Patch and left unmended for far too long in Felix's eyes, prompting him to ask his sister to lend her considerable skills and though she had obliged it would no doubt come at a cost.

As her steely grey eyes widened a fraction and she pulled herself into a sitting position Felix realised that the cost would involve being subject to her tormenting

"Oh this is nice" she purred, giving him a smile that was far too sweet and innocent as she examined his new tattoos.

"Here it comes" Felix sighed, deep blue eyes rolling in an exaggerated display that he had no doubt picked up from Diamond whilst nearby Eagle giggled and fidgeted nervously as she hid her own tattoo from view.

"No it is" Corvid assured him in the same amused and sickly tone; the stylised lions' head tattoo that had adorned Felix's right bicep since he was fifteen had been framed by an equally stylised depiction of the sun whilst a second tattoo enveloped his right wrist, reaching back along his forearm which comprised of several of the angular Glyphs that were a signature of the Nikos Tribe, Helios having assured Felix that these similar to tattoos that the redhead himself wore with pride and indicated that Felix had taken part in several acts of heroism. Eagle wore a similar marking on her own right arm, though it was in the far more fluid and primal style of the Frost River Tribe and where Felix had simply shown designs to a local tattooist, Eagle's had been applied by Hellion in what was known simply as _'The old way'_

"Did Helios get one as well?" Corvid teased "Have you got matching tattoos now?"

"Yeah all the Anima tribes do 'em" Felix retorted "Hey, you and Onyx could matching tramp stamps; he could probably do yours himself while you're bent-"

"Okay no, you went ta-too far"

"Why is it only ever too far when you get some back" Felix laughed

"I said drop it Fluffy!" Corvid snapped, taking a deep breath and letting out a sigh before apologising "Sorry. It's just me and Onyx….we were never dating, I know he wants to and I keep just hooking up with him….am I taking advantage of the guy?"

"If you are I'm sure he's not complaining" Eagle interjected, quickly covering her mouth and blushing profusely; surprised at herself for the bluntness of the comment.

"You know you can talk to me about anything but I'm going to pretend I didn't hear most of that" Felix, Corvid and Eagle all turned in unison to see Yang who had obviously only recently returned from her weekend patrol of the edge of Patch's woods; golden hair still wet and plastered to her face and producing several brown bags from beneath her jacket, the aroma of the freshly caught and fried fish that made the island beloved by sailors across Remnant wafting across through the garage.

"Ah you're bringing food when you sneak up on us now….fishing for information you might say" Corvid raised an eyebrow and gave Yang a smile

"Gill-ty, I took full advantage of the oppur-tuna-ty" Yang replied, causing Eagle to let out a giggle and Felix's eye to twitch slightly even as he sidled over and pulled his mother into a light hug

"Hey how was work"

"Quiet" Yang shrugged before adding "Spoke to Sun a little though….you know Melanie's funeral was yesterday?"

"I heard" Felix admitted "Wasn't invited so…." he trailed off, news of Melanie's death by causes undisclosed but nonetheless suspected by all had shaken New Vale to it's core and everyone with any knowledge of the Kingdom's criminal underworld, particularly Hunters and law enforcement had been waiting with baited breath for violence to break out between the gangs in earnest, yet so far it hadn't happened

"I want both of you to do me a favour" Yang implored both of her children "Promise me you'll keep an eye on Amethyst, Sun and Miltia say she hasn't spoken in days and she's had to go back to the Academy"

"Will do" Felix promised, in all honesty Yang needn't have asked; he would have been there his old school friend regardless

"Yeah same" Corvid added, wincing slightly before adding "It probably won't be today though. Team CLIR are heading to Lux's place later….oh Iris says thanks for letting us borrow some of your old designs for her upgrading her arm"

"Anytime" Yang answered simply "And you should bring your team around more….We might not see as much of you when you graduate in a few months"

"Oh that reminds me" Eagle added "Felix would you be able to drop me off at Qrow's place on the way back? We were gonna watch some of the Tournament matches in Mistral together"

"Sure" Felix nodded, privately wondering just how many of the tournament matches Qrow watched were because he wanted to keep an eye out for potential fresh recruits to his shadowy group that protected Remnant from things best left unspoken

"Oh and um, I've been thinking and uh…..Do you think maybe you could teach me how to drive? I promise I won't ruin your car" Felix looked at the Killer-Bee, which still needed a little more work and then to Eagle's hopeful expression and found that there was only one possible answer

"Yeah sure, we'll find somewhere quiet for it" another matter soon occurred to Felix however and he found himself with a lump in his throat as he spoke to his mother

"Hey Mum….I'm meeting….her, later on today" there was no need to specify who was meant, he had already told both Blake and Yang that he planned to meet with his biological mother, if only to have questions answered; Yang reached out and gently ruffled his hair

"We'll be here for you no matter what Fluffy, you know that"

"I know" he breathed out; immensely grateful for his families' support as his nerved seemed to abate a fraction "And it really means a lot"

* * *

Whilst Felix and Eagle were on Patch Arctus and Diamond had been enjoying the privacy that this had afforded them; slow and sleepy lovemaking followed by a shower together and breakfast before they made plans for their weekend which had been altered almost as soon as they had formed to accommodate a request from Rover and Artemis Tan. Arctus's honorary Aunt and Uncle had called the Bear Faunus's Scroll and asked if he was able to babysit Tuscan for a few hours whilst both of them were working, Arctus had naturally obliged them and both he and Diamond were currently making their way towards Halo Academies' airship terminal, Diamond wearing one of Arctus's hoodies to shield herself from the light rain and Arctus carrying several of their textbooks and currently unfinished assignments in his rucksack; their ongoing conversation about whether or not they would have time to stop off at a toy store on the way and purchase the largest stuffed animal they could find came to a halt as the two of them caught sight of a hooded figure making a beeline towards them

"Is he pissed off or is that just his face? I can never tell" Diamond observed with a bemused sigh, she truly did want to let bygones be bygones and considered Team GORE friends, if not especially close ones but the fact remained that Carcharodon Gore seemed to take everything, especially himself, far too seriously

"Slate" the Shark Faunus rasped out as he drew close, the hood of his thick black cloak pulled low enough to obscure his obsidian eyes, tattooed hairless skull and much of his grey tinged skin, leaving only his blunt nose and fang filled mouth visible in a display that was clearly meant to intimidate by focusing ones' attention on his rows of sharp teeth.

"Seriously, were you just camped out here waiting for us on the off chance we went out today?" Arctus grumbled, utterly unimpressed

"Your father continues to evade me"

"My Dad isn't running from you" Arctus assured him with no small amount of irritable disdain; following their return from their various missions and the subsequent agreement between Teams FADE and GORE to both learn what they could of the speaking and seemingly intelligent Grimm that Team GORE had encountered and combat the threat posed by Rhodium Torchwick, albeit for different reasons, Carcharodon had stopped Arctus and demanded to know if the Bear Faunus had received any word from his father every day without fail

"We need information and I still demand payment for my-"

"Yeah we get it dude, chill" Diamond huffed, growing tired of the incessant pestering herself

"Seriously I don't think you get how busy he is" Arctus sighed "He has an entire branch of the military to run and when he is at home he's got two daughters; calling you to keep you in the loop about things you're not cleared for is gonna be the last thing on his mind. Deal with it" Carcharodon's fists clenched almost reflexively at the perceived insult of the casual dismissal yet he forced himself to be calm; whilst he was a student of the academy he was forced to follow the rules imposed upon him by Professor Goodwitch as much as possible even if did believe that simply beating obedience into those who wouldn't perform a simple task would be effective

"And what of Torchwick? He is still due a reckoning"

"You know every time you call kicking his ass a _'reckoning'_ you sound even more pretentious" Diamond flashed the Shark Faunus a cocky grin, hoping that a little verbal sparring might help him take things a little less seriously and relax; it was not to be and Carcharodon simply glowered at her in silence until he was given a proper answer

"We haven't heard anything. Everyone knows he killed Melanie Malachite even if nobody can prove it, so he's probably laying low in case of retaliation"

"Like a coward" Carcharodon hissed, every syllable dripping with scorn

"Yeah pretty much" Arctus agreed, stepping past him "But seriously we've got a flight to catch so if that's all?" without waiting for an answer both he and Diamond left and Carcharodon watched them amble towards the airship terminals, simmering with indignation. It was one thing, he thought to himself, to have to follow the rules imposed upon him by the head of this Academy but he was the elected and rightful leader of the last of the Frost River Tribe and to be utterly disregarded was an insult he would not allow to stand; deciding that he would teach Arctus proper manners and respect during their next shared combat class he turned his mind to more important matters, Gangrel Slate had both information and the means to pay Team GORE for the risk they had been placed in when they were sent on a mission without proper information, Carcharodon wanted both and would not be denied and if Arctus was unwilling or incapable of sufficiently motivating his father then another approach would have to be found. Carcharodon remained outside in the light rain for a few moments longer until an idea occurred to him. It would be easy to get what he needed, he would speak with Raffia later and see that it was done.

* * *

Raffia found himself hurtling towards the nearest wall at frightening velocity, but rather than simply crumple against its' surface the Axolotl Faunus managed to rotate himself in the air so that when he collided against it he could use the momentum to help him scrabble upwards along the sheet vertical surface; nearing the ceiling he kicked himself off into a backflip that carried him over his opponent and landing in a crouch he launched himself forwards into Onyx's guard, batting the Puma Faunus's attempt to grab him aside and driving an elbow into his gut. The larger Faunus let out a growl of displeasure and blocked Raffia's follow up backhand, promptly grabbing his arm and attempting to manoeuvrer the smaller Faunus into a more manageable position; which Raffia responded to by simply using his small and light frame to his advantage, calmly leaping up and wrapping his arms around Onyx's elbow and making it apparent that either the bulkier Faunus let go of Raffia's arm or he would soon find his own arm broken. Onyx obliged by slamming Raffia into the ground, only for the Axolotl Faunus to handspring himself into a two footed drop-kick that caught Onyx squarely in the ribs and forced him back several paces, allowing Raffia time to recover

The crowd that had formed around them let out a cacophony of cheers.

Onyx and Raffia had found themselves in the gym with the only suitable sparring partner for the amount of tension they wished to release being each other and as such had faced off with no quarter being asked or given; the first and second year students that were given semi-regular and brutal yet effective lessons in combat from Team GORE were the first to take notice of what was happening and had quickly ceased their own exercise and sparring to gather round and watch the spectacle, bringing other onlookers with them as they did so; meaning that as the two of them circled each other it was in the midst of a press of bodies that a lone figure desperately forced their way through and called out

"Onyx, Raffia I need help!" both Faunus halted, yet instinctively remained tense and kept their guard up as they regarded the newcomer with some suspicion. Redshank Bronzewing was unmistakable with his crimson Mohawk and the needlessly overcomplicated sword slung across his back but the fact remained that neither Onyx or Raffia had ever really spoken to the boy and found him seeking them out to be odd, regardless Onyx made a silent gesture to Raffia and the two of them made their way towards Redshank who wasted no time in leading out of the gym and into parts of the academy that neither Faunus had ever properly explored

"What's going on?" Onyx demanded as they continued their brisk pace

"It's Amethyst, she's gonna do something stupid and I can't stop her, I've already tried….Nova and Iridescence are already there-"

"And how is this our problem?" Raffia spat, irked at being denied a good fight by being dragged into other peoples' personal lives.

"Look I didn't know who else to come to, if any of the Professors hear about this she's gonna get kicked out of Halo!" Redshank declared, voice trembling as he marched them beyond the forges and workshops, taking the Faunus lower than the hovering campus's parking lot and into the restricted areas which housed the controls, power supply and workings of the monstrous anti-gravity systems that kept Halo Academy aloft; Onyx's greenish yellow eyes widened a fraction as he took notice of his surroundings and saw that they had entered a storage facility where it seemed that all of the Atlesian robots that were used for various training exercises were stored as well as a vast supply of Dust and ammunition, most likely in case the Academy ever found itself under attack. The sight was enough to give the Puma Faunus suspicions which were soon confirmed when the sound of arguing voices emanated from a store room whose locks had broken off and which Redshank led his impromptu allies towards

"Is this what your Aunt would have wanted?" the voice of Iridescence Lustrous demanded desperately

"THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT SHE WOULD HAVE WANTED!" a voice that could only belong to Amethyst Wukong shot back through tears. Onyx stepped into the previously locked room with Redshank and Raffia close behind him to find that the room was filled with weapons; not the unique and esoteric varieties used by Hunters but instead hundreds of cold utilitarian weapons of destruction, ranging from assault rifles and shotguns to side-arms and even the occasional laser and rocket launcher along with countless sets of body armour. It became immediately obvious what Redshank was trying to prevent from happening

"You're going to war?" he enquired gruffly, Amethyst stopped and looked past her team-mates to the two newcomers

"Aunt Mel is gone" her voice cracked with grief as she almost subconsciously added another pair of high calibre pistols to the plethora of weapons she was carrying on her person "Torchwick did it, everyone knows it but nobody is doing anything"

"Because Torchwick is a lunatic and they'll get themselves killed!" Redshank barked

"How are you even a Hunter when you're such a coward?" Amethyst screamed

"Hey now that's a little-" Amethyst cut across Nova's objections

"NO, YOU'RE ALL WEAK! MY AUNT IS DEAD, YOU UNDERSTAND THAT? DEAD! NOBODY ELSE IS GONNA DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT SO I'M GONNA FIX THIS MYSELF!"

"You're right" Onyx noted, shaking his head in disdain at Team RAIN as he stepped closer to Amethyst "Your team are cowards and weaklings"

"And why are you even here?" the Monkey Faunus snarled as she slung an assault rifle over her shoulder

"Your partner asked as to stop you from doing something stupid" Raffia hissed, pausing just long enough to allow Amethyst to shoot Redshank a hateful glare before adding "Personally I say you should do it, honour demands blood"

"I would agree" Onyx added, mulling over the situation for a moment "Except that revenge like this calls for a lightning strike, catch Torchwick unaware and alone-"

"He's in my Aunt's club! He's taken it over!"

"Which means he's going to be surrounded by well armed allies" Onyx pointed out "And because your team are cowards you'll be fighting them alone; he has weapons and fully trained Hunters fighting for him….This isn't revenge, you'll die before you get close enough to Torchwick to shoot him; this is desperation" Amethyst's tear filled mint green eyes narrowed as she took in the towering Faunus's words before lashing out and punching the nearest wall with a scream of frustration

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

"Wait" Onyx answered simply

"You're not the only one that wants to kill Torchwick" Raffia chimed in, voice dripping with malice

"You said he's at your Aunt's club" Onyx purred "Good to know….We've been looking for him for a while. When we make our move against Torchwick we'll bring you with us; Hellion was only scarred, your claim on his head is greater than ours"

"Promise me this isn't just a way to make me stop, promise that we're actually gonna bring that bastard down"

"You have my word" Onyx grunted gruffly, holding out a hand for Amethyst to shake before turning to leave; intending to tell Carcharodon that they had a possible location for Rhodium Torchwick, stopping to lean down and growl in Redshank's ear as he did so

"You aren't fit to lead….my people would have left a coward like you at sea on a raft with no supplies and forced you to either act or die" with that Onyx and Raffia made their way out of the restricted area, silently agreeing that they had much more important places to be.

* * *

If one were to view the sparse woodlands from the air they would have been horrified to observe what appeared to the uninitiated to be several streams of darkness making their way through the tree and converging upon a single roiling mass within the trees; to a well trained eye, or simply to one viewing the situation up close however it became apparent that the streams were in fact no such thing.

They were Creatures of Grimm

Dozens of streams of Grimm weaving and stalking their way through the trees like some terrible migration in seemingly organised formations that stood at odds with their typical behaviour. Within the woodlands, at the centre of the growing horde of monsters and silently conducting their movements from a position perched upon a fallen tree, was Pantheon.

"Silence" the monstrous Grimm snarled at a pair of Beowolves that snarled and snapped at each other, flexing a clawed limb in warning and forcing both of the lesser beasts into submission with a wave of mental dominance. Pantheon surveyed the assembled Grimm before them, a pack of Beowolves numbering roughly two hundred; a sizeable force capable of overwhelming easy prey but far from enough what Pantheon needed.

Beyond the woodlands was a settlement; whilst Pantheon had no knowledge of Remnant's people other than that they were prey to be consumed the settlement was in fact one of the largest on the continent of Vytal outside of the Kingdom's of Vale and New Vale, the latter of which considered the settlement part of its' territory. The settlement was large enough to be considered a small city in its' own right with a population that numbered in the tens of thousands and a train line to the capital city as well as its' own airship terminal; it occupied a vast area of land, all of which was enclosed within walls that Pantheon themselves may have been able to fly over but would repel the Beowolves that the monster had gathered to them with ease.

This presented Pantheon with a conundrum, they had two choices. Their first option was to simply ignore the settlement, to move around it without drawing the attention of its' inhabitants and continue gaining more and more subservient creatures of Grimm by consuming the Alphas that they came across as they made their way towards their target. The second option was to assault the settlement, to breach its' walls through one of its' many entrances and kill everything that lived within, using the psychic backlash of the countless deaths as a beacon to draw other Grimm to the ruined metropolis, where Pantheon would be free to consume the leaders of the various packs and swarms and multiply their own forces with much less wasted time and effort. The deciding factor would be the defences of the settlement, Pantheon had faced the machines that the prey used to defend themselves and would not see their fledgeling horde cut down prematurely; instead the Grimm turned to a small cluster of the gathered Beowolves which included the pair that had been silenced a moment ago

"Take the city" the word city itself was new to Pantheon, part of the rapidly expanding knowledge and intelligence that had come with acknowledging the feminine and all consuming voice in their psyche that they knew only as _'Mother'_ ; Pantheon however ignored such trivial details and instead paid close attention to the cluster of half a dozen Beowolves as they bounded through the trees in the direction of the city. By traversing along the broken remains of the Grimm hive mind, through connections that had been formed when they consumed the packs' former Alpha, Pantheon could see through the lesser Grimm's eyes and subtly influenced their movements, causing them to fan out and burst from the treeline at least a dozen feet apart. The response from the inhabitants was near instantaneous, dozens of weapons mounted along the perimeter wall were brought to bear and in a matter of seconds Pantheon's consciousness was forced to retreat back into their own body as the Beowolves were torn to shreds by gunfire, none of them getting within fifty feet of the wall itself.

"No matter" Pantheon snarled, with the decision made they leapt from the fallen tree that they had been perched upon and unfurled their wings; gliding out in front of their pack and issuing orders as they landed

"Come, we find more of us" Pantheon stalked away from the city and the Beowolves, despite everything that their nature made them followed and obeyed.

* * *

Rhodium Torchwick was almost always well dressed and dapper out of habit, years of poverty having given the young man something akin to a phobia of appearing anything less than suave and extravagant in public ever since he had first making his own money by stealing Scrolls at the age of eight. Today however Rhodium was especially well put together as though he wanted to make a point. Dressed in a tailor fitted white suit from a designer whose prices bordered on obscene and an equally expensive black shirt beneath it, a magenta tie the same colour as his Aura hanging loosely around his neck whilst the top two buttons remained undone, displaying a gold chain around his neck which was complemented by several rings adorning his fingers; a black leather duster coat was worn over the suit which anyone with an ounce of sense knew was filled with at least half a dozen hidden holsters for small firearms. The mobster twirled Melodic Cudgel in one hand as he stepped out of his latest imported sports car, this one sporting a glossy white paint job with magenta stripes and glistening chrome wheels; planting his cane on the ground he took a moment to simply take in the sight of his destination.

Junior's nightclub.

Or at least, it had once been Junior's nightclub. Rhodium had, through a mixture of finesse, an extremely well paid legal team, intimidation and blackmail managed to extract an agreement from former mob boss and current member of New Vale's Council Hie 'Junior' Xiong that there would be no more violence and that the broken remains of the Black Bear Syndicate would either submit to Torchwick's leadership or stand aside and hand over their territories. Rhodium had his doubts however, fully expecting Junior to strike once he had mourned his late niece sufficiently; as such security at the nightclub was openly armed and comprised entirely of most reliable people for tonight's grand re-opening.

The Nightclub itself had changed little, except that interior had been refurnished slightly and recoloured to suit Torchwick's personal tastes and aesthetic whilst the most noticeable difference was on the outside, the large sign proclaiming the venues name had been replaced with one that read _'Corona'_ in bold silver letters; the gangster had glowered at any of his subordinates brazen enough to shoot him knowing glances upon hearing the clubs' new name. Privately Rhodium admitted that he liked the way the name rolled off the tongue and it had the right kind of sexy connotations for a nightclub; although that might have just been him projecting things. After a few moments of marvelling at was in essence a trophy and proof of his conquest of the city Rhodium began to make his way towards the clubs' entrance; many of the security staff nodding in recognition at the sight of their employer whilst Torchwick himself only returned the nod upon seeing Vert was present, the younger man wearing a black suit with a pale green shirt and a needlessly long and heavy chain tucked beneath the collar as if it were a tie, his dyed green dreadlocks were tied back and a pair of holsters containing heavy duty handguns were clearly visible over his waistcoat. Vert didn't speak but simply nodded slightly at something to Rhodium's left; the redhead turned and frowned in annoyance at the sight that greeted him

"We don't open for another two hours, VIP seating is all booked out in advance" the mocking tone was addressed to a small group of police and Hunters who made no effort to disguise their presence or identity despite their lack of uniforms as they pointedly stared down Torchwick and his associates. Chief amongst the group were a trio comprised of a slender man with scarlet hair that was swept to one side and piercing eyes with a clearly cybernetic left hand and a curved sword hanging at his hip; a feline Faunus with mismatched eyes and light brown skin who casually held a modified sniper rifle against their body; the third was a Husky Faunus, a man whose face was hidden by a gunmetal mask which was soon removed to reveal brown skin, a small afro and beard and bright blue eyes. The Husky Faunus scowled at Rhodium and raised two fingers to his own eyes before pointing at the redhead in a gesture that clearly conveyed the message _'I'm watching you'_

"Yeah fuck your mothers" with that he sidled into the club, trusting that Vert and his crew of armed thugs would keep the authorities and other annoyances outside. Torchwick made his way through the currently empty venue, dismissing the attempts at small talk from his new employees and making his way through the main club and into the back rooms which had once been a something of a holy grail that aspiring gang members wished to be invited into; Rhodium ignored them and opened a hatch hidden beneath a luxurious rug and leapt dramatically down into an area that was comfortably the size of an apartment intended for a small family, the rumoured bunker beneath Melanie Malachite's stronghold was real and Torchwick had already put the space to good use.

"Ah Mister Torchwick" the grandfatherly voice of Ozymandias Eldritch greeted him, turning businesslike as he continued "Work is progressing on the enhancements for your wounded lady friend, but they're progressing slowly I'm afraid; if she were to visit in person I would be able to make the necessary adjustments much-"

"Corona's still recovering, she'll come when she's good and ready" Rhodium interrupted, suddenly oddly defensive, tone becoming cold and harsh as he palmed one of the many handguns he was carrying "I came to talk about something else….I'm gonna need you to tell me why that last shipment was light Oz; I don't like people short-changing me when I pay for something"

"Ah, that will have to be filed under business overheads I'm afraid; Nickel tested the potency of the batch and took some for the road" Rhodium's eye twitched as he processed first the way that Ozymandias had effectively told him that his drugs had been stolen and he would just have to deal with it and then the arguably more important issue

"Hold the fuck up!" He spat "Your heavy hitter is a Booster fiend? Are you fucking dumb? We give that shit to the runners and nobodies, we don't get high on our own supply, what type of amateur shit are you running here?"

"I understand your concerns" Oz admitted, speaking slowly as if he were explaining slowly "But Nickel Polendina is a special case….In fact it was knowledge of her unique abilities that led to my refining of an early attempt at a combat drug into what you call Booster"

"What abilities?" Rhodium demanded, finger still on the trigger of his weapon

"She is utterly immune to any form of chemical attack or negative side-effects of Booster's narcotic component" Rhodium needed a few moments to process the answer before he spoke again

"So you're telling me" he began hesitantly "That she's got a Semblance that means she can hoover up Booster, get the power up without any problems"

"Precisely" Ozymandias nodded enthusiastically "No addiction, no health risks, no catastrophic loss of higher brain function"

"Well thank fucking Oum that she's a rare case then, we'd be pretty much fucked if our customers could all quit that easy" the redhead growled, finally lowering his weapon before asking a pertinent question "Where is she now, I wanted all hands on deck for tonight….even if she does look about twelve" Ozymandias glanced up from his work station which was surrounded by drugs, mechanical components and countless reams of paper covered with schematics and equations; whilst his face was covered by his beaked mask Rhodium was sure the mad scientist was smiling

"Oh she went out, there was a Hunter whose latest deployment would have caused some problems for my own research and long term goals….Nickel is going to deal with things for me"

* * *

Skye Lark grumbled to himself as the sound of windscreen wipers that were in need of replacing squeaking against the bulletproof glass of the windscreen itself, the sound being a source of deep annoyance for the admittedly foul tempered and petulant man. The rain that had persisted all day had relented somewhat even if it had failed to cease entirely and the road leading away from New Vale's capital was thankfully quiet, Skye's repurposed and heavily armoured school bus passing few other vehicles as he embarked on a journey that would carry on through the night and see him arrive at the location of his next mission in the early hours of the morning. These small mercies however were far from enough to bring a halt to the mans' complaining

"Bitch has turned 'em into ungrateful little shits, filled their heads with lies" he growled, alcohol that brought him dangerously close to the legal limit on his breath as he protested against the perceived injustices against him. His divorce had been a messy one that had cost him the house that he had saved for several years to buy and severely limited his access to his children as his ex-wife claimed that he was unfit to raise them; Skye gave no thought to the accusations and simply powered through them with bull-headed ignorance but his own children seemingly trying to avoid him was something that stung despite his best attempts to explain it away and cast blame. His youngest daughter was too young to truly understand what was going on between her parents whilst Skye's middle child, Russ who had been named for the fallen member of Team CRDL, had specifically asked Skye not to pick him up from school, claiming that the sight of the armoured school bus named _'The Road Warrior'_ was a constant source of embarrassment and that if the other kids found out that his father actually lived in then Russ would have to change school. The final straw however had come when Skye had learned that his eldest child, his fourteen year old daughter was dating a Faunus boy; the revelation having caused a shouting match between him and his ex-wife that had ended with him being ejected from the house that he had bought and told in no uncertain terms that his children were far better off without him.

"Oh now what the fuck?" he demanded to nobody in particular as his headlights cut through the gloom of the early evening, highlighting a lone figure stood in the road.

"Oum damn it all" he grumbled as he brought the Road Warrior to a stop in front of the figure; they were far away enough from the nearest settlement that simply ignoring their plight and continuing to drive would be considered a dereliction of his duty as a Hunter, tempting all manner of legal repercussions that he could ill afford. Skye couldn't make out much due to the glare of his headlights but it seemed that the person blocking the road was a young woman or possibly a teenage girl who oddly didn't seem to be waiting near her broken car, as was the instruction usually given to stranded civilians. Letting out an annoyed huff Skye killed the engine and exited the bus, the girl walking around to the door as he did so

"Okay what happened, where's your car? let's get this over and done with so I can….wait a minute, don't I know you from somewhere?" he peered closet at her and realised that with her emerald green eyes and coppery hair she looked very much like Penny Polendina; though he was sure he remembered roughly when the media had worked themselves into a frenzy over Penny and Ruby's children being born and this girl seemed too old to be one of their twins

"I don't think I'm on any wanted posters yet?" she smiled at him innocently

"Funny" Skye growled, gesturing at his bus "Come on get on, I'll drop you off at the next settlement and get you a hotel room. Pick your car up tomorrow, I've got places to be"

"Slight problem with that buddy" Nickel Polendina's grin turned savage "That thing is clearly not road worthy….not any more" before Skye could furiously demand to know exactly what her problem was Nickel held her right arm out straight, palm open and pointing towards the bus, the bitter mans' eyes widened in fear and an utter lack of comprehension as her bare forearm seemed to peel, half a dozen strips of synthetic flesh and tissue expanding outwards and rotating around the Atlesian Steel that formed her internal framework; an eerie green light forming around each of the hovering and spinning components before transferring to her forearm and streaming into her palm. Skye Lark had a single moment of warning, wasted as he tried to make sense of whatever advanced prosthetic this girl had before the light coalescing in her palm burst forward in a single lance of energy, boring a hole through the side of the Road Warrior with ease.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" Skye roared "HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO PAY FOR THAT?"

"Oh that's a mood" Nickel Polendina smirked, her right arm retracting back into its' default state and a moment later her left lashed out in a backhanded strike that sent Skye bouncing and rolling to a stop on the hard wet asphalt, spitting out a mouthful of teeth as he rose to his feet

"BITCH!" with no more to be said he drew his halberd and charged, caring little for who his attacker was or what she wanted; only that his prized mobile base of operations had been reduced to ruined scrap

"Oh honey no" Nickel laughed as she sidestepped Skye's attack, catching the shaft of his weapon as the broad blade of the halberd passed her and with an almighty screeching of metal breaking the weapon in half whilst spinning away from her opponent; leaving Skye stood in abject shock

"H-How?"

"Not with the power of flex tape, I know that much" with another twisted smirk Nickel hefted the blade of the broken Halberd and, with her Aura crackling around her hurled it directly into Skye's chest. The Hunter sailed several dozen feet backwards through the air, landing on his back with the blade that had pierced his chest jutting out of his damaged armour, he made several failed attempts to rise to his feet before realising the futility of it, his breathing reduced to ragged and laboured gasps though he managed to raise his head enough to see his attacker, allowing him to watch as she unveiled the true scale of her power.

"Oh that's the good stuff" Nickel breathed out as Booster began to course through her system, dispensed with a mere thought and causing her eyes to glow and her Aura to enlarge and ripple as though it had been made unstable somehow. As the drugs took effect the rogue android activated a feature that was absent in her predecessor, panels to the sides of her shoulder blades opening and allowing the collapsed forms of wings and a propulsion system to slide into place and unfurl themselves as Nickel engaged her flight mode.

At this point Skye had seen enough and chose to escape, not realising that it was far too late and had been since the moment he had seen Nickel Polendina in his headlights. The copper haired android stalked over to the remains of the Road Warrior and she grabbed the rear bumper of the ruined vehicle before kicking off of the ground, hauling the bus into the air with her as she adjusted her grip and made sure to angle the spiked plough that had been rammed into many Grimm at high speed over the years downwards and towards her target

"YEET!" she exclaimed with a terrifyingly enthusiastic laugh before hurling the Road Warrior at the wounded and all but crippled Skye Lark whose final utterance was a scream of terror.

The vehicle exploded and Nickel watched the flames for several moments before deciding that her target had certainly been eliminated, at which point she returned to the ground and retracted her wings back into her body whilst walking around the inferno she had created; noting to herself that it would certainly take some time and effort to make this look like a simple traffic accident to avoid suspicion as she had been ordered to do.

Nickel was far less bothered by this fact than she could have been however, she had enjoyed herself after all.

* * *

Night had fallen over New Vale and within the monolithic towers that formed the majority of the Hive City the lighting that acted as an artificial day and night cycle had dimmed, one exception to this however were the monorail stations which served as the bulk of the capitals' public transport. Felix Xiao Long was currently exiting one such well lit platform, grumbling to himself as he went

"Seriously, what the hell was that smell?" the loss of the Killer-Bee, however temporary it was, had managed to irk Felix deeply and her had begun to take every annoyance of public transport from the perpetual lateness to his fellow passengers who seemed to have no concept of personal space as a deep and personal insult.

Despite his tribulations however he was close to his destination and now that he didn't have the distractions of the monorail his heart had begun to hammer in his chest and his nerved tightened into a cold dead weight in his stomach; Felix followed the directions he had been given relentlessly in an act of pure willpower and defiance despite the unmistakable temptation to simply turn and walk away. Eventually he found what he sought and lowered the hood of his sleeveless jacket and ran his hands through his dirty blonde curls as he took several slow breaths in a failed attempt to calm his nerves as he took in the sight of the establishment before him. He had found himself in Tower Complex Forty-Five which was home to Ether Arashi of Team NEON who had warned him in advance that this part of the capital had been amalgamated into Rhodium Torchwick's territory for some time; this particular level of the gargantuan tower was a little way above the slums of the lower reaches though still formed a distinctly working class part of town if the amount of tired looking workers clad in overalls and high-visibility vests going about their business were any indication, the business Felix currently stood outside of was a cafe with the unimaginative name of _'The Greasy Spoon'_ which judging from its' overall appearance and those patrons that could be seen within, seemed to cater to those same tired workers.

"Okay, show time" Felix whispered to nobody in particular in one final attempt to prepare himself before pushing the door open and stepping inside, a wave of comfortable warm air washing over him

"Take a seat, I'll be with you in a-Oh!" the waiter who had begun speaking the moment Felix entered did a double take before pointing to a secluded corner at the back of the cafe "She's over there, she's been waiting to see you"

"Thanks" Felix gave the spindly and acne scarred boy Felix was almost certain was younger than himself a nod before directing his attention towards the table he had pointed to. Everything around Felix seemed to vanish as he found himself staring at a woman who was perhaps a few years younger than Blake and Yang, wearing an apron that suggested that this cafe was her place of work and who first surprised Felix by not being a Lion Faunus; skin perhaps a shade or two darker than his own naturally tanned complexion was adorned with small reptilian scales that were dotted along her cheeks in an imitation of freckles before becoming more prominent along her arms and shoulders, her hazel hair was shoulder length and just as curly as his own and her eyes were a deep sea blue.

The Crocodile Faunus was Myrtle Marrs, Felix's biological mother.

Felix walked over on legs that seemed far more compliant now that he had taken the proverbial plunge and the moment Myrtle caught sight of him her eyes seemed to light up as she gave a broad smile, revealing that her teeth were sharp, though not in the same way as Felix's overlong canines

"Oh my Oum, you're here….look at you" Myrtle gasped, wiping her eyes and evidently forcing herself not to simply pull him into a hug

"Yeah I'm here" Felix nodded, resolutely ignoring how watery his own eyes were becoming "Sorry I took so long to show up….My face has been a bruised up mess from my last mission and y'know, first impressions"

"So like your father" the words were obviously out of Myrtle's mouth before she could stop her, her jaw snapping shut as Felix found himself looking around the cafe for any sign of another Lion Faunus, if Myrtle was Reptilian than his traits must have been inherited from his father

"So….is he meeting us here?" it was obviously the wrong thing to say, Myrtle looked at him in abject horror with tears streaming down her face

"Oh….Oh my, you don't remember do you?" she didn't specify and she didn't need to, Felix shook his head sadly

"I don't remember anything before the orphanage I was in with Corey before we were adopted….Shrinks say I've repressed it all"

"I had you when me and Ingot were both eighteen; I had to drop out of college and his job didn't pay enough so when they started renting out apartments right by the exclusion zone wall for cheap we took one, it was all we could afford" her words took on a frantic edge and she sounded painfully close to an utter breakdown "The Grimm broke through the original wall and we couldn't evacuate fast enough; a Grimm ran the car off the road, you weren't moving and it was ripping through the car to get at Ingot….Oh my Oum I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry I just ran; I thought you were already dead and there were so many people unaccounted for afterwards, I swear if I'd known that you were still out there somewhere I would have found you" Felix reached across the old, battered wooden table and squeezed her hand gently, frantically trying to keep his own composure as he spoke

"We're here now, that's that matters" his mind was racing as he processed answers that he hadn't truly realised how badly he had needed until that moment; he wasn't the abandoned child of some junkies, his life as he knew it had been the result of happen-stance and tragedy yet he knew deep down that he would never wish to change the family he had for any reason.

"I got home from work one night last year and Astra was staying up late watching the Vytal Tournament with Redwood and I saw the end of your doubles round match, the moment I saw you I knew" Felix found himself grinning until a detail that stood out to him seemed to need clarification

"Astra and Redwood?"

"Redwood is my partner….I loved Ingot with everything I had but-"

"You don't have to explain yourself to me" Felix assured her "I'm glad we met and I'm glad that you're happy and doing well"

"Astra is your brother" Myrtle added, shocking Felix into wide-eyed silence "He's nine and a half and he can't wait to meet you" Felix had never even considered the possibility that his biological mother had gone on to have other children; struggling for something to say Felix finally managed

"Well tell him his big bro Felix wants to meet him to" as the words left his lips he caught a brief change in Myrtle's expression, a slight saddening of her eyes that vanished in a moment

"Everything okay?"

"That's not your name" she croaked out, wiping her eyes as she spoke "At least, not the one I gave you"

"I, what?" Felix demanded in utter disbelief; during his brief stay at the orphanage and early into his life with Blake and Yang he had been non-verbal, a silent child who had been capable of expressing anger and little else. Blake and Yang had named him Felix for a childhood friend of Blake's who had died saving her life before the onset of the war against Salem, Felix had no memory of having any other name.

"Your name is Solaris Marrs" she told him tearfully "Or it was, it's not my place to….I mean….I'm sorry, I planned so much for this moment and now that you're here I don't know what to say"

"I know what you mean" Felix replied somewhat absently, still reeling from the twin revelations he had received.

"So, tell me about yourself? We have so much to catch up on" Myrtle asked gently, prompting Felix to nod in agreement as he trying to figure out where to start.

He realised that he was just as lost in this moment as Myrtle was, nothing could have prepared him for this.

 **Authors Notes:**

So, welcome to Vol.8  
I would say sorry for being absent for a week but I really did need the break.  
Hope this was worth the wait.  
Also I was rereading some of Vol.6 and 7, I realised that somewhere Project Lineage became Project Legacy….I can't remember when and why that decision was made but Project Legacy is Nickel and I'll go back at some point and correct all mentions of Project Lineage.  
In RWBY related news, who else has seen the character from 'After the Fall' Carmine; you thirsty people all began shipping her with Coco and I can certainly commend your choices.

Anyway, let's summarise shall we:  
Rain on the roof….If it wasn't for the colour naming rule then ASMR could have been a team name.  
Corey had a skater phase, it's canon now.  
Seriously, you can't tell me that repairs and upgrades isn't something that the Xiao Long's and Rose's do as a family.  
Felix has a lion's head surrounded by the Sun tattoo now, I'm sure that doesn't require any explanation; he and Eagle have also gotten proper tribal marking that members of the Anima tribes would recognise….though only Eagle had hers done the traditional way.  
Yeah, as open and understanding as Yang is I don't think she wants to walk in on conversations about Corey getting casually dicked down.  
Eagle learning to drive….I already have a car in mind for her but it won't be for a while yet.  
Arctus and Diamond are always adorable, and the polar bear carrying a teddy bear is a mental image you know you needed.  
Carcharodon has resting bitch face.  
It's a testament to the increasing scale of the antagonists that Team GORE, even Carcharodon just get laughed at and brushed aside now; in first year they were a serious threat.  
If a plan starts with _"Get Raffia involved"_ it's probably underhanded.  
You know that scene in the Matrix where Neo and Morpheus are sparring and Neo runs up the pillar, that's how I imagined the start of the sparring match scene; honestly just to remind everyone that Raffia is a beast of a fighter when he wants to be.  
Redshank Bronzewing really is kinda soft.  
Amethyst just geared up with everything she could carry and was prepared to march herself down to Melanie's old bar and take out everyone she could before they killed her.  
So, Onyx and Raffia know where they can find Torchwick now.  
Life in the Frost River Tribe was rough.  
I just want you to think about the level of intelligence that Pantheon showed here; Phobos would never have thought to test the defences of New Vale like that and would definitely never thought of attacking smaller targets just to use them as a beacon to gather more Grimm for the main assault, Pantheon is getting smart.  
So Junior is currently not going to war with Rhodey, that can change later.  
This isn't even Rhodey being smooth, re-naming the club is Rhodey having a crush and having no idea what he's doing.  
So remember how Rover said he had a few good cops who couldn't be bought off? Rover, Artemis, Scarlet and Rover's cop buddies are now openly making a point of trying to shake down Rhodey and his people.  
So Corona is fine, she's just not coming out in public at the moment.  
The balls of Eldritch lol.  
So let's make this clear, Oz started working on Booster specifically as an additional power source for Nickel. He's been playing the long game and having a stronger and more resilient breed of Hunter that can have programmed loyalty was always part of the plan.  
Rhodey just assuming that Nickel's Semblance is what allows her to safely process chemicals like Booster is reasonable all things considered.  
Skye's life has not gone well for him, but considering that's he's still a racist, bigoted school bully who refuses to take any responsibility for his own failures then there's no reason it should have gone well.  
Just take a moment to consider that in First Year Rhodey would be willing to stop his convoy of guns to help anyone who was stranded out on the roads between settlements because he might a mobster but he has standards; now compare that with actual career Huntsman Skye Lark who's only stopping because he could be charged with negligence if he didn't, the guy truly is a dickhead.  
So what's Nickel's main weapon, the photon accelerator that Penny's original body had _(Where her swords formed the focal point of the attack)_ Nickel has two more compact versions, one integrated into each arm.  
Her flight mode is based on Penny's in the manga _(So tempted to have her use the word 'Hip' at some point)_.  
Nickel is a sadistic bitch, it's not just that she's completing an objective; she's having fun doing it in the most over the top way she can.  
The real question here is what was Skye's mission that would have interfered with Oz's plans?  
No but seriously though, fuck public transport.  
So, that's Felix's biological mother and how he came to be in the ruined car that Corey found him in as a child with nobody else around.  
I'm not going to lie I was having fun dropping revelation after revelation here.  
No Felix is never going to use his birth name or ever really acknowledge it, I just wanted it in there because it's canon that Blake and Yang gave him the name Felix so he obviously had another name beforehand.  
Yes we're going to meet Felix's half-brother.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, iSassenach, DizzyDwarf, Ferrous and Funlander for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Well that's probably why they formed a shadowy secret society that functions outside of the government.  
We'll be getting a little Coral and Athena-Jade next chapter.  
Oh it's gonna be a stern talking to for someone.  
Nickel….'cos she's worth five Pennies _(In her own head at least)_.  
Nickel's way of speaking is supposed to be a caricature played for effect….partially because I want you to genuinely love to hate this character; she's aware of how she sounds and is actively trying to irritate people who can't do anything to her.  
Yeah Rhodey did not come to play fair.  
I'm toying with the idea of Nickel dying her own hair later on in the story.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	100. Training Day

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 100: Training Day**

Syneffo Nikos's muscles burned and ached, silently screaming in process as she pushed herself to the limits of her Aura enhanced speed with her breathing reduced to harsh, ragged pants whilst she fought the urge to drop what she was holding and clutch at the painful stitch in her side through sheer willpower and self-discipline alone. The red-headed girl weaved between trees at breakneck speed, desperately clutching the bundle of blankets from which they crying of a scared baby could be heard as her pursuers weapons opened fire, impacting against the dead wood with a series of resounding thuds resounding cracks as bark splintered.

A glimpse of dull gunmetal between the trees ahead of her caused Syneffo to take a sharp turn, dropping low and skidding across the ground whilst clutching the bundle close to her chest and making as many soothing sounds as she could despite knowing that it would be of little use, if any. For a moment she considered stripping out of her golden armour which, whilst lighter than that which her brother wore was no less highly polished and was still made of metal meaning that her attackers could either catch a glimpse of its' bright surface or hear the individual plates moving against each other. It took a split second for her to decide against it, the crying would alert them all the same and furthermore she was almost sure that the machines that stalked her used some other means to track their targets; possibly their body heat. She returned to her feet and sprinted only to spit out a curse in her native tongue so vile that she would never have dared utter in front of the elder Pathfinders of the Nikosi for fear of her mother finding out; another of the machines that she was fleeing from had stepped out directly into her path and was seemingly staring straight at her.

The machine stood at roughly six feet tall with a roughly humanoid form, though its' bulky torso, spindly limbs and hands with too few digits and oddly elongated, tapered head were more than enough to shatter the illusion and make it clear that this was something else entirely.

"Target sighted, roger roger" the machine spoke in a stilted and clearly synthetic voice which was permeated with a sound like slight radio static and as it spoke it advanced, aiming the weapon it clutched in its' three fingered hands at Syneffo who could hear the rest of the group of automatons that had been hunting her moving into position to surround her, rustling the trees as they went.

"So be it" Syneffo breathed out, far less at peace with the situation that she portrayed; her silver eyes desperately scanning her surroundings for any angle of escape only to find none.

"Eliminate target, roger roger" with the order given Syneffo a fraction of a second to act and chose to simply duck in the hope that the attacks would pass over her; yet as crouched low and she clutched the bundle of blankets to herself in one hand whilst pressing the other against the ground to steady herself she felt something happen; a pressure building in her chest and time seemingly slowing for a moment before something seemed to burst inside her and the hairs on her neck stood on end as an indescribable power coursed through her body, along her right arm and though her palm into the ground where it expanded outwards. Syneffo watched with stunned disbelief as a dome of the same glowing crimson light that her Aura manifested itself as rose from the ground to envelop her; the payloads of the robots' weapons bursting harmlessly against it.

Syneffo had discovered her Semblance.

Filled with fresh hope and determination she drew the twin, short handled axes known as _'The Harpies Claws'_ that combined into her surprisingly advanced crossbow; doing so somewhat clumsily due to one of her hands being preoccupied

"Reloading" the mechanical voice of one of her attackers declared, prompting Syneffo to take action. She rose to her feet, the forcefield she can created dissipating as she did so and took aim; the machine in front of her collapsed backwards a moment later with sparks spitting from a punctured cranium and from that moment onwards the redhead was unstoppable, using her armour and Aura to deflect shots that came perilously close to striking her precious cargo whilst returning fire with deadly accuracy until there was only one robot left.

Or so Syneffo had thought; until a sharp stinging impact against her cheek alerted her to the presence of another one that she had missed; her face felt wet and she gave a grimace of discomfort as she looked down and saw red liquid dripping down onto her armour

"Aww right in the face, that looked like it hurt!" the jovial tone of Ruby Rose announced as the caped Huntress herself appeared, seemingly from the treetops in a burst of rose petals "Okay training exercise is over; you did really well today Syneffo, I mean really well….come on hand it over" Syneffo happily handed over the dead weight she had been carrying, a bundle of blankets wrapped around a child's doll that had been weighted until it had roughly the same heft as an actual baby and made to scream for the duration of the exercise, a cacophony which Ruby mercifully ended with a flip of a switch whilst Syneffo gingerly touched her face, the robots were an older model that had once been manufactured by a company that Poly-Tech had bought out and their weapons had been modified to fire paintballs; relatively harmless but the impacts still stung.

"Your performance was sensational" Penny agreed, announcing her presence behind Syneffo; giving the downed robots a clinical inspection "Although I'm tempted to make some training rounds for your weapon that won't utterly destroy our practice dummies"

"We can fix those" Ruby brushed her wife's concerns aside, far more caught up in the moment "She just figured out her Semblance…..so you must have been really into the mission, did you forget that it was only training for a sec? Anyway we should celebrate!"

"No we shouldn't" Syneffo sighed, causing the adults to whom her care had been entrusted to stop and give her concerned glances; the redhead explained "I'm happy that I found my Semblance and I can't wait to learn how to use it properly….but I'm here to master the power of a Silver Eyed Warrior and I've made no progress" Ruby stared at the teen before her and for a moment saw shades of Weiss, an heiress holding herself to an unobtainable standard and pushing themselves to breaking point

"It'll happen when it happens" Ruby assured her, gently placing her hands on Syneffo's shoulders before wiping away some of the paint still staining her face "You're doing great, you're gonna be an amazing Huntress one day….besides, this mission was never going to make your powers activate"

"WHAT?" Syneffo demanded, suddenly furious

"You need Grimm for that" Ruby reminded her gently, gesturing around to the woods near their home "We make sure these woods are clear, the neighbourhood kids play in here"

"Then let me face the Creatures of Grimm!" Syneffo demanded "I've already killed my share!"

"A situation that would trigger Silver Eyes is different to a normal engagement" Penny explained "When you're combat ready-"

"I've already seen combat!" Syneffo spat, splintering a tree as she lashed out "I was in Atlas, I-"

"You need to calm down!" Ruby barked, tone much sterner and demeanour suddenly much closer to the unflinching master at arms that Syneffo had been expecting to be mentored by. A moment later the hard expression had vanished and Ruby's signature warm smile was back in place as she effortlessly hauled a pair of damaged robots over her shoulders

"I promised your Mother that you would be safe here, I know you've already taken out some Grimm but I need to be certain before I put you in harms' way. Come on let's go home and clean up" Syneffo simply nodded her head in understanding before silently following along, dragging one of the broken robots behind her by its' ankle.

Silently she found herself wondering just how her brother could have possibly given up his position as heir to the Nikosi for a life amongst these people; the city was claustrophobic and she had felt smothered the entire time she had been in New Vale. She simply wanted to unlock her mysterious powers and hone them enough that she could go home.

* * *

The Strahlende-Zukunft Preparatory school was a private establishment located firmly within the upper echelons of Atlas's capital city of Eisenstadt Prime; a campus situated within a gated community filled with synthetic plant life that remained green all year round that was as close to nature as one could feasibly achieve within the gargantuan Hive Cities that had served as the inspiration for New Vale's capital. The prep school promised a thorough and well rounded, yet equally demanding and intensive education that would refine and enhance the potential that their young charges had, beginning the process of shaping them into the future ruling elite of the icy and desolate Kingdom. As expected admission into the school was a ludicrously expensive affair and the students represented the scions of Atlas's most affluent and influential families.

Which was why Coral Scylla still felt unspeakably out of place, even if she couldn't quite articulate her feelings and remained quiet within lessons and interacted little with her own classmates; a condition which had only been exacerbated by the incident in which she had attempted to correct her history teachers' account of a White Fang attack; their telling of events varying greatly from that which had been recounted to Coral more than once during her childhood by militant Faunus who claimed to have been present for it.

Fortunately for the Crab Faunus she had her adopted sister to rely on and Athena-Jade had gone to great lengths to ensure that Coral was accepted into her own group of friends, some of which was who she was currently surrounded by at that moment, enjoying her play time as much as she possibly could. Currently she clutched one end of a skipping rope in one of her pincers, the cuffs of her school uniform's shirt sleeves unfastened to accommodate said pincers in a violation of dress code that the teachers had wisely decided against penalising for ever since Weiss had visited the school in person.

"I don't get it AJ, we've been doing this all break….you don't even like skipping" the speaker was Henry Marigold the third, one of Athena-Jade's best friends which was a fact that had caused no small amount of disbelieving muttering from Weiss when she had learned of it. The boy whose hair was a somewhat smokey shade of blue clutched the other end of the skipping rope whilst Athena-Jade Slate herself came to a halt, placing her hands on her hips and gave her friend a look that her family would have told her was exactly like one her mother used

"I already told you Henry" she sighed and pouted "Dad started teaching me Hunter stuff early, he told me I need to work on my footwork or the Grimm are leave me sat on my butt before they eat me" Gangrel had indeed told her this, upon learning that his eldest daughter had thrown a chair at a school bully in response to their harassment of Coral, the elder Bear Faunus had decided to give the same response that his own father had treated him to when he had found himself in trouble with school and the authorities for his temper; namely ' _If you're going to fight people then get in the ring and learn to do it properly'_ from Athena's perspective this was anything but a punishment, instead she saw it as the first real step towards her dream job of being a Hunter like her parents, her Aunt Winter, her older brother and his incredibly cool girlfriend whose hairstyle Athena still mimicked.

"You want to be a Hunter so bad" another of her friends teased in the sort of sing song voice one would expect a child to use when tormenting a friend over a crush. Athena was utterly immune to the tone

"Do you not?" she demanded breathlessly "They're like the coolest people ever"

"I'm gonna be a singer" her friend shrugged

"Like my Mum….who was a Huntress" Athena countered dismissively which caused Henry to giggle to himself.

"I don't wanna be a Hunter" Coral admitted, staring downwards at her freshly polished school shoes as she risked disappointing her adopted sister "They only show the cool parts on TV, there's a lot of nasty and scary stuff they keep secret….besides what Uncle Whitley and Weiss do now is way cooler"

"Meetings and science homework?" Athena demanded incredulously

"Making enough Dust to last forever" Coral beamed with something approaching wonder

"You don't make Dust stupid, you just dig it up" another of Athena's friends interjected. Athena's response to her friends tone was a non-verbal warning which came in the form of her bear like claws extending as she made a show of flexing her fingers; despite the strictness of the school the occasional fight between students was inevitable and it was a widely known fact amongst them that Athena-Jade Slate hit hard and drew blood when pushed. The confrontation was halted before it could go any further however as Athena felt her Scroll vibrate in her pocket and quickly addressed Coral and Henry, her two most reliable lookouts when getting into trouble

"Keep an eye out for teachers" with that she quickly ducked behind a wall and out of sight of much of the playground; Scrolls were strictly prohibited by the school and hers was easily identifiable, due to being bright purple and orange. Her parents however had insisted that she keep the device on her person in case of emergency despite her teachers' warnings and she was always happy to engage in an act of rebellion against the school. Withdrawing her Scroll from the pocket of her blazer she saw that the number was not one that had been saved into her contacts, the call was audio only

"Uh hello?" she asked cautiously as she answered

"Am I speaking to Athena-Jade Slate, daughter of Gangrel Slate?" a voice rasped harshly on the other end of the call

"Who's this?" Athena asked, not answering the question until she knew who was speaking to her "I'm not supposed to talk to strangers"

"Very wise" the voice rasped "I'm a friend of your brother and I actually work for your father sometimes"

"That's the kind of thing strangers' say" Athena pointed out, in a tone that could only be described as sassy beyond her years

"Once again your wisdom is undeniable" the voice replied, seemingly amused "Your brother renamed his weapon after replacing the plasma gun with a double barrelled laser and the First Mate aboard your fathers' ship is Specialist Chiffon" Athena paused, she knew both of those facts to be correct and neither could be considered common knowledge

"Okay" she spoke slowly, she was still wary for reasons she couldn't quite explain but it seemed likely that the caller did in fact know her family "Can I help you?"

"I just need you to pass on a message to Gangrel Slate, I did some work for him and I'm still waiting to paid; I can't seem to get in touch with him so I thought you might be able to tell him when he comes home"

"Okay" Athena let out the breath she'd been holding, the request seemed innocent enough "What's the message"

"Tell him that he still owes Carcharodon Gore and he really should contact me as soon as possible" the voice seemed unspeakably satisfied with itself, a condition that ended when Athena next spoke

"Okay I'll tell him to call Car-Car….Carcharodon Gore" she repeated, butchering the pronunciation of the former raiders' name "And get some chicken soup, it sounds like you're catching a cold. Okay, goodbye" with that she hung up; blissfully oblivious to the way Carcharodon Gore was staring at his Scroll in disgruntled confusion a continent away.

* * *

Rover Tan and Scarlet David walked side by side at a leisurely pace with a calmness that bordered on serene and was utterly at odds with the risks involved in the reason for being where they were. The pair had returned to the lower reaches of New Vale's capital and were making their way to the recently renamed Corona nightclub, the new central hub of Rhodium Torchwick's criminal empire; evidently not planning on visiting for any benign reasons considering that it was still early afternoon and the venue wouldn't open for several more hours. Both of them were armed with military grade sub-machine guns and shotguns, having agreed that their own weapons would be far too distinctive for what was about to transpire. Both men had also foregone their usual attire and were instead wearing all black tactical clothing with armour plating fastened over it, though the eerie green glow of the Aura regulator that kept Rover's body cohesive still shone through the garments and armour plating.

"Last chance to back out" Scarlet noted conversationally, knowing that his current partner would do no such thing despite the clear illegality of what they were about to do

"Fuck these guys" Rover snorted, Scarlet nodded in agreement

"Would you look at that" the Husky Faunus chuckled as he withdrew a smoke bomb whose metallic casing gave it a certain weight "A broken window with smoke coming out, I think a pair of passing Hunters would be neglecting their duty if they didn't investigate" with that he hurled the smoke bomb through one of the nightclubs' windows with Aura fuelled strength; several small crashes confirming that the projectile had hit something breakable on the other side of the window; the furious barking of orders that followed serving as proof that Torchwick did indeed have his goons guard the nightclub at all hours. A moment later the main entrance was flung open, revealing the man with dreadlocks that Rover and Scarlet knew to be one of Rhodium's lieutenants flanked by several armed men and women

"Well, they opened the door to let us in" Scarlet announced in a voice that was clearly intended to be heard by the mobsters themselves "I think we have reasonable grounds to search the place for evidence to help catch the vandals. Go take a look" as soon as the words left Scarlet's lips Rover sprung into action, shooting forwards at speeds that rivalled any sports car and forced the gang members to leap aside lest they become victims of an incredibly painful collision. Once inside the club Rover tore about the place, maintaining only the slightest pretence of searching for any kind of evidence, pocketing the spent smoke bomb and producing a comically oversized magnifying glass as he proceeded to trash the clubs' interior; overturning tables and hurling chairs, shattering bottles of expensive liquor, utterly ruining the surface of the floor and doing considerable damage to the sound system whose value could not be overstated

"Nope, no clues" the Faunus cackled as he came to a halt before walking over to Vert and his posse at a more reasonable pace, kicking a little more furniture out of his way as he did so before addressing Vert and making the reason for obvious shake-down known

"Hey you're the shit rapper right? Yeah, I've seen people use your mix-tape as ashtrays, coasters, let their dogs play fetch with 'em, all kinds of shit. Anyway where's the man of the house, I wanna speak with Rhodey about the clear health code violations in this shit show"

"You son of a bitch!" Vert spat as he made to draw a pistol, no sooner had his hand closed around the weapon than Rover had appeared directly in front of him in a burst of Aura enhanced speed, swiftly using the oversized magnifying glass as a blunt tool with which to break the gangsters' nose, Vert's companions immediately aimed their weapons only for the nearest of them to find themselves staring directly down the barrel of the pistol gripped shotgun that had appeared in Rover's hand whilst he gripped Vert by the neck with the other. The sound of another weapon being cocked announced Scarlet's entry into the club behind the gangsters.

"Okay everybody back the fuck up!" Rover demanded "You morons just aimed at an on duty Huntsman, I've got grounds to search and detain all of you motherfuckers, in fact if you don't drop those weapons then you're all gonna do time" the club was filled with the sound of weapons clattering to the ground and a moment later Rover released Vert, only to flit between the thugs at lightning speed and rifle through each of their pockets in turn, taking care to take the Lien from each wallet he found and crush all of their Scrolls; by the time he returned to his position in front of Vert he was wearing a smug smirk and clutching several bags of various narcotics

"Well look at what I just found"

"I believe we would all like to see the relevant paperwork for this waste of my client and his employees valuable time" a soft spoken voice declared from behind which caused Rover and Scarlet to glare in the direction of the nightclubs' back rooms, from which a frail looking and ageing man in a slim fitting suit with thick rimmed glasses, parted silver hair, papery and sickly looking skin and who walked with a silver headed cane had emerged.

"I fucking hate this son of bitch" Scarlet snarled as he stepped forwards, his time working as a private detective as well as a Hunter had allowed him to interact with this particular criminal on more than one occasion

"Ignavius Silvertongue you slimy bastard, how've you been? I see the mob still pays well"

"You're getting dangerously close to slander there Mister David-Vasilias"

"Bullshit" Scarlet retorted "Was Malachite's body even cold before you started working for Torchwick?"

"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to discuss my current of previous clients-"

"Cut the shit" Rover snapped "Where's Torchwick. I'll count to five then I start cuffing people"

"I'm afraid the only people likely to be leaving here in cuffs today are yourselves" the mob lawyer sighed mournfully "Such a waste of promising careers, war heroes as well….oh how the press will hound your wife and child when this gets out" Scarlet reflexively clamped his cybernetic left hand down of Rover's shoulder to stop him lunging at the older man for the obvious threat. Silvertongue disregarded the obvious aggression, merely continuing speaking and delivering a version of events that seemed almost rehearsed

"It seems suspicious does it not that a Hunter who has already been noted as having an obsession with my client that is certainly unprofessional and bordering on unhealthy should be so conveniently on the scene when something happens to my client's latest business venture; more convenient still when said Hunter claims to have found drugs during a search that was conducted at speeds that made it impossible to witness. Should the authorities need to become involved I would certainly question the acceptability of such evidence, especially when it was obtained by a Hunter that claims to specialise in search and rescue yet has taken an odd interest in drug related cases….tell me Mister Tan, what does that undisclosed device surgically implanted into your chest run on exactly?" Rover was left shaking with rage as he realised that he had been expertly undermined and defeated in a legal battle that would likely never happen at the rate things were going. Scarlet began leading the Faunus out of the club by the shoulder whilst speaking to the lawyer

"You'll slip up eventually scumbag"

"You understand of course that I can't claim to know what you're talking about" Ignavius Silvertongue politely waved as Rover and Scarlet left. Once the pair were down the street and out of earshot Rover turned to the more slender man

"What the fuck just happened in there?" he demanded frantically

"You just met the best parasite in the business" Scarlet growled "Silvertongue and Doku, attorneys at law. If I'd know that Torchwick had already hired the dirtiest law firm in town I wouldn't have suggested strong-arming his people like that"

"So we're screwed?" Rover surmised "Torchwick can sell drugs and kill whoever he wants because he can wear the law like an Oum damned cheap suit?"

"No" Scarlet assured him "It just means we're gonna have to be patient and think things through a lot more carefully now or we'll be the ones in jail"

* * *

"What're you looking for?" Diamond asked in a hushed and slightly exasperated tone. It was Team FADE's last lesson of the day and beside her Arctus was paying little attention to the lecture regarding the use of Aura stimulants as medicine in the field the guest speaker, a retired battlefield medic was giving; considering that this was a subject that greatly interested the sniper she was far less forgiving of distractions than she would have been if the circumstances were different.

"My Scroll" the Bear Faunus answered as he finally gave up the futile task of searching his pockets for something that obviously wasn't there

"When did you have it last?"

"Lunch I think" Arctus sighed "I think it might have slipped out of my pocket when we were sparring….I hope Nora sees it on the floor before someone breaks it" the sparring match in question had been a two on two event in which Professor Nora had expressly told her students she would be marking them on their ability to combine their abilities and interact with their team-mate rather than their individual performances, meaning that Carcharodon and Raffia who had been raised together since birth had been at a clear advantage and the dark bruises around both of the Bear Faunus's eyes were a testament to the Shark Faunus's trademark brutality whilst Diamond herself was forced to hold her left arm at an odd angle to avoid shooting pains with every movement.

"Class dismissed!" their professors rang out, followed by the sound of several bags being repacked and the footfalls of students eager to return to their dormitories.

"Oum damn it" Diamond muttered, having missed a portion of the lecture

"Don't worry" Felix grinned up at her from the row of seats in front and waving his Scroll "I recorded the whole lecture….I wasn't about to try and take notes from a speech that long"

"Dude you're a lifesaver" Diamond beamed as she and her team-mates followed their classmates out into the hallway and made their way towards their own dorm. After several minutes of walking they found path way obstructed in an otherwise empty corridor by the form of Carcharodon Gore.

"Are you fucking serious right now" Arctus demanded, his frustration bubbling over "No I haven't had a chance to ask my Dad what he can tell us about that Grimm you ran into, I haven't even got my Scroll right now for Oum's sake!"

"No, because I have it" the Shark Faunus reached into the pocket of his school uniform, which he never failed to look uncomfortable whilst wearing, a throw the missing device to its' owner

"Thanks" Arctus muttered before a thought occurred to him "Wait….did you pick my pocket while we were sparring"

"No" Carcharodon assured him with a fang filled smile "I had Raffia pick your pocket at lunch, the beating in combat class was purely for my own entertainment"

"What the fuck Dude?" Diamond demanded, acutely aware that the situation threatened to drastically worsen at the slightest provocation. Carcharodon seemed almost determined to provoke

"If your father wants to avoid paying his debts then a message has to be sent….your sister is amusing child"

"Way too far dude- ARCTUS NO!" Diamond bellowed as the partner lunged at the Shark Faunus and delivered a wild haymaker to his jaw, Carcharodon rolled with the punch and used the momentum into a graceless spiral; trapping Arctus's arm beneath him and driving an elbow into his back as they both crashed into the ground. The Shark Faunus was the first to rise to his feet, positioning himself behind Arctus and wrapping an arm around his neck whilst using the other to hold it in place as he began to choke the Bear Faunus

"Yield" he demanded, Arctus's reply of strangled cursing being cut off as Carcharodon tightened his grip

"Okay that's enough!" Diamond roared before landing a vicious kick at Carcharodon's knee which forced him to release Arctus as he limped aside, Eagle and Felix promptly put themselves between the combatants as Diamond retrieved Arctus and bodily dragged him away from the corridor and searched for a secluded area, promptly rounding on him when she found one

"Dude what were you thinking? That was dumb as hell!"

"Really?" Arctus demanded incredulously "You're gonna take that ass-holes' side-"

"It's not about taking sides" Diamond ground out "It's about you nearly getting your neck broken"

"He used my sister to make a point!"

"Yes!" Diamond snapped "And he's a dick for that, but don't be stupid! It's not like he did anything creepy or he's gonna try kidnapping her-"

"Wouldn't be the first person" Arctus snarled, to which Diamond had no immediate rebuttal. Taking a slow breath she leaned against Arctus and rested her head on his shoulder

"He's just flexing his muscles 'cos he's used to being the big and scary pirate and now he's gotta follow rules and do homework" she kissed his cheek "AJ is safe, your Dad is gonna give him the kind of attention he doesn't want when he finds out and if he ever pulls a stunt like that again not only will I let you kick his ass, I'll help you do it….Okay?"

"Thanks" Arctus murmured, turning slightly to kiss her forehead "Sorry for being a dumb-ass"

"You're my dumb-ass" Diamond chuckled "Wanna go back to the dorm or hang out for a while?" Arctus paused to consider for a moment

"We've got assignments" he grumbled dejectedly before adding, a little more hopefully "But Eagle and Felix or going out later so we could do both"

"Now that" Diamond purred in his ear "Is the smartest thing you've said all day"

* * *

Rhodium Torchwick wore a scowl as he considered the way he had been cheated out of enjoying his victory over the late Melanie Malachite. Rather than enjoying his reign as the unifier and undisputed leader of the Kingdoms' various criminal gangs and enterprises in a manner that he felt was fitting, the crime lord had been forced to lay low and act inconspicuous now that a group of unsettlingly determined Hunters had decided to make their presence known every time Rhodium appeared at one of his more prominent legitimate businesses; the risk of them deciding to visit his far more lucrative and less savour sources of revenue whilst he was there and send him swiftly back to North Vale Correctional Facility was simply too great to ignore.

"Here's your tip, do me a favour and forget this ride….lose the security camera footage as well" as Rhodium spoke he slipped his taxi driver over a thousand Lien bound in an elastic band before departing towards his destination. The redhead knew better than to have the taxi deliver him directly to where he wanted to be and he certainly had no intention of driving himself there with his car being as distinctive as it was; his current attire was far more pedestrian than what had become his norm, a black hoodie and sweatpants with leather gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints. He had been driven to a section of one of New Vale's more seedy Hive Towers that had been heavily damaged during the breach over a year ago, those repairing the area had eschewed the usual block like layout of the towers and created something of a three dimensional maze of interconnected apartment buildings within the larger building, Rhodium had been selling drugs from this location since the opportunity arose to do so; yet as he slunk through hallways with broken lights littered with countless forms of refuse where the only souls to greet him were addicts that would dismiss him as a hallucination and gang members so young that they were yet to progress beyond being lookouts for their elders, the mobster was in the uncommon position of not caring about his business or profits. Eventually he reached the door he sought, one of many with chipped and flaking paint along this hallway, and knocked

"Who is it?" a voice that somehow managed to sound tense yet bored at the same time demanded

"It's Rhodey" he answered with his voice barely above a whisper, yet he knew he would be heard and a moment later the door was opened to reveal his wounded ally Corona

"Don't you have a home to go to?" the Mantis Shrimp Faunus sighed as she took in the sight of Rhodium looking like one of his own workers. Rhodium eyed her up in return as subtly as he could; to say that the battle with the Grimm horde and the Phlegmiurge had changed Corona would be an understatement, despite the work of the best doctors and nurses Rhodium could blackmail, bribe and threaten there was nothing that could possibly have been done to save her right arm and as such she sported fresh bandages at the stump of her right elbow. A combination of Aura, skin grafts and minor reconstructive surgery had managed to undo a great deal of the damage to her face though the skin of her right cheek was covered with heavy scarring that gave her skin a rippled quality which Rhodium could see extended down her neck and chest, marring what cleavage was exposed by the dressing gown Corona wore; until the sound of the Faunus clearing her throat made it clear that Rhodium had been far less discrete than he had thought.

"So, movie and chill?" Corona drawled out in her usual disinterested tone "I thought you had groupies for that?"

"I'm here for the witty banter and great company" Rhodium shrugged as he stepped inside, removing his gloves and hoodie as he did so

"Well it's clearly not for the sex appeal" Corona gave a one armed gesture at her scarred form as she crossed the living room of the seedy bolthole that Rhodium had transformed into a medical ward and liveable apartment for her, letting out a dejected sigh as she collapsed onto the sofa.

"You know that Oz is working on a new arm for you?" the redhead reminded her, deciding against giving his opinion on her sex appeal or lack thereof "Turns out drugs used to be his side-gig while he was working in robotics; he keeps asking me to get you to pay him a visit so he can get some readings and measurements or whatever" Rhodium stopped talking, becoming keenly aware that he was chattering like a nervous schoolboy that he couldn't remember having ever been.

"Not yet" Corona answered simply, not meeting his eyes

"I meant not right now obviously" Rhodium shrugged "He's working from the clubs' basement and I heard Hunters came in and tried to shake my people down earlier"

"I said not yet!" Corona snapped before taking a slow breath to steady herself "I don't want people looking at me. Besides, they still show my face on TV whenever the news has a slow day"

"I'm gonna have that Xiao Long prick handled for what happened to you, his whole Oum-damned team-"

"Let it go Rhodey" Corona sighed, leaning against him in a display of comfortable familiarity that had become more common over the weeks that the redhead had been visiting her whilst she recovered "They did their job as Hunters, we knew the rules of the game, we played and we lost a round….besides, it sounds like you've got bigger problems. I told you naming the club after me was dumb as hell"

"I mean-"

"Even if it was oddly sweet considering it's coming from you"

"My ma raised a gentleman"

"No she didn't" Corona laughed, unable to keep a straight face at the notion. Rhodium merely shot her a sly grin in response

"Yeah well you wouldn't like me half as much if I was" he rested a hand on her thigh, feeling the soft fabric of her dressing gown. There was a single moment where the redhead thought that Corona might object to the contact and prepared himself for the beating he was well aware that she could administer even one handed.

"Yeah you're right" she admitted, giving him a look that could only be described as seductive before taking his right hand in her left and moving it beneath her gown to rest against her soft yet unmistakably toned skin, a moment later Rhodium watched as she slowly pulled down a pair of black and lacy underwear, kicking it aside before taking her hand in his once again and showing him exactly what she needed whilst nipping and biting at his neck.

It seemed it had been a stressful day for both of them and Rhodium was more than happy to oblige her in helping them both unwind.

* * *

In another of Rhodium Torchwick's many boltholes and hiding places scattered across the city, Nickel Polendina made herself as comfortable as possible. Whilst Vert and his cronies had been strong-armed by Ozymandias into finding and furnishing suitable living quarters for the rogue android they had made no promises that they would do the job well and as such she had been consigned to a small and cramped apartment located above a fast food business in a poor area of the city that through it's proximity to a monorail station on the same route as one of the larger colleges in New Vale and several government grants, had become popular among students in search of affordable housing. Nickel attracted less attention living alone despite her apparent age than she would have done in most other places and whilst she could simulate sleep it was not a necessity for her, meaning that the incessant partying and drunken antics that took place in the street below bothered her far less than Vert had most likely hoped. The furniture however had all unmistakably been scavenged from various drug dens given that the sofa was threadbare, sagging and covered in various burns, marks and stains whose origins were best left unquestioned whilst the paint had been shoddily applied and the lights flickered and failed intermittently.

"This place is….yikes" Nickel stated bluntly, spreading her arms and gesturing at the apartment as a whole while she sprawled on the sofa with her feet up and watched television, the large flat screen was the sole piece of furniture in the apartment that was in a respectable condition which meant that it was almost certainly stolen and traded for drugs by one of Vert or his crews' customers.

"Indeed, yet it would be preferable for you to stay here and out of sight between your….assignments" a soothing voice from the laughably small kitchen area explained, the owner of said voice stepping into the living room with a steaming cup of tea. Ozymandias Eldritch, despite Rhodium's beliefs had left the basement bunker of the Corona Nightclub several times to brief and debrief his new asset on her missions. Whilst the powers of the Wizard didn't allow Eldritch to completely stop or reverse time they allowed him to extend each moment greatly and make use of time for more effectively than others could hope to, which made the task of keeping up with Torchwick's steadily increasing demand for narcotics almost effortless.

"Yippee" Nickel rolled her emerald eyes as she delivered the dull monotone response, dripping with sarcasm and promptly returned her attention to the television

"I have no doubt that our….employer" Ozymandias smiled as much as his ruined face would allow at the description "Will have his own tasks for you, consider them a chance to stretch your legs as it were" Nickel's only response was a distracted and irritable huff which caused the scientist to frown slightly and pay much closer attention to what it was that she was watching; whilst her attitude in of itself wasn't a cause for concern the fact remained that the she had not been programmed with any of the limitations or inhibitions pertaining to things like loyalty that Penny Polendina had, which made the fact that Nickel seemed to watch Hunters in almost all of her spare time a possible issue.

"Nickel would you turn that off while I'm speaking to you" after several moments of silence as the android ignored him in favour of watching a battle between Hunters that he recognised as being filmed at the Vytal Tournament in Atlas, in particular the winged battle-suit that one Huntress employed Ozymandias cleared his throat

"Wait, I wanna….never mind it's an ad break anyway" Nickel grumbled, muting the television before finally giving her attention to Ozymandias "What?"

"You seem to have taken an interest in Hunters-"

"Not the Hunters" she interrupted, correcting him "The weapons. I want one" Ozymandias was both calmed and frankly a little perplexed by the admission

"You have a photon accelerator built into each arm"

"Exactly, built in" Nickel sighed as if the problem were obvious "It's not the same, I wanna make my…." she trailed off as her eyes drifted back towards the screen once more and now Ozymandias couldn't help but be somewhat concerned. The advert currently on the screen was one for a brand of baked goods and would be completely innocuous were it not for the fact that said brand was sponsored by Ruby and Penny Rose. Ozymandias studied Nickel's reaction as she stared at the copper haired women wearing a slightly older looking version of her own face and even with his ability to distort time on a whim he didn't react fast enough to prevent the android from leaping from the sofa, and hurling the coffee table that stood in front of it into the television screen with a wordless scream of rage, followed by slamming a fist entirely through the appliance which ensured that it was completely beyond repair.

"I'll see to it that our friends find you a new one" Eldritch noted, sipping his tea as Nickel shook with barely contained fury

"Just get me another Hunter to kill" she spat venomously

"All in due time" Ozymandias promised, deciding that there was nothing to be gained from speaking with Nickel any further tonight and seemingly vanishing into thin air as he used the powers of the Wizard to traverse the distance between Nickel's apartment and Torchwick's club in almost no time at all. Naturally taking his tea with him.

* * *

The sun had long since set on New Vale and the working day had long since ended for the majority of its' citizens meaning that beyond the confines of the monolithic Hive towers the retail parks and strip malls around the outskirts of the Kingdom had closed for the evening, leaving their parking lots mostly empty which made them perfectly suitable locations for a driving lesson as long as one overlooked the fact they were exposed to the persisting rain that no learner would appreciate dealing with and that such places were often places were illegal street racing would take place.

The particular parking lot that Felix had taken Eagle to for her first driving lesson that evening had fortunately been devoid of any such illegal racing; though the Lion Faunus suspected that Corvid had already known that it would be when she suggested the location, his sister had joined the two blondes, as had Helios and Hellion who both needed no excuse to spend time with their respective partners', though it had left the Killer-Bee somewhat crowded during the journey.

Eagle's driving lesson itself had gone remarkably well, being the incredibly intelligent and remarkably technically inclined young woman that she was had meant that Eagle had understood the instructions given to her and once she had managed to control her nerves, admittedly with Hellion's aid in ways that Felix stated bluntly were not acceptable in his car, she had managed to drive around the parking lot several times with relatively few problems; though one notable incident had left the muscle car screeching to a halt with its' tires smoking which Corvid had quickly pointed out that her brother would be a hypocrite for complaining about, considering that he would have been bragging if he had been the one driving.

Eventually however the steadily worsening weather had cut the driving lesson short, the rain coming down with such force that Eagle had said simply that she didn't feel comfortable carrying on any longer. Rather than return directly to Halo Academy the group had opted to find somewhere they could find food on the way, another suggestion from Corvid had brought them to a bar with an atmosphere that could best be described as seedy but in an endearing way; being situated so close to many of the warehouses in New Vale's industrial sector the bar was a haven for truckers searching for a hot meal before or after a long journey. The bar sported many pool tables which Hellion had naturally gravitated to, having learned the game in the taverns of the many coastal settlements that the Frost River Tribe visited; the Dragonfly Faunus had swiftly beaten the patrons unwise enough to gamble against her and earned several Lien in the process, currently she was teaching Eagle how to play and clearly using the pretence of correcting her stance to press her own body against the muscular blonde and firmly grasp her hips in public.

"If she gets any redder something's gonna burst" Corvid chuckled as she watched the couple from the corner table where she Felix and Helios sat, the Lion Faunus having enough sense buy a soft drink with his meal rather than the ale or rum that his companions were enjoying.

"Let 'em enjoy themselves" Felix sighed with

"Oh I am, this is quality entertainment" she smirked before her steely grey eyes narrowed a fraction whilst she gave her brother a concerned stare "You okay Fluffy? You've been looking a little off all day"

"Yeah….just got a lot on my mind" Both Helios and Corvid could surmise what it was that had left Felix so visibly distracted, Helios simply squeezed Felix's hand beneath the table safe in the knowledge that his boyfriend would tell him what was bothering him at his own pace, Corvid showed a little less restraint and simply asked

"Oh yeah, is it about…..her? Did you get those answers you were looking for?" she was unable to completely hide her own concerns, the whole matter of Felix's biological mother making an appearance in his life still made her uncomfortable in ways she couldn't quite articulate.

"Kinda" Felix nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth despite his apparent worries "I got answers to some important questions…..but there's something else, Corey I've got a little brother"

"Holy shit" Corvid breathed out

"That's great news" Helios wrapped an arm around Felix's shoulders and pulled him closer to kiss his cheek

"Yeah it is" the Lion Faunus agreed, smile widening further

"So what's bothering you, you're obviously gonna be the coolest older sibling….you've got me as inspiration" his sister joked

"Dumb-ass" Felix snorted before his smile faded as his worries reasserted themselves "It's just….I've never been around for him, what if he resents that. How do I tell Blake and Yang about this?"

"Fluffy they're gonna love this" Corvid tried to assure him, despite the lump in her throat at the idea of her brother having a whole new family "All they've ever wanted is to see you happy and you obviously are"

"You will be a great role model for him" Helios promised

"I mean he's already got a dad" Felix shrugged "But I just wanna be there for him, I just wish I wasn't only finding out about everything now….I wish things didn't have to be so complicated all the damn time"

"Don't we all" Corey sniffed, the watery tone of her voice enough to make Felix walk around the table and pull her into a hug

"You know that what ever happens you're still my big sister" he promised her, knowing that it was she needed to hear.

"Things might seem complicated but Felix loves his family and would reshape Remnant itself for them….everything else is just a distraction" Helios murmured, prompting Corvid to give him an amused look

"That's sweet….and oddly deep, how much have you had to drink"

"Considering what my people brew, not enough to matter" Helios countered, which itself was enough for Felix to decide to call it a night

"Okay come on we've got classes tomorrow, don't give Heely a reason to break out the Nikosi drain cleaner" the comment caused both of them to chuckle, Corvid followed her brother and called over to Helios and Eagle

"Hey, you're in public this is no place for the birds and the….Dragonflies, fuck that one doesn't quite work" the attempted pun was enough for Felix to feel a comfortable sense of normalcy despite everything that had happened lately and he gave Eagle a good natured slap on the back as she joined them, her freckles cheeks naturally blushing scarlet.

 **Authors Notes:**

So, one hundred chapters and we're only in Vol.8 of 12….we're almost definitely gonna hit 150.  
This chapter didn't really have the feel of a "One Hundredth episode special" but I'd rather just tell the story the way I want to tell it than force in a boss battle that serves no purpose…..although I'm not saying that there aren't so fun boss fights coming.  
Yeah, I'm not gonna lie it's been a really rough week for me. Getting this chapter out has been therapeutic.

Anyway, let's summarise:  
I wanted the whole scene with Syneffo to have the feel of it being real until the last moment, where the paintball hit here; I think I did okay with it.  
The robots she was being chased by were based on Battle Droids from Star Wars, they've actually appeared before back in Vol.2 when the Shadow Cadre kidnapped Antonia Arc; Poly-Tech bought that company and Ruby and Penny have got their hands on some old stock to use a cheap training dummies.  
Syneffo's Semblance is a forcefield, a Hunter's Aura can protect them but she can extend hers out into a dome that other people can hide under; it's a manifestation of her desire to protect her people….so I'm gonna be completely unoriginal and call it _'Protector'_.  
So Syneffo isn't as big of a fan of life in the Kingdoms as Helios, but remember that while her brother was raised to be the heir of the Nikosi Tribe Syneffo has only recently been placed in the role as well as having the Silver Eyes thing explained to her; she's got a lot of weight on her shoulders and in some ways writing her makes me think of Weiss.  
 _Strahlende-Zukunft_ = Bright Future.  
You wanted Coral and AJ, I delivered.  
The offhand comment about Coral "Correcting" her history teacher was kinda inspired by that one scene from Avatar where the teacher is explaining the Fire Nations version of how the Air Nomads were killed.  
You know Weiss raised hell when she showed up to the school.  
AJ skipping to work on her footwork…..if your mental image doesn't have the Rocky theme song playing then I don't know what to tell you.  
Henry Marigold the third….Yes I did that.  
Athena is a smart kid….and also a little rebel.  
Seriously, Carcharodon's voice is just naturally harsh and raspy but to a kid who has never met him and can't see him, he probably just sounds ill.  
Okay, this is actually the scene that earned this chapter its' title….I trust I don't need to explain why to anyone?  
I know we're all on Rover's side here….but let's not pretend that police only do this kind of shit to criminals; this is a clear abuse of power and Rover knows that he's crossing lines by doing this.  
I needed a reason that Torchwick can't just be taken down by a couple of Hunters who're willing to break the laws/whatever oaths they've taken, the fact that he's lawyered up and paid for the best seems feasible.  
Arctus is usually chill, but come on lines were crossed there.  
Diamond is honestly one of my favourite characters to write, mainly because she's just chill and actually has common sense.  
Rhodey is still out of prison on the strength of his legal team, stupid amount of fake ID and an ungodly amount of intimidated witnesses; if he interacts with Rover and Scarlet directly he's probably going back.  
Have some 'Hard-boiled' ship action….and see the extent of how messed up Corona got.  
It's interesting to have Corona acting as something of a calming influence/voice of reason for Rhodey, any of his other associates would have told him to go after Team FADE with all guns blazing.  
" _Ma raised a gentleman" "No she didn't"  
_ Okay Vert and his crew took the piss, but you've gotta admit that Nickel hiding out in basically student flats is a pretty good cover for her.  
So yeah, Nickel just saw footage of Corey using the Omega Wing and immediately decided that she wants one….what if I told you I already have some really fun ideas for her weapon _(Although it won't appear until Vol.9)_.  
So…..Nickel isn't a fan of Penny.  
So Eagle's learning to drive, this is happening.  
Hellion definitely hustles people for money at pool halls all over New Vale.  
And a nice scene with the Xiao Long siblings and their unwavering support for each other, enjoy the warm fuzzy feelings.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, iSassenach, DizzyDwarf, Funlander and Ferrous for their reviews on the last chapter.  
This is quite possibly the least over the top violent plan Raffia has ever been used for.  
Redshank needs to be beaten about the head with the book, kids' heart is in the right place but unfortunately said heart is pumping tapioca.  
Okay but The Road Warrior had a fucking plough on the front, somebody had to get offed with it.  
I'm glad your hatred is confined to Nickel lol.  
I mean….have we really seen enough of Myrtle to know if she's great? I don't think we have.  
Oh I have plans for the Grimm wave.  
Of course Flex-Tape exists….how do you think they keep putting Felix's nose back in place.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	101. Return To Forever Fall

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 101: Return To Forever Fall**

An Ursa's head fell from its' body with a forceful swing of Eagle's sword, her Semblance having allowed her to take a position above the Creature of Grimm whilst Felix held the lumbering beasts' forelimbs in place as it attempted to attack him. The Grimm faded away allowing Eagle to drop to the ground, her armour causing her to fall with a heavy thud and as Felix pulled her back up to her feet the two blonde Hunters saw that Arctus and Diamond were making short work of a small herd of Boarbatusks that had been close enough to their position to hear Team FADE fighting the original trio of Ursas that had attacked them. Arctus had created a series of Glyphs an effectively corralled the monsters into place, allowing Diamond to take up a firing position overhead and pick them off at her leisure whilst using her Semblance to stand inverted on a sturdy tree branch. As the last Grimm was reduced to wisps of black smoke Diamond returned to ground, landing and rising with all the grace and fluidity that her Semblance afforded her.

"Anyone else getting really fucking bored of this now?" Felix sighed, being the first to speak as Team FADE regrouped.

"We've been bored for days dude" Diamond assured him, eyes turning to Eagle as she continued "Where are our bags?"

"I put 'em up in the trees when the fighting started"

"Good thinking" Arctus grinned.

"Don't grab 'em just yet" Felix instructed, rolling his shoulders back and cricking his neck "Make sure everything's clear….in fact we may as well just throw a tracker up there and come back later"

"Sync it to my Scroll" Arctus suggested "I think I've got the most battery left"

"The trackers are in the bag, I'll be back in a second" Eagle assured her friends before taking to her avian form in a flash of pure white Aura and soaring into the treetops, from which the rustling of leaves and creaking of branches for a few moments before she swooped down and returned to her natural form

"Okay tracker's ready, let's go….I can't wait to go back to the Academy" the tall and freckled young woman sighed, her characteristic chipper enthusiasm was utterly absent as she gave voice to an opinion that Team FADE all shared.

The four of them had been deployed to the deepest and darkest reaches of Forever Fall, several miles deeper into the permanently autumnal trees than students typically dared to venture during the their customary venture into the forest as First Years. As Team FADE had elected to take classes on survival, owing to their shared desire to specialise in Grimm combat which would no doubt see them taking long term missions, they had been given an assignment of simply surviving in the Grimm infested forest for ten days with minimal supplies and no aid, tracking down objective markers that appeared on a daily basis representing stranded civilians; whilst killing Grimm was not the aim it was still understood that they would be expected to dispose of any such monsters they found and that if any of their objective markers were damaged by Grimm they would be penalised harshly. There were only a few days left of the mission and fatigue had begun to set in, Arctus and Eagle were the only two whose Scrolls were still functional and even they were using the devices as little as possible to conserve their battery life. Eagle had been utterly disheartened and hadn't spoken for a day when Sentinel had lost power midway through the assignment, whilst the droid would be perfectly fine once recharged she had felt the loss of her loyal companion keenly. The objective markers were consistently placed for enough apart that the team had to break camp and search for a new location each night, hauling their tents and equipment with them over several dozen miles not only slowing them down and making facing the Grimm a little more risky if there was nowhere to safely deposit their bags, but it was also physically draining; the equipment was bulky and heavy and they had not been given enough food to last without severe rationing.

"It's gonna be dark soon" Felix observed, the already limited light filtering though the canopy of trees "I'm thinking we find a clearing, get rid of anything already there and set up camp….hopefully it rains tonight and we can purify that instead of looking for water"

"We're running low on food" Diamond pointed out pursing her lips before asking "Okay Eagle, I know this is gonna sound like I'm stereotyping you but you're from out in the sticks right?….Do you know how to hunt?"

"I...What? No!" Eagle exclaimed covering her mouth "I don't how to hunt rabbits or deer or whatever it is that lives in these woods"

"Shame" Felix chuckled "I would kill for a Bambi burger right now"

"Volt Disney" Eagle began in a theatrically exaggerated tone as she pointed an accusing finger at her leader "Would be turning in his Ice Dust suspended animation bucket….thing"

"Damn that stung Eagle" Felix managed to gasp out, the declaration slightly undermined by the fact that he, along with Eagle and Arctus was utterly howling with laughter. Privately Felix felt a pang of annoyance as he made to check his Scroll out of habit, forgetting for a moment that it had stopped working two days ago, leaving him unable to co-ordinate as effectively as a Team Leader which he was almost certain he would be reprimanded for upon their return, but also robbing him of any ability to speak to Helios, Corvid, Blake and Yang who had both wished him good look on this assignment despite its' relative simplicity or Myrtle, his biological mother having been seemingly mortified at the idea of teens and twenty year old students being sent into Grimm infested territory without aid.

"Hey if we're desperate for food….there is always the Professor Cimmerian approach?" Arctus offered

"What, eat bad guys for breakfast?" Felix grinned, the Professor of Ungentlemanly Warfare whilst terrifying to many of her own students had just the right blend of showmanship, experience and willingness to be flexible with rules to make her one of the Lion Faunus's favourite professors, Professor Nora still holding the top spot by virtue of bias.

"You know what I mean" Arctus grumbled, Felix indeed did know what his cousin was talking about. Upon learning that some of her students were being sent into Forever fall she had mentioning in passing that whilst the train tracks through the area hadn't been used for some time there were still people who frequented the area, usually people who didn't want to be seen for some illicit reason or teenagers on a dare; though the occasional illegal rave in the woods, protected by failed or financially desperate Hunters was known to occur. She had simply reminded Team FADE that as Hunters, if they encountered any such people they would be well within their rights to commandeer anything of value that they might have with them.

"We're not gonna look for people to rob" Felix growled "Seriously, what the fuck?"

"They shouldn't be out here anyway, better they learn by getting their stuff taken by us then getting their legs chewed off by a Beowolf….shit sorry Dee, I didn't-"

"Dude it's fine" Diamond assured him, knowing that the offhanded comment had not been meant as an insult to her father.

"We're not that low on supplies….and we've only got a few days left" Felix reminded them "If we come across anyone we'll send 'em packing, but we're not going looking for anyone" his team nodded in agreement. For roughly ten minutes or so they continued in peaceful silence, then a shadow moving between the tree ahead of them and a flash of glowing red caught their attention

"Grimm up ahead" Felix warned in a hushed tone as he unsheathed his swords "Let's make this quick"

"Think Team GORE are dealing with this?" Eagle huffed, her mind clearly having wandered predictably to Hellion"

"Doubt it Dude" Diamond snorted "All they've gotta worry about is Carcharodon going nuts because he's got nobody to pester" the conversation was cut short as the Grimm in the trees caught sight of them, prompting Team FADE to rush forwards and put their skills to use once more.

* * *

There had been screams of panic and many students, accustomed though they were to danger, had fled away from Halo Academy's airship private terminal as one of the Academy's own Bull-Heads came in for landing far too fast, overshooting its' intended launchpad entirely and skidding sideways onto one on the opposite side of the terminal in a shower of sparks and screeching metal.

"OUT! GET OUT!" a booming voice demanded as the side hatch of the craft was flung open and a single arm clad in a pilots' uniform burst into view, each bellowed order to leave punctuated with a comically over the top pointing gesture.

"We landed, nobody got hurt. Stop bleating" the somewhat bemused sounding defence preceded Team GORE hopping out of the Bull-Head in quick succession, furious curses and accusations of insanity from their instructor following them as they calmly sauntered away from the scene they had caused, paying no mind to the multitude of eyes on them as they did so.

"I might actually shout ramming speed when we next fly, just to see if he tries to jump out without a parachute" Onyx chuckled in his usual low and guttural tone of voice. The former bandits had been offered an additional flying lesson by their instructor who had wanted to see how they would perform in low lighting; with their superior eyesight and night vision due to being Faunus along with their experience of operating under cover of darkness they had performed admirably. Carcharodon had taken his customary place at the rear of the cockpit, overseeing his crew as the commander of a ship would do whilst Hellion stood beside him with Marauder perched upon her arm; the Shark Faunus trusted his friends' Semblance and scouting abilities far more than he trusted machines and would deploy her to act as his eyes should anything unexpected occur. Onyx had taken his usual spot in the co-pilots seat and attended to the crafts' weapons, his affinity for both machinery and large explosions making him suitable for the role of gunner whilst Raffia took the pilots' seat. To say that all outside of Team GORE who knew the Axolotl Faunus were surprised by the dedication and diligence to took to flying with would be an understatement; however his team-mates understood his commitment well. In the Frost River Tribe ones' ship was home and helmsman was a role that was only overshadowed by the Captain, many of the tribes elders were in fact former Helmsman and the duty had an almost sacred sense of duty surrounding it; Raffia may have been a vicious, cruel and often outright unpleasant individual to be around but his role as pilot mattered to him. Things had only gone wrong when their instructor had insisted that Onyx and Raffia switch roles, stating that despite their preferences they each needed to prove themselves capable. The Puma Faunus was capable of flying in open airspace but New Vale's clogged skies were another matter all together; leading to their rushed and dramatic return to Halo Academy.

The quartet drew close to the main entrance when Carcharodon felt his Scroll vibrate; an occurrence that left him puzzled considering that the only people with whom he regularly spoke were stood beside him

"Go on ahead, I'll catch up" the Shark Faunus cast his eyes around for a moment before simply activating his Semblance, his liquid form sinking into the shadows cast by the lights around the campus and slithering out of view; eventually reforming behind the academy in the raised seating that surrounded that outdoor training area which resembled a coliseum.

"Who is this?" Carcharodon demanded in a sinister rasp as he finally answered his still ringing Scroll.

"You know exactly who this is" a familiar, yet unspeakably threatening voice snarled on the other end of the call; the Lower Atlesian accent and barely restrained fury easily identifying the caller

"Slate" Carcharodon gave a fang filled smile "I see that you decided-"

"Shut up" Gangrel spat "I'm gonna say this once, Operative Gore. If you _ever_ pull a stunt like that again, if you ever think you can use my daughter as a way to send me a message I will kill you; not by giving out a kill order, I will have you brought back to Atlas and I will break your neck myself. Are we fucking clear boy?" Carcharodon considered responding with equal vitriol, he was the leader of his people whilst Gangrel Slate answered to General Schnee and the Atlesian High Council; no lackey or underling had any right speaking to a ruler in such a manner. Instead the Shark Faunus took a moment to collect himself and realised that firstly he needed this conversation to go well far more than Gangrel did and secondly that the Bear Faunus was almost certainly not exaggerating and would indeed make an attempt on his life.

"Understood, Commander" he hissed out eventually

"Now what the fuck do you mean I owe you payment?" Gangrel demanded

"Our arrangement was over" Carcharodon stated, his usual imperious and commanding attitude returning with each word "Yet you sent my team on a mission to aid one of your people, without any agreement on our part and without proper information….were it not for Raffia's Semblance he would be dead and our disagreement would be an outright war. You owe us Slate, let's not pretend otherwise" there were a few tense moments of silence before Gangrel let out a sound of frustration

"Okay, I'll give you this one" he snarled "The warning stands, never call my girls again. As for payment, I hope you're not expecting a stack of Lien like last time. I have accountants who get itchy about things like that"

"It won't cost you a single Lien" Carcharodon promised him "I want information"

"This sounds potentially bad" Gangrel muttered "Information on what?"

"The Grimm you had us face, that was no ordinary monster and we would do well to be prepared for it" the Shark Faunus answered calmly

"Not a chance" the blunt refusal took a moment to process, however Carcharodon soon responded with his natural ferocity

"You mean to deny-"

"You can't have intel on that Grimm. Classified above top secret….I just needed Artemis and your team to confirm that it was still alive, now that we know it is things will be handled on my side. Don't concern yourself with it. It's out of your hands"

"Fine" Carcharodon spat, making no effort to hide his displeasure "Then my price is all available information on Rhodium Torchwick….there is no way that a criminal of his scope has escaped your notice and he tried to have one of my people killed, this demands blood"

"Shit" Gangrel remained silent for a beat before sounding genuinely sorry when he continued "Under normal circumstances I'd give you enough to bury him and let you get yourselves out of any murder charges that come your way….But I can't"

"Can't or won't Slate?"

"Can't. Rhodium Torchwick is a suspected accomplice of one of Atlas's most wanted terrorists, I can't risk anything that would interfere with bringing them down"

"Then have us work with-"

"No" Gangrel interrupted "I have a Specialist already assigned to the case. Considering that one of your people cut her arm off having you work with her is out of the question….besides if Torchwick knows your faces I don't want you anywhere near this"

"I see" Carcharodon rasped out, fists clenching with fury as the Atlesian denied requests that were in his mind perfectly reasonable "Then perhaps something else"

"Go for it" Carcharodon thought for a moment, though the answer was clear from the beginning and there was only one thing that he truly wanted for his people above all else except justice

"A ship. My people require a vessel, something armed and armoured"

"Behave yourself" Gangrel laughed his accent and mannerisms from his younger years coming to the fore, suspecting that Carcharodon was joking until the cold silence he was greeted with confirmed that he was not "Shit you're serious?"

"If you won't give us information then a more material price will have to be paid"

"I can't just give you an Oum damned naval vessel" Gangrel growled "Especially considering your history-"

"A history that we have no ties to" Carcharodon spat "We have lost our family, murdered by Faunus that for all we know could have been our brothers and sisters. We have given up raiding and piracy, instead we serve the Kingdoms as Hunters. I wear a crown with no meaning….The Frost River Tribe were the masters of the seas and its' last living members will not be consigned to spend the rest of our lives on land or in floating castles that defy nature and common sense!"

"You're telling me you want a ship for cultural reasons?" Gangrel sounded unconvinced

"Of course, I have no intention of spending my life within the Kingdoms" Carcharodon answered "Besides, my people always intended to act as Hunters on the sea when we agreed to continue training. Your people are extortionists, if we were to purchase a vessel from them we would be in debt for generations" on the other end of the call Gangrel could be heard muttering to himself and the Shark Faunus strongly suspected his head was in his hands as he did so

"Fine"

"Excuse-"

"Fine" Gangrel repeated "I will try and get you an Oum damned ship. It's going to take some time and I can't promise anything other than I'll try….now delete my daughters' number out of your Scroll. Stay away from Torchwick and whatever other stupid shit you're planning try not to involve my son or his team in it. Are we done?"

"We're done….until you next need our help" Carcharodon rasped out before ending the call. He felt light and giddy in a way that he hadn't in years, not since everything he had known was taken from him in a series of bloody and dishonourable battles. A vessel would make his team worthy of their status as the last scions of their people once again; it would almost be enough to lessen the blow when he told Onyx, Raffia and Hellion that he had bartered Torchwick's life to obtain it.

* * *

New Vale was home to countless restaurants and cafes so meticulously ordinary that the notion of any degree of plotting or scheming taking place within their walls was unthinkably absurd.

So naturally it was within one of these establishments that Rover Tan had gathered a few of his closest associates to plot and scheme in their endeavours to bring Rhodium Torchwick to justice, either that of the Kingdom or their own brand of it if the law could not be relied upon. Around a corner table, dressed in civilian clothes and seeming to be nothing but a group of acquaintances meeting for dinner were Rover and Artemis Tan, with Tuscan in a high chair beside thoroughly enjoying the attention of the adults and leaving as much of her food spattered across her cheeks and bib as she actually ate. Scarlet David-Vasilias, who wore gloves and a pair of glasses to hide his prosthetic left hand and obscure the tattoos adorning his face; the final member of their group was a younger woman, a Mastiff Faunus with a pair of floppy ears adorning the top of her skull and sporting a stocky physique and more than a passing resemblance to her late brother; her name was Fawn Bordeaux and she had been one of the first police officers that Rover had approached when he and his wife set out on their endeavour; she deserved a chance to see her brothers' murderer brought to justice.

"So we've gotta get rid of Silvertongue" she stated bluntly "We had evidence and probable cause to rip the place apart until the lawyer turned up….so we get rid of the lawyer"

"Oh to be young and naive" Scarlet laughed, rolling his eyes "Think we haven't spent ten years trying to bring that son of a bitch down? He's been protected by Malachite for years, any evidence has been buried"

"Then let's dig it up?" Artemis suggested as she wiped Tuscan's face clean and angled another spoonful of mashed vegetables into her mouth "Malachite's dead but her cronies aren't, there's gotta be someone willing to talk?"

"Breaks the rules of the game" Scarlet countered, making a gesture with his fingers as he did so "Anyone talks to police then they're fair game, even their own crew will come after 'em….Last people to ignore the rules were-"

"The White Fang" a new voice interrupted "Under the command of Adam Taurus and Gangrel Slate, in Vale they eradicated every other crime family except the Black Bear Syndicate through extreme violence and an utter lack of respect for the code of honour that many criminals claim to uphold"

"Who the hell are you?" Fawn Bordeaux demanded as she took in the sight of the newcomer, dressed in the whites and greys of the Atlesian Military with shoulder length scarlet hair and golden eyes, wearing a respirator over the lower half of her face and sporting a left arm that was cybernetic from the elbow downwards. Rover and Artemis let out a sigh in tandem, they had been forewarned of what to expect but it didn't make matters any easier

"This" Artemis sighed "Is-"

"Atlesian Specialist Kafsi Asteri" she interrupted, still standing to attention "My commanding officer believes that the fugitive you're attempting to apprehend has allied himself with an Atlesian terrorist and as such I'm here to take over this operation"

"Excuse the fuck out of me" Bordeaux spat vehemently "But we're after a cop-killer so how about-"

"I'm in pursuit of a man wanted for multiple counts of murder and accessory to the murder of a Hunter, attempted murder of Hunters, military personnel and student Hunters, treason, espionage, aiding and abetting terrorists and traitors to the Kingdom, arson, theft, distribution of illegal weapons and narcotics charges which include his role as the supplier for one Rhodium Torchwick. Understand Miss Bordeaux that if you want to see your brothers' murderer brought to justice then I am by far your best chance of doing so"

"So have you got any ideas, or did you just feel like showing up and making yourself look as obvious as possible?" Scarlet demanded, his words dripping sarcasm

"You were already obvious" Kafsi countered

"Here? This is the last place someone like Torchwick would look for us!"

"Exactly" Kafsi sighed, speaking slowly as if to children "And he knows you would think that, which is why somewhere like this is the first place he would look for you" the comment silenced the group, save for Tuscan who babbled excitedly and pointed at the newcomer

"So what's the plan?" Rover asked finally "Gang said you're his best"

"Our initial aim is to separate Torchwick from Ozymandias Eldritch, my target. Without each others' resources both of them are weakened, to do so we need evidence-"

"We tried-"

"Real evidence Mister David" Kafsi snapped, halting Scarlet's interruption "Planted evidence or evidence obtained through illegal means is less than useless to us"

"Got anything we didn't already know?" Fawn demanded irritably

"It may take some time but I have a potential contact, someone with more than enough motivation and resources to aid us" Kafsi's smile was truly a predatory thing and for a moment Rover and Tan wondered just what kind of Hunter their old friend and leader had sent to help them.

* * *

The sun had barely risen the following morning when Ruby had woken Syneffo, urging her to be silent so as not to disturb the twins. Once she was clad in her armour and her weapons ready Ruby had brought her young charge out to their current location; stopping off for a filling if most likely unhealthy breakfast on the way.

"This" Ruby gestured to the vast forest below "Is Forever Fall" Syneffo took in the sight in silent wonder; as far as the eye could see were trees whose leaves varied in shade from golden brown to the same deep scarlet as her own hair. The two of them were watching from the open hatch of Penny's personal bullhead which Ruby had borrowed for the day and was currently hovering several dozen feet above the edge of the forest; looking down at the vast wilderness which clearly spanned several hundred miles Syneffo felt at home for the first time since arriving in New Vale

"It's beautiful" she breathed out, awestruck

"Thought you'd like it" Ruby nudged her playfully, a gesture which Syneffo was still unused to anyone outside of her immediate family having the gall to attempt "It's also absolutely crawling with Grimm"

"You mean?" Syneffo turned to face Ruby, her silver eyes wide with sudden hope and excitement at the prospect of finally being able to prove herself in the eyes of her mentor and unlock the mysterious powers that Ruby believed she had.

"Yep" Ruby nodded, popping the P as she deployed Crescent Rose; the weapon so iconic that it bordered on legendary all across Remnant unfurling into its' sniper rifle form. Ruby quickly snapped off a single shot which struck a tree on the verge of the forest and exploded, though with a seemingly harmless payload

"Tremor-Somnium gas round" Ruby explained "Draws Grimm, there's only a little in each shot but one Grimm draws more….anyway, landing strategies" with that Ruby leapt from the Bull-Head and rose petals manifested and hung suspended in the air around her as she activated both her Semblance and the power of the Silver Eyed Warriors in unison, allowing her to simply fly to the ground. Syneffo watched in awe before swallowing with nerves and walking back into the hovering aircraft, using the length of the cargo and passenger hold to give herself a running start as she launched herself downwards, her Semblance enveloping her in a bubble of translucent crimson light which tore a crater into the soft ground as it cushioned her impact.

"Weapons ready" Ruby warned as Crescent Rose was shifted into its' scythe mode, the caped Huntress assuming what had become her signature stance with the weapon held in both hands, shaft behind her and angled above her shoulders. Syneffo silently nodded and drew her axes, taking slow deep breaths as the trees began to rustle; a glint of bone coloured armoured hide and a flash of murderous red eyes serving as brief warning before a tide of Beowolves burst from the trees, snapping and howling at the pair.

"Take the lead" Ruby instructed and Syneffo wasted no words, simply letting out a primal scream as she charged the Grimm, burying an axe in the skull of the first monster to lunge at her and flinging its' fading and still twitching corpse of another as it leapt into the air, her other axe ripping the tendons of yet another Beowolves' hind legs before it was despatched with a flurry of blows to the back and head. Ruby watched the scene before her, occasionally decapitating or bisecting a Grimm that tore away from the main pack and attempted to make a meal of her; Syneffo was clearly something of a prodigy in the art of killing Grimm and whilst her attacks were a little more wild and frenzied than Ruby remembered herself being as a teenager killing Beowolves in Patch's woods there was no denying the fact that the warrior princess was despatching monsters at a rate that rivalled Ruby herself, even accounting for Ruby's speed. After a moment however Ruby found herself worried as Syneffo simply disappeared beneath the tide of fangs and claws, planting her feet firmly she channelled her powers and felt her eyes began to sting and burn, light flooding into the edges of her vision as she prepared to unleash her powers to their full devastating effect.

Then Syneffo exploded back into view, her Semblance forming a dome of light almost the size of a house which hurled Grimm in every direction; several of the monsters expiring from the force of their subsequent collisions with the ground or trees. The attack whilst devastating had clearly drained the teen and as she swayed on the spot for a moment those Grimm that remained scrabbled to their feet, sensing her weakness.

"Get away from her!" Ruby bellowed, voice reverberating unnaturally as light burst forth from her eyes in a wave of that simply unmade every Grimm that it passed over, leaving the field on the edge of Forever fall covered in a dense black fog. Ruby shuddered for a moment as her eyes returned to normal then rushed over to Syneffo in a shower of rose petals

"You were brilliant!" she exclaimed with a broad smile "That double swing where you took off like eight heads, that was so cool, and the backflip where you tagged two of 'em in the-"

"I couldn't do it" Syneffo croaked out, her own silver eyes filling with tears; axes falling to the ground and fists trembling with anger at herself "Even with all these Grimm here, I couldn't do it! I still can't use my silver eyes the way you do!"

"Hey, hey come on, easy….deep breaths" Ruby tried to soothe her "I've had over twenty years of practice. The first time I used my eyes was in a literal war zone and I didn't wake up for days afterwards"

"What am I doing wrong?"

"Nothing" Ruby promised her "You're doing great, it'll just take time-"

"Your children, literal children can do it!" Syneffo retorted, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand "They learned by accident and I can't master my powers with training"

"They learned because I was too exhausted to protect them in the breach" Ruby whispered, the mere memory enough to make her tremble for a moment "Penny was injured, I had nothing left to give and a Grimm stepped into what was left of our old Bull-Head; they should never have been in that position"

"But maybe I should be" Syneffo murmured after remaining silent for a moment, her eyes taking on a harsh, almost crazed quality "Summer-Pyrrha and Tai-Jaune discovered their powers when they were faced with certain death. You discovered yours when Vale fell….when Pyrrha Nikos fell-"

"Syneffo" Ruby warned

"That's the answer" she continued, utterly undeterred "I need to be truly put to the test….facing Beowolves with the best Huntress in the world beside me isn't enough. Hold these" she quickly began removing every Dust tipped crossbow bolt she carried from her person and handed them over to Ruby, quickly followed by the Harpies Claws themselves.

"What on Remnant are you doing?" Syneffo didn't answer for a moment, she was preoccupied by removing her golden armour that covered her chest

"Going deeper into the forest, with no weapons and no armour….alone"

"That insane!"

"Insane enough to work" Ruby paused and pinched the bridge of her nose, loathe to admit that as dangerous and impulsive as Syneffo's idea was it had a certain merit to it

"Okay, I'll let you do this on one condition" she stated firmly "You keep your Scroll switched on, if you get in over your head you call me and I will get you out" Syneffo scowled for a moment, in her mind the condition Ruby was insisting on defeated the entire purpose of the exercise

"Fine" she finally relented

"Good luck" with that the teen turned and set off towards the trees, her determined and steady pace slowly becoming a jog as she entered Forever Fall proper and eventually giving way to a full sprint as the sound of thunderous movement boomed through the trees.

Their fighting had seemingly attracted something big that was heading her way and Syneffo had every intention of slaying the monster before she left the forest.

* * *

Whilst Ruby and Syneffo trained in Forever Fall life continued as normal in the pleasant and leafy suburb of New Vale that the Rose family called home. The sky was the typical shade of grey for the season and the threat of rain hung overhead, yet currently the weather remained dry if windy and the majority of the spacious homes lining the street stood empty, their occupants having left for work hours ago. Penny Rose had awoken to a note from her wife explaining her whereabouts, confirming what the two of them had discussed the night before; this had left the copper haired android to wake Summer-Pyrrha and Tai-Jaune Rose and see that they ate a decent breakfast before walking them both to school. Upon returning home Penny had made her way into the basement, which served as a laboratory and workshop in which she and Ruby worked on countless designs together, one of which were the nanobot filled rounds that the Atlesian Military had quietly halted the production of with a hefty payment.

From the basement Penny had no idea that she was being watched.

The street on which the Rose family lived had no houses behind it, their large back gardens backing onto sparse woodland in which the local children played; it was in the midst of these trees that Nickel Polendina observed the house in stony silence, taking care to remain just out of range of its' impressive automated defences lest she inadvertently draw unwanted attention.

"Obsolete" the single word was drawn out into a low snarl and Nickel's hand clenched the trunk of the nearest tree, bark shattering and giving way with little resistance "Obsolete, broken-" her hateful monologue was cut short as her Scroll vibrated; the rogue android gave serious consideration to simply ignoring the man who had freed her from her dormant state, trapped in the vault hidden within the labyrinthine Toy-Box facility where Atlas's dirty secrets went to die. The buzzing persisted and Nickel finally conceded that her excursion had been noticed and answered

"What?" she snapped by way of greeting

"I know exactly where you are and exactly what you intend to do. Stand down, return to your base of operations" Ozymandias Eldritch was lacking his usual grandfatherly tone, currently the old man sounded both irate and disappointed

"That dingy little apartment?" Nickel snorted derisively "No"

"You will have your chance to face the Silver Eyed Warrior when the time is right" Ozymandias assured her "As a matter of fact my plans are contingent upon it"

"It's not about her" Nickel snarled

"Ah, I see" the scientist sighed "What is it you hope to gain from engaging your predecessor?" Nickel desperately sought the words to explain, when she couldn't find them the casing of her Scroll began to crack in her hands whilst she lashed out and tore into the trunk of the tree she had been leaning against, eyes furious and lip quivering

"Nickel?" Ozymandias asked, momentarily concerned that the android had simply disposed of her Scroll and continued her defiance

"I'm here chief" she replied, forcing her voice into her usual mocking tone

"Go home" he instructed firmly "You are risking everything; if you attack now then we will be unable to enact the plan. Remnant must be reshaped Nickel and if you stand in the way of that, well….you have a self destruct system linked to your Aura generator; quite impossible to remove I'm afraid" Nickel's eyes widened in shock and fear; Ozymandias was almost certainly not lying and there was no doubt that he would be willing to end her existence here and now if she failed to comply

"Fine….you're not my real Dad ass-hole" she spat

"And yet I have your best interests at heart" Ozymandias replied gently "The attack must come at the perfect opportunity. You'll get your chance to right whatever wrongs you feel that Penny Polendina has inflicted on you Nickel" Nickel ended the call and gave one last glower in the direction of the Rose family home before turning away and stomping through the woods, taking care to rip the tree she had already damaged out of the ground entirely, for no reason other than an insatiable desire to break something.

* * *

"Come on, we're almost there!" Felix barked out urgently, despite panting and gasping for breath as he did so

"We're gonna need a plan!" Arctus pointed out

"We'll worry about that when we get there! Getting there is what's important right now, someone clearly needs our help!" that much was beyond question and Team FADE as a whole sprinted through the autumnal trees of Forever Fall as fast as possible.

The four of them had been at their camp, Felix blurry eyed and exhausted after taking over a sizeable portion of the nights' watch; finished their meagre breakfast and preparing to break their camp as they discussed which way they should head for their next objective marker, searching for some sort of pattern as they looked at their maps with the locations of previous objectives drawn on them. A dull thud in the distance had given them a fresh burst of optimism as they had initially believed that it had been the sound of said objective being dropped; yet upon hearing more noises, the cacophony getting progressively more violent as it continued it became apparent that something far less fortunate was happening and the team had left their camp and assignment abandoned, as protocol for students of their level of experience dictated and rushed towards the source of the uproar in order to help.

"Holy shit that's a big, ugly Grimm!" Diamond exclaimed as they skidded to a halt at the edge of a clearing that they had no recollection of being in this part of the forest. The reason soon became obvious; the Grimm had reshaped the landscape and the noises they had heard were a consequence of the destruction. An area roughly the size of a small sports' field had been all but levelled, the trees utterly absent and the earth churned up and strewn about, the area had seemingly sunk somewhat which left the Grimm standing in the bottom of a slight depression, the ground littered with several gargantuan holes whose size alone made it clear that the Grimm had creating them by bursting from the ground.

The Grimm itself was insectoid in appearance, supported on six legs covered in chitinous white armour with a wide stance which kept the things' body low to the ground and several joints and which managed to be spindly in relation to the things' body despite each being roughly the width of a mans' chest; each leg tapered down to a pointed, spiralling tip like that of a drill. Its thorax and abdomen were heavily coated in thick plates of armour, with the signature inky flesh of the Creatures of Grimm visible in the spaces between each segmented plate of chitin, the abdomen swayed behind the monster seemed to serve no other purpose than to be a counterweight for its' head. The head of the Grimm was bulbous and elongated, larger than the rest of the creature entirely; its' rippling black tissue having a glossy and shimmering appearance that made it seem as though it had been expanded almost to the point of rupturing. The thing had at least a dozen eyes that Team FADE could see, yet they lifeless things that made no effort to track their surroundings and it was obvious that the whip like antennae were how the thing navigated its' surroundings. Whilst its' skull bore no armour it sported a pair of curved and serrated tusk like mandibles, each of which was easily longer than the average person was tall; however it was what was between those monstrous jaws that caused the students alarm

"Is that a tree?" Eagle demanded in shock. It was indeed a tree, the mandibles held the trunk of one of Forever Fall's signature fauna and lowered it down at a steady pace into a mouth that featured no jaw, instead a perfect circle filled with countless rows of freely spinning sets of teeth, rotating in opposite directions and acting in that moment as a monstrous wood-chipper

"What on Remnant is that thing?" Diamond demanded

"Dweller" Felix hissed through clenched teeth "Granddad told me a story about Team STRQ bringing one down before"

"Well we're no Team STRQ but we can still-"

"ARRGHHH!" the furious war-cry stunned Arctus into silence; what followed it left Team FADE as a whole, momentarily baffled. A young girl, seemingly in her teens burst through the trees; blood spilling from a gash above her right eyebrow and her left arm hanging limp, clearly dislocated at the shoulder yet still clutching the crushed remains of a Scroll; her eyes were wild and seemingly glowing faintly as if it lit from behind as she charged at the Grimm whilst clutching a broken tree branch with a jagged edge like a spear in her good arm, stopping short and carrying her momentum into a powerful throw which sent the branch flying into one of the Dweller's eyes. The Grimm shrieked and buzzed in rage and pain, throwing the remains of the tree aside as it turned its' attention to it' attacker.

"THAT'S HELIOS'S SISTER!" Felix cried out as he rushed forwards, the recognition pushing him to desperate action. He was still several meters away when the Dweller reached her, mandibles tearing into the soft ground as it attempted to swallow her whole

"NO!" Felix's dread was short lived as several broken teeth belonging to the Grimm whizzed passed him at lethal speeds and he saw that Syneffo fought on, her Semblance having created a bubble like protection around her which slowly expanded within the maw of the Grimm, tearing its' mouth asunder even more.

"WE NEED TO GET HER OUT OF THERE!" the Lion Faunus bellowed as Syneffo's shield began to ripple and crackle "SHE'S GONNA RUN OUT OF AURA, EAGLE PULL HER OUT, I'LL HOLD THE GRIMM!"

"Felix I've got an idea!" Arctus called out after him "Just hold it steady! Diamond distract it with cover fire!"

"Got it!" with the rough outline of a plan in place Felix withdrew a small Fire Dust crystal that he'd been holding onto in case of emergency, whilst it would not be enough for him to enter his Balrog state it would provide some additional power which may turn the tide. His golden Aura flared into life around him as he crushed the crystal in his palm, the sound of bone splintering ringing in his ears as Diamond fired salvo after salvo of explosive rounds into the Grimm's armoured hide. He reached the jaws of the dweller without a moment to spare, grabbing the mandibles which were still lodged in the ground and holding the Grim steady at the exact moment Syneffo's shield and Aura failed, the odd light leaving her eyes as she collapsed backwards. Felix felt his feet sinking into the soft earth and his arms being pushed to the point of fracturing by the Grimm's strength; then two things happened in near perfect unison. Firstly Eagle's swooped between Felix and the remains of the Grimm's mouth, reverting to her natural state and pulling Syneffo away from danger. Secondly a glowing white Glyph sailed passed Felix's cheek and over his shoulder, embedding itself in the ruined remains of the Dweller's mouth.

"GET CLEAR!" Arctus screamed frantically and Felix, realising what was about to happen hurled himself to the ground just as the summoned construct began to emerge from the Glyph, climbing directly into the mouth of the Dweller as it continued to grow to full size. With a strangled scream the Dweller's head first cracked and then burst open entirely, revealing a towering and glowing Minotaur Grimm almost twice the size of the beast it had been based upon.

"NOOOOOO!" Syneffo's anguished scream was enough to ruin the moment, whatever sense of victory Team FADE had felt being shattered

"We won kid" Felix pointed out in confusion "The Grimm's-"

"YOU IDIOT!" she rounded on Arctus and the sound of her slapping him across the cheek echoed through the trees

"Hey what the-" Diamond stepped closer to the younger teen, only for Felix to clamp down on her shoulder firmly; he had no desire to see this confrontation get any worse or stranger

"I WAS SO CLOSE! I COULD FEEL IT!" Syneffo sank to her knees, bawling in earnest as Team FADE stared at her, utterly lost.

"Hey….you wanna explain why you're mad?" Felix asked, being the first to step close and crouch down to her level. She never had chance to answer, a burst of rose petals announcing the arrival of Ruby Rose

"SYNEFFO! I heard you scream and….oh; hey Fluffy, Arctus. I didn't realise that there were any students here"

"Aunt Ruby?" Felix looked from his aunt to Syneffo; from one pair of silver eyes to the other and everything suddenly made an uncomfortable amount of sense

"Oum damn it" he sighed, turning to his team to explain "I think we just ruined a training exercise"

"Dude, why would you let her fight that thing on her own?" Diamond demanded, Ruby Rose's status as a living legend not being anywhere near enough to keep the accusation out of the younger snipers' tone

"She's….a special case" Ruby explained "I was on stand by, apparently so were you. Syneffo how did it go?"

"Utter failure" she sniffled dejectedly "I was robbed" Ruby took one look at the exhausted, beaten and utterly pitiful sight of her student and did the only thing that made sense; she crouched down and pulled Syneffo into a hug

"You did great….You're doing great. But you need to come with me, we're gonna get you patched up and let you rest before you try again. Come on" she gently pulled Syneffo up, the teen stood on shaky legs and refused to meet anyone's eyes as Ruby lead her in the direction she had come from; turning to address Felix before she left

"I wanna get her arm looked at straight away or I'd offer to fly you back to the academy….I'm gonna contact Goodwitch though, you've earned yourselves an early finish on this job"

"Thanks" Felix beamed, watching her leave before turning to his team who looked noticeably less enthused

"So" Diamond huffed "Does she just not know how to apologise?"

"Dee" Felix sighed "Not right now, please"

"But seriously why was she out here?" Eagle demanded "I know Ruby Rose was amazing even at fifteen, she's the youngest academy student ever….but she can't expect Helios's little sister to-"

"Drop it Eagle" Felix sighed "You remember what Helios was like in first year; better than the rest of us by a mile? Well since he abdicated his role as heir to the Nikosi, Syneffo is getting an accelerated version of his training….Great Aunt Ruby and Uncle Qrow are helping"

"My Dad is?….I've gotta talk to him about this" Eagle stated flatly

"Yeah, I know" Felix nodded, wincing as a thought occurred "Oum damn it….this is not gonna be fun to explain to Helios"

* * *

The sentient Grimm known as Pantheon led it's ever growing pack through the wilderness at the edges of New Vale's territory, having slipped through the cracks in the defensive perimeter known as _'The Front Line'_ though the dozens of military outposts were well equipped they still could not see everything that occurred and the spaces between installations presented opportunities. Since making the tactical choice to ignore the vast but incredibly well defended human settlement that they had encountered Pantheon had been slowly advancing towards their destination; taking a far less direct route to avoid detection and guided by the feminine voice echoing in Pantheon's mind that seemed to know what lay ahead at all times and imparted knowledge as they went.

"Quiet" Pantheon snarled to a group of particularly aggressive and boisterous Beowolves. The pack were moving through filthy swamplands where no humans or Faunus had reason to venture, the waters long since having been polluted or overfished until nothing remained; the broken moon hung overhead lighting the way as dozens upon dozens of crimson eyed monsters waded through murky water that reached their haunches, obediently following Pantheon as they moved from one of the gnarled and twisted trees that rose from the depths to the next in a series of powerful leaps that left their trunks creaking with the strain.

"Wait" Pantheon ordered, raising one of their upper limbs and splaying the three scythe like digits that grew from it in a gesture to halt. The pack did so and for a moment the air was filled with no sounds other than the occasional whining of one of the Grimm or the slight rippling of the water as one shifted its' weight. Then a pair of attackers burst from below and though they came without warning Pantheon was already on the move; a pair of serpentine heads tore through the space they had occupied and tore the tree apart whilst Pantheon plunged beneath the roiling surface, into a point directly between the heads. It soon became apparent that there were not two attackers, merely one monster with two heads and the more intelligent Grimm swiftly set about the task of tearing the King-Taijitu in half, both ends of the creature hissing and spitting in defiance as they expired. Pantheon resurfaced and turned to the pack of Beowolves that had remained stationary, following the will of their Alpha until the possible end.

"Stay here" without waiting for a reply that they knew wouldn't come Pantheon took to the air with a flap of their powerful wings and set off in the direction from which the King-Taijitu had obviously come, following the length of the swamplands over steadily deepening water until they finally came to a halt and landed in the branches of another long dead tree; monstrous face in something akin to awe at the sight below. There was an artificial floating island in the swamp, one that had clearly been home to several humans if the amount of buildings that littered its' surface were any indication; said buildings now currently stood ruined and the oversized propulsion system that had allowed the aquatic settlement to move had long since been destroyed, nothing remaining but a mass of twisted and rusted metal. The settlement itself however was of little interest to Pantheon, it was what had taken root upon it; silently the intelligent monster realised that they had been guided to this place for the sole reason of finding what lay below them. Whatever carnage had left this man made island deserted had obviously been bloody, the carnage had been enough for a Spawning Pit to form and fester as it went unchecked. Another Grimm peeled itself free of the living darkness from whence it had come and set of screeching into the night in search of its' first kill and as it did so Pantheon realised that they needed to return to their pack, plans needed to be made.

There was no need to pick off smaller settlements as they neared their true quarry, no need to draw other Grimm to them; if Pantheon could take control of the fragment of the Grimm Hive Mind that this Spawning Pit controlled then they would have all the bodies they needed.

 **Authors Notes:**

Okay three chapters into Vol.8 and it feels like it's taking shape now….although it might not be as much to you readers because I already know where this is going.  
At the moment the central conflict is Team FADE & friends against Torchwick and his crew, with Rover/Kafsi's cops going after Torchwick and Oz's own agenda involving Nickel and Pantheon happening around them.  
Team FADE are and always will be the main characters of this story but as it's progressed I feel like the focus has naturally expanded to encompass more of the side characters and honestly I'm perfectly okay with that.  
Vol.7, 8 & 9 that make up third year are the calm before the storm, so as crazy as it gets you should enjoy it while it lasts.

But anyway, let's summarise.  
Ah, nothing like a decapitation to start off a chapter….it's bold, eye catching, big dick energy if you will.  
I feel like it's a touch of realism to have the students get frankly bored shitless with the job sometimes; as much as they want to be Hunters they're still people with social lives that are getting eaten into and nobody likes unpaid overtime or homework assignment that take forever.  
Also the idea of them training in the woods makes perfect sense considering that they want to specialise in Grimm Hunting, they won't always have a village nearby to fall back to.  
I was originally going to set this chapter in the Emerald Forest but Forever Fall just seemed to fit better somehow, I imagine that Beacon and then Halo keep the Emerald Forest reserved for initiations as much as possible.  
Seriously Patch has woods but Eagle is the undisputed country girl of the team.  
Had to make the Walt Disney reference, had to.  
Yeah twenty, so Felix and Corvid have had their shared birthday _(Side note, Myrtle will know his real one)_ Eagle, Arctus and Diamond are all still nineteen and only Eagle and Felix's birthday's fall within the school year.  
Professor Jasper Cimmerian…..probably a bad influence if you want your students to function in polite society, if they're gonna be fighting monsters and criminals though; she's the best teacher they could have.  
Oh yeah, Arctus still needs to meet Merc and Diamond face to face.  
In my head Team GORE's landing and being ejected from their Bull-Head was perfect slapstick comedy.  
So, Raffia has found something that matters to him and a sense of purpose outside of hurting people and being a dick.  
Kinda feel bad for Carcharodon, all those students that genuinely like him and he's honestly probably lonely as hell; everyone he cares about is either dead or moving on in their lives while he tries to keep as much of the old way alive as possible.  
Carcharodon is lucky Gangrel has mellowed out over the last twenty years; Downward Spiral Gangrel would have just turned up and beat the stuffing out of him.  
Carcharodon has a solid point and Gangrel isn't so boneheaded that he'll ignore it; the mission Team GORE were sent on was not what they signed up for, Gang abused his connections and he knows it.  
You knew exactly who the Specialist was gonna be even before Gangrel mentioned her arm.  
So, at some point _(I'm thinking possibly at the end of this volume, but only kinda...you'll see)_ Team GORE are gonna get a boat to call home, which is nice because they honestly don't have anywhere to stay.  
You remember Brindle Bordeaux right? You remember what Torchwick did to him….yeah, his little sister is fresh out the police academy and wants blood.  
Same old Kafsi.  
Shit, Oz has been quite a busy old man when you put it that way.  
It's so mundane that it's obviously being used as a meeting place….kinda makes sense.  
I'm sure some of you can guess who Kafsi is gonna recruit.  
I wanted the scene with Syneffo ploughing through Beowolves to feel like a callback to the Red Trailer, almost a passing of the torch moment.  
Oh Syneffo is brave as hell and eager to prove herself….that is a combo that leads to dumb choices.  
Nickel going full stalker/serial killer for a second there.  
Oh, a self destruct system; that's totally not foreshadowing for something in a future fight….and neither are the Nanobot rounds that I keep mentioning that Ruby and Penny are working on.  
Dweller: A Termite Grimm, I was originally gonna have an earthworm Grimm which is why it has that name, it's partially based on the skyscraper sized worm from Transformers 3.  
Her eyes were glowing guys.  
Gotta admit, that was some pretty cool teamwork from Team FADE.  
Oh she is beyond pissed….she was right on the cusp of getting it and she knows it.  
So Pantheon is gonna take on a Spawning Pit….Spawning Pits spit out giant Grimm when they die; I believe I speak for everyone here when I say "LET THEM FIGHT!"

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Funlander, DizzyDwarf, Ferrous and one guest for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Nah, Kafsi already has the forcefield gun called Aegis Thunder.  
I honestly had an idea for an older AJ showing up in the epilogue, you may have just read my mind.  
Funny how it's Arctus that's the hotheaded one, he's picked up Felix's bad habits which Felix himself has managed to work on.  
Nickel is many flavours of bitch.  
Oh I'm sure Weiss would have cut Carcharodon's ears and nose off for that stunt, pretty sure Gangrel got a stern talking to for his operative acting out as well.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


	102. White Spectre

RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)

I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.

I am making no money from this.

 **Chapter 102: White Spectre**

The area of New Vale that Felix drove through was distinctly working class, the buildings within this level of the gargantuan Hive tower were small and empty space seemed to be non-existent; though whilst everything had a distinctly worn and ill-cared for look that made it clear that this particular district of the Kingdoms' capital was often dismissed and forgotten whenever urban development and regeneration was discussed Felix noted with some relief that things could be far worse as there were none of the tell tale signs of a truly deprived and impoverished area such as the open drug dealing and gang names emblazoned on shop shutters in graffiti that haunted the lowest levels of New Vale.

"Turn left" the stilted and clearly synthetic voice issuing from Felix's scroll instructed, not knowing this area well had prompted him to use the device for directions though as he complied he found himself reaching down to his passenger's seat where his Scroll lay and muting the device; his destination was in sight and he took care to slow down to a crawl as he drew close, the engine of the Killer-Bee a guttural growl as the muscle car came to a halt outside of a children's play area the deep reverberating sound turning heads and making Felix exceptionally happy that his car was in working order once more. Hopping out of the driver's seat Felix scanned the area, the play area was obviously more well maintained than many of the buildings around it which gave it the feeling of being an area that the locals took pride in; whilst actual grass and natural sunlight were something of an impossibility with the hive complexes synthetic turf had been laid over a softened surface for the children to play on and the lights overhead had been modified to give out as close to actual sunlight as possible, Felix saw well over a dozen children playing in various groups and their families sat at benches around the edge of the perimeter formed by a brightly coloured fence and after only a few seconds of looking he found who he was looking for

"Hey" he called out as he hopped over the fence with ease as made his way over to where Myrtle Marrs sat, smiling and waving at him whilst sat beside a man that could only have been her partner.

"It's great to see you" Myrtle exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Felix before confirming his suspicions as she introduced the man "This is Redwood, I told you about him" Felix held out a hand for his biological mothers' boyfriend to shake. Redwood was an auburn haired Deer Faunus with antlers sprouting from beneath his crew cut; physically the man was unremarkable and he wore a faded boiler-suit though what muscle he had was clearly the result of hard physical labour rather than hours in a gym and his face had the hollow-cheeked gauntness of someone who had grown up with never quite enough to eat, he took Felix's hand and shook it firmly enough for the Lion Faunus to feel the older mans' callouses

"It's good to meet you kid, can't tell you how happy it's made Myrtle" his hazel eyes widened a little as he looked over Felix's shoulder and got a proper look at the Killer-Bee "Is that a Carmine? They don't even make those any more, the plant got levelled by Grimm back when I was a kid-"

"Really redwood, cars already?" Myrtle laughed softly, Felix laughed as well, though having someone who appreciated vintage muscle cars as much as he did was certainly a nice change; Yang would never admit that anything could be superior to a superbike

"Sorry I always take so long to organise a meetup" Felix lamented with a sigh "Missions, training and assignments are killing me right now"

"It's fine, Astra was feeling a little off anyway but he can't wait to meet you" Myrtle assured him

"Hope you don't mind us meeting up out here" Redwood added, Myrtle looking a little uncomfortable as the Deer Faunus added "It's just that….look, I'm sure you're a really great guy but at the end of the day You're a Hunter"

"Excuse me?" Felix was utterly baffled by the statement

"It's a violent job, you're dealing with the worst things in the world all the time; you and the things you're up against can get shot a dozen times and not feel it….and there's plenty of Hunters who go a bit crazy; like I said I'm sure you're fine….I just want the first time you meet our son to be in a public place with witnesses" Felix took a deep breath and made a monumental effort to avoid clenching his fists or look visibly enraged, lest he inadvertently do anything that might prove the mans' point

"Oum damn it Red, why would you say that" Myrtle gasped "Now look you've upset him"

"Nah it's cool" Felix breathed out "I get it, I suppose if you live in the city and don't really see Grimm then you're only gonna hear stories about Hunters or see the washouts. But it's fair….the academies are trying to do better though, counselling for Hunters and things like that" Redwood gave him an apologetic smile and Felix returned it, deciding to simply keep the peace though he was certain that he would not forget the comment any time soon; even if he couldn't bring himself to outright deny the claims.

"Hey Astra!" Myrtle called over to one of the groups of children in a sing song voice "I've got someone who wants to meet you!" Felix turned and watched as one of a group of children playing by a set of swings broke away and rushed over to them; coming skidding to a halt in front of the Lion Faunus and staring at him in wide-eyed awe

"Hey, I'm Felix….your older brother" Felix crouched down to the child' eye level as he spoke and his heart hammered in his chest with every word

"Hi, um I'm Astra and I saw you in the Vytal Tournament even though it was actually passed my bedtime" Felix couldn't help but laugh at this. Astra was a Deer Faunus like his father though his antlers were far less developed, the boy was perhaps a little short for his age and bordering on chubby, much like Felix he had inherited their mothers' curly hair but in the same shade of Auburn as his father, his sea blue eyes were framed by a pair of thick rimmed glasses and when he smiled Felix could see gaps caused by teeth that had fallen out. The Lion Faunus could somehow already sense that Astra would be a potential target for bullies, not least because his name was one more commonly given to girls

"The tournament was fun, met some cool people who're gonna be great Hunters" Felix beamed, pushing his concerns aside and deliberately focusing on the positives of the tournament and not acknowledging the way it had ended "You like Hunters?"

"Yeah!" Astra replied happily and Felix fought the urge to shoot Redwood a cocky smirk before the child continued "You live on Patch right?"

"Yeah" Felix nodded "And yes I know Ruby Rose….she's actually my Aunty" the Lion Faunus's grin was quickly wiped off of his face by a reply that nothing could have prepared him for

"What about Nyanza Angora? From Team NEON…..He's the coolest ever! I even got an Adi-Dazzler hoodie for my birthday 'cos they sponsor him" Felix needed several seconds to process what he had just heard before he all but collapsed, laughing hysterically

"Kid I've gone to school with Nyanza since Signal Academy, he's one of my oldest friends…. You're actually a big fan of him? That's gonna make his day"

"Yeah, he's a Faunus like us!" Astra answered, still smiling excitedly whilst Felix made a slight double take at the wording of the answer before deciding to ignore it "I wanna be a Hunter one day but kids at school say I can't because I wear glasses and I'm fat"

"Those kids are dumb" Felix replied swiftly, annoyed that his guess about Astra being singled out by other children being correct "The head of Halo Academy wears glasses and Nyanza used to be kinda chubby. You wanna be a Hunter then there's nothing stopping you" Astra looked stunned by the realisation, his smile widening to an almost absurd degree before he delightedly called out to his parents over Felix's shoulder

"Hey Mum! Dad! Felix thinks I could be a Hunter one day!" Felix gave a broad smile that showed off his oversized canines; regardless of whatever perceived tension there may have been between himself and Redwood, the Lion Faunus could already tell that he and his half-brother were going to have a great relationship.

* * *

The mid morning air was cold, a fact amplified by the altitude at which Halo Academy's anti-gravity platform operated, making the winds that whipped around the exterior of the campus all the more icy and the hangar in which the academy kept the limited supply of Bull-Head aircraft with which students were taught to fly was without heating. Onyx Ursabane however had been born and raised in far harsher climates and found the chill comforting, happy at least to be out of the fine misty drizzle currently falling which soaked into the clothes of all who ventured outside. The Puma Faunus was spending his Saturday morning working, his large and powerful frame positioned beneath the chassis of the craft that Team GORE had come to think of as their own. His current tinkering and maintenance was not part of any assignments or scheduled checks, instead Onyx was simply indulging his own interest in mechanical engineering and enabling himself to learn in the way that suited him best; by actually taking something apart and being able to touch the subject until he understood it rather than being limited by a stifling classroom and textbooks written in a language that he still struggled to read fairly often. He had been peacefully working in privacy for the last two hours, the hangar being empty due to the other third and fourth year students who used the Bull-Heads clearly having decided they had other things to do on a Saturday morning though he found that solitude interrupted by the sound of someone moving around, clearly trying to be stealthy and largely failing.

"Who is it?" he growled, still beneath the craft "The only things to be stolen are the tools and I'll break your hands if you try" with that he slid himself out from under the hull and found himself beneath one of the Bull-Heads' wings just as the thud of someone leaping onto it rang out through the hangar; quickly followed by the sight of Amethyst Wukong dropping into view whilst suspended upside-down, her tail obviously having found some purchase on the wing

"Chill" she sighed

"You" Onyx grunted with feigned disinterest. Following Amethyst's aborted grief fuelled warpath, which the Puma Faunus had helped talk her out of, the Monkey Faunus had been far less antagonistic around him; if somewhat embarrassed. The two had sparred several times in the gym, with Amethyst maintaining that one day she was going to pay Onyx back for her scarred face.

"Yeah me" Amethyst pouted "I'm still confined to the campus….technically I'm still on it" with that she flipped down to the ground, tail wrapping around her waist as she sat beside Onyx and leaned against the Bull-Head.

"Either break the rules or don't, this is just childish" Onyx snorted

"Dick" Amethyst shot back, remaining silent for a moment before continuing "I'm just trying to see everything that's actually here, y'know a lot of students don't even really realise how big this platform is 'cos they just stay in the main campus….besides Team RAIN's dorm is kinda awkward to be in right now"

"Oh?" Onyx asked, raising an eyebrow and deciding that his work could wait for a moment

"Yeah, me and Redshank broke up….we've got a mission coming up soon as well, this sucks…." she trailed off and Onyx noticed that she had dark rings around her slightly red eyes; clearly she was not handling the situation as well as her feigned indifference would suggest.

"You outgrew the weakling, the only problem is that you're stuck with him"

"Thanks ass-hole, real helpful" she treated Onyx to a rude hand gesture, the Puma Faunus couldn't keep a satisfied smirk off of his face for some reason

"Just do me a favour?" Amethyst implored "Don't go after Torchwick while I'm away" the smirk instantly vanished

"There's been a change of plans" Onyx admitted, greenish yellow eyes turning away for a moment "You mother-fucker!" Amethyst snapped "All that talk and you were never-"

"Yes we were!" Onyx barked back "Look at Hellion's scars and tell me you honestly think my people would let that stand!"

"Then why the hell are you backing out now?" Amethyst demanded, still enraged

"Because his allies are Atlesian terrorists" Onyx stated bluntly, knowing that the term would mean more to her than it did to his people "The person who supplies him with the drugs that poisoned you is wanted by Atlas and they're sending their own Specialist to deal with him….we're allowing this to happen and if they fail to kill Torchwick then we'll do it" Amethyst's knuckles were clenched and her mint green eyes were narrowed and furious as she leapt to her feet

"Don't do anything stupid" Onyx said simply

"I'm going to pack for my mission" She answered as she stalked off, a muttered addition still being clearly heard "Can't stand to look at you right now" Onyx remained laid on his back for a while, debating going after Amethyst before finally deciding that it wasn't his place or his problem; they could hardly be considered friends. He made to slide under the Bull-Head and return to work, only for the sound of fresh footsteps entering the hangar to distract him

"Ammi told me you were in here….she looked pissed" the familiar and always welcome voice of Corvid Xiao Long announced; Onyx swiftly rose to his feet and his hands found their way to her hips as she drew close

"Hey I'm here to work too" she told him, though she made no effort to move him "Team CLIR's last mission as students is coming up soon, I wanna check everything…..Lux says I'm worrying over nothing but I'm still worrying"

"You're amazing at what you do" Onyx assured her, his deep voice unusually soft "You'll complete your mission and go on to become one the heroes that people tell stories about"

"Thanks-" Corvid found herself cut off as Onyx leaned down to kiss her, her hands cupping his cheeks as she moaned softly into his mouth; only for her to gently push him away as his hands came up to begin unfastening her jacket

"We can't" she looked away, chewing on her lip for a moment before forcing herself to continue "That's kinda what I came to say….we can't do this any more" Onyx's world seemed to freeze for a moment, his stomach plummeting before he forced himself to speak

"Why?"

"Because I'm taking advantage of you" Corvid answered, eyes watery as she held a finger to Onyx's lips to cut off his objections "We both know that you want more than what we've had….You want us to be a couple and I can't give you that. I'm gonna leave this academy and Team CLIR are gonna be serving all over Remnant, I might not be back in Vale for years at a time. You're great Onyx and I didn't want the fun to stop but I shouldn't have led you on; I'm sorry" Onyx looked at her, his powerful frame seeming to sag under an unseen weight as he rubbed at eyes that suddenly stung

"I love you" he said simply planting his hands on her shoulders and gently pulling her close "I love you and if this is what you need to do then so be it, you will always have my support. In another lifetime we could have been amazing together"

"We really could" Corvid admitted, tears streaming down her cheeks "And thank you for being so understanding"

"Live free" Onyx gave a watery chuckle as he recited the motto of the Anima tribes "You know what you want and if you didn't try and grab it with both hands then you wouldn't be you Corey" Corvid leaned up to kiss him gently, once last time and the two of them remained there for an amount of time that meant nothing to them, crying as they held onto each other; both of them knowing it would be the last time they did so.

* * *

Pantheon's pack had been put to work and over the course of over a week many of their number had been lost and sacrificed in service of the intelligent monster's plans; now however that plan was on the cusp of coming to fruition.

The horde of Grimm that followed Pantheon had been dispersed and for days had been sent out in all directions to ravage and harass any nearby settlements and vehicles travelling to and from them along the roads, which considering their extreme distance from the Capital city of New Vale were poorly cared for and had little in the way of defences, leaving travellers open to attack in several places. The aim had not been simple bloodshed however, each pillaged hamlet or butchered supply caravan had been carefully orchestrated by Pantheon, the leader of the pack exerting their influence over the Beowolves to ensure that every available ounce of Dust had been looted and whilst many Grimm had perished in the attempt and much of the stolen Dust had been lost, the Grimm that carried it cut down or the volatile mineral being detonated by a stray shot from the humans and Faunus that fought for their lives against the Grimm, Pantheon had still acquired enough to proceed.

"Move" Pantheon's voice was a low sibilant hiss, distorted and sounding as though it came from multiple voices at once as they urged the Beowolves onwards. The pack still numbered in the hundreds, although roughly a third of those that remained had been held back and were currently waiting at the edge of Pantheon's area of influence so that they could be kept from giving in to their baser instincts and simply wandering off in search of fresh prey. Pantheon themselves had returned to the bleak swamplands where the Spawning Pit had formed within a floating and abandoned human settlement; bringing the majority of the pack with them for what the intelligent Grimm fully expected to be a gruesome conflict.

"Spread out" Pantheon ordered as they drew close, the nightmares made flesh behaved not as the primal forces of destruction that they were known to be, but as trained fighters; silently wading through the opaque water in near silence, what little noise they made as the advanced was muffled by the sound of the downpour that trickled through the canopy overhead as the rainwater rustled the trees. Eventually the Beowolves had positioned themselves to Pantheon's satisfaction; forming a ring around where they knew the Spawning Pit to be

"Come" with that they advanced, powerful wings flapping and carrying Pantheon forwards and upwards ahead of the Beowolves that followed and closed ranks as they did so, making the proverbial net formed by their bodies ever tighter. Pantheon took up a position in one of the dead trees whose trunk rose from the water dangerously close to the artificial island, scythe like upper limbs burying themselves in the rotting wood whilst their clawed tail wrapped around the trunk; their third pair of upper limbs, those which were disturbingly humanoid in appearance bore testament to how unlike the other Creatures of Grimm Pantheon truly was.

They were holding weapons.

The Dust Crystals that the pack had looted from the settlements and vehicles they had attacked had been crudely fastened to a pair of heavy iron bars in such away that at least one crystal would detonate upon impact and thus cause a chain reaction; which effectively gave Pantheon a pair of javelins with explosive payloads with which to target the Spawning Pit. A single piercing howl from one of the Beowolves served as warning and Pantheon's six eyes were immediately drawn to movement within the oozing and rippling mass of living darkness; the Pit had given birth to a Nevermore and the winged horror had already set its' sights upon Pantheon as a candidate for its' first meal

"Die" Pantheon snarled, the Nevermore returned with a primal shriek and unfurled its' ebony wings only to be painfully and ruthlessly despatched as the more intelligent Grimm hurled one of their weapons, the iron bar flying down the throat of the Nevermore and detonating within its' body to tear the beast apart from the inside. The explosion shook the artificial island and as flames washed over the surface of the Spawning Pit Pantheon realised that they had been too hasty; the damaged Pit rippled and visibly shuddered, crushing the buildings atop the island as it contracted before vomiting forth a deluge of Grimm; the bone coloured armour of the Creeps, Nevermore and King-Taijitu that were unleashed hadn't even had a chance to form and the monsters acted on nothing but raw, uncontrolled instinct which led them to consume and destroy anything that they came into contact with

"NOW!" Pantheon ordered and their Beowolves charged, closing the net around the escaping Grimm as many of them made to attack Pantheon. The momentary delay was all that was needed, the fledgeling Grimm had no connection to any of the Hive Minds' broken fragments and once corralled they soon fell upon each other with as much savagery as they did Pantheon's pack. The feminine voice within Pantheon's mind screamed in fury, pressure building in their skull and threatening to burst it as their Beowolves were torn apart by the cannibalistic frenzy until finally there was peace; a fine black mist hung over the surface of the water and Pantheon saw that there were only a few escaping Creeps left, the first traces of chitinous armour sprouting from their spines.

Then the water rippled.

All six of Pantheon's eyes narrowed as a hint of smooth and streamlined bone dipped below the surface of the filthy swamp water

"Die" they roared again, hurling their second javelin and sending murky waves crashing outwards in all directions; yet there were no screams of death throes or obsidian smoke and Pantheon was forced to conclude that whatever final monster the Spawning Pit had produced to dispose of them was still alive.

That conclusion was proven correct when a moment later they had only the briefest glimpse of a bone white claw bursting from the depths and cleaving through the base of the tree that Pantheon had been perched in. They leapt to another and simply waited; eventually being rewarded with the appearance of the Grimm to which said claw belonged. The thing was perhaps eight feet in height, shorter that Pantheon yet far larger in overall mass by virtue of being broader and longer; its' body was skeletal in appearance with almost none of its' inky black flesh visible beneath the extensive bony armour it sported. The thing was crustacean in build, its' thorax was entirely smooth, like a gigantic boulder that had been eroded for centuries though its' segmented tail was adorned with rows of swept back spines akin to fins and ended in a mass of blades that had fanned into an arc. It supported itself on six many joined legs which angled themselves to give it a squat posture and keep it low to the ground, whilst its' most prominent feature was its' forelimbs; a pair of bulky pincers which were each almost the size of its' torso and whose claws sported dozens of jagged protrusions intended to tear anything caught within them asunder. The Grimm's head was small in relation to its' body and tapered down to a point, several pairs of glowing red eyes regarded Pantheon with hunger whilst a pair of feelers several feet long thrashed about incessantly; the Grimm made no noise save for the clacking and scarping of its' armoured carapace as it shifted its' weight.

' _White Spectre'_ the voice within Pantheon's psyche named the Crayfish Grimm, which proceeded to earn the moniker by seeming to fade into translucence for a fraction of a second before vanishing entirely, as the colours of its' surroundings seemed to wash over it. Pantheon, seeing this promptly leapt from the their latest perch and soared directly upwards and out of reach a moment before the tree was torn down; the White Spectre reappearing, breaking the felled tree apart with its' claws

"Such a shame" Pantheon snarled, a mental command to those of their pack that remained directing them to act. The White Spectre was truly an impressive beast and were it brought under Pantheon's control they would be able to use it to great effect; however it was clear from the things' intelligence that whatever awareness had once been stored within the Spawning Pit now resided within the Crayfish Grimm and if Pantheon wished to take control of the fragment of the Hive Mind controlled by the Spawning Pit, the White Spectre had to be consumed.

With that in mind Pantheon splayed their claws wide and dived low.

* * *

After spending his morning and a portion of the afternoon with Myrtle and her family Felix had decided that he wasn't quite ready to return to the drudgery of countless assignments just yet and had contacted his friends, stating that they never seemed to spend time together as a whole group any more and he found that to be more than a little disappointing. After a few Scroll calls and text messages Felix had managed to convince Teams FADE and NEON to join him in the city, whilst Corvid had replied that she simply wasn't feeling up to joining them at the moment. The eight of them had first found somewhere where they could eat and discussed their plans for the afternoon and evening over incredibly unhealthy food and after several rounds of suggestions being dismissed Eagle had mentioned that she didn't think she'd ever actually been to a bowling alley; a sentiment which Helios had echoed. That had all but sealed the decision and they had departed, Nyanza been pre-emptively warned not to use his Semblance and on the way Helios had confided in Felix that he was worried about his sister; Syneffo was clearly growing aggravated by both her lack of progress and the relative solitude of her new living arrangements, the Lion Faunus had promptly offered Helios to invite his sister to join them, jokingly stating that she could replace Nyanza if the bushy tailed feline attempted to hustle them with his abilities.

Currently the nine of them were at the first bowling alley that they had been able to find, playing in teams of four; Team FADE against Team NEON with the exception of Nyanza who had graciously bowed out and allowed Syneffo to play; with no small amount of showmanship and teasing between the students

"Oh come on Dude" Diamond laughed as Helios managed to score yet another strike "At least hide the fact you're actually a pro and you set us all up"

"It's just skill" Helios assured her, acid green eyes mischievous "Perhaps you're not the marksman you thought you were?"

"Okay Heely we'll see" she shot back, blowing strands of silvery hair away from her eyes as she selected a ball, judging its' weight and predicting where it would travel. One powerful underhanded throw later nine pins had fallen

"Damn, they don't even need my Semblance" Nyanza laughed "You guys suck….Neffy, you're up"

"Don't call me that" Syneffo sighed, finding the nickname that had been bestowed upon her a little annoying

"Be careful Nyanza, she's got her axes" Ether laughed in mock fear; Syneffo had caused something of a stir when she had arrived, as this bowling alley had a notice outside which politely refused entry to any armed Hunters primarily due to the fact that the establishment had a liquor license. Mercifully Arctus and Felix had managed to explain the situation to the managers' satisfaction and point out the Syneffo was too young to drink anyway which had led to her being allowed inside.

"Seriously" Felix chuckled, adding to the gentle ribbing the younger teen was receiving "Did Aunt Ruby or Penny not mention it to you?"

"I was supposed to tell them I was leaving?"

"Uh...yeah?" Arctus looked at the redhead in utter disbelief

"Dude really?" Diamond sighed, Helios merely gave his sister a stern look and a disapproving shake of the head

"Whatever" Felix sighed "It's my round anyway, same again? I'll call Aunt Ruby and let her know where Syneffo is"

"Thank you" Helios grinned, the expression fading as the ruckus being caused by a new group of patrons who were loudly and openly insulting one of the staff for some perceived failure

"Some people just weren't raised right" Diamond scowled; Felix however had the most visible reaction as he stared at the ringleader of the group, a man barely older than the students themselves with dyed green dreadlocks and ostentatious jewellery

"Guys, look at that guy!" Felix demanded "I recognise him"

"Oh my Oum" Eagle gasped "He's one of Torchwick's guys" Felix nodded, as he made a single step towards Vert and his gang of thugs only for Arctus to quickly clamps a hand down on his shoulder

"Fluffy don't you know what my Dad-"

"We didn't look for 'em, they came to us" Felix replied with a smirk before raising his voice and calling over to the group "HEY ASS-HOLES!"

"Who the fuck-" Vert came to a halt, evidently recognising the Hunters and immediately reaching into a hidden pocket to produce his signature spiral bladed knife

"Woah, woah let's not do this here" Diamond offered, realising that while the student Hunters may have been unarmed the gang members had all begun reaching for knives and handguns and more importantly that there were lots of civilians present who would be at risk of getting caught in the crossfire

"Fuck that, we can light you bitches up right here" Vert gestured to Felix with the tip of his blade "And you big man, yeah you're coming with us; Torchwick has been hoping to catch you slipping"

"Then get him here, we can have a one on one bare-knuckle if he's got the guts for it" the Lion Faunus shot back, rolling his shoulders back and mustering all of the cockiness that had caused more fistfights than he could count at Signal and given him a reputation on Patch

"You're a funny guy" Vert chuckled before nodding to one of his associates who carried a large pistol "Cap his legs, we'll drag him to the-OH SHIT" both Vert and the thug hurled themselves to the ground as a short handled axed ripped through the space between 'em

"KILL THE LITTLE BITCH!" Vert bellowed and a moment later the bowling alley was filled with the sound of gunfire and screaming civilians; lights were blown out by ricocheting bullets as Arctus instinctively leapt in front of Syneffo and made to conjure a Glyph and Syneffo activated her own Semblance at the same moment, accidentally forcing the Bear Faunus off balance

"GO, GO!" Vert barked, scrabbling to his feet and dragging his fallen friend up after him as he bolted towards the exit; fully aware that simple pistols would not be enough to win against a group of trained fighters with unlocked Semblances. One of the group made to fire blindly over their shoulder; Nyanza sprung into action at blinding speed, picking up a bowling ball and hurling it at the would be gunman with the aid of his Semblance, the thug screamed in agony as the bones in his arm shattered.

"COME ON LET'S-"

"I'm hit!" Felix's face paled at the sound of his cousins' pained voice, words being forced through clenched teeth. When Syneffo had activated her Semblance Arctus had been pushed aside and his own protective Glyph had been angled just enough for a bullet to slip through his defences; leaving him clutching at his arm just below the shoulder where his black turtle-neck sweater could be seen gradually darkening as the blood soaked through the fabric

"Oh shit, call him an ambulance!" Diamond demanded

"No time" Syneffo interjected "They're-"

"Heely" Felix's voice trembled with rage "Get your sister out of my sight before I do something I'll regret later" Syneffo made to protest until she felt her brothers' hand firmly on her shoulder leading her away, the older Nikosi giving apologetic looks to everyone that they passed

"I expect better from you Syneffo" he stated bluntly once he had led her outside, where the was no trace of Vert and his gang

"We were already preparing to engage them-"

"And do you even know why?" Helios demanded; Syneffo scowled and eventually shook her head

"Then you had no right to start the conflict" he sighed "This was not a rival tribe, they are swine and bastards with no notion of honour and you just forced their hand in a building full of unarmed bystanders when everyone else was trying to move the conflict outside"

"I was trying to end the problem before it could begin" Syneffo admitted, seeing now that she had only exacerbated the problem

"By killing one of them; our laws are not the Kingdoms' laws and you know that. If you want to lead then you need to ensure that you and your allies are following the same plan" her brother chided her as gently as he could, he was far more angry than he let on but knew that arguing with his sister would solve nothing; she needed to be taught rather than merely have orders given to her.

"We can still go after them!" Syneffo existed

"Arctus needs medical treatment, besides they know this city better than any of us" Helios exhaled slowly and treated her to a truly disappointed stare whilst the sound of sirens drew closer, indicating that the authorities had been called "I'll have Ruby and Penny come and collect you Syneffo….you've done more than enough for one day"

* * *

Pantheon let out a primal shriek of rage and pain as the blunt edge of the White Spectre's pincer pulverised on their upper limbs with a wild swing; the retaliatory attack coming in the form of Pantheon's clawed tail shooting forwards at blinding speed and leaving fresh gouges in the larger Grimm's chitinous armour before the more intelligent of the two monsters used their vast wings to launch themselves backwards. The White Spectre clacked its' mandibles and cocked its' head, as if struggling to understand why its' fellow creature of Grimm would retreat; then its' body faded into translucence and the colours of its' surroundings washed over its' armoured exterior leaving it invisible and forcing Pantheon to track the destruction that their adversary left in their wake.

The battle between the two nightmares made flesh had been fought with ferocity and cruelty that only such creatures could fathom; Pantheon had been forced to rely on their unnaturally accelerated healing to repair the membrane of their wings, regrow a severed tail, twist crushed limbs back into place and on one occasion restore a partially collapsed ribcage. Yet they had fought on, the White Spectre bearing several wounds in testament to Pantheon's ferocity in the form of countless deep gouges in its' exoskeleton and several missing eyes which had been ruptured when the smaller monster ripped away a spindly limb and forced it into the Crayfish Grimm's skull before it faded into nothing.

"COME AND DIE!" Pantheon roared, leaping backwards once again as a pair of trees were felled by the camouflaged Grimm; whilst they had been on the receiving end of several crushing blows Pantheon had still been the one controlling the pace and direction of the fight and the White Spectre, being a mindless animal with no goals beyond the destruction of its' prey, was blissfully unaware of this fact. The Crayfish Grimm had allowed itself to be drawn away from the remains of the Spawning Pit itself and the deepest parts of the murky swamp, out towards areas where far more trees grew from far shallower water; the close confines allowing Pantheon a much better idea of where the White Spectre was as each of its' movements struck some part of the dense and claustrophobic foliage.

"Where-" A moment of distraction cost Pantheon dearly, they had no warning save for the faintest rippling of the air before the entire upper half of the tree in which they were currently perched was reduced to splinters as the White Spectre leapt and hurled itself forwards; whilst they may have avoided the pincers that would have torn them in half Pantheon still found themselves trapped beneath the weight of the far larger Grimm and desperately struggling for an opening, their plan was in motion after all and time was of the essence.

"Come to me" Pantheon ordered, their consciousness slipping into the darkness of the fragmented Hive Mind for a moment and urging the remains of their pack to hurry, before they returned to reality and began tackling the task at hand; their inhuman maw filling with filthy water as it was forced below the surface and a strangled scream of pain escaping them only to be drowned by the festering liquid and a jagged limb crushed one of their wings underfoot. Eventually however Pantheon managed to focus, their six eyes gazing upwards at the exposed ribcage of the larger Grimm whose underside was far less protected that its' back. Spotting a weak point where black flesh was visible between two ribs Pantheon lashed out and burying their tail in the White Spectre's thorax, the clawed appendage ripping and tearing at innards until the thrashing of the monstrous crustacean sent them hurtling into the base of another tree, one of very few that hadn't been broken in the frenzy

"You're mine" Pantheon taunted, knowing that their prey was most likely not aware enough to understand yet being utterly unconcerned with such details. The White Spectre itself seemed to flicker in and out of existence as its' injuries disrupted its' camouflaging abilities. The crustacean snapped its' claws and mandibles threateningly as it skulked forwards, advancing slowly on Pantheon.

Pantheon gave the closest thing to a smile that their inhuman face would allow; they could already hear the panting and snarling of their remaining Beowolves drawing closer, this conflict was already over and it was only a matter of taking what they wanted.

The White Spectre seemed to sense something was amiss and turned its' remaining eyes skyward a split second before the first missile struck its' lower back and ripped the larger Grimm in half; its' tail fading away as it landed several dozen feet from the upper half of its' owner.

The Beowolves that had been sent away from the majority of the now decimated Pack had been bait, their sole purpose being to attack a nearby settlement that had already fallen victim to their attention in the last few days and allow themselves to be followed by whatever machines of war the defenders had at their disposal; lacking any available Hunters the settlement had simply armed one of the Bull-Heads stationed with it and began culling the Grimm from the air, only to find the White Spectre levelling a portion of the swamplands as the Beowolves drew close to it.

"Mine" Pantheon repeated as another explosion relieved their prey of its' right claw; sensing that the White Spectre was only moments away from expiring they lunged forwards and sent their clawed tail crashing through the already fractured segment of skull where the beast had lost some of its' eyes. A final clacking sound escaped the larger Grimm before Pantheon began tearing out chunks of brain matter the size of a mans' chest and gorging themselves; the inky black substance which had been dissolving into wisps of acrid smog regaining its' cohesion as it was cannibalised and as the Crayfish Grimm finally died Pantheon dropped to their knees shrieking as pressure built within their skull to such an extent that it seemed certain to shatter, spikes seemed to be driven into the monsters' psyche as new aspects of the Hive Mind were anchored to those than Pantheon already controlled and eventually, their broken body healing as they did so, they rose and reached out into the now much more vast psychic plane to find that not only had they been successful in taking control of the Grimm produced by the Spawning Pit, the Pit itself was still somewhat functional and would almost certainly recover; giving them all the bodies that they would need for what was to come.

A single mental order was given, its' psychic echo reverberating to every recess of the hive mind that the intelligent monster could reach as Pantheon watched the Bull-Heads' depart, their target destroyed and within moments the sound of rustling trees and rippling water alerted them to the approach of the first of thousands.

The demented cackle that escaped Pantheon was oddly human, a single feminine voice seemingly drowning out the multitude of snarls which the Grimm normally spoke with for a brief moment.

* * *

The Huntress whose name Nickel Polendina had never bothered to learn, instead recognising her only as a designated target to remove, launched a flurry of powerful yet plainly desperate attacks with her quarterstaff. Not a single blow was landed as Nickel expertly blocked and parried her enemies' attacks with both her own elbows and forearms as well as the weapon she had made for herself with whatever scrap metal could be obtained at short notice; her sword was an ugly and crude thing, a blade almost as wide as her own torso and only a head shorter than its' wielder that bore several weld-lines where various pieces of different metals had been added together; the overall shape of the thing as well as its' circular hand guard gave away its' origins and made it clear that Nickel had essentially created an oversized and bastardised replica of one of Penny Polendina's iconic swords.

"This is high-key depressing" Nickel taunted with a cruel laugh as she decided that she had grown bored of this particular victim; simply side-stepping a frantic swing of the Huntresses' blunt weapons that was accompanied by a scream of rage and desperation, she then countered with a punishing kick that broke the woman's leg with a sickening crack and as she toppled to the ground Nickel seized the opportunity to land a fatal blow; cutting her opponents' pained scream short as she swung her sword into the woman's midsection, crimson blood flowing from the horrific wound the sword inflicted whilst a sky blue Aura flickered and failed.

"The floor is loving Grimm" Nickel stated with a flat tone, only to give in to a fit of giggles a moment later "Thought for sure that'd get her to move….Oh well" the rogue android took stock of her surroundings, her latest mark had been apprehended much like all of those that had preceded it, caught travelling between settlements away from New Vale's capital in the dead of night; compelled to stop their vehicle on an empty and unmonitored stretch of road whose ill-maintained surface could lead to an accident if a driver were tired; such would be the reason given when yet another burned and crushed car was found at the bottom of a valley after seemingly having crashed through a barrier.

It had grown pitifully boring and Nickel tapped her foot in irritation as she waited for a reply from Ozymandias Eldritch with her Scroll in one hand, bloodstained sword in the other.

"Ah Nickel, I presume you rendezvoused with Miss Cirrus as planned?"

"Bruh" Nickel sighed, the syllable dripping with a monumental amount of contempt for the victim whose name she had finally been told "That was so basic….about thirty seconds of actually fun fighting and then she got all cringey, just swinging at anything-"

"Is the target-"

"Yes the bitch is dead" Nickel sighed, tone becoming harsh in response to the interruption "And another thing, this whole plan is dumb chief….why am I dealing with one Hunter at a time? We know where they're going, so you must know that the target is heading that way. Why don't I just take Miss Cirrus's basic ass car out there and-"

"Because the plan isn't a straightforward as you seem to think it is Nickel" Ozymandias responded somewhat testily

"It's a glorified smash and grab-"

"Your hastiness will see us all killed and our plans in ruins" the mad scientist barked, their voice sounding as though several people had spoken at once only to be followed by pained and disturbingly wet, hacking coughs before the man continued "We already lost our chance to discreetly capture the target with Project Snare; we have no such device at our disposal now….instead we must bring the target to us; which means clearing a path"

"Fine" Nickel dragged the word out as much as possible, visibly sagging as she relented and accepted that she would be consigned to drudge work until Ozymandias's grand schemes were brought into fruition

"Now if you would be so kind as to return to the city once you're finished sanitising the area, I believe Mister Torchwick said something about some of his employees needing your assistance with a customer who has yet to pay"

"Bet" Nickel answered bluntly before hanging up, she was about to sling her oversized and roughly made sword over her back where it would sit at angle that allowed it to narrowly miss her wings when they were deployed, but before she could do so a gurgling groan alerted her to the fact that the Huntress she had been sent to dispose of still clung to life and was attempting to force herself into a sitting position despite her injuries

"Really?" Nickel demanded, gesturing to the critically injured woman for the benefit of an audience that wasn't there before she simply clutched the hilt of her weapon in both hands and swinging with as much force as she could muster.

The headless corpse collapsed backwards, staining the road with fresh blood as it did so.

* * *

"Oh you've gotta be kidding me?" that Artemis Tan's words and tone failed to convey her displeasure spoke only to the sheer depth and breadth of her distaste for what her current situation seemed to be.

Atlesian Specialist Kafsi Asteri had contacted the key members of the group acting against Rhodium Torchwick earlier that day, despite none of the group having given her the information to do so, and simply informed Rover and Artemis Tan, Scarlet David-Vasilias and Fawn Bordeaux that they should cancel whatever previous arrangements they had; Kafsi had managed to arrange a meeting with someone willing to bring down Torchwick and his accomplices late that night. Upon arriving at the meeting point, having left their daughter Tuscan with Artemis's sister for the night and wearing business clothes for the meeting as instructed the Tans had not had to wait long before Kafsi made an appearance; arriving in the back of a tinted limousine that was plainly out of place in even the middle class part of the Capital that the married Faunus called home. Artemis's suspicions had only intensified as the driver remained hidden behind a partition and after Scarlet and Fawn were collected they were taken higher into the Hive Complexes than Hunters ever normally had reason to venture; Artemis knew that there were few people who called these particular communities of Upper New Vale home who had any reason to even concern themselves with criminals such as Rhodium Torchwick, much less be so invested in his downfall.

Artemis's exclamation had come upon realising that her suspicions had been justified once they had reached their destination and exited the limousine; mismatched eyes narrowing at the sight of a small mansion or manor built into the confines of the Hive City, the lone residence taking up a vast percentage of the levels that it occupied. The walls to the sides and rear of the property had been replaced entirely with windows which gave the grounds an almost panoramic view of the world outside and an amount of natural light that very few citizens of New Vale enjoyed whilst the front of the manor was surrounded by a large wall topped with a spiked fence; the gates slid aside allowing the group of five to walk towards the manor whose entrance was flanked by half a dozen heavily armed guards wearing a familiar black tuxedo paired with a red tie and red tinted sunglasses; on the way they passed several marble statues of towering and powerful Bears.

"This is your contact?" Rover growled, canine tail standing erect behind him as he regarded Kafsi with clear irritation "You're bringing us to Junior?"

"Indeed" Kafsi gave her allies a look that made it clear that she was fighting the urge to roll her eyes and her bored tone made her lack of interest in their moral conundrums plain, despite the limitations of her respirator

"We're going to the dirtiest son of a bitch in town for help?" Scarlet noted, mechanical hand flexing beneath the glove he had covered it with "This won't come cheap"

"Maybe it will" Fawn noted "If Torchwick killed Malachite…." she trailed off, thoughts of her own promised revenge clearly occupying her mind

"We're here to get this turf war bullshit off of our streets" Artemis snapped "Not enable it!"

"I'm here to stop a terrorist" Kafsi corrected "Our aims just so happen to be in line with one another to a point, between his political and criminal connections Hei Xiong is a valuable asset and to pretend otherwise would be a mistake" the heated debate was brought to a premature close as the group reached the guards and were forced to allow themselves to be searched before being allowed into the property, at which point they led through lavishly decorated hallways towards an office by one of the few remaining members of the Black Bear Syndicate, the lackey knocked on the door and waited a moment for a reply

"WELL LET 'EM IN THEN, I'M OBVIOUSLY EXPECTING PEOPLE!" the voice of Councilman Hei Xiong, the politician and former mob boss known as Junior barked out. The door was opened and the group filed inside

"I suppose I shouldn't complain, there was a time I used to have Hunters just kicking my door off whenever they thought I might know something" Junior chuckled to himself, eyes focusing on Rover and Artemis "How is Blondie by the way, you were part of her group of friends back in the day right?"

"Doing good last I heard" Artemis assured him; Kafsi however had no such tact or patience for small talk

"We're here to discuss-"

"Lady you're in my house, learn some Oum damned manners before have one of my people teach 'em to you" Junior drawled out before reaching under his desk for a bottle of brandy "Drinks anyone? Never premeditate murders with a clear head, you'll be up all night thinking about otherwise" none of the Hunters accepted the offer, though Fawn did take a glass before Junior continued speaking

"We all know what we're here for; Torchwick and his people need to go….that ginger little shit especially, I'm gonna make him wish I cut his dads balls off before he was even conceived before I done with him"

"We don't want a bloodbath" Artemis stated firmly

"We were around for your turf war with the White Fang….arson, kidnappings, drive-by shootings; we won't be part of any of that" Rover added, Junior scoffed before leaning forward

"Yeah you're Gang's friends, you were here for the business with Adam's little crew….you weren't here for the war before that though, the one that put the Syndicate on top. Mil and Mel lost their parents before the end of it and by the time it was over it didn't feel like we'd won….I raised those two like they were my own children" Junior downed his glass in a single gulp, letting out a single shuddering sob as he did so "He murdered one of my little girls….I can't look Mil and her family in the face any more, not while the bastards' still out there. The only reason I'm even entertaining working with cops and Hunters is because the Syndicate is dead, there aren't enough of us left to fight Torchwick's people any more. He's killed half and the rest changed sides-"

"I was told you'd still be of some use to our efforts" Kafsi stated flatly, earning herself a round of disgusted glares from her companions

"What she means-" Fawn was silenced by Junior raising a meaty hand whilst pouring himself another drink with the other

"She said what she means" he then turned to Kafsi "You're a bitch but at least you're an honest one. I haven't got the people, but what I have got is money and assets; guns, intel, fake documents, an absolute fortress of a house where anything can be hidden from the cops that Torchwick is gonna start paying off if he hasn't already

"Oh he doesn't pay, he has their families threatened" Fawn's tone was murderous at the mere mention of Rhodium Torchwick influencing police officers, her late brothers' death and its' circumstances as close to the surface as ever.

"You have information?" Artemis dared to ask, Junior gave her an oddly apologetic look as he answered

"I've got something that I confiscated earlier this evening….I'm gonna say sorry to you and your husband in advance, this might be hard for you to watch" with that he produced a Scroll, an older model that was clearly not his own personal device and bid the group to come closer so that he could show the group the surveillance camera footage that he'd acquired, footage showing events that had unfolded at a bowling alley

"Oh my Oum!" Artemis gasped as she watched her nephew clutching as his wounded arm after the brief gunfight "Is he okay?"

"Pretty sure he stopped off at a hospital, got some Aura stim and bandages and left" Junior noted "Tough old beast, like his old man was"

"If I believed in karma" Kafsi noted with faint amusement, the memory of Arctus Slate aiming a plasma weapon at her coming to mind

"Listen Asteri I don't care if Gang hired you I will break your nose right now" Artemis's tone was savage

"I know that little fucker" Rover snarled, icy blue eyes furious as he pointed to the young man with dreadlocks who had been the ringleader of the gang; turning to Scarlet he added "Corona's-"

"Don't call it that" Junior grumbled "That's my fucking bar and I want it back"

"This guy was there" Rover continued "He's one of Torchwick's lieutenants"

"Really?" Junior asked in disbelief "Little street trash punk is just letting anyone run his businesses then, that kid just ran off the second he met any resistance"

"Then our plan is obvious?" Kafsi observed, Junior nodded and addressed the group as a whole

"We find a way to draw this one out, if we can get to him then we can get to Torchwick; he knows things"

"If he talks" Artemis noted, Scarlet chuckled darkly

"Oh he will….I can already tell he's way out of his depth"

 **Authors Notes:**

Okay, so that's another chapter down and things are moving forwards; even if not everything can be seen yet.  
The Vol.7 outfits were dropped after I wrote the authors' notes last week so let me just say this here...I love them, so much.  
A little annoyed that Gen:LOCK season two is being put on hold but it is what it is and the RWBY Hype Train has now left the station.

Not too much to say here so let's summarise shall we:  
If a lot of my stories seem to be set in working class parts of town, it's because that's where I'm from and where I will always naturally default back to.  
I like the idea that the main difference between Atlas Hive cities and New Vale is that New Vale at least some kind of a soul to it, like the people running the place at least care a little bit about the population….also in my mind, the kids' parks around the city are something Junior paid for.  
I know people are gonna think he's a dick but honestly Redwood kinda has a point….for years Hunters haven't any sort of support for their mental health and if a Hunter goes postal then they could potentially kill hundreds of civilians before another Hunter can arrive and stop them.  
I know you guys love it when I write kids so here, have Felix's baby bro.  
I love giving Nyanza fans, the idea of him going from 'the kid who just scraped by because of his Semblance' to being an amazing Hunter with an actual fan-base is great.  
" _A Faunus like us"_ there's a little red flag for you, take note of things like that.  
Onyx is a pretty smart guy and wants to learn, he just doesn't do well in classrooms, mainly due to never being raised in that kind of environment.  
Onyx and Ammi slowly becoming friends; Sun is gonna have a heart attack.  
R.I.P Air-Raid; it sucks but it's probably for the best….if they'd met in Team CLIR's first year or if they meet again in five years or so who knows; but for now it is what it is.  
Just imagine Grimm moving like commandos through the water and tell me it's not terrifying.  
Yes, Pantheon has gone beyond just talking and having a plan, they're making tools as well now.  
I know having the wave of Grimm cut down seems counter-productive but considering that Pantheon would have had to fight those Grimm as well, it's a sacrifice that had to be made.  
I had to google what actually lives in a swamp, I've done alligator Grimm before so they were out; then I saw that "White Spectres" are an actual kind of crayfish and it was pretty much a done deal….as far as I know they don't actually have camouflage but come on, with a name like that they should.  
You do not cast aspersions about Diamond's marksmanship….ever.  
I imagine that's a thing that a lot of places in Remnant has _"Deals for Hunters, but please leave the Katana/Grenade launcher/Pogo-stick combo at home"_ because let's be honest, drunk people with superpowers is enough to deal with.  
Syneffo is really not good at this living with a nuclear family in the suburbs thing.  
So, Team FADE were given the same orders and information as Team GORE….Naturally Felix is attempting to rules lawyer his way into still being allowed to fight Vert.  
Thank you Diamond, for having common sense.  
Arctus will be fine.  
I think Helios was as gentle with that as he could be; Syneffo much like Team FADE in first year has her heart in the right place but her head unscrewed.  
Pantheon ripped the White Spectre's leg off and stabbed it in the face with its' own leg….admit, you're rooting for Pantheon.  
Pantheon used themselves as bait to draw the Grimm away from the Spawning Pit, then used their pack to draw in unwitting air support to kill the Grimm and save them the trouble.  
Also yes….they ate it's brain; and now they have a spawning pit.  
Nickel's made her first weapon….won't be her last.  
" _The floor is loving Grimm"_ okay admit it, you hate Nickel so much it hurts….but you also kinda love her.  
Oz low-key suffering when he turns his powers up, just to remind people that he is actually slowly dying.  
Casual decapitation.  
Of course, who else would Kafsi have as a contact; besides a lot of you wanted Junior.  
" _I suppose I shouldn't complain, there was a time I used to have Hunters just kicking my door off whenever they thought I might know something"_ now there's a callback for ya.  
" _I'm gonna make him wish I cut his dads balls off before he was even conceived before I done with him"_ and that ladies, gents and others, is a masterclass in threats.  
" _If I believed in karma"_ admit it, you laughed.  
So Vert is on pretty much everyone's shit-list right now.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, DizzyDwarf, Funlander and Ferrous for their reviews on the last chapter.  
Remnant would most likely have a lot of that tech _(Although maybe not the solar powers, based on just how reliant everyone is on Dust)_ but Team FADE were stopped from taking it with them, due to the nature of the assignment.  
How is Forever Fall getting crowded?  
Oh Weiss will break Car's jaw, she will meet him at the Atlesian border just to do it since Team GORE technically can't enter the Kingdom again.  
More surprised by the fact that Oz knows about the bomb and would use it as a threat.  
We will get Qrow next chapter.  
Pantheon just got scarier.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.


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